Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska - Juneau
Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director in Juneau.
Judge hands down split decision in Native corporation free speech case
Goldbelt shareholder Ray Austin was accused of making misleading or false statements on Facebook that were critical of the elected leadership of Juneau’s Native corporation. An administrative law judge recently found him innocent of those charges.
Guardian Flight settles over deadly 2019 medevac crash
A Utah-based medevac company has settled a wrongful death lawsuit over a 2019 air ambulance crash in Southeast Alaska that killed three crew members from Juneau.
Alaska Supreme Court upholds legality of fish landing tax
A raw fish tax that has pumped tens of millions of dollars into coastal communities over the past decade has survived a legal challenge before Alaska’s highest court.
Unanimous ferry reform bill prompts constitutional challenge from Alaska’s governor
House Bill 63 would create an Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board that would be tasked with crafting both short- and long-term planning for Alaska's ferry fleet, but Gov. Mike Dunleavy thinks the board would give too much power to the legislature.
Coast Guard scuttles Juneau’s troublesome tugboat Lumberman
The Lumberman could often be seen from Juneau’s main highway with a collection of skiffs moored to her rusting hull. The vintage tug became a magnet for people unable to find shelter in a community that’s long struggled with a lack of affordable housing.
Human rights panel to weigh transboundary mining concerns
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will look into the human rights issues of having polluting mines upstream from tribes.
Could rising timber prices aid the Tongass transition to second-growth logging?
Industry experts are divided over how to best seize the opportunity presented by high lumber prices to benefit Southeast Alaska: By cutting what’s left of Tongass old-growth or by retooling to cut younger, second-growth trees.
A decade after Fukushima nuclear disaster, Alaska expands seafood monitoring
State environmental regulators announced Monday they’re expanding radiation testing of commercially harvested Alaska seafood, including crab, using a gamma radiation detector at a state laboratory in Anchorage.
Dunleavy administration withdraws DMV privatization plan
The Dunleavy administration is no longer seeking private vendors to replace six state-run Division of Motor Vehicles offices, which the administration originally proposed as a cost-saving measure.
Alaska sues PFAS makers as lawmakers seek broader action from regulators
Alaska is suing chemical manufacturers over PFAS, toxic compounds that have contaminated water in more than a dozen communities across the state.
Lawmakers advance bill to hike Alaska’s gas tax
Most of the revenue raised from the tax would go toward highway maintenance. And it enjoys wide support from business and industry groups that say it would help reinvest in Alaska’s road infrastructure.
State sells two fast ferries for just over $5M
The Fairweather and Chenega have been tied up in Ketchikan since 2019 and 2015, respectively. They were relatively new additions to the Alaska Marine Highway System’s fleet, purchased about 15 years ago for $68 million.
Dunleavy pushes bill for long-range planning for state ferry system
Democratic lawmakers said the bill was a step in the right direction, but left many problems with the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Alaska senators skeptical over Dunleavy administration’s plan to privatize rural DMVs
The state-run Division of Motor Vehicle offices in Haines, Homer, Valdez, Tok, Delta Junction and Eagle River would be eliminated under a plan presented Thursday by Department of Administration Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka.
Tribes, fishermen decry Alaska and B.C. decision to end transboundary monitoring
The U.S. and Canada say that with the completion of a 2-year report on stream monitoring, the work of the landmark commission is done. Tribes and fishing groups disagree.
Feds approve $50m pandemic relief for Alaska’s fishing sector
Applications from fishermen will be accepted during a two-month window that opens March 1 with payments could come as early as June.
State working to close sale of its fast ferries
Trasmapi, a Mediterranean-based catamaran operator, offered about $4.6 million for the Fairweather and Chenega ferries. But that was less than half the $10 million reserve price set by the state.
‘Frustrating’ investigation into fatal 2019 medevac crash ends with no clear answers
A final report released Jan. 28 by the National Transportation Safety Board says there isn’t enough evidence to explain how or why a twin-engine medevac plane plummeted from 2500 feet in just 14 seconds in 2019.
Dunleavy taps real estate executive for fisheries commission
The Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission decides who gets commercial fishing permits. Commissioners receive six-figure salaries.
After eight months, still no answers for family of Kodiak man killed on naval base
Why was Jason Vinberg shot to death by a special forces member at the Kodiak naval base on June 30? His family wants to know — and so do federal prosecutors.