Tim Ellis, KUAC - Fairbanks
Tim Ellis is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
North Pole awards $52M water system expansion contract to Fairbanks firm
Work on a $52 million project to expand North Pole’s municipal water system is expected to begin within a few weeks, now the City Council has awarded the contract to a Fairbanks company. Listen now
New study recounts discovery of ‘ancient Beringian’ ancestors of indigenous peoples
UAF archeology professor Ben Potter and an international team of scientists he worked with have discovered evidence of a previously unknown, ancient people who were among the first to cross over from Asia to Alaska more than 15,000 years ago. Listen now
Supporters say Trump’s infrastructure proposal could fund ‘Road Belt’ power line
President Trump says he’s ready to move ahead this year on his campaign pledge to pass a trillion-dollar program to improve the nation’s infrastructure. That’s motivated officials with a Glennallen-based economic development organization and the electrical co-op that serves the area to dust off an old plan to build a 300-mile-long high-tension power line that would run from the Mat-Su Valley community of Sutton to Tok and Delta Junction. Listen now
‘Let them talk!’ Iconic political figure Jack Coghill urges collegiality among legislators
The Legislature has faced seemingly impossible challenges over the years, according to Jack Coghill, who spent decades as a lawmaker in the Territorial House and state Senate. The 92-year-old Nenana Republican visited Fairbanks earlier this month to talk about his life and career – and offer some advice to lawmakers. Listen now
Refuge drilling opponents prepare for next phase of struggle
Now that Congress has OK’d oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain, opponents are preparing for the next phase in their decades-long struggle to protect the environmentally sensitive area. Listen now
Chinook gusts up to 80 mph knock out power around Interior
Golden Valley Electric Association crews are still working to repair damage to power lines caused by warm chinook winds that blasted the Interior over the weekend, especially around Delta Junction. Listen now
One of the Fairbanks Four sues the city over alleged civil rights violations
One of the Fairbanks Four is suing the city and four Fairbanks police officers over allegations that his civil rights were violated by police during their investigation of a 1997 murder, which led to a trial and conviction of the plaintiff and three other defendants in 1999. Listen now
AIDEA board OKs sale of Pentex to Interior Gas Utility
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s board of directors on Thursday approved selling Pentex Alaska Natural Gas Company and its assets, including Fairbanks Natural Gas, to the Interior Gas Utility. Listen now
New fiber-optic cable system to turbocharge North Slope broadband access
Residents of five North Slope communities will soon have access to much faster internet connections, now that Anchorage-based Quintillion has activated its new, land- and sea-based fiber-optic cable network. Listen now
New study outlines Polaris building contamination ‘in every floor, every room’
A federal study details contamination inside a deteriorating downtown Fairbanks landmark.
Interior Gas Utility sets public meetings to explain proposed purchase of Pentex Assets
The Interior Gas Utility has scheduled a couple of public meetings for later this month to inform Fairbanks North Star Borough residents about the status of the IGU board’s proposal to buy Pentex Alaska Natural Gas Company as part of the local utility’s efforts to build a natural-gas distribution system for Fairbanks and North Pole. Listen now
North Pole residents urge assembly to deny local marijuana-growing facility
Several residents of a North Pole neighborhood told Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly members Thursday that they do not want a marijuana-growing business in the area. Their arguments swayed half the members, but that wasn’t enough to pass a measure that would’ve opposed state approval of a business license for the facility.
Trump administration proposes $2.1 billion expansion of Fort Greely missile-defense base
The Trump administration announced last week it has asked Congress to appropriate $2.1 billion to expand the missile-defense base on Fort Greely. Listen now
To improve Fairbanks air quality, 200 engine-heater plug-ins added to public buildings
Four public buildings around Fairbanks will offer more electrical outlets in their parking lots next year to encourage customers to plug-in their engine-block heaters during cold snaps. The project is intended to help improve the area’s air quality. Listen now
Fairbanks mayor: as state ends funding, borough must address $400M building-maintenance backlog
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Karl Kassel says most of the borough’s 250 or so buildings are badly in need of maintenance. He said many are so old that they just need to be torn down and replaced. And he said it’ll cost nearly $400 million to catch up on that backlog. Listen now
AK: Anthropologists excavate 13,000-year-old secrets near Fort Greely
Anthropologists with the University of Alaska Fairbanks say a site they’re excavating near the Delta River west of Fort Greely was first inhabited by people some 13,000 years ago – not long after humanity crossed over a now-submerged land bridge that connected Asia and North America. Listen now
Alaska DEC moves to replace section of contaminated highway from January fuel spill
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and a Fairbanks-based trucking company have come to an agreement on a cleanup of diesel fuel spilled in an area along the Richardson Highway south of Paxson. Listen now
Fairbanks borough mayor sets meetings to explain funding cuts’ budget impact
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Karl Kassel says state officials have cut funding to the borough for three straight years now, and it appears likely that’ll continue in the years ahead. Listen now
Eielson’s F-35s will ‘save our bacon’ by offsetting economic slump, Fairbanks Mayor Says
Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Karl Kassel said the buildup associated with two squadrons of F-35 warplanes that’ll be coming to Eielson Air Force Base in a couple of years will offset decreases in population and state funding that are both being driven by Alaska’s recession-wracked economy. Listen now
Eielson showcases F-35 as Alaskan command chief emphasizes its lethality, deployability
Eielson Air Force Base opened its doors Tuesday to local, state and federal officials to give them a chance to see an F-35 fighter up close and to learn about its capabilities. The Air Force sent the warplane there for a few weeks for testing in anticipation of the arrival of two squadrons beginning in 2020. Listen now