Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska - Juneau
Emergency VHF radio channel unreliable across Southeast Alaska, Coast Guard says
A network failure on Monday evening has rendered the Coast Guard’s emergency VHF radio channel unreliable across much of Southeast Alaska.
Ferry postponed by bomb scare in Juneau
The ferry was evacuated early Wednesday after an unticketed Juneau man drove his blue Toyota Tundra pickup on board and allegedly threatened crew members.
Twitter suspends reporter for pointing out Alaska legislator spreading misinformation on vaccines
Twitter said it made a mistake when it temporarily suspended the account of a political blogger who relayed a state legislator's false statements suggesting that the COVID-19 vaccine was harmful.
Regional subsistence councils hamstrung by stalled appointments
A large number of unfilled seats on the councils that manage Alaska's subsistence hunting and fishing has left advocates worried their voices won't be heard and confused about the process of filling those seats.
Prices expected to rise for Alaskans as barge rates increase
Alaska Marine Lines, a subsidiary of global shipping giant Lynden, posted a notice to customers Tuesday saying prices would rise 5% on all its routes.
New ferries will stay tied to the dock under Alaska Marine Highway’s ‘skeletal’ summer schedule proposal
Summer is peak time for the Alaska Marine Highway System, and the proposed five-month summer schedule just came out. Many communities will get only limited service and coastal lawmakers aren’t happy.
State proposes early-season cruise ship inspections to replace Ocean Ranger program
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has twice defunded the Ocean Rangers through line item vetoes over the objections of state lawmakers.
Democrats renew push to restore Roadless Rule in Tongass National Forest
Democrats filed a bill that would reverse the Trump administration’s decision to exempt the nation’s largest national forest from the 2001 rule that restricts road-building and other development.
Spanish firm bids on Alaska’s fast ferries
The state of Alaska is trying to sell its idled fast ferries as it seeks to reduce the size of the Alaska Marine Highway System’s fleet.
Alaska’s first state ferry sinks in Washington windstorm
Alaska’s first state ferry — the Chilkat — broke free of its moorings on Wednesday and sank during a windstorm in Anacortes, Washington.
LISTEN: With ‘A Shape in the Dark,’ Juneau author crafts thoughtful portrait of Alaska’s brown bears
“A Shape in the Dark: Living and Dying with Brown Bears” is a new book by Juneau writer and wilderness guide Bjorn Dihle. It’s a portrait of brown bears and their complex relationship with humans.
Sealaska Corporation says it’s quitting logging
The move by one of the region’s economic powerhouses is the latest sign of Southeast Alaska’s economic transition away from logging.
Alaska Supreme Court rules in favor of critical Native corp. shareholder
But the court declined to rule on the underlying questions of First Amendment free speech protections for shareholders of Alaska Native Corporations.
In lawsuit, groups ask for ‘Roadless Rule’ protection restored to the Tongass
A coalition of Southeast Alaska tribes, fishermen and environmentalists argue the to exempt the Tongass from the Clinton-era Roadless Rule disregarded overwhelming opposition from Alaskans for the sake of a few hundred timber jobs.
No cruise ships in 2020 gave Glacier Bay whales ‘room to roam’ researchers say
When the coronavirus pandemic erased Alaska’s entire 2020 cruise season, it made the waters in Glacier Bay a lot quieter. Whales moved into some of the areas they'd been avoiding.
Coastal lawmakers criticize Dunleavy’s ferry budget proposal
Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed about $51 million to run state ferries which is slightly more than he initially proposed last year. But it’s much less than historically appropriated to the fleet.
Consumer prices expected to rise as barge rates increase
Alaska Marine Lines, a subsidiary of global shipping giant Lynden, posted a notice to customers Tuesday saying prices would rise 5% on all its routes including Southeast Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound.
NTSB: No obvious cause of fatal 2019 air ambulance crash
The recovery of the Guardian Flight’s voice recorder failed to capture the flight’s final moments that might have explained what caused the fatal crash about 22 miles west of Kake.
Niblack’s exploration for copper, gold resumes on Prince of Wales
Drilling crews are returning to the Niblack Project, a mineral exploration effort seeking copper, gold, silver and zinc near Prince of Wales Island’s Moira Sound.
Controversial wolf season extended for Prince of Wales Island
Hunters and trappers took a record 165 wolves on the island last season, which conservationists and wildlife managers say is unsustainable.