Storms erode Bering Sea ice pack; caution is urged
Winter storms and blustery weather currently buffeting the Bering Sea have caused sea ice coverage to be reduced by almost 25% since late January.
The complicated road to taking those last 12 steps
This is one woman's personal solution for problems it took her years to identify -- alcohol and substance misuse disorders. After a long journey and 12 steps, she began to heal -- and thrive.
New Stuyahok on boil water notice since December
The community must collect five samples for testing at a certified lab. But since December, older water lines in the village have been breaking, forcing New Stuyahok to fix those breaks before collecting the necessary samples.
How Alaska schools can help students dealing with trauma
In January, the state put out a new resource designed to help schools support students who have experienced trauma. It contains 11 chapters full of stories and best practices, created with input from over 200 teachers, counselors and community members across the state.
As the Bering Sea warms, this skipper is chasing pollock to new places
“Across the board, everybody has a story about something that they haven’t seen before,” said Dan Martin, a 53-year-old captain of a Bering Sea pollock trawler. We took a fishing trip with Martin to find out what he’s experiencing as the Bering Sea heats up.
Microplastics found in Sitka mollusks
Researchers in Sitka have been looking at the impact of microplastics on local shellfish. Their findings illustrate a possible connection between microplastics in butter clams and household laundry.
So far, seals are adapting to shrinking sea ice
Ice seals thought to be most affected by the disappearance of arctic sea ice seem to be doing well, according to data presented at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium last week.
Southeast students explore careers to meet Alaska’s behavioral health needs
Alaska has a shortage of health care workers, especially in rural areas. Students from around Southeast came to Juneau to explore careers in behavioral health, a field that covers mental health and substance abuse.
Chemicals in firefighting foam contaminate groundwater at King Salmon Airport
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation discovered another Bristol Bay well contaminated with perflourinated substances.
After struggling for years to clean up its air, Fairbanks still faces contentious wood smoke problem
For years, Fairbanks and neighboring city North Pole have had some of the worst air quality in the United States. The area has been failing to meet a federal air quality standard since 2009 — now it's reached the deadline.
Kanakanak Hospital pharmacy is Medicare and Medicaid compliant
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services visited the Kanakanak Hospital on Jan. 10, and found that the pharmacy has adequately implemented its corrective action plan.
In rural communities, jails house psychiatric patients awaiting transport to hospitals
When Alaska residents go through a severe mental health crisis, many rural clinics lack the resources to ensure their safety. About 10 patients are held in the Haines rural jail each year awaiting transport to hospitals.
Dillingham well tests positive for PFAS contamination
The Department of Transportation says it was recently alerted to potentially harmful chemicals contaminating a drinking water source near the Dillingham airport.
Taking action to reduce substance misuse
Substance use disorders are diseases caused by many factors. Preventing and treating them requires input from everyone, not just law enforcement and health professionals. Those are some of the key messages in the state’s new opioid action plan. On Talk of Alaska we’ll discuss the plan and the ways you can be part of the solutions.
Japan whaling decision may have consequences for Alaska subsistence whalers
Last month Japan announced that it is leaving the international group that regulates whaling and will resume commercial whaling in its own coastal waters.
Public health data shows 13 percent rise in Alaska suicides
New report comes beside a study documenting the presence of drugs and alcohol in incidents of self-harm.
Where’d the website for Walker’s climate change team go?
The Alaska Office of Information Technology is going through the process of updating the state website, which means websites you could access last week may not be available now.
Bethel City Council to choose a path forward for Avenues piped water and sewer project
The Bethel City Council is due to decide whether or not to bring piped water and sewer service to an area extending from Third to Seventh Avenue, including Ridgecrest Drive and Main Street.
Fairbanks hires law firms to advise on suing over groundwater-contaminating chemicals
Fairbanks officials hope to recover nearly $4 million the city has spent over the past three years to deal with the contamination caused by perflourinated compounds contained in a type of firefighting foam.
Gustavus households offered safe drinking water after latest PFAS scare
It’s a growing national issue: A foam used to suppress oil fires can leach into the environment and contaminate groundwater. Listen now