Ellen Lockyer, Alaska Public Media
Shishmaref Retains Alcohol Ban
Shishmaref's alcohol ban stands. Voters on Tuesday defeated a move to end the community's three decade alcohol ban.
Judge Rules Against State For Failure To Process Water Rights Application
Earlier this week, a state Superior Court judge ruled that the state was in error when it failed to process the Chuitna Citizens Coalition application for water rights to a tributary of the Chuitna River.
APU Hosts Alaska’s First Women’s Summit
The state's first Women's Summit started in Anchorage on Thursday at Alaska Pacific University. The two-day event is directed at examining strategies to improve the lives of Alaska's women.
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Temporary Deal Reopens Federal Government
Federal employees have been given the go-ahead to get back to work today. President Obama signed bipartisan legislation Thursday morning that funds the U.S. government through Jan. 15 and raised the nations debt ceiling, allowing the government to borrow money through Feb. 7.
GCI, KTUU Reach Temporary Agreement
GCI’s carriage agreement with KTUU expired Tuesday, but GCI announced Wednesday that the two parties have come to an interim arrangement to keep KTUU carriage in nine rural communities until Nov. 8.
APD Locates Mother Of Newborn Found Dead In Park
Anchorage police have located the mother of a newborn baby that was found dead in a park Tuesday. The police are not releasing any more details on the woman.
Muni Planning and Zoning Stalls Eklutna Landfill
The Anchorage planning commission has shot down a bid by Alaska Native corporation Eklutna, Inc. to develop land the corporation owns near a residential area. Despite Eklutna's last minute request for more research time, commissioners questioned the motive behind some aspects of the industrial project
Survey Indicates High Rate of Sexual Assault in the Mat-Su Borough
Almost half of the adult women in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced some form of sexual violence at least once during their lifetime. That’s the sad news to come out of a recent survey conducted by the UAA Justice Center and the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
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Anchorage, Native Corporation Disagree on Gas Revenues
A dispute between the Municipality of Anchorage and Eklutna, Inc. is headed to court. Eklutna, Inc., an Alaska Native Corporation, claims it is due about half the revenue generated from the methane gas produced at the Anchorage Landfill, but Muni attorneys say the land didn’t generate the gas, city garbage did.
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Chugiak Homeowners Fight Monofil Plan
Residents of Chugiak are fighting a plan to fill a natural gully with debris from area building demolition sites . The so-called inert monofil plan must pass muster before Anchorage's planning commission before it is reviewed by the Anchorage Municipal Assembly. A Muni planning commission hearing slated for Monday, Oct. 7 could either stall the project, or move it one step closer to reality
Arctic Agriculture Conference Draws Researchers
Researchers from circumpolar countries are meeting in Girdwood this week for an agricultural conference sponsored in part by the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. Food policy and food safety are increasingly urgent issues in Arctic nations, and many of those represented at the conference have come up with innovative programs to encourage local production and distribution.
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Mat-Su District 1 Race Too Close To Call
Voter turnout in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough was thin on Tuesday, but the handful of voters that did show up at the polls upset the status quo for what has been until now a pro-development Borough Assembly.
Land Use Issues Mark Mat Su Borough District Two Race
A political upstart is challenging a Matanuska Susitna Borough Assembly incumbent in Tuesday's election. The District Two race highlights the clash between newcomers who want to keep things rural, and old timers who favor an industrial future.
Mat Su Borough District One Race Pits Activist and Aviator
Two long-time Alaskans are vying for the Matanauska-Susitna Borough's District One Assembly seat. Both candidates have colorful backgrounds, although that's where their similarity ends. A newcomer to Borough politics is challenging a candidate with a long record in community service, and Valley voters will decide who gets the job on October 1.
Mat-Su Voters Will Decide On Alcohol Tax Proposition
Matanuska Susitna Borough voters will consider an alcohol tax proposition on the Oct. 1 election ballot. The 5 percent tax would be used to offset the burden on Borough property owners, but opponents of the plan say it unfairly targets a specific industry.
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Former Matanuska Creamery Owner To Get Day In Court
Former Matanuska Creamery owner and CFO Karen Olson was arraigned in federal court Thursday [yesterday] to charges of fraud. She pleaded not guilty. Olson was indicted last month on six counts of making false statements to the federal Department of Agriculture and defrauding the state of Alaska.
MEA Appeals Wasilla Ruling
Matanuska Electric Association is appealing a city of Wasilla decision that requires the power company to bury high voltage transmission lines that are planned for the city's downtown area
New Tourism Concept Highlights Unique Appeal Of Less Traveled Areas
Alaska’s visitors spent $3.7 billion here during 2011 and 12, according to a state report. Although the financial benefits of tourism are undeniable, there can be a downside; commercialization of scenic areas and overcrowding are two drawbacks. But one man wants to change how communities are affected by tourism. The concept of Geotourism focuses on enhancing the character of a unique place.
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APU Program Grooming Future Alaska Native Corporation Executives
Alaska Native corporations and Alaska Pacific University are teaming up on a program that will foster the next generation of Native leaders in the state. Executives representing seven Alaska Native corporations met this past weekend with APU faculty for the start of the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program, which has been approved by the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education.
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AVTEC To Offer Nation’s First Ice Navigation Course
Recent federal and state focus on Alaska's role in Arctic Ocean shipping has raised concerns over regulations, safety and oil spill response, among other issues. But, one teaching institution in our state is already dealing with the most basic question: who's going to be driving the boats? Seward's Alaska Vocational Technical Center plans to start the nation's first ice navigation training course next spring.
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