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Redistricting Plan Goes Back To The Drawing Board
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
It’s back to the drawing board for the Alaska Redistricting plan, after a state Superior Court decision sent an “amended” plan back to the panel last week. The state’s Redistricting Board met Tuesday to deal with the latest court rejection of the map of Alaska voting districts.
Hooper Bay Man Get s $500,000 For Tasering
Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel
A man from the Bering Sea village of Hooper Bay has been awarded a half million dollars for being excessively tasered by village police officers.
Ted Nugent Pleads Guilty To Hunting Violation
Deanna Garrison, KRBD – Ketchikan
Rocker Ted Nugent today pleaded guilty to transporting a black bear he illegally killed near Hydaburg in May of 2009.
Nugent committed the misdemeanor violation while filming a show for the Outdoor Channel called “Spirit of the Wild.” According to a plea agreement, the defendant was bow hunting near Prince of Wales Island when he wounded a black bear. Nugent failed to locate and harvest the wounded black bear. He then shot and killed another bear and transported the bear on board the fishing vessel El Dorado. According to state law, the first bear counted toward Nugent’s seasonal bag limit of one bear.
On Tuesday, Nugent pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits the transport of wildlife taken illegally.
Appearing telephonically, Nugent said he cherishes his time hunting and that he would never “knowingly break any game laws.”
Nugent said he was “blindsided” by the violation and offered his apologies to the court.
Diomede Residents May Get Helicopter Service
Ben Matheson, KNOM – Nome
Residents of Diomede could soon have weekly helicopter service for the first time since 2009. The state’s recently passed operating budget includes 200 thousand dollars to match a federal subsidy through the Essential Air Service Program. The money still must be approved by the governor.
Quality Improvement Measures Get Results At Providence
Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage
Medicare is starting to reward hospitals that deliver better quality health care. Paying more for improved care is a simple idea. And it’s transforming how hospitals are doing their work in a lot of little ways. At Providence hospital in Anchorage, a few of those small changes have added up to big results.
SEARHC Recovering From $4 Million Loss Last Year
Ed Ronco, KCAW – Sitka
Big changes are in the works at Southeast Alaska’s largest private employer.
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, has a hospital in Sitka, doctors in Juneau, a variety of clinics, and roughly 1,000 employees. The organization is working to recover from a $4 million loss in the last year. That has meant changes to benefits, and a hiring slow-down, among other things.
New Chief Executive Charles Clement is behind a lot of those changes.
Fairbanks Residents Make Moves Against Child Abuse
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Fairbanks turned out last night to support the family of a baby who died last week as the result of child abuse. The event was organized by interior Alaska Native leaders for the family of 2-year-old Jacob Williams, who died of injuries inflicted by his mother’s boyfriend. William’s family is from Allakaket and last night’s gathering raised money for funeral services in the village. One of the organizers Tisha Simmons says there was also a broader goal.
Anchorage Museum Explores Denali
Daysha Eaton, KSKA – Anchorage
An exhibit about Denali just opened at the Anchorage Museum. It includes the 50-pound camera that Bradford Washburn used to photograph the mountain, a rare map from 1839 which uses its Athabascan name for the first time and homemade cramp-ons made in Fairbanks for the 1910 Sourdough Expedition. The exhibition, which opened earlier this month, looks at North America’s highest peak from many perspectives.
