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Dems Take Issue With State Assessment Review Board Candidate
Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau
Democrats in the Alaska Senate want Gov. Sean Parnell to withdraw the name of one of his board appointees, because of residency issues.
Bill Arming VPSOs Passes House
Zachariah Hughes, KNOM – Nome
A bill providing funding and support for some Village Public Safety Officers to carry firearms passed unanimously in the house this morning.
King, Zirkle Leave White Mountain
Emily Schwing, KUAC – Fairbanks
Iditarod mushers Jeff King and Aliy Zirkle are on the final stretch into Nome. King left the White Mountain checkpoint after eight hours of mandatory rest at 3:02 this afternoon. Zirkle followed just under an hour later. Dallas Seavey will leave about two hours behind Zirkle and his father Mitch will leave about two hours after that.
Officers Shoot, Kill Driver Near Wasilla
The Associated Press
Alaska State Troopers say a man has been shot and killed in an incident in Wasilla.
Shortly past 9 p.m. on Sunday, a Trooper and a Wasilla police officer were involved in a shooting on the Seward Meridian Parkway. Trooper reports indicated that Troopers were alerted to an impaired driver, and that the driver of the vehicle failed to stop at the direction of a police officer. The driver of the vehicle was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle was also shot and sustained non life-threatening injuries. The Trooper and police officer were not injured in the incident.
There are few details available at this time, according to Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen.
Investigators from the Alaska Bureau of Investigations and Wasilla Police Department are investigating the incident. The Alaska Bureau of Investigations has assumed the responsibility of lead investigating agency.
Sarah Palin, Superstar, Rocks Conservative Faithful
Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC
Sarah Palin fired up thousands of conservative activists who came to hear her give the closing speech of the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, D.C. this weekend. Palin hasn’t held elected office since she resigned as Alaska governor in 2009. But,at this gathering of 11,000, she was an A-list star.
Furie Applies For New Cook Inlet Platform
Shaylon Cochran, KDLL – Kenai
Furie Alaska has submitted an operations plan for a new offshore drilling platform in Cook Inlet. If the project is approved, natural gas production could begin as soon as this fall.
Fairbanks Coal Ash Health Impacts Under Scrutiny
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The Alaska Department of Health is looking into possible coal ash health impacts from Aurora Energy’s downtown Fairbanks plant. Coal ash is increasingly coming under scrutiny around the country due to contamination from large scale spills, but the situation in Fairbanks is different.
US Fish & Wildlife Proposes Reintroducing Steller’s Eiders To YK Delta
Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel
A new effort to help a once healthy population of eiders is using unique methods to try to turn sparse numbers around. Stellers eiders used to be common on parts of the YK Delta coast decades ago. Due to some combination of lead poisoning, predators, and changes of habitat they all but disappeared and were listed as threatened under the federal endangered species act in 1997.
Musher Housing At A Premium In Nome
Anna MacArthur, KNOM – Nome
Iditarod teams are expected in Nome tonight, and some mushers still do not have a place to sleep once they get here.
