In this newscast: A wide-ranging anti-discrimination ordinance considered by Ketchikan's city council has received tentative approval; Anchorage residents are reporting long wait times at local testing sites; The state Department of Natural Resources is giving Italian oil giant ENI a six-month break on a nearly $2.7 million rent payment for leases on Alaska's North Slope; All residents of Sitka will be offered free coronavirus screening tests to help prevent the spread of the illness; A state court judge has heard arguments over whether to block disbursement of federal coronavirus relief aid to small businesses in Alaska.

In this newscast: The state's COVID-19 dashboard showed a large drop in the number of available inpatient beds on Wednesday from 1800 to 1400; Alaska's Chief Medical Officer Doctor Ann Zink says Alaskans can slow the spread of COVID-19; Local leaders unveiled a new mural July 4 in Petersburg honoring Native civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich; American Cruise Lines announced it has canceled its summer season due to COVID-19 spikes across the country.

In this newscast: A federal judge issued an injunction that prevents Alaska Native corporations from receiving part of a Tribal funding set-aside in the CARES Act; The Juneau School District heard from families in a public forum on Monday about the plan for returning students to face-to-face classes this fall; Ten of the state's airports have COVID-19 screening lines so passengers can show test results or talk through options before leaving the airport; A vast majority of Alaska State Troopers are white, making the primary statewide law enforcement agency substantially less diverse than Alaska's population; A wildlife official says a bird symbolizing America's freedom had to be liberated on Independence Day after becoming stuck in a tree.

In this newscast: Five Tlingit sacred items could be returned to Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska; At least three people were injured -- one seriously -- when fireworks accidentally detonated in a crowd during Sitka's Independence Day celebration; Two employees at Providence Transitional Care Center in Anchorage speak about what it was like to work in the middle of state's largest coronavirus outbreak; The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic meant big changes to Kotzebue's annual celebration of the Fourth of July.

In this newscast: The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida fireworks sale was a big hit from day one; Homeless service providers say there hasn't been a drop in demand for services from people experiencing homelessness this year; As national dialogues on race continue to evolve, the Juneau school district is grappling with how to best address race and equity in the classroom; Alaska recorded fifty new coronavirus cases from Wednesday, but no new deaths or hospitalizations; Anchorage officials and trade groups have released new suggested guidelines they hope bars and restaurants will adopt to spread the slow of the virus.

In this newscast: State public health experts gathered Wednesday to discuss the latest science and the medical response to COVID-19; Neiman Marcus is one of the clothing retailers that's seen a decline in sales because of the coronavirus; Federal wildlife officials are asking the public to be on the lookout for an entangled humpback whale reported near Sitka; June was the second-wettest June ever recorded with 7.3 inches of rain; AEL&P customers are expected to experience lower electric bills as a result of surplus energy and a rainy June.

In this newscast: Alaska has 400 active COVID-19 cases, another record high as numbers continue to climb; Juneau will not see a downtown fireworks show this Independence Day weekend after all; The city of Kotzebue recently lifted its mandatory COVID-19 closure order for churches; Nearly half of Thorne Bay's city council is facing a recall election today; A company wants to use an advanced balloon to fly customers for Earth's surface in Alaska to the highest reaches of planet's atmosphere; A proposed project in Juneau would use federal coronavirus funds to help restaurants feed residents experiencing homelessness or food insecurity.

In this newscast: The pandemic has put a damper on most of Juneau's usual July Fourth festivities, but one resident is still hoping for a parade; A former big box store in Juneau that's been vacant since 2016 is now for sale -- about $2.3 million below what the city assessor's office says it's worth; Trump administration officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service are telling staff not to use the words COVID-19 or pandemic; A federal bankcruptcy judge has approved a plan for an auction to sell Alaska's RavnAir Group in whole or in part; The mayor of Anchorage has asked the Native Village of Eklutna to determine what happens to a statue of a British explorer following calls for its removal.

In this newscast: Two more Alaskans with COVID-19 have died, according to state health officials; Various Alaska Native stakeholders speak on what the statues of Cook, Seward and Baranov mean to them; A Chilkat mask woven to document the coronavirus pandemic has been donated to Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau; To curb the spread of COVID-19, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has modified how moose hunters can acquire moose permits for the Northwest Arctic.

In this newscast: State health officials reported 44 new COVID-19 cases from Wednesday -- the highest one-day increase in the state yet; The Market in Petersburg has moved online due to coronavirus concerns; What the public is saying about the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority board's vote to put $500,000 into the controversial Ambler Road project; More than 18 million acres of a petroleum reserve in Alaska will be opened to oil and gas drilling under a plan released by federal officials today; Military officials say two Russian aircraft were intercepted after they came within 50 miles of Unimak Island along Alaska's Aleutian chain.