Annie Feidt, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Annie Feidt is the broadcast managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at afeidt@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annie here.
State Supreme Court Says Business Emails On Private Accounts Are Public Records
State employees can't use private e-mail accounts to hide their work communication from public record laws. The State Supreme Court issued a decision on the matter on Friday, that largely affirms an earlier Superior Court Ruling. The case dates back to the Sarah Palin Administration and addresses the tricky question of whether the state records law is keeping up with communication technology.
Begich Working To Understand Lessons From Arctic Drilling Season
Shell still has drill rigs working in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. But Senator Mark Begich got an early start in Anchorage on Thursday trying to understand the lessons learned from the first season of Arctic drilling in more than two decades. At a Congressional field hearing, Federal agencies, local community representatives and Shell all weighed in on what went right in the Arctic this summer and what went wrong.
Anchorage Opera Putting On ‘Mrs. President’ Show
Alaska audiences don’t usually get to see the world premiere of a major art performance. But this weekend that will change, when the Anchorage Opera stages “Mrs. President.” The opera tells the remarkable-but true- story of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for President of the United States in 1872.
Health Leaders Discuss the Affordable Care Act in Anchorage
“Monumental change” is one way to describe the reform taking place in health care right now as the result of the Affordable Care Act. How that change is impacting Alaska was one focus of the State of Reform Health Policy conference on Thursday in downtown Anchorage. The consensus is that there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding a law that will be fully implemented in a little more than a year.
Alaska Health Care Leaders To Exchange Ideas on Industry Reform
Alaska’s Health care leaders will exchange ideas on industry reform at a one day conference Thursday in Anchorage. With full implementation of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act coming in just over a year, there is no shortage of topics to discuss.
Legislators Focus On How Disabled, Elderly Residents Fared Southcentral Storms
A legislative meeting in Anchorage today focused attention on how the city’s most vulnerable residents fared in this month’s series of wind and rain storms. Anchorage Democratic Senator Bill Wielechowski called the meeting as chairman of the Senate State Affairs Committee to assess the lessons learned from the response to the damaging storms. But he came away with few answers on how to better serve disabled and elderly Alaskans.
Continued Heavy Rain Results in Flooding
FLOOD WARNING in effect until 6:00 pm Thursday for Seward, Kenai Lake, 20 Mile near Portage, Kenai River at Cooper Landing.
FLOOD ADVISORY in effect until 6:00 pm Thursday for Mat-Su Valley for the Little Susitna River
FLOOD ADVISORY in effect until 10:00 am Friday for Anchorage including Campbell Creek, Chester Creek and Ship Creek.
- NWS: Anchorage
- NWS: Alaska Water Levels
- Mat-Su Emergency Services
- Anchorage Conditions Hotline: 907-343-4701
2012 PFD Amount Will Be $878
The Permanent Fund Dividend this year is $878. Revenue Commissioner Bryan Butcher announced the amount this morning at a news conference at the Dividend Information Office in Anchorage. Butcher noted the amount was low compared to recent years, but not even close to the historical low in 1984 when the PFD amount was $331.
Avalanche Professionals Meet In Anchorage
Avalanche professionals from around the world are meeting in Anchorage this week for the International Snow Science Workshop. The meeting is a chance for self described “snow geeks” to trade the latest information on avalanche science.
AK: Geese
Thousands of black brants nest each spring on a piece of marshy tundra near Chevak, in Western Alaska. And for nearly three decades, the small geese have been the research focus of biologist Jim Sedinger. In 1984, the University of Nevada Reno professor decided the brants would be good subjects for a long term study on a bird population. This summer, he brought an audio recorder out into the field.
High Winds Still Possible for Anchorage on Sunday
Anchorage residents are bracing for another powerful windstorm. The National Weather Service is predicting the winds will pick up Saturday afternoon and peak over Saturday night. It is the second major wind event to hit the area in less than two weeks. National Weather Service Meteorologist Dave Snider says these types of storms should be rare this early in the fall.
- NOAA: Anchorage
- ML&P / 279-7671 or 1-888-999-5340
- Chugach Electric / 762-7888 or toll-free at 1-800-478-7494
- MEA / Mat-Su Valley: 746-7697 or in Eagle River: 696-7697
- Anchorage Conditions Hotline: 907-343-4701
ACLU Hopes To Change State’s Record Expunging Policy
Alaska is one of only a handful of states that don't allow residents to expunge their records following an unlawful arrest. The ACLU is hoping to change that, filing suit against the state on behalf on a married couple in the Mat-Su who were arrested and charged for growing marijuana. A judge threw out the case because the search warrant request was mishandled.
School Cancellation Causes Students To Miss Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Lecture
Because of Tuesday night’s windstorm in Anchorage, hundreds of middle and high school students in the city missed the opportunity to hear Justice Sandra Day O’Connor speak Wednesday. The retired Supreme Court Justice is in town to talk about her life and promote a civics education program she established. iCivics offers games that teach students how the court system and other branches of government work.
Anchorage Residents Endure, Recover From Wind Storm
The powerful windstorm that hit Anchorage last night took down trees across the city and caused extensive damage to some homes and cars.
Unusually Strong Storm More Typical During Winter Months
An unusually strong wind storm is affecting a huge swath of Southcentral Alaska. The storm stretches from Adak in the south and west to Big Delta in the eastern Interior.
Environmental Groups Ask For Further Study Of Chukchi Sea Coral
Environmental groups are asking the Interior Department to take a closer look at the abundant corals found on the Chukchi Sea floor. The soft, pink coral is one of the most common species in the area where Shell is planning to begin exploratory drilling later this year. But Shell and the Interior Department say the coral has already been well documented and no further study is needed.
Murkowski Moderates Forum on the Affordable Care Act
Senator Lisa Murkowski moderated a forum Wednesday morning in Anchorage on how the Affordable Care Act is affecting Alaska. The small panel of speakers all voiced opposition to President Obama’s new health care law. But audience members had good things to say about how the new law is benefiting them.
Big Savings Prompt Alaskans To Seek Health Care Elsewhere
Alaska has some of the highest health care costs in the country. And employers in the state are starting to encourage their health plan members to seek care in the Lower 48 for some of the most expensive surgeries and procedures. The companies say the savings are significant and hope the practice puts pressure on prices in the Alaska health care market.
Growing Samoan Community Comes Together Through Softball
The Samoan population in Anchorage more than doubled between 2000 and 2010. And as the community has grown rapidly, so has its presence on the city's softball fields. Samoan churches in Anchorage run coed softball tournaments throughout the summer as a way to bring the community together. The atmosphere is friendly but the competition is fierce.
Shale Oil Conference Addresses Resource Potential, Challenges
There’s growing interest in developing shale oil on Alaska’s North Slope. A conference on the topic in Anchorage Tuesday drew a sell-out crowd. The potential resource on the North Slope is enormous, but there are also big challenges that may make it hard for companies to economically develop the oil.