Alaska News Nightly: June 18, 2014
Seismic Flare-Ups Leave Scientists Searching for Answers; Anxiety and Threats on the Kuskokwim as First Salmon Gillnet Opening Nears; Parnell Announces New Agreement With TransCanada; B.C. Developers Defend Near-Border Mines; DEC Works To Contain Fuel Spill on Dalton Highway; Stolen Dance Paddle Recovered in Juneau; Front Street Clinic Opens Its Services to All; Three Sitka Artists, Three Grants - One Last Name.
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Seismic Flare-Ups Leave Scientists Searching For Answers
In the past few months, Alaska’s seen a flurry of volcanic eruptions and sizable earthquakes. It’s disrupted life in the Aleutian Islands and the far western Brooks Range -- and it’s got scientists wondering how all the activity might be connected.
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Anxiety and Threats on the Kuskokwim as First Salmon Gillnet Openings Near
Four weeks into salmon fishing restrictions, the atmosphere along the Kuskokwim River is tense. At a meeting Tuesday the stress the closures are causing was obvious. But gillnet fishing for salmon is near.
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Parnell Announces New Agreement With TransCanada
The state and TransCanada Corp. have formally ended their relationship under terms of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. Governor Sean Parnell shared the news in an address to the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
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B.C. Developers Defend Near-Border Mines
Plans for mines in northwest British Columbia, just across Alaska's border, are being blasted by tribal, fishing and environmental groups in Southeast Alaska. Critics say they’ll pollute rivers that cross the border, damaging or destroying salmon and other fish runs. But what do we hear from the mining side of the story?
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DEC Works To Contain Fuel Spill on Dalton Highway
Water is being used to flush fuel out of the tundra, where a tanker truck rolled off the Dalton Highway earlier this month. The Nana Corporation truck is estimated to have leaked in excess of 2,500 gallons of fuel near milepost 299, about 110 miles south of Deadhorse.
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Stolen Dance Paddle Recovered in Juneau
Juneau Police are reporting the recovery of an eight-foot dance paddle that was stolen Saturday after the end of Celebration, the big biennial cultural event in the Capital City.
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Front Street Clinic Opens Its Services to All
Juneau’s Front Street Clinic is now providing service to the general public while also continuing care for the homeless.
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Three Sitka Artists, Three Grants – One Last Name
Last month, the Rasmuson Foundation announced the recipients of this year’s individual artist awards and grants. Several Sitka artists were on that list, and three of them share the same last name.
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Alaska’s Board of Education Changes School Rating for Small Districts
The state of Alaska will begin a new system for rating schools in the fall. The new system is fairer and more realistic for alternative and small schools.
New York in Late Spring, an Aesthetic Bonus
It’s June and I’m studying for PhD art-philosophy orals coming up mid-July. I’ve told everyone in my life to scram/skedaddle until August.
I’m at my desk, five hours daily, yellow highlighter on textbooks, in front of my wide screen computer, pounding keys, and looking things up on Wikipedia.
Read more. Alaska’s Summer Flu Activity Increased
An alert was issued Tuesday concerning the unusually high number of summer flu cases in Alaska. The Alaska Public Health Alert Network is advising health care providers to consider influenza when evaluating patients with compatible symptoms. The recent rise in summer cases is attributed to summer travelers to Alaska on land and cruise ships as well as a long-term care facility outbreak.
Alaska, TransCanada starting new partnership
The state and TransCanada Corp. have formally ended their relationship under terms of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, clearing the way for a new partnership to pursue a major gas project.
OceansAlaska Admits Financial Problems
OceansAlaska, a Ketchikan-based shellfish seed producer, is in a financial mess. Officials with the nonprofit admitted as much during Monday’s Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly meeting. They asked the Assembly for more time to reconcile their accounts related to a borough grant, along with enough borough funding to keep the doors open through the end of July.
Alaska Communities to See More PILT
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced today the government is sending $28.5 million to local governments in Alaska to compensate them for the tax-exempt federal land within their boundaries. It’s called “Payment-in-lieu of taxes” and this year’s total is $2 million higher than last year.
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Obama Administration Shines Spotlight on Oceans
President Obama announced today he intends to vastly expand the Pacific Remote Islands marine sanctuary, putting a swath of the south-central Pacific off-limits to fishing and energy development. The announcement is part of a high-profile oceans conference taking place this week at the State Department. Australian scientist Ove Hoegh-Guldberg focused on ocean acidification, which he says undermines the entire marine food chain – from plankton and shellfish to bowhead whales.
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Kodiak Fishermen Target A Niche Consumer Market
Small boat fishermen out of Kodiak have found a premium market for their catch, based on the idea of buying local. The jig fishery uses gear as light as ten pounds, and is open to anyone who buys a permit. A number of restaurants are willing to pay more for fish caught that way.
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Steel Creek Fire Draws Speedy Response
A new Fairbanks area wildfire drew a major response last night. Alaska Division of Forestry information officer Sam Harrel reports that ground and air resources were tapped to attack the Steel Creek Fire, near mile 4 Chena Hot Springs Road.
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State, IBU Reach Tentative Agreement On New Contract
The largest labor union representing Alaska Marine Highway System workers has a tentative agreement for a new three-year contract with the state. The Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific and the Alaska Department of Administration reached the agreement last week after more than six months at the bargaining table.
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Alaska News Nightly: June 17, 2014
Alaska Communities To Be Compensated $28.5M for Tax-Exempt Lands; Obama to Expand Pacific Marine Sanctuary; Kodiak Fishermen Find a Niche Consumer Market; Steel Creek Fire Near Fairbanks Draws Air Response; Ferry Workers Reach Tentative Labor Agreement; GCI Celebrates Launch of 3G Service with 6,000 Cheeseburgers; Right-Wing Lt. Gov. Candidate Vies for Ballot Slot; Plans for a Skatepark Get Rolling in Kwethluk; Loo Dedication Draws Small Crowd in Ketchikan.
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