The North Pole Community Chamber of Commerce hopes to open a new facility in December that will enable businesses and workers to perform better in the 21st century economy. The Welcome Center also will help newcomers find what they need in the community.

Alaska Safeway and Carrs stores will be sold to C&S Wholesalers if a divestiture plan goes through later this year. It’s part of a proposed $24.6 billion merger of Kroger and Albertsons companies, and includes turning both Fairbanks Safeway stores and one in North Pole into C&S groceries, while maintaining current job and wage levels.

Golden Valley Electric Association chief executive John Burns will retire next month, and the co-op’s board has selected chief operating officer Travis Million as the new CEO. Million says he intends to pick up where his predecessor left off in navigating Golden Valley’s transition to more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly ways of generating and transmitting electricity.

A local housing agency is hoping to upgrade 30 decrepit rental units and get them on the Fairbanks housing market by next year.

Three Bears Alaska has begun work at the site of its latest acquisition: The Wasilla-based retail chain is now planning to build a grocery store in Delta Junction.

A new grocery store opened Wednesday in Delta Junction, more than two years after the old store’s roof collapsed under a heavy snow load. Hundreds of area residents turned out to finally be able to shop locally for groceries.

Alaska Energy Metals executives met with Delta Junction-area residents Monday to talk about a nickel deposit the company is exploring near Paxson. They say the Nikolai Project could become an important source of the metal essential to manufacturing green energy products like wind generators and electric-vehicle batteries.

A new fast-food restaurant and convenience store opens today in Delta Junction, with a grocery store expected to follow. The new grocery will replace one that collapsed under a heavy snow load two years ago.

Three Bears Alaska says it’s interested in two acquiring two Sourdough Fuel gas station-convenience stores in North Pole, and is continuing to work on other expansion plans around the state.

Three Bears Alaska is looking to continue its statewide expansion. The rapidly growing Wasilla-based grocery and retail chain’s is negotiating for properties in North Pole and looking elsewhere for more.