Stevens and Begich jockey over mud-slinging advertisements. Plus, the legislature scrambles to meet Sunday deadline. And the shortage of king salmon in southeast puts a damper on the coming sports season. Those stories and more on tonight’s Alaska News Nightly, broadcast statewide on APRN stations.
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Stevens and Begich jockey over mud-slinging
Joel Southern, APRN – Washington, DC
Senator Ted Stevens, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and the Alaska Democratic Party are ‘one-upping’ each other in a tussle over smear tactics in the upcoming race for Stevens’ seat.
Legislature sprints to meet session deadline
Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
The legislature is pulling the final strings for issues that have been left hanging until the end of the session. With the adjournment only two days away, members are trying to get the final spin on their bills.
Legislators mull constitutional amendment for savings endowment
Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
State lawmakers are moving ahead with a constitutional Amendment that would limit legislative spending when there’s plenty of money and would provide a cushion when revenue is scarce. The Senate Finance Committee today (Thursday) heard a proposal by House majority leader Ralph Samuels that would roll together the state’s various savings account into one fund and portion the money over time.
Guaging air traffic in Denali National Park
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
A new advisory group is looking into the air traffic over Denali National Park. The Denali Over Flights Advisory Council arose out of the 2006 Denali Backcountry management plan. It’s made up of aviation industry, public, and agency representatives.
Kings in short supply in Southeast
Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
The lowest king salmon harvest quota in nearly a decade means fewer opportunities for southeast sport anglers this season. It could also pose a big problem for an annual salmon derby in Juneau unless fisheries managers intervene with an exception.
Bristol Bay processor agrees to pay fine
Eileen Goode, KDLG – Dillingham
A Naknek seafood prossessor has agreed to pay nearly $55,000 dollars to settle federal Clean Water Act violations.
Anchorage Native culture school still a possibility this year
Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
For more than three years a determined group of volunteers have been working toward the creation of an Alaska Native Culture Charter School in Anchorage. The next two weeks will decide if the school is to open this fall.
Charting “Unknown Waters”
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
In 1970, the U-S Navy sent the nuclear submarine USS Queenfish into arctic waters to survey the uncharted Siberian Continental Shelf. The secret mission took 20 days and covered more than 3000 miles. Alfred McLaren was captain of the Queenfish and he has a new book out on the remarkable journey called “Unknown Waters.” McLaren says it was arduous to navigate without charts in the extreme arctic
environment.
