YKEDC Gets Grant to Improve Economy, Housing
The State of Alaska has awarded a grant to the Yukon Kuskokwim Economic Development Council, YKEDC, for a truss-manufacturing project. If the plan goes forward, local workers would use the region’s wood resources to build frames for highly energy efficient housing.
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Alaska News Nightly: February 19, 2015
Walker Aims To Ramp Up Alaska Stand Alone Pipeline Project; New Alaska Branch of Americans For Prosperity Campaigns Against Medicaid Expansion; Tlingit Masks On 'Antiques Roadshow' Draw Questions From Southeast Alaska; Alaska Tops Gallup's Index of Well-Being; Seward Highway Reopened After Rock Slide; Tanaina Supporters Appeal To UA Board of Regents; YKEDC Gets Grant to Improve Economy, Housing
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Alaska News Nightly: February 18, 2015
Murkowski Concludes Obama Aims to Kill Alaska's Pipeline; Crowd Rallies Attention Toward Climate Change; Port Officials Call For "Tweaks" to Shell Moorage Plan; Army Using Alaska To Prep For Cold Weather Combat; Alaska's Healthcare.gov Enrollment Jumps To Nearly 21K; With Budget Changes, Walker Boosts Ferry, Community Jails Funding; Gov. Walker’s New Adviser To Focus On Rural Economy, Local Governments; Anchorage YWCA Works for Gender Pay Equity; Fairbanks Mountaineer Nearing Seven Summit Feat
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Murkowski Concludes Obama Aims to Kill Alaska’s Pipeline
President Barack Obama has stopped in Alaska to refuel, but he plans to make his first real trip to the state in August, in the company of Secretary of State John Kerry. Or so says U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. She let it slip during her annual address to the Alaska Legislature today, a speech aimed primarily at fighting the administration’s moves to shield parts of the Arctic from oil development.
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Crowd Rallies Attention Toward Climate Change
Sen. Lisa Murkowski barely talked about climate change in her annual speech to the Alaska Legislature Wednesday. And outside the Capitol, a small group rallied to bring attention to climate change and to demand more action on the issue from Murkowski.
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Port Officials Call For “Tweaks” to Shell Moorage Plan
As Shell tries to chart a course back to the Arctic this summer, the company is looking for new space to store its drill rigs in Unalaska.
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Alaska’s Healthcare.gov Enrollment Jumps To Nearly 21K
Almost 21,000 Alaskans signed up for health insurance on healthcare.gov during the open enrollment period that closed Feb. 15.
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With Budget Changes, Walker Boosts Ferry, Community Jails Funding
With Wednesday’s deadline for changes, Gov. Bill Walker has sent his final amendments to the capital and operating budget to the Legislature.
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Gov. Walker’s New Adviser To Focus On Rural Economy, Local Governments
Gov. Bill Walker named his new rural affairs adviser Tuesday at the Alaska Federation of Natives winter retreat in Kotzebue. Gerad Godfrey’s full title is “Senior Advisor on Rural Business and Intergovernmental Affairs” — a title that Godfrey says is meant to communicate that much of his work will focus on economic development in villages and bringing tribes to the table when the state consults local governments.
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Anchorage YWCA Works for Gender Pay Equity
The Anchorage YWCA has taken on the topic of pay inequity for women. Nationally women make 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, but in Alaska, the rate is 67 cents, placing Alaska at 48th for women's pay in the nation. Hilary Morgan is the CEO of Anchorage YWCA, she says when she researched the pay disparity, she thought it may be skewed due to jobs in the resource development industry that required more physical strength, so she examined industries that didn't require brawn.
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Fairbanks Mountaineer Nearing Seven Summit Feat
A Fairbanks man is nearing completion of a mountaineering feat. Bill Cole has climbed the highest peaks on 6 of the world’s 7 continents.
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Anchorage Assembly Approves New Start for Former Platinum Jaxx Building Downtown
A controversial effort in the Anchorage Assembly to block a liquor license transfer failed during Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting.
Alaska News Nightly: February 17, 2015
Alaska Lawmakers Frustrated After Meeting With Interior Secretary Jewell; Sen. Murkowski Says Protecting Lands Is Top Priority; Lawsuit Challenges Alaska's Regulation Restricting Abortions For Low Income Women; Brent Sass Outduels Allen Moore For Yukon Quest Win; Alaska Budget Cuts Threaten Local Jails; Rescued Hiker: “We Definitely Got More Than We Bargained For”; "Emotional Creature" Teaches Young Women To Speak
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Alaska Lawmakers Frustrated After Meeting With Interior Secretary Jewell
After President Barack Obama announced a plan to designate most of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, Alaska lawmakers seized a chance to meet his Interior Secretary on their own turf. A team of nine legislators took a break from session work in Juneau to travel to Kotzebue this week to confront Sally Jewell about those actions. But while the meeting was hyped, neither the delegation nor the Secretary described it as a showdown.
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Sen. Murkowski Says Protecting Lands Is Top Priority
Beyond filing lawsuits and requesting meetings with administration officials, there's little Alaska's legislative or executive branches can do to influence President Barack Obama's approach to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Lawsuit Challenges Alaska’s Regulation Restricting Abortions For Low Income Women
State Superior Court judge John Suddock will decide on Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest's complaint against the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
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Brent Sass Outduels Allen Moore For Yukon Quest Win
The bells of the historic Immaculate Conception Cathedral in downtown Fairbanks rang in honor of legendary musher George Attla who died this week as Eureka musher Brent Sass cruised across the finish line to win this year’s Yukon Quest.
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Alaska Budget Cuts Threaten Local Jails
Police departments across the state have been taken aback by a state Department of Corrections proposal to end funding for local jails. Sitka is one of several local departments who say the cuts are so deep, it could force their jail to close.
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Rescued Hiker: “We Definitely Got More Than We Bargained For”
One of four Juneau hikers rescued off a wind-scoured mountain earlier this month says the group was looking for a bit of an adventure, but may have gotten more than they bargained for.
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