Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019
Anchorage and Mat-Su school districts report millions in post-quake repair costs, with millions more to come; Measles vaccines OK locally; outbreak in Washington state; Former Ketchikan teacher pleads guilty to sexual abuse of minor; gets six years; Police release info on two Anchorage homicides; GVEA to cut carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2030; environmentalists urge more cuts; Ask A Climatologist: Remembering 6.5 ft of snow pelting Richardson Highway decades ago; Measure funding Native language programs supported in Alaska; Quest leaders head out of Dawson in close proximity; Transforming perspectives on trauma through paintings of hope
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019
State of the Union gets warm reception from Alaska delegation; Interior: No 3-D Seismic exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter; As the Bering Sea warms, this skipper is chasing pollock to new places; State House sets record for longest period without a Speaker; US House dems push climate change into spotlight; Education commissioner says it’s time to review school funding formula; House holds meeting on Alaska’s struggling ferry system; Popular Anchorage restaurant in legal trouble over alleged wage theft; Microplastics found in Sitka mollusks; Yukon Quest leaders prepare to depart from Dawson
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019
Interior Dept. kicks off new round of meetings on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; Dunleavy’s Fish and Game nominee vows tough stance against federal agencies; Alaska gets mixed grades in tobacco report; Deadline for Anchorage municipal election comes to a close with several new faces in the fold; Amazon refunds local sales taxes to nonprofits; Southeast students explore careers to meet Alaska’s behavioral health needs; Forest Service reschedules meeting on Southeast Alaska timber sales; Metlakatla approves observance of daylight saving time; Ask a Climatologist: 2018 one of warmest years on record; Brent Sass first in Dawson City during 2019 Yukon Quest
Alaska News Nightly: Monday, Feb. 4, 2019
Legislature still at reduced capacity as budget deadline looms; Dunleavy's candidate screening process under scrutiny; Trump's pick for Interior secretary has worked for Alaska and energy industry; Teen arrested after trying to take control of a flight from Napakiak to Bethel; Credit agencies paying close attention to state amid budget discussions; Fairbanks City Council holds additional meetings on anti-discrimination ordinance; Shutdown cripples, but doesn't sink ocean science symposium; Gatt, Moore and Sass in early Yukon Quest lead into Dawson City; Aleknagik boys' basketball team hits the court for the first time in 32 years
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Feb. 1, 2019
Calls for 'vigilance' on Russian military buildup in Arctic; Governor's mid-year budget bill cuts VPSO recruitment funds; Coast Guard crew member dies in accident on Homer Spit; Medical community mourns loss of missing Guardian Flight colleagues; Klawock mayor pleads guilty to soliciting prostitution; Survey will monitor cruise ship emissions in downtown Juneau this summer; 12 rookie mushers prepare to tackle Yukon Quest trail; ‘Life is going to spring back to us’: the sun returns to Utqiaġvik; AK: Hunters sleep in Bethel parking lot to get muskox permits; 49 Voices: Peter Atchak of Bethel
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019
Trump Administration approves money for earthquake recovery; Search continues near Kake for missing plane; Nonprofit raises questions over recent Donlin state permits; Murkowski reintroduces bill to prevent violence against Indigenous women and girls; After scathing audit, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority says fixes are underway; High ocean acidification found where salmon eat; Crafting a story of romance and resiliency with Tongass bowls; WWII-era mortar found at Haines museum; Yukon Quest mushers expect rough trail ahead due to thin snow cover; With cultural advisers and Indigenous writers, Molly of Denali creators work to make the show authentic
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019
Search continues for missing medevac plane near Kake; Death of Coast Guard member sparks investigation in Unalaska; Dunleavy proposes constitutional amendments to enshrine PFDs, require public support for taxes, cap spending; Ferry system would lose millions under proposed Dunleavy budget; Interior delays public comment deadline for ANWR oil leasing; Pebble boosts spending to lobby feds; Rep. Young loses committee chairmanship; Valhalla strip mall closed for biz, even two months after quake; Ask an Economist: Growth and uncertainty for Alaska's cannabis industry; Willow 300 cancelled due to poor trail conditions; Alaska Communications planning to repair, replace slowly toppling telephone poles; Chicago, Midwest deals with Fairbanks-level cold snap
