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Specialists Survey Old Plane Crash Near Knik Glacier
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
Military specialists are surveying an old plane crash site in the Knik Glacier area. The C-124 Globemaster went down there in 1952, and some of the debris was spotted last June.  A team from the Hawaii-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command or JPAC, initially searched the site in 2012 for materials and possible victims’ remains. The team is back this year to recover what evidence it can that will help identify those who perished in the crash.
Forest Service Speeds Up Tongass Second Growth Plan
Peter Granitz, APRN – Washington DC
The U.S. Forest Service says it’s speeding up Tongass National Forest’s transition from an old-growth management plan to a second growth plan. The shift is scheduled to take 10-15 years, and frustrates both environmental groups and loggers.
Scrap Company Makes Plans For Aleutian Clean-Up
Audrey Carlsen, KUCB – Unalaska
Over the past year, a Virginia-based company has been helping Unalaska get rid of millions of pounds of scrap metal. They’re finally nearing the finish line, and now they’re looking to expand to nearby islands.
Hmong Student Heads To College, Credits Cut Counselor
Daysha Eaton, KSKA – Anchorage
An East High School graduate is on her way to college at UAA. That transition is noteworthy because the student is a refugee, has two kids and barely spoke English when she started High School. Pang Thao attributes her success to a specialized counselor who recently lost her job because of school district budget cuts.
Renowned Tlingit Carvings To Be Publicly Displayed
Margaret Friedenauer, KHNS – Haines
A Tlingit clan has decided that a collection of renowned carvings will be publicly displayed in the village. The decision will hopefully put to rest a generations-old struggle within the clan of whether the carvings should be kept in the village or sold and preserved in museums.
Catholic Church Rings In ‘Fortnight For Freedom’
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
If you’re in Juneau, Fairbanks or Anchorage tomorrow, you may hear the bells of the Catholic Church ringing at noon. Catholics in Alaska have been observing a two week period leading up to July 4, called the Fortnight for Freedom. It’s part of an effort by the church to highlight what they see as a chipping away at the First Amendment and the right to religious freedom. Catholic leaders in the state sent a letter encouraging church members to speak out against infringements on religious expression.
Digital Preservation In National Historic Park
Erik Neumann, KCAW – Sitka
While the totem pole is one of the most recognizable forms of outdoor art in Alaska, it’s also one of the least permanent. At Sitka National Historical Park, many of the original totems have been recarved, which, until recently, has been the only way to preserve this art form.
Now, museum professionals are starting to use computer technology to make digital copies of totems.
