Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, August 6, 2015

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

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32 Hospitalized After Smoking Spice In Anchorage

Anne Hillman, KSKA – Anchorage

Thirty-two people have been hospitalized in the past week because of Spice, a street drug that’s a mixture of dried herbs sprayed with chemicals. Many of the victims were smoking the drug near Bean’s Cafe in downtown Anchorage on Wednesday.

Choice Improvement Act Helps Close VA Funding Gap

Zachariah Hughes, KSKA – Anchorage

The Obama Administration has freed up money in Alaska to close a funding gap in healthcare for veterans.

Coast Guard Boss: Ahoy! Icebreakers on Budget Horizon

Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington, D.C.

The head of the U.S. Coast Guard says lawmakers and the national security staff are waking up to the need for more icebreakers as the Arctic opens to increased ship traffic.

No More Kicking the Can Down the Road: Talkeetna Starts Recycling

Phillip Manning, KTNA – Talkeetna

Talkeetna’s Mat-Su Borough Transfer Site, often referred to by locals as “the dump,” is not the sort of place you would normally expect to find a celebration, but that’s exactly what happened on Monday when the community’s first recycling container was brought online.

In Price William Sound, AEA Hears Input On Regional Energy Plans

Marcia Lynn, KCHU – Valdez

With funding from the Alaska Energy Authority a series of regional energy plans are in the works to help individuals and communities become more energy efficient.

Open Call for Gas Supply Proposals Closes

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

The deadline for proposals to supply the State lead Interior Energy Project with natural gas was Monday. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority is managing the project, and AIDEA spokesman Karsten Rodvik says the state corporation is considering a range of possibilities for getting affordable gas to the Interior.

Harnessing the Fizz of A Ferment: Homer Gets A Lesson From A Pro

Shady Grove Oliver, KBBI – Homer

A fermentation specialist stopped in Homer this week. He’s making his way up Alaska, teaching about the crossover among food preservation, microbiology, and community.

Ishmael Hope Recrafts A Family Tale in ‘Never Alone’ Follow-Up

Lisa Phu, KTOO – Juneau

With “Never Alone,” Cook Inlet Tribal Council and game developers combined indigenous storytelling with video gaming in a way that appealed to mass markets. Its success has led to the follow up “Foxtales,” released July 28.

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