EPA Settles Over Lead Dust Violations At Governor’s Mansion
Throughout his administration, Gov. Sean Parnell has accused the Environmental Protection Agency of “overreaching” on Alaska affairs. Now, it looks like the EPA may have reached into Parnell’s own home. The Governor’s Mansion appears on a list of construction projects requiring EPA intervention for lead violations.
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Former Crime Lab Employee Charged With 6 Felonies
A former employee of the State Crime Lab in Anchorage has been charged with six felonies, including drug misconduct and tampering with evidence.
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Mayors Seek Assurances On Gas Line Project
Borough mayors are asking to be part of the discussions on terms related to a mega-liquefied natural gas project that will affect local communities.
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King Resting At Ruby, Competitors Close In
Jeff King is resting at the Yukon river checkpoint of Ruby. The four time Iditarod champion is technically in the lead at this point, but Martin Buser, Aliy Zirkle and Robert Sorlie are closing in, and they’ve already completed their 24 hour layovers. Once teams leave Ruby, they’ll have a chance to take advantage of any remaining speed they have on the flat river miles ahead.
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Five Nations Tentatively Agree To Arctic Fishing Ban
The United States and four other Arctic nations have tentatively agreed to prevent commercial fishing in the high Arctic.
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Dipnets May Be Allowed On Kuskokwim
Kuskowkim fisherman are expected to face serious restrictions on subsistence salmon fishing this summer in efforts to bring more king salmon to the spawning grounds. With fishing closed possibly all of June, the working group is asking that dipnets be used selectively to harvest non-Chinook salmon.
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Delta Western’s Pro-Union Fuelers Strike Again
For the past month, a group of fuel supply workers in Unalaska have been trying to unionize. And they’ve also accused their employer, Delta Western, of mistreating them for it. The workers took to the picket line on Tuesday to protest with other local union members.
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State Bans Importation, Sale Of Certain Elodea Plants
The state has taken steps to ban the importation and sale of some aquatic plants that are commonly found in aquariums. Elodea is a plant used in fishbowls that has become a big problem in Alaska, and is considered an invasive species. Last year, the state began working to eradicate the plant from areas in Fairbanks and in Anchorage.
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Kikkan Randall Secures World Cup Sprint Title
Kikkan Randall has a lock on her 3rd straight World Cup sprint title. Randall did not make the finals in a classic technique sprint in Drammen Norway Wednesday, but her seventh place finish there mathematically clinches the season title. Just one sprint race remains. Retaining the title as the world’s top woman sprinter is some consolation for Randall who struggled at last month’s Sochi Olympics, where she’s d hoped to medal.
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Cyclist Obliterates Iditarod Trail Invitational Record
Most speed records are broken by seconds or minutes. Wednesday, a Fairbanks cyclist demolished the Iditarod Trail Invitational record by almost a full week.
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Alaska News Nightly: March 6, 2014
Governor’s Mansion On List For EPA Intervention; Former Crime Lab Employee Charged With 6 Felonies; Mayors Seek Assurances On Gas Line Project; King Resting At Ruby, Competitors Close In; Five Nations Tentatively Agree To Arctic Fishing Ban; Dipnets May Be Allowed On Kuskokwim; Delta Western's Pro-Union Fuelers Strike Again; State Bans Importation, Sale Of Certain Elodea Plants; Kikkan Randall Secures World Cup Sprint Title; Cyclist Obliterates Iditarod Trail Invitational Record; Dogs Fare Better Than Mushers Over Rough Trail
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Dogs Fare Better Than Mushers Over Rough Trail
Iditarod teams remain large. Most mushers are still running teams of 14 or more dogs. Mushers are surprised at how many dogs fared well through some of the roughest trail they’ve seen in the race’s history.
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Jeff King Leads Teams Into Ruby, Claims ‘First Musher To The Yukon’ Award
Four-time Iditarod Champion Jeff King led mushers into the Ruby checkpoint at 6:45 a.m. Thursday, claiming the First Musher to the Yukon Award. Two Rivers musher Sonny Lindner rode into Ruby an hour after King.
Iditarod Teams Rest Up for A Big Push as They Near the Yukon
As teams come off their mandatory 24-hour rest and head for the Yukon River, they’ll be thinking of how best to pick up the pace in what is turning out to be one of the most dramatic, but also the most competitive races in Iditarod history.
King Charges to Lead in Iditarod; First Out of Cripple
Jeff King took the lead in the 2014 Iditarod when he charged out of Cripple Wednesday night ahead of Sonny Lindner. King left about 8:30 and Lindner followed at 9:09. Both were racing with 14 dogs.
Aaron Burmeister First to Cripple, Leads Iditarod
Aaron Burmeister was the first musher to Cripple Wednesday afternoon, about an hour ahead of Jeff King. Burmeister arrived about 3:26 with 13 dogs. King had 15. Sonny Lindner also reached Cripple Wednesday afternoon. He was racing with 16 dogs.
Bill Could Slash Salaries For Alaska Ferry Workers
For nearly 40 years, ferry workers who are Alaska residents have gotten a cost-of-living adjustment, allowing them to be paid more than those who don’t live in the state. Now, a bill getting rid of that salary bonus is moving through the Legislature. And the way it’s advanced has raised hackles.
Legislature Considers Changing Autopsies In Rural Alaska
When a person dies under suspicious or unusual circumstances, the state has an obligation to make sure that evidence is processed and that they can protect the victim and their family. In rural Alaska, that means sending the body to the medical examiners office in Anchorage. If the legislature acts on a bill, part of that examination could take place locally.
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Mandatory 24-Hour Rest Playing Into Race Strategy
Iditarod teams are making their way across the Interior region where the trail is soft, smooth and covered in snow – a far cry from the rough and rocky trail that took many mushers out of the race earlier this week.
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UAA Panel Discussing Pros, Cons Of Pot Legalization
Tonight the University of Alaska Anchorage will feature a panel discussion on the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Last night we brought you the perspective of a legalization advocate and this evening we offer the opposing side. Dean Guaneli is a retired assistant attorney general for Alaska. Guaneli says there is confusion over the current law regulating marijuana here. He says because of the privacy clause in the state constitution, a 1976 decision by the Alaska Supreme court made it impossible for the state to enforce the law for small amounts in one’s home. But he says in 2006, the legislature clearly re-criminalized marijuana.
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