Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
Interior Alaska Ablaze With Lightning-Ignited Fires
Smoke is spreading over a large area of the state, as wildfire activity grows. There were 56 new wildfires Monday statewide, and 238 active, mostly in interior and southwest Alaska.
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‘Fairbanks Four’ Suspect Paroled
One of four Fairbanks men fighting for exoneration from murder convictions was paroled last week. The Alaska Native community gathered in Fairbanks over the weekend to welcome home Marvin Roberts.
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Lightning Strikes Ignite Nearly 50 New Fires
Dozens of new wildfires are burning around interior and western Alaska, as widespread lightning continues to cause new starts. An Alaska Interagency Coordination Center report listed 47 new fires Monday morning, with 186 active blazes state-wide.
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Elodea Eradication Plan Would Employ Herbicide
A herbicide is proposed to eradicate an invasive weed that’s infested some Fairbanks area waters. The chemical application would target Elodea, a prolific aquatic weed known to choke out native plants and fish, and inhibit navigation.
Healy Lake Fire Triples In Size
Several wildfires are burning in the interior, including a growing blaze east of Delta Junction. Division of Forestry spokesman Tim Mowry says the Healy Lake fire made a major push west toward Delta beginning late Wednesday night and increased in size from 2,000 to up to 6,000 acres.
New Fires Ignite Near Healy Lake
Lightning ignited two new wildfires east of Delta Junction Tuesday night. Fairbanks-Delta area state fire management officer Ed Sanford says the blazes near the small community of Healy Lake resulted from numerous lightning strikes that hit a swath of Alaska.
Groundwater Contamination Spreads off Eielson Air Force Base
Ground water contamination at Eielson Air Force Base has spread off the facility. A chemical thought to originate from firefighting foam used at the base prior to the year 2000, is being detected in groundwater wells in a nearby subdivision.
Wildfire Burns Near Dot Lake
A wildfire caused by lightning in the interior is burning near the Village of Dot Lake. The Tanana Slough Fire has burned about 500 acres on an island in the Tanana River. The island is about three miles north of the small Native community off the Alaska Highway near Tok. Area state forester Jeff Hermans says suppression efforts are aimed at keeping the fire on the island.
Road Deterioration Hindering Copper River Access
A dipnetter’s group is seeking state assistance to repair a sketchy stretch of trail used to access the popular personal use fishery on the Copper River near Chitina. The old section of the Copper River Highway has deteriorated due to past year’s landslides.
Feminist Icon Gloria Steinem Visits Fairbanks
Feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem speaks at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Friday night. The human rights activist’s visit was instigated by local politics.
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Feds to Investigate Groundwater Contamination in North Pole
A federal agency will conduct a study to determine the danger of drinking groundwater contaminated by the industrial solvent sulfolane in the North Pole area.
Fairbanks Man Likely Contracted Measles in Mongolia
A case of measles in Fairbanks is the first confirmed occurrence of the highly contagious viral infection in the state in 15 years. An epidemiologist says the patient likely contracted it in Mongolia.
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PFD earning, taxes highlight governor’s fiscal discussion
Governor Bill Walker gathered Alaska leaders from around the state in Fairbanks over the weekend to talk about state services and how to pay for them. The event called: “Building a Sustainable Future: Conversations With Alaskans” resulted in some clear and predictable messages, but it’s uncertain when or if they will result in legislative action.
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Regents Nominate Ex-Exec. For UA System President
Former University of Alaska executive Jim Johnsen of Fairbanks has been put forward by the UA Board of Regents as their choice to be the university system’s next president.
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Dalton To Re-Open, But Repairs Still Needed
The Alaska Department of Transportation plans to re-open the flood damaged northern stretch of the Dalton Highway to traffic Friday morning. The opening will follow a nearly three-week closure caused by melt out of unusually heavy overflow ice from the Sag River.
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Fort Yukon Goes Solar
Ft. Yukon recently began operating a solar electric project. The system is testing integration of the energy source into the power grid of an isolated northern community.
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Cold Front Sweeps in From the North
June has ushered in a dramatic change in the weather as a cold front from the high arctic dips into Alaska.
KIYU-Galena GM Rigs His Home for Temporary Broadcast
KIYU-Galena serves middle Yukon River area communities; it's making do while the station’s building is being elevated. KIYU-Galena general manager Brian Landrum says the facility is being raised above the high water level as a precaution in case of floods like the one that inundated the village two years ago this month.
AIDEA Holds Off On F.N.G. Decision
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority has delayed action on the state agency’s proposed purchase of Fairbanks Natural Gas parent company Pentex. The AIDEA Board announced the delay, following an executive session in Anchorage Wednesday, siting technical engineering issues related to the $54 million deal.
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Dalton Highway Still Closed, But Repairs Underway
Repair work is progressing on the northern end of the Dalton Highway, where breakup flooding has made the road impassable for nearly 2 weeks. Water began dropping back last weekend, leaving behind extensive damage, and Department of Transportation spokeswoman Meadow Bailey says there’s no repair timeline.