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ASRC Gets Option To Buy Into Offshore Chukchi Drilling Operations
Lauren Rosenthal, KUCB – Unalaska & Liz Ruskin, APRN – Anchorage
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and a handful of North Slope village corporations now have the option to buy into offshore drilling operations in the Chukchi Sea. It’s part of a new agreement with Shell Oil. But with the future of that company’s Arctic operations up in the air, the deal raises more questions than answers.
For more about the agreement between Shell and the North Slope corporations, we have APRN’s Liz Ruskin, who was at the Anchorage press conferences announcing the deal today.
Gold Miners Push Back Against Nome Over ‘Negative Social Impacts’
Zachariah Hughes, KNOM – Nome
A vocal show of frustration from Nome’s mining community took center stage at this week’s City Council meeting. The miners were angry about a letter the city sent to the State Department of Natural Resources complaining about impacts from the recent gold mining boom.
NOAA Investigating Ferry, Humpback Collision
Brianna Gibbs, KMXT – Kodiak
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration law enforcement officials are investigating a collision between the state ferry Kennicott and a humpback whale near Kodiak. The incident brought a multi-agency team of scientists to the island to help determine whether the collision caused the death of the sub-adult humpback whale.
Higher Wildfire Potential Could Impact Northeastern Alaska Caribou Herds
Emily Schwing, KUAC – Fairbanks
Rural Communities in northeastern Alaska could be left without caribou in the future. That’s according to a recent study. Scientists believe climate change could increase wildfire potential in lichen-rich boreal forest where the Central Arctic and Porcupine caribou herds forage in the winter. A decline in habitat could mean less opportunity for area subsistence hunters.
GCI Completes Purchase of 3 Southeast TV Stations
Rachel Waldholz, KCAW – Sitka
GCI has completed its purchase of three television stations in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchikan. The deal means the telecom giant now owns almost every commercial TV station in Southeast Alaska.
No Plans Yet For Commercial Kuskokwim Opening
Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel
For the second consecutive week, it’s “wait and see” for fishermen who are eager or anxious for the next commercial opening on Kuskokwim River.
Aniak Youths Rescue Bald Eagle
Daysha Eaton, KYUK – Bethel
An Aniak woman came across an injured bald eagle earlier this week. With help from her community in remote Southwest Alaska, she gave the bird a second chance and brought it to the care of veterinary experts.
Eight-Year-Old Busks For A Cause
Lisa Phu, KTOO – Juneau
One of the capital city’s youngest buskers is raising money this week for a good cause.
Elementary school student Sophia Nylen can sometimes be seen playing her violin in downtown Juneau with an open violin case to collect money. This week, all proceeds will go to a Juneau family that lost their home to a fire on Friday.
