Alaska News Nightly: February 21, 2008

The House is holding hearings on a new building for the legislature, but where? Meanwhile, environmental groups call for investigation at the Department of the Interior. Plus, the Bering Sea Opilio crab harvest could be twice as large as last year. Those stories and more on tonight's Alaska News Nightly, broadcast statewide on APRN stations.Individual news stories are posted in the Alaska News category and you can subscribe to APRN's news feeds via e-mail, podcast and RSS. House talks about new building for legislature - but doesn't say whereDave Donaldson, APRN - JuneauThe House today opened hearings on a plan that would set the parameters of providing lawmakers a new building – in a so-far undecided location. Senate and House divided over injured workers' privacy Dave Donaldson, APRN - JuneauThe State House today refused to agree with a Senate plan that would force Alaska to hide the names of workers injured on the job. Senator Stevens tells Southeast natives to support resource developmentEd Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska - JuneauTed Stevens is urging Southeast Alaska Native groups to organize in support of resource development. He told Native activists and leaders attending this week’s Native Issues Forum in Juneau that they need to fight what he calls “environmental extremists.”Environmentalists call for investigation at Interior DepartmentJoel Southern, APRN - Washington, DCSix environmental groups are calling on watchdogs at the Interior Department to investigate the delay in making a decision on whether polar bears should be listed as ‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act.Moore Creek latest mineral exploration project in Y-K DeltaShane Iverson, KYUK - BethelThere will be yet another mineral exploration project in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta this year.  The newest one is at Moore Creek, located in the Kuskokwim Mountains, Northeast of Crooked Creek and Southeast of McGrath.   An exploration team  plans on drilling 10,000 feet of earth in search of gold and quartz deposits. Opilio crab harvest looking strongCharles Homans, KIAL - UnalaskaThe Bering Sea opilio crab, or snow crab, fleet is more than halfway through its 2008 harvest. So far, the season has been going very well for fishermen and processors. It's believed the haul will be nearly twice as much as last yearYukon Quest teams continue into Whitehorse Dan Bross, KUAC - Whitehorse and Libby Casey, KUAC - FairbanksThe top nine teams have crossed the Whitehorse finish line in the Yukon Quest. Healy’s Dave Dalton won the competitive race for third place last night at 10:44 local time.  Yukoner Michelle Phillips trailed him in to Whitehorse 45 minutes later.  Fairbanksan Brent Sass took fifth place at 1:27 a-m. Ketchikan Gateway Borough backs away from new ferry service to Gravina IslandDeanna Garrison, KRBD - KetchikanThe Ketchikan gateway borough is no longer recommending that the state pursue enhanced airport ferry service in its effort to improve access to Gravina island.Job fair season in full swing in AnchorageLen Anderson, KSKA - AnchorageThe first three months of the year normally feature at least a half dozen gatherings in Anchorage designed to bring perspective employees and employers together.   Even in fairs devoted to a specific industry-- such as air transportation--multiple businesses participate - but there are execptions.