Alaska News Nightly: March 12, 2008

Defending Champion Lance Mackey beat out Jeff King in the final hours of Iditarod 2008. And the race for 4th place came down to just 44 seconds. We have all the details from Nome. Plus, remembering Alaska's first Native female bush pilot. 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.U.S. Senate holds hearing to bolster "Climate Security Act"Joel Southern, APRN - Washington, DCThe leader of the U.S. Senate Environment Committee brought top U.S. environmental and public interest groups together today to show broad support for a climate change bill headed to the Senate floor as soon as June.Tongass forest dwellers, defenders and developers talk openly about the futureWeld Royal, KTOO - JuneauCan a conservation group and a foundation help chart a new economic agenda for Southeast Alaska? That's what some members would like to see out of a 2-year-old effort called the Tongass Futures Roundtable.Sheldon Jackson delivers back pay to some 100 former employeesMelissa Marconi-Wentzel, KCAW - SitkaWhen former Sheldon Jackson College employees checked their mailboxes last week, they found a welcome surprise: severance checks signed by College President David Dobler.Ceremony set to honor first Alaska Native female bush pilotDixie Hutchinson, KNBA - AnchorageThis weekend in Anchorage, family and friends will gather to pay their respects to the first Alaska Native female bush pilot in the state. Ellen Paneok died earlier this month at age 48. A memorial service will be held at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum on Saturday, March 15.Legislature plans to hand Governor Palin the same capital projects she vetoed last yearDave Donaldson, APRN - JuneauThe Alaska House is on track to give Governor Palin the first serious challenge to her term in office: giving her a budget bill with funding for capital projects that she vetoed last year. Iditarod's top 15 are into Nome following Mackey's second championshipLibby Casey, KUAC - NomeTeams continue to pour into Nome this evening, wrapping up their 1,100-mile run on the Iditarod trail. The latest to arrive was DeeDee Jonrowe, who finished at 4:07 p.m. this afternoon, in 15th place.