Alaska News Nightly: March 26, 2015

Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.

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Lawmakers Consider Audit Of Determine Number Of Untested Rape Kits

Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau

Alaska has the highest rate of sexual assault in the country, but it has no mechanism for tracking untested rape kits. Now, legislators are considering an audit to find out just how big the backlog is.

Choose Respect Rally Marches Through Juneau

Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau

Gov. Bill Walker led about 100 people in a Choose Respect rally and march through Juneau on Thursday.

Anchorage Marijuana Club Navigates Shifting Legal Landscape

Zachariah Hughes, KSKA – Anchorage

Marijuana is in legal limbo in Alaska. Multiple bills in the Legislature will determine everything from permits to penalties, and in the meantime municipalities are scrambling to find rules that protect the public but also make room for an emerging industry. A new marijuana club in Anchorage shows the tentative approach by businesses to navigate a shifting legal landscape.

Fairbanks School Board OKs Budget That Cuts 60 Jobs; Member May Seek Salary Freeze

Tim Ellis, KUAC – Fairbanks

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Board passed a budget Wednesday night that cuts about 60 full-time positions and trims many programs.

Conservation Groups Appeal Big Thorne Ruling

Leila Kheiry, KRBD – Ketchikan

Less than a week after losing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, a coalition of conservation groups seeking to stop the Big Thorne Timber Sale has filed a Notice of Appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and asked for an injunction pending the outcome.

Prolific Glacial Melt Is 10% Of Annual Fresh Water In The Gulf Of Alaska

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage

A kayak trip in Glacier Bay in 2006 inspired an engineer to research the impact of glacial run off in the Gulf of Alaska. David Hill is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Oregon State University. For the study, he used decades of state and USGS stream flow data, combined with calculations on land characteristics and watershed size to create an analysis for the entire area.

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