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.

300 Villages: Tenakee Springs

This week, we’re heading to the southeastern village of Tenakee Springs, a snowbird community, stretched along the beach of Tenakee Inlet. Don Pegues is mayor of Tenakee Springs. Download Audio

Alaska News Nightly: March 21, 2014

HB77 Stalls In Legislature; Canada Asks U.S. To Pay For Alaska Highway Reconstruction; Treadwell Announces Campaign Changes; Board of Fish Approves Kuskokwim Dipnetting; Alaska Railroad Celebrating 100th Birthday; Valdez Museum Prepares Commemorates 1964 Quake; AK: Didgeridoo; 300 Villages: Tenakee Springs Download Audio

The Graphic Novels of J Torres

You may never have heard of “Teen Titans Go,” but that may be because you’re just too old to appreciate comic books. Young readers across the state will be connecting with comic author and blogger J Torres, on the annual “Alaska Spirit of Reading” book club edition of Talk of Alaska. APRN: Tuesday, 3/25 at 10:00am Download Audio

AK: Didgeridoo

You might not expect an ancient Aboriginal instrument from Australia to find its way to Alaska. But walk around downtown Ketchikan on a warm day and you may hear 15-year-old Kinani Halvorsen playing her didgeridoo. She’s played the unusual instrument for three years. And she hopes to bring the didgeridoo into the mainstream band practice. Download Audio
Seiners in Starrigavan Bay during the first opening of Sitka’s 2014 sac roe herring fishery. (Photo by Rachel Waldholz/KCAW)

Seiners Land 4K Tons In Herring Season Opener

The Sitka herring fishery had its first opening yesterday afternoon. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game declared the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery open at 1:45 p.m. The fishing area covered much of Starrigavan and Katlian bays, north of Sitka.

Witnesses Begin Taking The Stand In Yakutat Homicide Case

Opening statements were held Thursday and the first witnesses took the stand in the case of a man accused of killing his girlfriend at a Yakutat lodge 17 1/2 years ago.

UniSea Worker Accused of Two Assaults in One Day

A 20-year-old man is facing felony charges in back-to-back assaults at the UniSea bunkhouses this week -- including an attempted sexual assault.

Navy Subs Training In Arctic Ocean

A pair of Navy submarines are on maneuvers in the Arctic Ocean sea ice. One came up from the East Coast and the other from the West Coast.

Paddle Making Workshop Illuminates State’s High Suicide Rate

Suicide rates in Alaskan communities are some of the highest in the country. Last weekend, the One People Canoe Society held a two-day paddle-making workshop in Wrangell. As part of the workshop, participants attended a behavioral health course on suicide prevention. Its goal is to bring communities together to both learn a traditional art and talk about a contemporary problem. Download Audio

Lessons from the Exxon Valdez

Twenty-five years ago today, Alaska was about to mark the anniversary of the 1964 Earthquake, and, unknown to all, was less than four days from its next big disaster: the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Today in Washington, environmentalists who’ve been dealing with the spill and its political effects for all these years met to publicize what they say are the lessons of the Exxon Valdez. Download Audio

Judge Nixes ‘Save Our Salmon’ Initiative

Despite all the fuss over the Save Our Salmon Initiative that passed by a narrow vote of Lake and Peninsula Boro Voters in 2011, that law is now officially null and void. That’s on account of a ruling from Superior Court Judge John Suddock on Wednesday, following a three-year long lawsuit brought by Pebble and the State of Alaska. Download Audio

ADF&G Opens Herring Fishing In Starrigavan, Katlian Bays

The Department of Fish & Game has announced that the first opening of the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery will be at approximately 1:45 PM today (Thu 3-20-14) in the area of Starrigavan and Katlian bays. Download Audio

Alaska House Passes Izembek Road Resolution

The Alaska House of Representatives passed a resolution Tuesday calling for the U.S. Department of the Interior to reverse course and allow a road to be built between the Alaska Peninsula communities of King Cove and Cold Bay for safety reasons. Download Audio

UA President Opposed To Bill Allowing Concealed Handguns On Campus

University of Alaska President Pat Gamble told a Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday a re-worked bill that would permit concealed handguns on campus, is still unacceptable. Download Audio

Manokotak Honors Fallen VPSO

Wednesday was the one year anniversary of the death of VPSO’ Thomas Madole, and the community of Manokotak honored him on that day. Download Audio

Nome To Make Decision On Geothermal Energy

If Nome wants geothermal power, the city has to decide by next week if and how it is going to pay for that energy. Download Audio

Why Mental Illness Is The ‘No-Casserole’ Illness

Mental illness is usually a personal matter, the type of sickness that doesn’t receive much attention. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, wants to change that. Download Audio

Alaska News Nightly: March 20, 2014

Lessons From The Exxon Valdez; Judge Nixes ‘Save Our Salmon’ Initiative; ADF&G Opens Herring Fishing In Starrigavan, Katlian Bays; Alaska House Passes Izembek Road Resolution; UA President Opposed To Bill Allowing Concealed Handguns On Campus; Manokotak Honors Fallen VPSO; Nome To Make Decision On Geothermal Energy; Why Mental Illness Is The ‘No-Casserole’ Illness; Paddle Making Workshop Illuminates State’s High Suicide Rate Download Audio

Buccaneer Energy Suspends CEO

The board of directors for Buccaneer Energy may be taking the company in a new direction. Last week, the board suspended CEO Curtis Burton.

Trails Bring Communities Out and Together

Photo by Steve Cleary. It’s been a tough year for snow, with warm temperatures across the state making trails conditions less than ideal. No one knows that better than the 1,300 skiers that hit the trails for the Tour of Anchorage. But trails, even in this not-so-wintery winter, bring people together to get outside and have some fun. Read more.