There has been a marked upswing of hipsters here in the Mat-Su Valley lately. It could be that there is an influx of hipsters from the lower 48 or perhaps there are more “homegrown” Alaskan hipsters…or maybe (more likely) it is a mixture of both. The Matsu Muckraker first started…
MatsuMuckraker.com
Senator Mike Shower represents District E (Wasilla) in the Alaska State Senate. He is an Air Force veteran and currently works as a pilot for FedEx. Originally appointed to the State Senate by Gov Walker in January, 2018, to fill the vacancy created when Mike Dunleavy resigned to focus on…
Alaska is notorious for being a place where people can get lost – sometimes forever. People can run into bad weather or bad luck when out in the wilderness or on a body of water or even when driving on a remote road. Some people have mental health challenges and…
Goodwill Industries recently applied for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a retail store in Wasilla. The CUP was heard at a City of Wasilla Planning Commission meeting last week on March 10th. Goodwill Industries is in the process of purchasing the old Johnson’s Tire Building located next to Creekside…
The lawsuit Lisa Behrens vs. Mat-Su Borough (case number 3PA-18-01703 CI) has been settled. The jury trial scheduled to begin next week has been vacated from the Palmer Superior Court calendar. NOTE: The MatsuMuckraker will post the settlement documents as soon as they are obtained from the Mat-Su Borough. UPDATE:…
The MSB Manager, in his most recent Manager’s notes (which are dated March 10th but only released on the MSB website on March 17th), finally gave out a tiny bit of information about a mining project or potential mining project in the northern part of the borough. The manager writes…
Analyzing the Mat-Su Borough’s use of Transient Accommodation Tax Revenue and the Mat-Su Convention & Visitor Bureau’s proposed budget for FY2021 The Mat-Su Borough has been collecting “Transient Accommodation Taxes” (i.e. a “bed tax” or “lodging tax”) since the 1980’s. The current rate is 5%. This revenue is shared by…
The MSB has finally issued an RFP for a septage facility. Actually, the MSB ideally wants a combined Septage and “Waste to Energy” facility. A septage treatment plant has been DECADES in the discussion and planning stages. Literally. Ask Helen Munoz, the “Sewer Lady,” who has been advocating for one…
Some residents who live in close proximity to the Mat-Su Central Landfill have formed a group called “Crevasse Moraine Neighbors United” to push for reforms at the landfill facility. They are also opposed to any Leachate, Septage or Waste to Energy Facilities being built at the landfill site. This group…
Summary: The Fish Creek Access Project is all about resource development. It is connected to the MSB’s ongoing but failed efforts to monetize the Port and Rail Spur and the State’s Road to Resources plans. The Fish Creek project is not really about “public access” to the northern one third…