Alaska lawmakers refused an executive order from Gov. Mike Dunleavy seeking to create a state agriculture department; the state is kickstarting a plan to build a new ferry terminal between Juneau and Haines, but communities in the area are concerned; and Petersburg middle schoolers mapped a creek on Kupreanof Island last week.

Lawmakers coming to Juneau for the special session are divided on if it'll be worth the travel costs; Petersburg has a new youth fast-pitch softball club; and nonresidents will be allowed to sport fish for wild king salmon in Southeast Alaska again, starting Monday.

New trade deals don't seem to provide relief for timber companies in Alaska impacted by tensions between China and the U.S.; a jury in Juneau found a Petersburg man guilty of sexual assault; and an otter and beaver skin sewing class came to Petersburg last weekend.

Alaska Congressman Nick Begich III wants to roll back parts of the Marine Mammal Protection Act; not all Juneau residents believe the city should adopt a new seasonal sales tax system; and hospitals in Petersburg, Cordova, and Homer are teaming up to create a rural health network through a federal grant.

Southeast Alaska's king salmon troll fishery will get a noncompetitive second opening; a group of scientists wrapped up a deep-sea expedition in the western Aleutians this summer; and the candidacy filing period for Petersburg's local election opens today.

State Sen. Shelley Hughes of Palmer is planning on running for governor; the Trump administration wants to eliminate the Denali Commission; and after freezing the funds last month, the federal government will give funding for migrant education, which a quarter of students in Petersburg qualify for.

What to expect when lawmakers gather in Juneau for a special legislative session Aug. 2; one of Alaska's iconic mountain races had its youngest-ever winner; and Petersburg teenagers returned from a weeklong kayak camping trip this week.

State officials are still assessing the impact of the budget reconciliation bill on Alaska's Medicaid program; some Alaska school districts and advocates are suing the Trump administration; and federal shakeups are making it harder for one Petersburg nonprofit to do its work.

An appeal by the state education department could cost Alaska $80 million; Petersburg will seek state funding for a harbor float replacement project; and a look from Petersburg's 11th annual Pedal-Paddle Battle fundraiser.

An Alaska civics group says Gov. Mike Dunleavy's latest appointment to the Judicial Council violates the state Constitution; many animals were left behind at a shut-down wildlife facility near Haines; and a group of volunteers looked for signs of European green crab on Mitkof Island last week.