Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
Lori Townsend is the news director and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452.
JBER Soldier Receives Soldier’s Medal
A JBER soldier was awarded the highest military honor for an act of heroism in a non-war setting today. Sergeant 1st Class John Kerns recieved the Soldier's Medal for pulling a man from a burning car after it crashed and before it exploded a few moments later.
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New Book Celebrates 25 Years of Collaborative Science
A new book celebrates 25 years of collaborative research and science between the Cup'ik people of Chevak, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. The title, Banding Together to learn and Preserve, 25 years of goose banding at old Chevak lays out the premise of this year book style collection of pictures and science information gathered during the decades of bird banding.
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Storms Appear To Subside In Western Alaska
The worst appears to be over for coastal villages in Western Alaska. State Emergency incident Commander Mark Roberts says a return to a more normal weather pattern with clear, cold conditions is forecast.
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New Report Investigates Alaska’s Suicide Rates
A new report on suicide in Alaska from the State Division of Public Health's epidemiology section, found rates are higher in more northern regions. Erik Woelber is a graduate student intern with the epidemiology section. Woelber says the study breaks communities into three categories by size and road access and looks at factors that may have contributed to the suicide rate. Woelber says the rates of suicide at higher latitudes merits more research.
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Fairview Residents Work To Re-Image Neighborhood
When I accepted a job in Anchorage more than a dozen years ago, my new boss told me the neighborhood I'd be working in was sketchy. She said signs of illicit sex and drug use, along with alcohol debris would be common in the parking lot. And that homeless people would sleep on the porch. It was all true. That was my introduction to Fairview. But last Saturday I glimpsed a very different version of the neighborhood through the stories of smiling residents who love Fairview, faults and all.
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State Offers Free Flu Vaccines
The administrative fee for vaccines through the state's public health system is being waived in an effort to get more low income people protected from flu this season.
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UAA Engagement Week Highlights Community
The University of Alaska Anchorage is hosting community engagement events this week. The focus is on being urban in Alaska. Bree Kessler is an assistant professor for Health Sciences at the center for community engagement and learning. She says on Saturday a pop up museum will appear for a few hours in a downtown neighborhood.
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AFN Officials Revisit Subsistence Issues
Officials with the Alaska Federation of Natives gathered today in Anchorage, Juneau and Bethel on a teleconference to denounce the state's lawsuit.
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Book Makes Case For US, Canada Merger
The United States and Canada are friendly neighbors with many common cultural and business interests. A new book suggests that partnership should be formalized. The title: Merger of the Century - Why Canada and America Should Become One Country, succinctly defines the premise. Author and dual citizen Diane Francis says because Canada has vast, undeveloped resources but scant population and military, it needs the U.S. to help develop and protect what America also needs.
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Seismic Activity And Tsunamis In Alaska
Alaska is the most seismically active place in America and one of the most earthquake prone areas on the planet. There were numerous large earthquakes in the 1960s followed by a few decades of relative calm, but that's changed in recent years. It's not a matter of if, but when for the next big earthquake in Alaska.
APRN: Tuesday, 11/5 at 10:00am
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Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault Top AFN Conversations
The issues of substance abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault garner a lot of attention at the Alaska Federation of Native Conference in Fairbanks. Calls to strengthen tribal control over subsistence matters were highlighted by a round-table discussion with Senator Mark Begich and an address by Senator Lisa Murkowski where she deemed certain Federal Subsistence Board rules “ridiculous.”
KSKA: Friday, 11/1 at 2:00pm & Saturday, 11/2 at 6:00pm
TV: Friday, 11/1 at 7:30pm & Saturday, 11/2 at 5:00pm
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AFN Youth Speak Out On Abuse
The Alaska Federation of Natives convention that just concluded in Fairbanks had a theme of traditional values this year. Protection became a big component of that. The perennial call to ensure that subsistence rights are not diminished was strong, but even stronger this year was the outpouring of support for young people, who opened up with gut wrenching stories of pain from the fall out of addiction, suicide and abuse.
New AFN Co-Chairs Elected
The annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention wrapped up Saturday in Fairbanks. AFN board co-chairs were elected in the morning. Ana Hoffman garnered the most votes. Hoffman is the President and CEO of the Bethel Native Corporation.
Alaska Native Communities Investing In Immigration Reform
The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention entered second day today. On the agenda: Affordable Care Act opportunities, arctic policy and suicide prevention.
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Bush Caucus Takes Stand On Rural Issues
Bryce Edgmon with the Bush caucus of the Alaska legislature spoke to AFN delegates this morning. Edgmon, a Democrat from Dillingham, said the caucus took a forceful stance against the photo ID mandates for voter registration and against the proposal to amend the state constitution for using state dollars for non public schools.
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300 Villages: Alaska Federation Of Natives
Although it isn’t a standard village, AFN is a community that pops up for a few days each fall, bringing together people from across the state. Attendees talk about why that community is so important.
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Julie Kitka On Tribal-Federal Relations
The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention got underway this morning in Fairbanks. The keynote speaker today was Nelson Angapak, retired as Senior Vice President of AFN. He urged young people to work hard to achieve success, to listen to their elders and for Native people to come together to confront big challenges like threats to subsistence and federal cuts to programs.
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Tribal Courts May Get More Power In Alcohol, Domestic Violence Cases
Governor Sean Parnell announced at AFN today that he's preparing to launch demonstration projects to allow tribal courts to process more alcohol and domestic violence cases. He said tribes "can often provide local, culturally relevant justice services." Jerry Isaac is President of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which has one of the most active tribal court systems in the state. APRN's Lori Townsend asked for his reaction to Governor Parnell's announcement:
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Violence Against Women
The numbers of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in Alaska continue to be some of the highest in the nation. Family violence impacts the emotional growth of children and affects entire communities. What can be done to reduce the harm?
APRN: Tuesday, 10/22 at 10:00am
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Great Alaska ShakeOut Promotes Earthquake Preparedness
Nearly 50,000 Alaskans registered for an earthquake preparedness event today called the Great Alaskan ShakeOut.
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