Tim Ellis, KUAC - Fairbanks
Tim Ellis is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
USDA approves Alaska’s industrial hemp plan
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Alaska’s plan to promote and regulate the production of industrial hemp. The head of the Alaska Division of Agriculture says that means Alaska farmers will be able to diversify by growing a different crop that can be made into products that are increasingly in demand here and worldwide.
Fort Greely commander directs civilians to work from home in response to COVID spike
Fort Greely’s post commander says he’s concerned about a recent spike in reports of COVID-19 locally and in the Fairbanks area. So he’s directed garrison civilian employees who are eligible to begin working from home.
Fort Greely Missile Defense Base evacuated last week, but leaders won’t say why
North Korea test launched a missile the same day of the evacuation, but military officials wouldn't answer questions about whether that was the reason for the evacuation.
Deep snow and ice from Interior storms are stressing moose, causing aggression
The deep snow and hard icy crust makes it difficult for moose to forage, so they’re coming out of the woods and into human-populated areas to find food and refuge. And some have become aggressive and attacked people.
Delta Junction man who threatened to murder Alaska’s US senators pleads guilty
Jay Allen Johnson signed a plea agreement that states he’s guilty of threatening to murder Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Sen. Dan Sullivan ins separate voicemail messages he left in September.
Interior Alaska residents cautioned to monitor roofs in wake of powerful storm
Weather experts are advising that residents of Interior Alaska to monitor snow load on roofs after a powerful storm moved through the region, coating buildings with snow and ice.
Two Alaska soldiers found dead, foul play not suspected, investigators say
Two Alaska-based soldiers were found dead separately in recent days.
Alaska’s first electric-powered school bus is performing well – even at 40 below
"It has not missed a single day of school,” says Tok Transportation co-owner Gerald Blackard.
Alaska Air National Guard reports first incursion of Russian military planes since January
The Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing identified the Russian aircraft Thursday when they entered international airspace off Alaska, according to a news release.
Residents of rural Alaska highway communities decry Kinross plan to haul ore from mine to mill, 240 miles away
“Anybody that ever had to pass or have an oncoming double come at you during a snowstorm can tell you it’s one of the most harrowing experiences that you’ll ever encounter,” says resident John Cook.
Denali Borough to require masking in schools
Opponents of the mask requirement include Tri-Valley Fire Department Chief Rob Graham, who suggested the pandemic may be overblown and that proponents of masking are "getting paid with COVID dollars."
Following JBER, Eielson Air Force Base restricts interactions off-base due to COVID
Eielson Air Force Base in Interior Alaska has increased its COVID-19 precautions after Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s commander declared a public health emergency on Friday due to a surge in COVID cases.
Alaska Air National Guard unit helps evacuate 1,700 people from war-torn Afghanistan
The Guard’s 176th Wing provided two big C-17 cargo planes and four aircrews to help U.S. forces evacuate Americans and others from Afghanistan.
Troopers investigating murder case after finding body in freezer near Tok
Alaska State Troopers have identified the 67-year-old Anchorage man whose body was found in a freezer near Tok earlier this year. And they’re are reaching out to the public for help in solving what they’re now calling a murder case.
Plan to lease land near Ester for mine draws ire from residents, recreators
An Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority decision to lease more than 10,000 acres north of Ester and near Fox to an Australia-based gold-mining company has alarmed people who live in the area and many others who go there to enjoy hiking, biking and other forms of recreation and subsistence.
UAF team digs up Chena, the abandoned gold rush boomtown that preceded Fairbanks
A group of University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers and students that spent six weeks at an archeological site just west of the city are compiling reports on what they found in the area, where the gold-mining town of Chena boomed more than a century ago before going bust.
‘Boondoggle’: Financial woes may jeopardize proposed Alaska-Canada railroad project
An ambitious plan to build a 1,600-mile railroad that would link the Alaskan and Canadian rail systems is on hold and appears to be in jeopardy.
Jury indicts Ft. Wainwright soldier for fatal shooting of BLM protester in Texas
Some Fairbanks residents are questioning why Sgt. Daniel Perry was stationed at an Alaska military base when he was facing charges of murder in Texas.
Military surveillance site in Clear gets a new operator: U.S. Space Force
Installation officials say the name-change won’t affect Clear’s main mission, which is to scan the horizon for incoming enemy missiles and alerting the U.S. missile defense system, including the base at Fort Greely, to the threat.
UAF museum starts work on ‘Into the Wild’ bus exhibit
Preliminary work began last week on a project to create a museum exhibit featuring the old bus where the central character in the book and movie “Into the Wild” spent his last days.