Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media

Well over a century ago, United Methodist church members started the Jesse Lee Home in Unalaska for children who had been orphaned by disease or needed care while their parents recovered from illness. When the Spanish influenza pandemic wiped out villages along coastal Alaska, the home moved to Seward, and after the 1964 earthquake, it moved again to Anchorage. A hundred and twenty-five years later, Alaska Child and Family, the contemporary to the Jesse Lee facility is celebrating their anniversary this week. Download Audio

Alaska's maritime industry is the largest private employer in the state, but fleet workers are aging. I'm Lori Townsend. On the next Talk of Alaska, we'll discuss plans to attract more young people to the fishing industry, and also look at some of the parallels to farming, too. APRN: Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 10:00 a.m. Download Audio

The Arctic is already known for having impressive swarms of mosquitoes in the summer. And climate change could boost mosquito population numbers, according to a new study from a Dartmouth researcher. Download Audio

The Alaska Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in case that could upend the way the state pays for education. The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is arguing that it's a violation of the state constitution to require local governments to chip in money to fund local schools. Download Audio

Oil prices are stubbornly low and the state’s budget is in trouble. Alaska Common Ground will hold a day long forum on Alaska’s Fiscal and Economic Future on September 19th. Organizers solicited budget proposals from citizens. They were tasked with filling a $2.5 billion gap for five years. What did they come up with and will a compromise emerge that the majority of Alaskans could support? APRN: Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 10:00 a.m. Download Audio

After being on life support for the past few funding cycles, The Denali Commission is full of muscle again with an expanded mission to help rural Alaska. The Commission, created by the late Senator Ted Stevens to fund village energy projects saw yearly funding up to $150 million at its peak. Currently the Commission's budget is around $10 million, but a mandate by the White House to help combat the effects of climate change on remote communities may help it garner more federal dollars. Download Audio

A group of scientists from around the country are on a three-week expedition studying volcanoes in the Aleutian Islands. As part of that project, Tobias Fischer with the University of New Mexico is using instruments on helicopters to measure the gas composition of volcanic plumes. The work is aimed at improving volcano monitoring. Download Audio:

President Obama's visit to Alaska was unprecedented in terms of the length of stay and the places he visited. Governor Bill Walker was able to have the President's full attention on Air Force One. What will this historic visit mean for Alaska's future? What did our state's top executive discuss with the Commander in Chief and how was it received? APRN: Tuesday, 9/8 at 10:00am Download Audio

Alaskans have been celebrating the federal government's decision to officially recognize Denali as the name of North America's tallest mountain. Aaron Leggett is the Alaska Gallery Curator at the Anchorage Museum and an Athabascan historian. He says more than just local Athabascan people had a name for the mountain. Download Audio

Air Force One landed in Kotzebue just before 5 p.m. President Obama is now the first sitting president to visit the U.S. Arctic. Download Audio

President Obama is in Seward today. He landed early this afternoon in his helicopter, called Marine One and then hiked to Exit Glacier to highlight how much the rivers of ice in the state are retreating because of global climate change. Download Audio

The president is visiting Alaska, and it's more than just a fuel stop this time. On the next Talk of Alaska, we’re taking a trip into the annals of presidential history in the Last Frontier. FDR and Jimmy Carter went fishing during their visits here. Reagan hosted the pope. And Clinton popped downtown for a sandwich. What will Obama's visit be remembered for? APRN: Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 10:00 a.m. Download Audio

The White House released more details today on President Obama's visit to Alaska next week. The President will spend Monday in Anchorage, Tuesday in the Seward area and Wednesday in Dillingham and Kotzebue. Planning the security for Obama's visit isn't easy, according to retired Federal Marshall Marc Otte. For 22 years, the Eagle River resident helped protect foreign dignitaries and federal judges. Download Audio

Getting an internationally successful rock band to play in Alaska is tough, but when the Alaska State Fair gets underway later this month, one of the performing groups will be playing for a home town crowd. Download Audio

Berry picking, salmon fishing and preparations for fall hunting are in full swing and Alaskans are putting up food for winter. Whether canned, dried, fermented or smoked - wild foods go hand in hand with the culture and traditions of the north. APRN: Tuesday, 8/11 at 10:00am Download Audio

It's been a festive day in the northwest Arctic community of Kivalina today as residents celebrate the grand opening of a new store. It's an end to eight months of struggle with limited supplies after Kivalina's store burned to the ground last December. Download Audio