Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017

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Sullivan wants 28 more interceptors at Ft. Greely

Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.

The missile defense system based at Fort Greely has a spotty test record, but Sen. Dan Sullivan says he has confidence it can shield the nation. He is one of the Senate’s biggest boosters of missile defense and says Congress should add more interceptors to the Alaska site.

As Fairbanks police deal with spike in violent crime, low pay complicates filling vacancies

Tim Ellis, KUAC – Fairbanks

The Fairbanks Police Department remains understaffed, despite a recently approved hiring bonus. Police Chief Eric Jewkes told City Council members this week the substandard pay is driving high turnover and making recruiting difficult.

Two murders occur within two hours; Anchorage police say they’re unrelated

Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage

Anchorage logged its 17th and 18th homicides of the year in less than two hours Wednesday night.

Nearly 30 people hurt in Skagway tour accident

Abbey Collins, KHNS – Haines

Nearly 30 people were injured Wednesday on a tour in Skagway.

The future of an oil state: What’s next for Alaska?

Elizabeth Harball, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage

When the giant oil field at Prudhoe Bay was discovered in 1968, it held more oil than anyone in Alaska had dared to imagine. But today, Prudhoe and the other legacy fields on the North Slope aren’t producing oil like they used to. That’s an economic problem for the state — but it’s also an engineering problem.

What’s next for Nunavut Alaska? A vote

Christine Trudeau, KYUK – Bethel

After last week’s Nunavut Alaska Constitutional Convention, concerns were raised in the community about what comes next.

Global warming makes expedition to ice-locked North Pole possible

Emily Kwong, KCAW – Sitka

Two specially-equipped sailboats are attempting a voyage that’s never been done before – a trip to the North Pole. Led by a British explorer, the international crew has moved the boats from their home in Sitka up to Nome, where they’re hoping to launch for their journey to the Pole this weekend. Melting sea ice in the Arctic could make their voyage possible for the first time in history.

Wild Alaska salmon not on menus in China…yet

Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Juneau

About a third of the salmon caught in Alaska gets shipped to China for processing. But a recent consumer study suggests that at least some of that wild salmon should stay in the Chinese markets.

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