Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska - Juneau
Jacob Resneck is CoastAlaska's regional news director in Juneau.
Governor vetoes funding for Alaska’s unified library catalog, video conferencing services
In explaining the veto, the governor’s office wrote that the state libraries had enough resources to operate without extra money.
Forest Service: No link between Tongass workers detail to South Dakota and Trump’s Mount Rushmore July 4 fireworks
One watchdog group believes that two dozen volunteers were sent from the Tongass National Forest to the Black Hills in order to help out with a controversial Trump plan to bring fireworks to Mount Rushmore for the Fourth of July.
State says ferry repairs are on schedule, but COVID-19 concerns will delay return to service
While repair work has been allowed to continue, some personnel essential for safety certification and provisioning the boat aren't allowed to return to work.
Lawmakers approve $66.7M appropriation to run Alaska ferries
The Legislature has approved a budget that lawmakers say should keep the Alaska Marine Highway System running year-round. In the past year, cost cutting, a summer labor strike and mechanical failures resulted in months-long service gaps, both planned and unplanned, for Alaska’s ferry system.
Record number of wolves taken on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast
Trappers reported taking almost as many wolves as had estimated to live on and around Prince of Wales Island. It’s a new record number of wolves — 165 taken in Unit 2 — which includes Prince of Wales and surrounding islands in Southeast Alaska.
US-Canada border restrictions on ‘non-essential’ travel begin Saturday, last for 30 days
A document drafted by Homeland Security’s acting general counsel defines “essential travel” as U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the U.S as well as travel for medical reasons, education, necessary work, emergency responses and legal cross-border trade. It also includes carve-outs for officials, military personnel and their families. Recreation and tourism are not considered essential.
Alaska Marine Highway to turn away passengers with flu-like symptoms
The Alaska Marine Highway System says it will begin turning away ferry passengers with coronavirus- or flu-like symptoms.
As Canada closes the border, unanswered questions from Alaskans pile up
Canada is closing its land borders to “non-essential travel” to slow the spread of coronavirus. And that’s leaving many Alaskans scrambling for answers.
Court upholds challenge to Prince of Wales Tongass timber sale
A federal judge has ruled in favor of green groups challenging the largest Tongass timber sale in decades.
Federal warnings against cruises rattle Alaska travel industry
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The State Department and federal health experts are now advising people against cruise ship travel. That’s led to questions over whether precautions over coronavirus could reverse the visitor industry’s meteoric growth in...
Alaska lawmakers seek oversight over ferry fleet’s fate
A three-line piece of legislation would prohibit the state from selling, transferring or disposing of a state ferry without express approval by lawmakers.
Dunleavy names nine to ferries working group
A former Coast Guard admiral and pipeline executive will head Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s advisory group on the state ferry system.
Push begins in the Legislature to restore ferry service
House lawmakers have taken a first step to bolster funding to the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Governor seeks to replace independent Ocean Rangers cruise ship monitors with state-run inspections
Those independent monitors — called Ocean Rangers — are part of a program created by a 2006 ballot initiative that Alaska voters passed overwhelmingly.
From Ketchikan to Unalaska, a day of protests, anxiety and anger over a dysfunctional ferry system
Hundreds of people rallied around the state Tuesday to restore the Alaska Marine Highway System’s regional ferry service. The fleet has been largely idle since the last mainliner in service broke down last month.
Alaska Marine Highway shuts down regional service till March
Ferry service in Southeast Alaska will remain shutdown at least until March.
That’s following news that the regional ferry in service — the Matanuska — is being towed to Ketchikan for repairs. And the only...
Dunleavy administration seeks $12.5 million for struggling ferries
The governor’s chief of staff Ben Stevens says the executive is asking the Legislature for extra money to continue work on Alaska Marine Highway System ferries currently out of service for upgrades and repairs.
State eyes private ferries for Angoon, Hoonah and Kake
The state is seeking to fill gaps in Southeast Alaska ferry service using a private charter company. It’s given potential operators less than 24 hours to answer its Monday call for interest.
Camped in staterooms, stranded ferry passengers are prisoners of the state’s hospitality
When the last of the Alaska Marine Highway System mainliners broke down in Juneau last weekend, the state chartered a pair of private catamarans to get most of the Matanuska’s passengers to their destinations. But more than two dozen people with cars and trucks remain stranded.
Shee Atiká offloads most of its land in $18.3 million deal
The federal government is finalizing the buyback of heavily logged forest lands on Admiralty Island from Shee Atiká, Sitka’s urban Native corporation.