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.
Communities Prepare for Storm
Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security has been helping western villages prepare for the storm for the last 24 hours. Bryan Fisher is Incident Commander for the Division. He says most of the communities have been trained in the last few years to respond and prepare for this type of disaster event.
Anchorage Receives Over 10 Inches of Snow Since Saturday
Anchorage has recorded more than 10 inches of snow since Saturday in a series of short but intense storms. Plows around the city are working hard to keep the roads clear. And cross country skiers are excited to have such good coverage early in the season.
New Technology May Help Roads Resist Wear and Tear
Most of us spend a lot of time rolling over pavement each day, but very little time thinking about it. For a team of workers at the state Department of Transportation though, it’s their job to consider the intricacies of asphalt.
Alaska Touts Lowest Neonatal Mortality Rate In Nation
The state is celebrating an impressive turn around for mortality rates for the smallest Alaskans- infants in their first month of life.
Experts Puzzling Over Mysterious Seal, Walrus Disease
Experts in the U.S. and Canada are still puzzling over what’s sickening ringed seals and walrus in the Arctic. Dozens of seals have died from the mysterious disease.
Aerial Predator Control Plan on Kenai Peninsula Under Consideration
The state Board of Game is considering a controversial plan to begin aerial predator control on the Kenai Peninsula for the first time. The moose hunt for most of the Kenai has been severely limited. The board of game is looking for ways to give hunters more opportunities to bag moose. But state biologists have said predation is not the issue. And conservation groups are opposing the plan.
‘Club 49’ Waives Some Bag Fees for Alaska Residents
By Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage & Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
Alaskan residents will be able to avoid the dreaded baggage fee on Alaska Airlines flights to or from the state starting in November.
North Slope Ringed Seals Develop Mysterious Illness
Dozens of Ringed Seals on the North Slope have developed a mysterious illness that’s causing severe skin lesions. Many of the seals have died. Other Arctic marine mammals could also be affected and several agencies are investigating the cause.
Few Studies Track PFD Impact
The state is sending out nearly 650 thousand Permanent Fund Dividends today. Its the 30th dividend paid to Alaskans. In all that time, there have been very few studies on how Alaskans spend the extra cash and how that spending affects the state’s economy. But retailers say their sales around dividend time take a big jump.
Museum Preserves Knowledge on Local Foods
The Alutiiq Museum is moving forward with a project that will help preserve indigenous knowledge of local food resources and integrate that information with modern preservation techniques. April Laktonen Councellor and Danielle Ringer both work at the museum and are involved with the Alutiiq Wild Foods project.
Chukchi Lease Sale Stands
The federal government is upholding the 2008 oil and gas lease sale in the Chukchi Sea. The sale was challenged in court and last year, a judge required the Interior Department to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement and then decide whether to vacate the sale.
Groups Suing to Stop Shell’s Plan to Drill in the Beaufort Sea
Environmental groups are suing to stop Shell from drilling next year in the Beaufort Sea. Last month, the Interior Department gave conditional approval to Shell’s plan to drill up to four exploratory wells in the Beaufort Sea beginning in the summer of 2012.
Trident Seafoods Paying $2.5 Million in Fines for Clean Water Act Violations
Trident Seafoods is agreeing to pay the federal government $2.5 million to settle clean water act violations at its Alaska processing facilities.
Drilling Rig Breaks Down, Blocks Road While in Transit
A giant drilling rig is completely blocking one of the main roads near Prudhoe Bay.
Upgrades Could Enable Pipeline to Safely Operate Below 500,000 Barrel Capacity
A new study on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System has an optimistic take on the problem of declining oil in the pipeline.
Former AEWC Executive Charged With Embezzlement
The former executive director of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission has been charged with embezzling nearly half a million dollars from the organization.
Stryker Brigade Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
Another Stryker Brigade soldier from Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks has died in Afghanistan. 29 year old Specialist Ryan J. Cook, from Florida, died Sept. 18 when insurgents attacked his unit with an IED. Another...
Walruses Hauling Out Near Point Lay Again
Walruses are hauled out near Point Lay in huge numbers again. Federal scientists estimate tens of thousands of animals came to shore in Alaska in late August as the sea ice retreated.
‘Climate Change Reality Project’ Heading to Kotzebue
Kotzebue is one of 24 sites around the world featured in a 24 hour event today to raise awareness about climate change. Former Vice President Al Gore founded the Climate Reality Project as a...
Anglers Can Save Wasted Rockfish
Rockfish swim in deep waters off Alaska. And when they're caught and brought to the surface, the pressure changes can cause incredible trauma. But a recently completed study from the Alaska Department of Fish and Games shows the fish have an amazing ability to recover if they are released back down at depth.