Yearly Archives: 2019

Despite conflict over subsistence, state plans to double commercial harvest of Sitka Sound herring

State managers intend to double the commercial harvest level for the Sitka Sound sac roe fishery. Meanwhile, subsistence users are seeing a shrinking spawning window, and fewer eggs on branches.

Why some Alaskans 👍🏽, ❤️ and ✊ over new Juneau bathroom signs

The new signage is a nod to Juneau's indigenous people and culture; part of a string of similar public gestures, big and small.

BP Alaska agrees to pay $125k fine over hazardous waste violations on North Slope

The EPA says the oil company didn’t maintain adequate insurance and failed to properly label hazardous materials.
Two activists hold anti-Pebble Mine posters in a back row of the Wendy Williamson Auditorium during an EPA public comment meeting on the Draft Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment.

Corps won’t require more fieldwork for final Pebble mine report

Other agencies have said the Corps of Engineer's environment review of the Pebble project lacks critical information. The Corps says it will delay its final report for three months to write more thorough answers.
A cruiste ship pulls into a mountain town

Alaska News Nightly: Monday, Dec. 23, 2019

Two years after a young man's death in Fairbanks, his family is still seeking closure. Plus: How a sewage lawsuit in Hawaii could influence the future of a mine in southeast Alaska.

Why rent when you can house sit? Haines sitters fill gap in seasonal economy

In a community with a largely seasonal economy and limited year-round rental options, temporary house-sitting gigs fill a growing gap.
An aerial view of a snowy landscape

UPDATE: Mat-Su declares disaster after Willow Creek flooding forces evacuations, closes bridge

The Willow Fire Department, Mat-Su Animal Care and the Mat-Su Water Rescue Team organized to assist those impacted by the flood.

Sitka mulls joining tiny house movement

The Sitka Planning Commission got its first look Wednesday at how city code could be amended to make room for tiny houses, specifically those on chassis allowing the structures to be moved.
A white woman in a black suit sits on a leather work chair with an american flag in the background

Council adopts stipends to help legislative aides pay for sessions in Juneau

Senate President Cathy Giessel, an Anchorage Republican, said the new stipend would make it easier to hire and keep qualified staff members.

DEC budget proposal puts small shellfish farming operations at risk

After about a decade of subsidizing shellfish testing for retailers around the state, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking to shift some of that cost back to the industry.

How a legal fight in Maui could shape a mine project in Southeast Alaska

After hearing the Maui case in Washington DC in November, the Supreme Court is expected to decide how far the Clean Water Act goes next year.

New deer count method shows promising results for Southeast Alaska

Thousands of black-tailed deer are harvested by hunters every year in Southeast Alaska, and scientists have traditionally relied on harvest data and some seasonal alpine surveys to manage the population. A three-year study on Petersburg’s Mitkof Island could change that.

As REAL ID deadline approaches, Toksook Bay plans to pay for a visit from the DMV

The city will be required to pay the DMV workers' airfare, lodging, and miscellaneous travel expenses, like airport parking and per diem.
algo nuevo

Algo Nuevo: December 22nd, 2019

Here’s the Sunday, December 22nd, 2019 edition of Algo Nuevo con Dave Luera —Something New with Dave Luera.

Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Dec. 20, 2019

Questions swirl around letters signed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy in support of the proposed Pebble Mine. Plus: Transportation officials prepare for huge gaps in ferry service.

Pebble foes ‘appalled’ Dunleavy sent a letter the mining company wrote for him

Dunleavy spokesman Jeff Turner said it's common practice for an administration to request "briefing materials" about particular projects.

Beloved Iditarod figure William ‘Middy’ Johnson dies in Unalakleet

William "Middy" Johnson, 53, was a life-long musher who ran the Last Great Race before taking over his town's checkpoint.

Census officials say accurate count key to reducing overcrowding in rural Alaska

Some Alaskans fear there will be repercussions if they share details about their cramped living conditions, but census leaders say accurate data could reduce overcrowding throughout the state.

Alaska Native language groups convene to translate census materials

The gathering at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage included about 25 people representing the Gwich'in, Inupiat, Yup'ik and Koyukon cultures.
boats in harbor at Sand Point

Trident’s Sand Point plant closed for the winter due to low cod stocks

In a fishing town of just under a 1,000, a large employer industry forced to close for six months is a huge blow.