Emily Schwing, special to Alaska Public Media
New Study Shows Alaska Natives Are More Vulnerable To Flu
Indigenous populations in Alaska and Australia are more vulnerable to flu. That’s according to a study published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. As KUAC’s Emily Schwing reports, scientists are using their finding to help native populations fight flu in the future.
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Trailbreakers Prepare Yukon Quest Route
Trailbreakers are busy packing and clearing the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race trail. There are no major changes planned for the route this year. This will be one of the busier years on the Alaska side of the trail, where dog teams are likely to encounter open water.
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Thousands Of New Fish Specimens Double Museum’s Collection
The University of Alaska, Fairbanks Museum of the North recently acquired as many as 150,000 fish and marine specimens from the National Marine Fisheries Service. The acquisition means the museum’s fish collection has doubled in size.
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US Women’s Nordic Team Entering Third World Cup Week
The U.S. Women’s cross country ski team will take part in their third weekend of World Cup racing Saturday.
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Former Legislator, Teacher, Homesteader Niilo Koponen Dies
Fairbanks educator and former state legislator Niilo Koponen passed away Tuesday of natural causes, according to the family’s website.
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APU’s Randall Second in World Cup Race
Alaska Pacific University’s Kikkan Randall claimed a silver medal in the women’s classic-style sprint race in this season’s opening World Cup event in Kuusamo, Finland. It was the first day of cross-country ski racing.
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Wildlife Buffer Area Proposed for Denali
Environmental groups are asking the state and the federal government to exchange or purchase land to create a permanent wildlife buffer along the eastern border of Denali National Park.
Cause Of Late-Season Interior Rain Remains A Mystery
Rain in Interior Alaska is rare, or so it might seem, but the region has seen rain fall in November in seven of the last 12 winters. An explanation remains a mystery.
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McGrath Skeletons Found To Be 1,000 Years Old
A construction project in McGrath last year uncovered three skeletons. Authorities opened a missing persons case, but it turns out these remains have been “missing” for much longer than anyone expected. Radiocarbon dating shows the bones could be a thousand years old. Scientist have spent the last year analyzing DNA and isotopes to find out more about who the individuals were, what they ate and whether they are related to people living in the McGrath area today.
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Fairbanks Assembly Approves Land Sale to Chena Hot Springs Resort
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly voted during their regular meeting Thursday to approve a land exchange sale between the Borough and Chena Hot Springs Resort. It's a deal that’s been in the works for more than a decade. It stalled earlier this year after a disagreement over the appraised value of the property.
Olympic Flame Travels By Dogsled
The Olympic flame traveled by dogsled through the capital of Chukotka in Russia earlier this week. The torch was carried by Russian musher Mikhail Telpin.
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Life In Antarctica’s Icy Waters
Jumping into the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica isn’t for everyone. But it is for open water swimmer, Lynne Cox. Cox was in Fairbanks recently to talk about her career.
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Eielson’s Biplane Takes Flight Once More
If you visited Fairbanks International Airport over the weekend, you may have noticed a small construction project near one of the baggage carousels. A local group has been working for six years to restore a biplane that once belonged to Carl Ben Eielson.
Subsistence Tops AFN Attendees’ Priorities
The theme at AFN this year is Traditional Native Family Values. KUAC’s Emily Schwing was at the convention this Thursday morning and found out the Native value of subsistence is very much on attendees minds.
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Army Claims Responsibility For Stuart Creek 2 Wildfire
The U.S. Army Alaska today claimed released the results of two investigations into the cause of the Stuart Creek 2 Wildfire that burned more than 87,000 acres and threatened a small mushing community just outside Fairbanks this summer.
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AK: Spear Fishing
For one month each fall, Interior residents wade into the crystal clear waters of the Chatanika River to catch whitefish. They spawn in the fall, unlike other fish in Alaska. The state limits both the number of permits and the harvest. This isn’t your typical fishery. Instead of rods and reels, or nets, fishermen use spears.
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Shutdown Could Mean Total Loss for One Biologist, Big Financial Hit For His Pilot
Among the many Americans affected by the government shutdown, are scientists who rely on federal funding for their work. But that money doesn’t just go to the scientists. Lots of it trickles down into the community.
UAF Scientists Land Grant For Most Extensive Pacific Walrus Research To Date
Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will spend the next four years studying various aspects of Pacific walruses in the far north. The $1.7 million project is funded by the National Science Foundation.
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F-16s Will Remain At Eielson Air Force Base
The Air Force’s proposal to relocate a squadron of F-16s from Eielson Air Force Base south to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson has been scrapped. Members of Alaska’s congressional delegation received the news midday Wednesday.
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2 Fairbanks Assembly Members Retain Seats
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly will welcome only one new member to chambers this year. Janice Golub won Seat C, over Larry Morris. Both Karl Kassel and Presiding Officer Diane Hutchison will return to serve second terms on the Assembly.