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019
Schools push back on proposed mid-year budget cut; Study finds poor air quality aboard cruise ships; 'Uber for icebreakers' idea gains traction; Federal team investigating cause of Anchorage fire that caused $20M in damage; Fairbanks burn bans leading to better air quality, research says; Juneau residents are noticing an extra charge on their Amazon receipts. Here’s why; Togiak National Wildlife Refuge scrambles to make up for lost time after federal shutdown; Alaska extends deadline for earthquake recovery funds; Infrastructure updates may mean more boil-water notices in Emmonak; King Cove basketball team flies out last minute to play Unalaska after previous opponents cancelled
Alaska News Nightly: Monday, Jan. 28, 2019
Alaska bill would cut extra $20M approved for schools; As governor, lawmakers eye full PFDs, budget cuts loom; Murkowski pushes for 47-year-old Equal Rights Amendment to become law; Defense Dept. says climate change is a threat to bases around the country; State sues second opioid manufacturer; With CLIAA lawsuit at an end, Juneau considers proposals for marine passenger fee revenue; After struggling for years to clean up its air, Fairbanks still faces contentious wood smoke problem; UAF to test unmanned delivery drone technology
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Jan. 25, 2019
Critics say shutdown will doom Arctic projects in court; Port project cost estimate doubles to nearly $2B; Rockslides, icy roads lead to Anchorage highway crashes; King Salmon find PFAS contaminants in groundwater; Cannabis advocates wary of Dunleavy’s Marijuana Control Board appointments; Pending inspection, second marijuana cultivation facility to open in Nome; Two Valley sled dog races canceled, another potentially in jeopardy; New school accountability system flags more schools for improvement; AK: New Sitka TV show hopes to promote authenticity in area; 49 Voices: Linda Sampson in Noorvik
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019
Alaska's US senators veer apart on shutdown votes; Shutdown puts strain on some Alaska Native tribes and tribal organizations; Dunleavy appointee accused of lying about his credentials; Dunleavy appoints marijuana critic to pot board; State trooper charged with illegal use of computer; Sitka police chief asks assembly to raise officer salaries in response to turnover; Alaska notifies 87,000 people after computer security breach; Federal court employees to work without pay if shutdown extends to February; Sea lion bites fisherman's leg in Southwest Alaska; Cordova's Ice Worm festival to commence this weekend; Russian Orthodox Christians celebrate Theophany on icy Kuskokwim
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019
Dunleavy rolls out package in first step of ‘war on criminals’; The state’s new budget director is a well-known fiscal hawk, her budget is set to drop in three weeks; Revenue commissioner outlines a new direction for Alaska’s gas pipeline project; Alaska's population is down for the second year in a row -- why?; Fairbanks North Star Borough to vote on natural gas-powered public transit; Two Eagle River schools to remain closed next school year due to Nov. 30 quake damage; Alaska's Danielle Riha is one of 4 finalists for National Teacher of the Year; 'Laundry list' of problems hitting climatologists amid government shutdown; Shutdown affects Yukon Quest
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019
Alaska State of the State speech a go after House agreement; Republican Talerico falls one vote short of becoming House speaker; Mother of slain Alaska teen appointed chair of parole board; Industry rep says he's being replaced on Alaska marijuana board; Popular well at Dillingham Catholic church closed due to PFAS contamination; USPS scraps plan to make northern Alaska deliveries cheaper; Unalaska council looks at potentially taxing online sales; Students remain frustrated while UAA works to resolve education accreditation debacle; Arctic Man to hold first event without skiers, snowboarders pulled by snow machine; Weather forces change in Yukon Quest format; Tons of food headed for Yukon Quest trail; Sitka High design class marries tradition and technology in student paddle carving project; Wasilla woman reunited with cat that was missing for years
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Jan. 18, 2019
