Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
Drug Court Could Offer Jail Alternative
A Fairbanks substance abuse counselor is pushing for the state to consider an alternative to jail for drug offenders. The effort is in response to a steady stream of young heroin addicts, some of whom end up in jail.
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Final Fine Particulate Public Hearing Draws Large Crowd
A final public hearing on proposed Department of Environmental Conservation fine particulate pollution regulations drew a large turn out earlier this week in Fairbanks. The regulations aimed at bringing wintertime air in Fairbanks in line with federal standards, continue to be controversial.
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Cameras Capture Northern Migration
Scientists using time lapse photography have documented the migration of caribou and ptarmigan in northern Alaska. The project employed automated cameras to capture thousands of images of spring in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range.
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State Selects North Slope Gas Partner
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority has selected a business partner for development of a natural gas processing plant on the North Slope. At a meeting yesterday (Tuesday) the AIDEA board chose a group lead by MWH Americas to construct the plant that will liquefy gas for trucking to Fairbanks. KUAC’s Dan Bross reports.
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Interior Alaska’s River, Lake Ice Thinner Than Normal
There’s less than normal ice build up on many Interior waters. The National Weather Service drills into ice on rivers and lakes at the start of each month, and agency hydrologist Ed Plumb says January’s measurements showed generally thinner ice.
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Winter Grizzly Sightings Raise Concerns Near Denali Park
Midwinter grizzly and track sightings have raised concern in the Denali Park area. Local resident, four time Iditarod Champion Jeff King spotted blood and bear tracks on a trail while training dogs Wednesday.
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Meeting On Wood Stove, Boiler Pollution Draws Big Crowd
There continues to be concern in Fairbanks about proposed state regulations aimed at reducing fine particulate pollution from wood stoves and boilers. The latest in a series of public meetings on the proposals, a hearing and open house this week, drew big turn outs.
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Alaska Tapped To Be UAV Test Site
A University of Alaska lead consortium has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle test center. It will be one of six centers across the country charged with helping integrate the technology into national airspace. Alaska partnered with Oregon and Hawaii on the successful proposal.
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Interior Alaska Temperatures Dip To 50 Below
Interior low temperatures dipped into the 50 below range again today, as a cold snap that began Monday, deepened across the interior. Among the coldest readings this morning were minus 55 at Eagle and 54 below at Ft. Yukon. A strong inversion has kept hilltop temperatures in the 10 to 15 below range, while sinking the deepest cold into valleys. The Fairbanks bowl has also suffered from accumulated emissions.
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Chena River Getting Cleaner
The Chena River is getting cleaner. The waterway that winds through the heart of Fairbanks had been plagued by oil and sedimentation from runoff, but local efforts have turned things around.
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Interior Gas Utility Lays Out Fairbanks LNG Plan
The Interior Gas Utility is laying out a plan of action, following the state granting the Fairbanks North Star Borough entity’s request to supply natural gas to currently un-served areas of town. Getting natural gas to more neighborhoods is a step toward lowering energy bills and reducing emissions.
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Federal Regulation Of State Waters Ruling Being Appealed
Federal court rulings supporting the National Park Service regulation of state owned waters in parks are being appealed. A recent ruling turned down Anchorage moose hunter John Sturgeon’s challenge, of a Park Service ban on hovercraft on the Nation River inside Yukon Charley National Preserve.
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Japan Airlines Announces Flights To Fairbanks
Japan Airlines has announced a full schedule of flights to Fairbanks this winter. In its10th year offering winter service to Fairbanks, the carrier is planning 18 round trips beginning this Sunday, and running through April 3rd.
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Fairbanks Drag Racing Strip Application Approved
A controversial proposal to build Alaska’s second drag racing strip near North Pole is closer to becoming a reality. The Fairbanks North Star Borough Planning Commission approved an application last night by the Fairbanks Racing Lions for the half-mile track.
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Fairbanks Light Project Shines On
Fairbanks Discuss Solutions For Support Services Void
The bankruptcy of a Fairbanks primary mental health care provider earlier this fall, and the more recent closure of an assisted living facility, has resulted in a major void in support services in the area. A community forum held last week in Fairbanks brought people together to discuss solutions.
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Crews Testing New Road Ice Breaker
The Alaska Department of Transportation has a new tool in the war on icy roads.
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Fairbanks Green Energy Advocate Pushes For Alternative Funding Model
A Fairbanks green technology advocate is trying to muster interest in an alternative model for financing energy and other projects. Fairbanks resident Robert Shields runs the local non-profit Alliance for Reason and Knowledge.
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Fairbanks Company Offers Giant Pellet Fuel Logs
Wood is a primary heating fuel in the interior, but the practice of burning less than dry logs often results in elevated fine particulate pollution in the Fairbanks area. A local business has a solution.
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Court Backs Park Service In Water Rights Case
A court decision has re-affirmed National Park Service authority to regulate state owned rivers flowing through federal lands. The ruling is in a case that spurred public outcry about park service law enforcement.
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