Alaska News Nightly: August 28, 2008

A woman has been mauled by a bear in Gates of the Artic National Park. At the same time, the Democrat primary race in District 36 still not settled.  And residents of St. Paul celebrate 25 years of freedom from fur-seal industry bondage. Those stories and more tonight on 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.Download audio (MP3, 30 min)Alaskans fail to get ANWR drilling in Republican party platformLori Townsend, APRN - AnchorageThe Democratic National Convention wraps up tonight in Denver with a speech from Presidential nominee Barack Obama. In the meantime, Republican delegates are busy crafting their party's platform for their convention next week in St. Paul,  Minnesota. Alaskans are helping in that effort but failed to insert a mention of support for drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the 20,000-word document.Begich says new approach needed in DCMark Begich says Alaska needs a new approach in dealing with new leadership in Washington DC if the state plans to continue receiving federal assistance for meeting local needs. The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate said it's important to present any state need as a partnership -- not to count solely on federal gifts to solve problems.Woman mauled by bear in Gates of the Artic National ParkAnnie Feidt, APRN - AnchorageA woman is being treated at a hospital in Fairbanks after being mauled by a grizzly bear early this morning in Gates of the Arctic National Park.Democrat primary race in District 36 still not settledJay Barrett, KMXT - KodiakThe Republican primary race between Don Young and Sean Parnell for Alaska's U.S. House Seat isn't the only contest that's too close to call. The Democratic nomination for State House District 36 is also neck-and-neck.Bristol Bay reeling from Prop 4 defeatEileen Goode, KDLG - DillinghamVoters in Dillingham are still reeling from the defeat of ballot proposition 4 -- which would have made it difficult to develop the proposed Pebble Mine. Many people in the region feel the mine will threaten the area's rich salmon fishery.Settlement reached for 2006 Parks Highway wild fire compensationDan Bross, KUAC - FairbanksThe state and other property owners affected by the 2006 Parks Highway wild fire will receive compensation. The state announced the $400,000 settlement with an insurance company yesterday.Dungeness crab season strong in SoutheastMatt Lichtenstein, KFSK - PetersburgDungeness crabbers had a good summer in southeast Alaska.EU commercial fishing gaining market shareCasey Kelly, KMXT - KodiakRecent data suggests that while Japan and other Asian markets continue to lead the way for importing Alaska seafood, the rest of the world is quickly catching up, especially the countries that make up the European Union.Residents of St. Paul celebrate 25 years of freedomLori Townsend, APRN - AnchorageFrom the late 1700s till 1983, the Aleut people of the Pribilof islands were in servitude to the fur seal business -- first Russia controlled the trade and after the sale of Alaska to the U.S., the Aleuts were under the thumb of the federal government. Their transition to independence was not easy but 25 years after they were freed from fur seal industry bondage, the 450 residents of St. Paul island are celebrating and taking a week to relive various aspects of Aleut history.