This month is shaping up to be the coldest December Fairbanks has seen since 1980, with an average temperature of -21.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Alaska received the nation’s second-highest rural healthcare award, but keeping the more than $1 billion reward requires legislative action which Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, said he hasn’t briefed on.

New Year’s Eve is just a day away, and with that comes the inevitable fireworks that help ring in the new year.