Some GOP defied Trump on Russia sanctions, but Alaskans did not; Advocates wonder how policy changes will affect those looking to reenter society after prison; Dillingham well tests positive for PFAS contamination; Native corporations maintaining Alaska forests find a carbon credit buyer: oil company BP; Despite the shutdown, it’s been a dizzying week for a Southeast Alaska timber sale; Volunteer veterinarians at the Kuskokwim 300; AK: Hundreds of Douglas kids band together in music class; 49 Voices: Lawrence Bahovec of Wrangell
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019
Those 20 'new' interceptors Trump wants in Alaska? They're not NEW new; House chooses Neal Foster as temporary speaker, but there’s still no majority; Federal government shutdown makes safety on the Kuskokwim more expensive; Mat-Su emergency services director resigns with incendiary letter; Murkowski, Young and state attorney general call on court to uphold Indian Child Welfare Act; Cruise lines, Juneau still at odds over passenger fee ruling; Igiugig will test RivGen hydropower through the winter; After multiple delays, Unalaska's city dock is open for business; Alaska Community Foundation raises $100M to support statewide nonprofits; How Bethel created four-time K300 Sled Dog Race champ Pete Kaiser
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019
Dunleavy seeks PFD back payments over three years; Democrats demand Trump administration stop offshore oil leasing work during shutdown; Communities reliant on Coast Guard services feel the pain of the federal gov. shutdown; Fairbanks man charged with murdering his mother; State says it will temporarily recognize teaching license recommendations from UAA, amid accreditation loss; State Board of Game votes down changes to moose hunting season; Military’s remote Cold War radars face a new threat: climate change; Bethel's children advocacy center takes a big step toward national accreditation; Juneau has no plans to add fluoride to water following study; On Alaska's stately birds, some ponder the beguiling raven
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019
Alaska House tied in knots on session’s first day; In this shutdown, every day is a winding road; Polar bear encounter reported in Arctic Village, many miles south of normal range; Alaska Railroad tank car derails; no spill detected; Fairbanks city, borough take in $1M in pot taxes for 2018; State Board of Game votes against requiring IDs on traps or snares; Upper Lynn Canal leaders discuss implications of Juneau cruise industry lawsuit; Repurposed shelter houses Nome’s homeless 7 days a week; Ask a Climatologist: Fairbanks sees low-temp, but brief, cold snap
Alaska News Nightly: Monday, Jan. 14, 2019
Federal furlough drives Alaskans to the unemployment line; Lt. Gov. Meyer prepares to wield gavel amid House uncertainty; Legislature releases audit of state’s gasline corporation; Protesters target SAExploration in Texas over Arctic Refuge; Nic Petit wins back-to-back Copper Basin 300s; UAA loses national accreditation for initial teaching licenses; DEC: Beaver fuel spill not endangering nearby water sources; GVEA studying proposal to buy power from ‘hybrid’ wind-propane-battery system; Longtime Anchorage homicide detective Slawomir Markiewicz retires after over 30 years on force; What’s in a name? After student push, Juneau-Douglas High School adds Tlingit name: Yadaa.at Kalé
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, Jan. 11, 2019
Negotiations continue as members of a state House - still in disarray - try to find a majority coalition; A functioning government or border security? Murkowski wants both; State agency orders review following accident at Prudhoe Bay well; DEC says about 3,000 gallons of diesel spilled near village of Beaver; Faith-based shelter fights bar transgender women; Wood stove emissions device test shows promise; Friends went looking for a missing Southeast Alaska artist. Instead, they found a note.; AK: Sitka, one of the best kept secrets for surfers; 49 Voices: Jannelle Trowbridge of Nome
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019
Former state workers sue, saying they were unconstitutionally fired; Alaska gasline project board ousts its $1 million man; In Congress, Alaskans are split over shutdown; 2 drivers die in east Anchorage head-on collision; 2-year-old dies in Fairbanks mobile home fire; Trump administration responds to criticism of continued work on Arctic drilling during shutdown; Ask an Economist: What does the partial government shutdown mean for Alaska's economy?; Dunleavy administration could revive debate over contentious Kachemak Bay State Park hatchery; Elite medics mix combat and wilderness training in Alaska Search and Rescue