Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks

The State of Alaska will sue over contamination from the Flint Hills North Pole Refinery. Historic sulfolane spills have resulted in the industrial solvent migrating through ground water. Download Audio

Willow runner Dave Johnston has set a new foot record in the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race. Dragging a sled over snow, ice and dirt trail, Johnston covered the distance in 4 days, 1 hour and 38 min. That’s over 87 miles per day. Johnston bested the old record set by Steve Reifenstuhl of Sitka in 2005, by more than 14 hours. Download Audio

The owner of the Polaris building is optimistic about financing renovation of the long vacant downtown Fairbanks high rise. Anchorage developer Marc Marlow reported to the Fairbanks city council Monday that he planned to file a federal loan guarantee application with the Bureau of Indian affairs this week. Download Audio

Cyclists have set new speed records in the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Smooth trail is credited with helping athletes in the 350 race human powered race between Knik and McGrath. Download Audio

Anchorage and Fairbanks are on a shortened list of bases being considered by the Air Force for the stationing of its new F-35 fighter jets. Eielson Air Force Base near North Pole and Joint Base Elemendorf Richardson in Anchorage are among 5 Pacific region bases announced by the Air Force today to Alaska’s Congressional delegation Tuesday. Download Audio

The Fairbanks city council passed a resolution Monday pleading with the state to provide better access to medical marijuana. Resolution sponsor member Lloyd Hiling emphasized that it’s aimed strictly at supply side of the issue. Download Audio

First Nations students from the Yukon Territory are learning mining skills through a University of Alaska program. An agreement between UA and Yukon College is enabling the 20 students to take underground mining courses at the Delta Mine Training Center. Download Audio

A former Alaska State Trooper has been arrested for sexual abuse of a minor. Troopers say Warren Tanner of North Pole was picked up Friday following a report received the previous day that the 75-year-old had been abusing a 14 year old girl, over several years. Tanner was taken into custody with the assistance of U.S. Marshals and jailed in Fairbanks. Tanner commanded the Fairbanks Trooper detachment for 2 years, before retiring in 1999. He served as a provost Marshall on Ft. Wainwright in the 1970’s before becoming a Trooper. Download Audio

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is ramping up its unmanned aerial vehicle testing center. The university was one of 6 entities around the country selected by the Federal Aviation Administration in December to undertake the task of integrating UAV’s into U.S. airspace. Download Audio

An analysis of what would be the first commercial development in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska is the subject of a report issued by the Bureau of Land Management. Download Audio

The first section of the road into Denali National Park is open. The 90-mile road is usually closed beyond the park entrance area during the winter, but as of this past weekend, it’s being kept plowed to mile 12 at the Mountain Vista rest area. Download Audio

The Fairbanks North Star Borough will participate in a school funding lawsuit filed by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough against the state of Alaska. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the state requiring organized municipalities to help cover the cost of local schools. Download Audio

A woman accused of murdering a man in Pennsylvania says she killed dozens of others in four states, including Alaska. The case, involves allegations of serial killing and Satanism.

A tanker truck rollover on the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse resulted in a substantial fuel spill. More than 2,100 gallons of diesel leaked from the tanker following Tuesday’s accident near mile 309 of the Haul Road. Download Audio

Legislators got an update on the partially state financed North Slope to Fairbanks natural gas trucking project this week. The state is working with private company MWH to build a $185 million gas processing plant on the North Slope to feed tanker trucks that will move LNG to Fairbanks. The goal of the Interior Energy Project is to deliver first gas by late 2015, at a consumer cost equivalent of about half the price of fuel oil, but many questions remain about how the project will play out. Download Audio

Dog mushing is Alaska’s official state sport, but not everyone can just jump on a sled and go. KUAC’s Dan Bross reports on a new Fairbanks non-profit organization aimed at getting people with disabilities out mushing. Listen Now

The Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce isn’t giving up on the Flint Hills refinery. Flint Hills announced last week that it plans to cease crude oil processing at the North Pole Plant, and turn the facility into a distribution depot for fuel shipped in from other facilities. Fairbanks chamber board chair Steve Lundgren says the organization will work with the state to try to find a new owner-operator for the refinery. Listen Now

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Fairbanks district is planning for a major funding shortfall. The district is anticipating cuts even if requested state and local funding increases come through.

Governor Sean Parnell said the state is not to blame for Flint Hills decision to close its North Pole refinery. Costs related to the cleanup of sulfolane groundwater contamination, from historic spills of the industrial solvent at the refinery, are identified by Flint Hills as a factor that went into the decision to stop production. The state recently set a strict sulfolane contamination threshold for ground water cleanup, but speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Parnell downplayed the significance of state regulation in the refinery’s shutdown.

Fire destroyed an apartment building in Fairbanks this morning. The blaze caused multiple injuries and two residents were unaccounted for as of this morning. Download Audio