MATANUSKA-SUSITNA BOROUGH NEWS
Kohring provides details of lawsuits
PALMER - Vic Kohring had to hire a private investigator to track down and serve a lawsuit against the star witness in his public corruption trial.
Ewing joins state House race
WASILLA - Though he's been making noise about wanting to enter the race since at least July, Mark Ewing made it official this past week, filing to run for the state House of Representatives.
Wasilla, borough work on land deal
WASILLA - Once upon a time in 1978, the city built its downtown public library. Use of the library soon outgrew its 8,000 square feet of space, and more than 20 years of wishing to build a new facility is now moving from the fiction section to non-fiction.
Council politics turn personal
WASILLA - It seems even municipal bodies aren't immune to the emotional effects of social media. On the heels of a heated municipal election season, a Facebook post has opened a rift among some Wasilla City Council members.
Wasilla native among dead in Washington helicopter...
WASILLA - The Mat-Su Valley's  CWO3, Chief Warrant Officer Shan Joseph Satterfield was one of four Army aviators who perished when two helicopters crashed during training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Monday.
Group hopes to help prisoners return to society
WASILLA - The Valley's court system, probations offices and case workers have banded together to do something about a problem many might not be aware of - what to do with prisoners re-entering society.
Bikes-for-Books event returns to Mat-Su schools
PALMER - The Matanuska Foundation, sponsored by the Matanuska Masonic Lodge in Palmer, is conducting its Bikes-for-Books program at Swanson, Sherrod, Butte, Sutton, Pioneer Peak and Finger Lake elementary schools.
Copter crash claims Wasilla man
WASILLA - The Mat-Su Valley's CWO3 Shan Joseph Satterfield was one of four Army aviators who perished when two helicopters crashed Monday during training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Coalition meets to discuss homelessness
WASILLA â?" Grant writers, volunteers, advocates and just about anyone with an interest in the topic will be talking about homelessness in the Valley at an all-day conference today.
'Homeless Summit' is tomorrow in Wasilla
WASILLA - State and local advocates and officials are set to meet Tuesday to discuss what to do about homelessness in the Valley.
Community councils change postponed
PALMER - A measure that would allow community councils to open their rolls to landowners rather than just residents was put off until April 2012.
Assemblyman may resurrect gravel debate
PALMER - Saying he wanted to see the entire ordinance in one place before voting to pass it, Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman Noel Woods resurrected a gravel ordinance that passed Dec. 6.
Menard recall election set
WASILLA - A unanimous vote by city council members officially puts Wasilla's first ever recall election on the calendar.
Wolves relocated
PALMER - A tourist attraction featuring wolves got rid of its animals Friday.

Special Santa program provides Christmas for more than 3,000 Valley children
WASILLA - Christmas will be a bit happier for more than 3,000 Valley children who will find themselves on Santa's "nice" list this year.
Conservative approach keeps Wasilla in the black
WASILLA - Although Wasilla has been insulated from many of the economic trends that are troubling residents in the Lower 48, the city's not immune. That's part of the message gleaned from a 137-page independent financial audit of Wasilla's books for fiscal year 2011.
Council to set date for Menard recall election
WASILLA - Voters will make history next year when they participate in the city's first recall election.
New knitters guild helps Burchell students
WASILLA - The Northern Lights Valley Knitters donated 101 mittens, hats and scarves to Burchell High School students on Dec. 6. It was the first project of the 2-month-old guild.
E-reader teachers
Two student volunteers from Wasilla High School were on hand at Wasilla Meta-Rose Public Library Dec. 1 to teach six community members how to use e-readers, such as Kindles, Nooks and Sony Readers. The library also received a grant to purchase e-readers and content for them.
Menard recall moves forward
WASILLA - A petition seeking to recall Wasilla City Councilman Steve Menard has enough valid signatures to move forward to a special election.
Polar Plunge grant application deadline is Dec. 31
WASILLA - Mat-Su Sertoma Club will accept applications until Dec. 31 for this year's eighth annual Mat-Su Polar Plunge. This year's fundraiser begins at noon, Feb. 18, 2012, at the Rumrunner's Mat-Su Resort on Wasilla Lake.
Grandmother charged in death
WASILLA - A woman in charge of watching a boy who died in a 2010 house fire has been charged with manslaughter.
Neighbor saves neighbor from burning home
WASILLA - Fire crews from Palmer and Mat-Su Central fire departments descended on a fire in a two-story house with an attached hangar on Hart Lake Loop near the Wolf Lake airstrip Friday afternoon.
Recall petition filed with Wasilla city clerk
WASILLA - Steve Menard moved another step closer to making history as the first city council member to face a recall vote.
Shoppers 'swing' into season at Wal-Mart
WASILLA - Black Friday took a swing toward Boxing Day at Wal-Mart when a scuffle broke out between two men over a $60 ping-pong table.
CPG confident recall will go to voters
WASILLA - If the Conservative Patriots Group has its way, Steve Menard's days on the Wasilla City Council are numbered.
Roads top Wasillaâ??s wish list for state funding...
WASILLA - When the state Legislature reconvenes in January, the city of Wasilla has a short list of funding priorities it hopes local lawmakers will push.
Food pantry a labor of love for Ezelle
WASILLA - It was the beginning of a new chapter in his life 2.5 years ago when Eddie Ezelle answered an ad looking for an executive director for the Food Pantry of Wasilla.
GIFT OF GIVING
WASILLA - Adam Pendergrass considers himself rich, but he often relies on the Food Pantry of Wasilla to help him feed himself and his five children.
Federal court charges Three Bears thieves
Frontiersman staff ANCHORAGE - Last month's burglary at the gun counter in Three Bears on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway has wound up in federal court.
Machetanz student a finalist in nationalâ??What...
WASILLA - Mat-Su Borough residents are invited to show their support for local Machetanz Elementary student Isa Weiss by voting for her design in the national McGraw-Hill "What Math Means To Me" contest. If Weiss' design wins, her class will receive $15,000 in resources.
GRATEFUL GIVING
WASILLA - Martha Jensen hasn't had much to smile about lately, but that didn't stop her from shedding a few tears of joy Saturday.
Third strike for alleged cop impersonator
WASILLA - A man with a history of convictions for impersonating police officers again found himself on the wrong side of the law this week, with emergency lights on his car and a real-looking badge.
Filmmaker will be on-hand for showing of...
WASILLA - Folks in Alaska have their first opportunity to see the movie "The Undefeated" on the big screen Monday.
Valley survivor shares lessons learned from a...
WASILLA - Care Tuk passed a milestone few of us would care to reach this month.
Cool customers
Dakota Rood, 12, tries to catch some air on his sled as friend Austin Robertson, 11, watches and waits his turn Monday at Wonderland Park in Wasilla. Monday brought clear skies, sunshine and colder temperatures that are expected to continue through the week. (ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman)
Brutal assault ends in arrest
WASILLA - A man was jailed Thursday for what troopers described as a serious assault that also included a kidnapping charge.
Delegation split on building purchase
WASILLA - State Sen. Linda Menard seems be getting progressively lonelier amongst her Valley colleagues on the issue of whether the state should buy an Anchorage building for use as office space.
Wasilla teen saves 5-year-old from hot tub mishap
WASILLA - Cassie Nix only briefly met Anthony Keller the morning of Oct. 2 - in fact, she doesn't remember the meeting clearly - but that's all it would take for Keller to become Nix's hero.

  Palmer-Wasilla Highway reopens
Welcome to YOLONE,
your local news source!