Tim Ellis, KUAC - Fairbanks
Tim Ellis is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
Eielson Job Elimination Not As Extreme As Originally Estimated
The hundreds of positions the Air Force expects to be eliminated at Eielson is less than half the number previously estimated, and as KUAC’s Tim Ellis reports, it’s unclear how solid the estimate is.
DEC Investigating North Pole Oil Spill
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is investigating an oil spill at the Flint Hills Resources refinery in North Pole.
Ft. Greely Officials Study Barley-Powered Electricity Proposal
Fort Greely officials are studying a proposal by a Delta Junction barley farmer to use the grain as a renewable energy source to generate electricity for the post.
Community Leaders Gather Data On Potential Eielson F-16 Move
Community leaders have begun compiling data they say will prove the Air Force won’t save money by moving an F-16 fighter squadron, and up to 1,500 military and civilian workers, from Eielson to Anchorage, but base employees are still worried.
Fairbanks Entrepreneur Setting Up Third Wind Power Generator
A Fairbanks entrepreneur is putting up a third wind generator in Delta Junction, and Golden Valley Electric Association intends to buy the additional electricity.
Alaska Senators Question Plans to Move Fighters
Alaska’s U.S. Senators told a well attended public meeting in Fairbanks over the weekend, they doubt an Air Force estimate, that moving a fighter jet squadron from Eielson to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will save $32 million. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Begich (D-AK) question Air Force leaders’ assumptions, and will work to convince them to reconsider.
ASEA Trying To Distance Self From Former Employee
The Alaska State Employee Association is trying to distance itself from a former employee accused of forging union interest cards. The ex-ASEA staffer is accused of falsifying the cards as part of the union’s effort to organize a group of University of Alaska employees.
UAF Replacing Community and Technical College Dean
University of Alaska Fairbanks administrators have placed the dean of the school’s Community and Technical College on paid leave and will search to replace her. Susan Whitener is being removed after a little more than six months on the job.
EPA Investigating Fairbanks Coal Power Plant
The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a coal-fired power plant in downtown Fairbanks to determine whether it’s the source of a messy and possibly hazardous dust that blankets the area. The investigation could lead to a designation as a federal Superfund cleanup site.
Copper Basin 300 Cancelled Due To Cold Temps, Impassable Trail
Organizers of the Copper Basin 300 canceled the sled dog race on Sunday less than halfway through the course, after mushers encountered extreme cold and an impassable stretch of trail.
Boeing Will Continue To Operate Fort Greely Missile Defense System
The 90 or so people who work for Boeing in the Interior got a late Christmas present Friday when the Pentagon awarded a seven year, $3.5 billion contract to the company to operate the Fort Greely based missile defense system.
Boeing Wins Missile Defense Contract
Boeing Corporation beat out Lockheed Martin to retain its position as the prime contractor for the U.S. long-range missile shield, the Pentagon said Friday.
UAF Returning Over 1,000 Union Organizing Letters
University of Alaska Fairbanks administrators are standing behind a decision to return more than a thousand union organizing letters.
Budget Would Put New Trooper Helicopter In Fairbanks
Governor Sean Parnell has budgeted money for a new State Trooper helicopter in Fairbanks. As KUAC’s Tim Ellis reports, the allocation is aimed at improving search and rescue response in the interior.
Ester Residents Approve Ultra-Efficient Library Design
A group of Ester-area residents working to build a community library have approved a ultra energy-efficient design.
Ft. Wainwright Losing 62 Civilian Jobs
Fort Wainwright will lose up to 62 civilian jobs in the coming year as part of the Army’s share of cutbacks intended to reduce federal spending and the nation’s budget deficit.
UAF Union Organizing Hits Stumbling Block
The union that’s trying to organize University of Alaska staff says that UAF’s refusal to deliver some 1,200 letters to UAF staff is just the latest of several obstacles that the university has thrown in the path of the organizing effort.
Fairbanks Residents Weigh In On Long-Term UAF Plan
Fairbanks-area residents got a chance last week to add their voices to a planning process launched this fall by University of Alaska President Pat Gamble.
FCC Launching Program Expanding Rural Broadband Access
The Federal Communications Commission is about to launch a program to expand access to high-speed Internet for more than 150,000 Alaskans, who live in rural areas.
Community Leaders Gather for Local Government Conference
Community leaders from around the state are gathered in Fairbanks this week for the Alaska Municipal League’s Local Government Conference. The annual gathering is a chance to talk about shared issues, and two are at the top of everyone’s agenda.