Alaska News Nightly: August 27, 2012

Individual news stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS.

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Bear Kills Hiker In Denali National Park

Phillip Manning, KTNA – Talkeetna

This weekend marked a tragic first for Denali National Park. On Friday, three hikers near Toklat road camp made a discovery that would lead to the first bear mauling fatality in the Park’s history.

Sea Ice Melts Back To New Record

Steve Heimel, APRN – Anchorage

The sea ice in the Arctic has melted back to a new record. The National Snow and Ice Data Center says Sunday their satellite could see even less ice than it saw in September of 2007. At a news teleconference today, Senior Scientist Claire Parkinson of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center said the sea ice withdrawal this year is even more surprising than the one in 2007.

Second Shell Drill Ship Leaves Unalaska for the Arctic

Lauren Rosenthal, KUCB – Unalaska

The disappearance of sea ice in the Arctic could be a relief for at least one group. Shell is using new ice forecasts to petition the federal government for a longer drilling season in the Beaufort Sea.

Crunch Time For Hotly Contested Ballot Measure 2

Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau

Ballot Measure 2 on Tuesday’s primary election ballot is the most hotly contested initiative Alaska voters have faced in recent memory.

Stoltze, Connelly Face of in House District 11

Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

Republican State House incumbent Bill Stoltze has served  Matanuska Valley area voters for ten years. Now, Tom Connelly is challenging Stoltze for the District 11 House seat in the upcoming primary, and the Chugiak resident plans to do it without spending a penny.

Couple Admits To Planning Judge’s Murder

The Associated Press

An Alaska couple has admitted to buying a gun, silencer and hand grenades, and having maps to a federal judge’s homes, in what prosecutors say was a murder plot that developed from a dispute over paying taxes.

Near Riot Goes Unreported, to be Discussed at Community Forum

Daysha Eaton, KSKA – Anchorage

An attack in an Anchorage Park is being characterized by police as nearly sparking a riot. The incident stemmed from an assault that took place at William B. Lyons Park in the Mountain View neighborhood on July 28. It drew dozens to the park and led police to dispatch nearly every officer on duty. However, the incident did not make it into official police reports or make a single headline in the news, and police and the community have kept mum on the incident until now.

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