Dan Bross, KUAC - Fairbanks
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
New Research Ship Will Be Operated By UAF
A new research ship to be based in Alaska, hits the water next month. The 261 foot Sikuliaq is being built at a shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin for the National Science Foundation. The $200 million ice going ship will be operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and home ported at its Seward Marine Center to serve scientists from around the world.
New Plan Surfaces To Get Natural Gas To Fairbanks
There’s another plan to get natural gas to Fairbanks. It’s one of several in play aimed at reducing Fairbanks dependence on high cost oil, and air polluting wood and coal.
Group Taking Alaska Vets To WWII Memorial
A newly formed chapter of a national non-profit organization is taking a group of Alaska veterans to visit the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.
Rain Raises Flood Concerns in the Interior
There’s concern about high water in areas of the interior. National Weather Service meteorologist John Lingas in Fairbanks says heavy rain has fallen over an area from the central interior to the southeastern Brooks Range in recent days.
Gary Gray Named UAF Athletic Director
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a new athletic director. Gary Gray is coming to Fairbanks from UAF rival Montanan State University. At a press conference announcing the selection Friday morning, UAF Chancellor Brian Rogers credited Gray’s experience.
Eva Creek Wind Farm Nears Completion
Construction is nearing completion on the state’s largest wind farm: Golden Valley Electric Association’s $93 million Eva Creek Project. A ribbon cutting held Wednesday at the hill top site near Healy.
Popular Fairbanks Trail Reopens
A popular Fairbanks area hiking trail, recently closed due to bear trouble, has reopened. The Granite Tors Trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area has been the location of four human bear encounters this summer, the latest of which saw a bear tear a hole in a camper’s tent. No one has been hurt, but bear spray, rocks and gun shots have been used to scare the animals off.
Prop 1 Would Allow Local Option Of Increasing Residential Property Tax Exemptions
A measure on next week’s primary election ballot would allow the local option of increasing the residential property tax exemption from the current $20,000 to a maximum of $50,000. If approved, municipal voters would then have to O.K. any change. Local government could also adjust the exemption to reflect increases in the cost of living.
Wildfire Near Fairbanks Grows Over Weekend
A wildfire that sent smoke over Fairbanks this weekend has grown substantially. The Alaska Fire Service reports that the Dry Creek Fire, burning about 25 miles south of Fairbanks is now about 14,000 acres. That’s up from 3,000 acres Thursday.
Robots Offer New Medical Care Options In Remote Communities
The next evolution of telemedicine is employing robots. A project presented at last week’s International Conference on Circumpolar health in Fairbanks showed how a remote control robot is helping patients in the Canadian arctic. Rosie the robot offers a new option for medical care in isolated communities.
Berries, Trash Blamed For Bear Problems On Popular Fairbanks Trail
Berries and trash are blamed for bears that have approached hikers on the Granite Tors Trail near Fairbanks. The popular 15 mile loop in Chena River State Recreation Area has been the location of 4 bear human runs ins this summer, including an incident this past weekend in which a black bear ripped a hole in a tent.
Fairbanks School Board Approves Licensing Agreement For ‘APPTrack’
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is in the software business. The school board approved a licensing agreement Tuesday with two district employees who developed APPTrack, a program for managing Apple devices and applications.
Firefighters Fighting Lower 48 Blazes
Alaska firefighters are helping battle blazes in the Lower 48 again. Alaska Fire Service spokesman Mel Slater says a total of 200 firefighters headed south this week. The deployment includes village and regional crews managed by the State, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
Fairbanks Catholic Diocese Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The Fairbanks Catholic Diocese is marking its 50th anniversary this weekend. Events including a Sunday mass, will recognize the roles, good and bad, the church has played in communities across a large area of the state.
Hikers Troubled By Problem Bears Along Popular Fairbanks Area Trail
Two bears continue to be a problem along a popular Fairbanks area hiking trail. One of the young grizzly siblings stalked a group of 3 hikers and their dog on the Granite Tors Trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area last month.
Alaskan Long Jumper Wins Bronze Medal
Longjumper Janay DeLoach of Eielson High School has a bronze medal. Wednesday she made a jump of 6.89 meters, which is 22 feet, 7 and a quarter inches to get third place in the event. Brittney Rose of Team USA took the gold, Elena Sokolava of Russia the silver.
Rep. Young Wants States To Take Over Management Of Some National Parks
Representative Don Young wants states to take over management of some National Parks. Young, a longtime critic of the National Park Service, says the proposal is a good fit for Alaska, where he says agency regulations unnecessarily limit access.
Navigable Waters Lawsuit Working Way Through Courts
An Alaska case challenging National Park Service authority is working its way through the courts. Central resident Jim Wilde is appealing his misdemeanor conviction stemming from a 2010 run in with park rangers during a boat safety check on the Yukon River. The appeal challenges the Park Service’s authority to police navigable waters. Wilde’s attorney Bill Satterberg of Fairbanks says the appeal filed in the 9th Circuit Court in January has been thrown back to a lower court.
Fairbanks Considers Wood Drying Kilns To Reduce Smoke Emissions
The Fairbanks North Star Borough is considering wood drying kilns to reduce smoke emissions from wood stoves and boilers. Dry wood burns cleaner and provides more heat. Borough Air Quality Manager Jim Connor says the current vision is to tap state and federal grant money to contract for the construction and operation of six kilns at three locations in the borough to serve local wood burners.
Former UAF Shooter Takes Bronze In London
Former University of Alaska Fairbanks shooter Matt Emmons won a medal at the Olympics Monday. The 31-year-old New Jersey native, who trains in Colorado, placed 3rd in the men’s 3 position rifle event behind shooters from Italy and South Korea.