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President Obama Proposes Plan To Delay Sequester
Peter Granitz, APRN – Washington DC
The across the board government spending cuts go into effect three weeks from today. This week President Barack Obama proposed a short term mix of spending cuts and tax increases to delay the sequester … but Republicans on Capitol Hill called it dead on arrival.
Bethel Police Officer Named In October Shooting
Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel
The Bethel police officer who shot and killed a man in October was found to be justified in his actions. That’s according to a report released this week by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation.
Assessor Says State Taxes Don’t Apply To Kulluk Drill Rig
Stephanie Joyce, KUCB – Unalaska
After the grounding of Shell’s Kulluk drill rig in January, reports circulated that the company had been moving it from Unalaska to Seattle in order to avoid Alaska’s oil and gas property tax. But this week the state decided the tax doesn’t actually apply to the offshore rig. That’s despite the Kulluk grounding in Alaskan waters on January 1, when the state’s oil and gas property tax rolls were drafted.
Bethel Finalizes Tobacco Tax Ordinance
Mark Arehart, KYUK – Bethel
The Bethel City Council has finalized an ordinance to impose a tax on all tobacco products sold in the city. The tax is similar to one found in Anchorage. The tax has the backing of many in the community, but one retailer is taking a stand against it.
Alyeska Tram To Reopen Saturday
Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage
Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood says the tram will be running Saturday afternoon for the first time in six weeks. One of the tram cars was severely damaged New Years Eve, when a wind gust blew it into the tram tower. The tram car was impaled in the incident, and the five people aboard, including the tram operator had to be evacuated on ropes by ski patrol. One guest suffered a minor head injury.
Expedition To Mark 100th Anniversary Of Conquest Of Denali
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
A group of descendents of the first men to summit Denali plan to climb the mountain on the100th anniversary of their forbearers historic ascent. This week they announced the project with a press conference at St. Mathews Episcopal Church in Fairbanks, the same location where the 1913 expedition was launched.
AK: Repair
Shady Grove Oliver, KSTK – Wrangell
There are thousands of miles of fiberoptic cables snaking along the ocean floor. They bring telephone service, television, and the Internet to much of world. When an earthquake struck off the coast of Southeast Alaska in January, the cables that provide Internet to Wrangell were damaged. And a cable repair ship, called the Wave Venture, was called in to help. KSTK’s Shady Grove Oliver went onboard the unique ship to get a closer look at cable repair.
300 Villages: Akutan
This week, we’re heading out the Aleutian chain to the community of Akutan, on a small island just east of Unalaska. April Pelkey is the manager at the Akutan Corporation.
