News

All news stories, regardless of topic (local, statewide + national news stories, as well as Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Insight, Alaska Economic Report). Some news stories may also have other categories marked, which will also put them on a subpage. Not all news stories will fall into a subpage.

TODAY Show to Broadcast Live from Mendenhall Glacier

The NBC TODAY Show will broadcast live from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center early Thursday morning. Juneau residents are invited to attend. TODAY’s Natalie Morales will host a portion of the show from the visitor center pavilion from 3 to 6 a.m. to air live on the East Coast.

Chinese Icebreaker Set for Sixth Arctic Expedition

China’s icebreaking research vessel Xuelong, orSnow Dragon, will soon begin another summer in the arctic. Chinese state media Xinhua reports the Snow Dragon is set to leave its Shanghai base next week to embark on a sixth summer expedition to the North Pole.

Rustic Goat’s new parking lot draws community outcry but wins approval

The Rustic Goat, a new restaurant on Turnagain in West Anchorage, is getting a new parking lot. But the establishment and its plentiful customer base have stirred up mixed emotions in the neighborhood.

Palmer Farm School Provides Local Food Education For Youngsters

A dozen or so five- and six-year-olds are playing a game in the shade of a gnarled apple tree. The game involves a frog and a detective, somehow. The kids all are enjoying themselves, shrieking and laughing. It's all part of a summer program at Spring Creek Farm. Download Audio

Kodiak CommSta Killer Sentenced To 4 Consecutive Life Terms

The man convicted of a 2012 double murder at the Kodiak Coast Guard Base will spend the rest of his life in federal prison. Sixty-three-year-old James Wells was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life sentences in federal court in Anchorage. Download Audio

Helicopter Service To Diomede Halted Amid Contract Snag

Transportation to one of Alaska’s most remote communities has stopped, because of a contract delay that’s tying up funds. Download Audio

Merged Alaska Dispatch News Website Launches

The Alaska Dispatch and Anchorage Daily News websites Tuesday merged under a new name – Alaska Dispatch News. The new name will soon appear in the print edition as well. Download Audio

National Geographic Remaps Melting Arctic

A new National Geographic Atlas of the World is coming out this fall, and it’s already controversial. The tenth edition of the world atlas depicts Arctic sea ice during a record-low year. Some scientists say that’s not representative. Download Audio

Study Says Wolf Deaths Have Implications For Pack

A new study indicates that the death of a wolf has implications for the rest of the pack, depending on the size of the pack and the dead wolf’s sex. The study is in response to the legal trapping of a breeding female that was part of a well-known wolf pack that was frequently spotted in Denali National Park. Download Audio

Southeast Housing Project Targeting Rural, Native Communities

What kind of housing will Southeast Alaska communities need in the future? Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority is looking to answer that question with a housing needs assessment due out in September. The nonprofit says it will use the study to secure funds for housing projects, including some targeting rural and Native communities. Download Audio

Mushers Relieved As Kusko Fishing Restrictions Loosened

Dog mushers in remote Alaska are breathing a collective sigh of relief as fishing restrictions are being relaxed on the Kuskokwim River. Mushers along that Western Alaskan river feed their dogs fish because it’s nutritious and inexpensive. But this year, because of restrictions, they got a late start. Download Audio

Alaska News Nightly: July 8, 2014

Kodiak CommSta Killer Sentenced To 4 Consecutive Life Terms; Helicopter Service To Diomede Halted Amid Contract Snag; Merged Alaska Dispatch News Website Launches; National Geographic Remaps Melting Arctic; Study Says Wolf Deaths Have Implications For Pack; Southeast Housing Project Targeting Rural, Native Communities; Mushers Relieved As Kusko Fishing Restrictions Loosened; Dairy Farm Doubles As Educational Opportunity Download Audio

We Are A Puppetry Troupe

Geppetto's Junkyard is a group of 20 amateur puppeteers living in Haines, Alaska. Their performances cater to locals, and mostly to adults. http://youtu.be/fHZNasuas8Q

For Seattle Cops, Marijuana Biz Is Business As Usual

Since Washington State legalized marijuana, Seattle's crime rate has staying mostly flat. Download Audio

Bears Maul Hiker Near Bird Ridge

A bear mauling in the Bird Creek area has sent one woman to an Anchorage hospital. At about 10:20 Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers got a call for help from a hiker on the Penguin Ridge trail. Download Audio

Juneau Police Arrest Suspect in Gold Street Racial Incident; May Also be Suspect in Celebration Case

Juneau police believe they have a suspect in connection with a racial incident that marred the parade at the end of last month’s Celebration. The Michigan man also is being investigated by the Secret Service and is wanted in Hawaii for threatening people. Download Audio

Alaska Highway Projects Likely Safe Despite Federal Shortfalls

News that the Federal Highway Trust Fund is running out of money is worrying a lot of states, but not Alaska. In a letter to transportation departments all over the country earlier this month, the federal Department of Transportation announced that if Congress did not take immediate action, the trust fund would be depleted in a matter of weeks, forcing federal highway officials to institute cash management procedures in August. Download Audio

Local business benefits from employing refugees

Businesses in Anchorage have a tough time finding entry level employees. For some employers, the solution is hiring refugees -- individuals who fled violence or persecution in their home countries and are trying to enter into life in the United States. Catholic Social Services uses money from the Office of Refugee Resettlement to help run programs that connect refugees with employers. Download Audio

Nonprofit Touts Alaska Dental Therapists As Oral Health Pioneers

Dental health aide therapists have been providing mid-level dental care in the Norton Sound region for about a decade. Now a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts highlights Norton Sound Health Corporation’s dental therapist program as one of the leading efforts in the nation for increasing access to dental care. Download Audio

The Silver Screen Comes Back To Bethel

The new movie theater in Bethel lit up its screens last week on Independence Day. It was the grand opening for Suurvik Cinema, the only theater for hundreds of miles in a vast stretch of Alaska. Download Audio