Ellen Lockyer, Alaska Public Media
APTI Reporter-Producer Ellen Lockyer started her radio career in the late 1980s, after a stint at bush Alaska weekly newspapers, the Copper Valley Views and the Cordova Times. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Valdez Public Radio station KCHU needed a reporter, and Ellen picked up the microphone.
Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA
elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen
Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA
elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen
More Rain In Forecast For Northwest Alaska
National weather service forecasters say more rain is on the way to Northwest Alaska. Downpours there over the past week have led to flooding in Kivalina, Ambler and other communities, despite a short break in the weather on Monday.
State Challenges Federal Voting Rights Act
State attorneys filed a challenge to the federal Voting Rights Act in district court in Washington, DC on Tuesday, according to Gail Fenumiai, the state division of elections director.
Storms Cause Flooding In Northwest Alaska
A series of storms have swollen Northwest Alaska rivers and streams in the Brooks Range, which in turn have caused flooding downstream. The Kivalina and Noatak areas are getting the worst of it, according to Harry Lind a National Weather Service station manager in Kotzebue.
Mat-Su House Slowly Sinking Into River
A home that was flooded by the Matanuska River two weeks ago is slowly sinking over the riverbank now, after an effort to protect it from riverbank erosion with sandbags failed. The swollen Matanuska is undermining it and Matanuska Susitna Borough emergency official Casey Cook says the structure is disintegrating.
New State Forest Proposed In Susitna Valley
The state division of forestry is proposing the creation of a new state forest in the Susitna Valley, mostly on the West side of the Susitna River. State forestry officials outlined the idea at an informal presentation in Palmer.
State Stomps Spud Sprouts
China is importing Alaska-grown seed potatoes, and some state agricultural officials have hoped for a seed potato industry to sprout in the Delta area and the Matanuska Valley. But a state audit indicates that is not to be. Alaska is not producing enough spuds to meet demand, while other factors have put a damper on a seedling industry.
JBER Soldier Killed In Afghanistan
An Alaska-based paratrooper from Idaho has been killed in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Alaska says that Spc. Ethan Jacob Martin of Lewiston, Idaho, died Tuesday when his unit was attacked by small arms fire in Koragay, Afghanistan. Three other soldiers also were injured.
Fish and Game Closing Some Mat-Su Silver Fishing
State Fish and Game authorities will close sport silver salmon fishing in some Matanuska Valley creeks on Friday. The order comes on the heels of Northern District set net restrictions announced Thursday. The Friday closure affects the Little Susitna River, while further restrictions are in effect for other Knik Arm drainages.
Matanuska Maid Dairy Building Was Uninsured
The fire that destroyed the original Matanuska Maid Dairy warehouse in Palmer on Tuesday took a piece of Alaska's history. The building dates to 1935, when the original Matanuska Valley colonists settled in Alaska, and has been on the Alaska Association For Historic Preservation's list of endangered historic properties for several years.
Matanuska Maid Building Burns Down
Palmer firemen were hosing down hotspots on the rubble of the old Matanuska Maid Dairy building late Tuesday, after an early morning fire demolished the antique structure in downtown Palmer’s historic district. City public safety director John Owen says the fire call came in at 3:30 a.m.
Couple Drives From Argentina To Alaska
Alaska lures visitors from all over the world during its peak summer season. But Eduardo Isse and his wife, Leticia Rodrigues probably take the cake for putting the most miles on a vehicle to get here. The two drove to Alaska from the furthest point South in the Americas Tierra Del Fuego in Argentina.
DNR Backing Wishbone Hill Permits
The state Department of Natural Resources is backing the validity of permits issued to Usibelli Coal for its Wishbone Hill project. The state is taking a strong stand against the federal Office of Surface Management, while upholding the primacy of Alaska over its coal mining program and permitting decisions.
Man Dead After Trooper Involved Shooting
An early morning shooting involving an Alaska State Trooper left one man dead and shut down the Glenn Highway for hours Friday morning. According to Troopers spokeswoman Beth Ipsen, the action began in Wasilla around 4 a.m., when a traffic violation was spotted by a Trooper.
Matanuska River Drives Valley Residents From Homes
Heavy rains in Southcentral have once again caused the waters of the Matanuska River to erode its banks in some areas, notably in Sutton and in the Butte area of the Matanuska Susitna Borough.
New Valley Native Primary Care Clinic Unveiled In Wasilla
Chickaloon Village drummers and singers warmed up the crowd today for the ribbon cutting on Southcentral Foundation’ s new Valley Native Primary Care Clinic in Wasilla
Outdoor Vendor Highlights “Alaska Made”
Anchorage's street vendors are a hardy lot. Despite a blustery, wet summer, they are showing up at outdoor markets rain or shine. One familiar face at several of the markets is Carolyn Green, also...
Sen. French Asks State To Withdraw Proposed Abortion Payment Condition Regulations
Anchorage Democratic Senator Hollis French says he wants the state to withdraw proposed regulations for abortion payment conditions. French says the regulations may be unconstitutional, and are narrower than the current standard. French has requested a legal opinion on the regulations.
AK: Libraries
A library is more than a collection of books. In a small town like Sutton in the Matanuska Valley, the library serves many functions. It’s a meeting place for people of all ages, a storehouse of information, and a door allowing a peek into the community’s past. Sutton residents have worked for years to raise funds for a new library, and last month, that dream became reality.
Backbone Group Announces Support of Senate Bi-Partisan Working Group
Notable Alaskans with strong ties to state policies of past decades crowded into a tiny room on the 10th floor of Anchorage’s Captain Cook Hotel for a press conference Thursday to announce the group Backbone’s support of the Senate Bi-Partisan Working Group. The Senate coalition has stalled legislation backed by the Parnell administration – aimed at giving Alaska’s oil producers hefty tax breaks.
Report Says Mat-Su Seniors Not Getting Adequate Access To Care
A report commissioned by a private non-profit suggests that seniors in the Matanuska Susitna Borough are not getting adequate access to care facilities. Many of the Borough’s small town senior care centers are banding together to help cut costs and facilitate deliveries, but those efforts are not enough in the face of a rapidly growing senior citizen population.