Alaska News Nightly: May 11, 2009

Photo Provided by Office of Lt. Governor Sean ParnellIndividual news stories are posted in the Alaska News category and you can subscribe to APRN’s news feeds via email, podcast and RSS.Download Audio (MP3)Kuskokwim Villages Battling High Water; Schools Canceled Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK - BethelLower Kuskokwim villages are being inundated with high water since an ice jam released below the village of Akiak this morning.School was canceled in five villages near Bethel because of high flood water.Yukon River Floods Steven's Village Dan Bross, KUAC - FairbanksSteven's Village is the latest Yukon River community to be flooded. National Weather Service hydrologist Ed Plumb says yesterday'sflooding at Steven's Village resulted when a 35 mile long ice jam formed downstream from where the Yukon flows under the bridge on the Dalton Highway.Emergency Managers Set Priorities for Flooded EagleDan Bross, KUAC - FairbanksState emergency managers at Eagle have set two immediate priorities following last week's record flood that hammered the community's waterfront, and severed the transportation, power and communication links with the native village upstream of the city.Cruise Ship Crew Member May Have Had H1N1 Virus Lori Townsend, APRN - AnchorageA crew member aboard the Royal Caribbean ship Serenade of the Seas has what Alaska's chief medical officer is calling a probable case of H1N1 virus, the so called swine flu.Alaska's Kim Elton Talks About His New Job at Interior Department Libby Casey, APRN - WashingtonThe Interior Department has a huge influence in Alaska. It controls most of the land in the state, and oversees wilderness, nationalparks, and oil and gas leases. Its agencies include the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Fish and Wildlife Service. So the job of the Interior Secretary's special assistant on Alaska issues also has a far reach. Kim Elton took the Washington-based job this winter, leaving Juneau, which he'd represented in the Alaska legislature for 15 years.Fish Shown to Feel Pain Anne Hillman, KUCB - UnalaskaA new study shows that fish feel pain and react to it as many mammals do - by being more cautious.Legislature Has Long List of Unfinished Business Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska - JuneauAlaska's legislature left a lot of unfinished business when it adjourned about last month. Energy development, student loan forgivenessand other issues will be back on the table when lawmakers resume meeting next January.Ocean Ranger Says Monitoring Program is Improving Rebecca Sheir, KTOO - JuneauThe first ocean ranger to go public says the environmental-monitoring program is improving.