Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media
Anne Hillman is the healthy communities editor at Alaska Public Media and a host of Hometown, Alaska. Reach her at ahillman@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Anne here.
Cyclist Death Investigation Underway While Friends Mourn
Three bicyclists have been killed by vehicles in Anchorage this year. The most recent was Fifty-one-year-old Jeff Dusenbury, who was hit by a pickup truck in South Anchorage Saturday. Fellow cyclists are mourning his death and waiting for the outcome of the District Attorney's investigation.
North Slope Students Inspired by GeoForce
Twenty-six high school students from the North Slope recently completed the third year of UAF's GeoForce program. The four-year summer program gets students into the field to learn about geology hands-on. They've seen glaciers in Alaska, visited the Grand Canyon, and explored volcanoes in the northwest.
Sunday night shoot spree results in no injuries
Few details are available about Sunday's 3 am drive-by shooting in Anchorage near 47th Avenue and Arctic Blvd. An Anchorage party bus with 17 people inside was shot 10 times by at least four different guns. Bullets entered through the back window and the body of the 28-passenger vehicle. No one was injured.
People Mover teams up with Google Maps to make bus route planning easier
Alaska LNG Project community meeting provides questions and hope
The Alaska LNG Project hosted a community meeting in Anchorage on Tuesday night. About 90 people listened to an explanation of the newest version of a plan to get natural gas from the North Slope to market.
Project manager Steve Butt explained this project is different from previous failed attempts to build a gas pipeline.
Download Audio
Residents protest home demolition, Knik Arm Bridge
Rustic Goat’s new parking lot draws community outcry but wins approval
The Rustic Goat, a new restaurant on Turnagain in West Anchorage, is getting a new parking lot. But the establishment and its plentiful customer base have stirred up mixed emotions in the neighborhood.
Local business benefits from employing refugees
Businesses in Anchorage have a tough time finding entry level employees. For some employers, the solution is hiring refugees -- individuals who fled violence or persecution in their home countries and are trying to enter into life in the United States. Catholic Social Services uses money from the Office of Refugee Resettlement to help run programs that connect refugees with employers.
Download Audio
Yellow Pages seek new life
New phone books are arriving in Anchorage. You can recycle your old ones at drop offs around the city, and they'll be turned into insulation and mulch.
Enstar bill increase looks big but is temporary
Enstar gas prices are going up this summer, but the increase isn't permanent. An Enstar representative says customers' total gas bills for this year will be similar to years past.
One person dies in fatal crash at Merrill Field
A small airplane crashed during take off this morning around 8:25 am at Merrill Field in Anchorage. The pilot and sole occupant is confirmed dead.
Download Audio
Alaska Arctic Policy Commission Listens to Community Input
The Alaska Arctic Policy Commission held a listening session today in Anchorage. The aim was to get more statewide input, especially from the Alaska Native community, on how the Commission should try to shape future Arctic policy.
Download Audio
New dock at Jewel Lake makes area accessible to everyone
Anchorage's Parks and Recreation Department opened a new dock on Jewel Lake yesterday. Unlike the previous, weather-damaged facility that loomed 15 feet over the water, this one makes the lake accessible -- to everyone.
Jewel lake dock
With HIV cases on the rise, Alaskans consider new tool for prevention
Twenty-four people in Alaska have been diagnosed with HIV since January. Normally, that's the total number of new diagnoses for an entire year, not just six months. Now Alaskans have a new way to help prevent HIV infections. The Center for Disease Control recently released new guidelines for a daily pill that can prevent new infections, though it's not seen as a cure-all.
Download Audio
Wetlands Plan Update Causes Concern
Some community members are concerned about proposed changes to the Anchorage Municipal Wetlands Management Plan. They say it weakens protections for vital areas. The plan's update has been in the works for nearly four years.
STD infections rise in Alaska
The state's Department of Health is reporting an increase in sexually transmitted diseases in Alaska. In 2013, Gonorrhea and syphilis infections were up more than 50 percent from 2012. Alaska was ranked first in the nation for Chlamydia infections in 2013. And in just the first five months of this year, 23 new cases of HIV have been diagnosed and reported. That's one less than last year's total.
Download Audio
Anchorage Assembly approves new fire station, delays other decisions and discussions
The Anchorage Assembly approved the purchase of land to relocate Fire Station #3 at last night’s meeting. But they postponed most of the other major decisions and discussions, including the public hearing on the city's labor laws.
Anchorage celebrates World Refugee Day
Anchorage residents gathered at Mountain View Lions Park on Friday to celebrate World Refugee Day. The day honors people who have fled their home country, often because of war or ethnic persecution. About 120 refugees are resettled in Anchorage every year as part of a national program. Some of them spoke about their experiences.
Download Audio
Low Unemployment Limits Anchorage’s Business Growth
Anchorage’s unemployment rate for May is 4.9 percent, one of the lowest rates in the state. Though that may seem like a good thing, it’s actually a barrier for growth in the state’s largest city. Businesses are having trouble finding reliable workers.
Download Audio
Remains of 17 servicemen identified from 1952 crash
The remains of 17 service members who died in a 1952 plane crash near Mount Gannett have been identified by the Department of Defense and will soon be returned to their families. An Alaska National Guard Blackhawk helicopter crew discovered the crash site two summers ago on Colony Glacier during a training exercise. A team went back to the site to recover what they could later that month. Some of the family members reflected on the experience.
Download Audio