Museum Exhibit Opens Highlighting Marine Debris Problem
Marine Debris used to be mostly nets, buoys and fishing gear but now it includes plastic bottles, bottle caps, and styrophone. It's everywhere, there's nowhere to put it and more is coming every day. Johanna Eurich reports on a new museum exhibit highlighting the problem.
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Tourists Rescued Near Chatanika
Alaska State Troopers rescued a group of tourists late Friday night after they got stuck in their vehicle trying to get to a lodge about 20 miles north of Fairbanks near Chatanika on an outing to view the aurora borealis.
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Iditarod Considers Starting In Fairbanks
The Iditarod Trail Committee is considering moving the restart of the race from Willow to Fairbanks. Saturday's statement says that the ceremonial start will take place on March 1st in Anchorage as planned, and that the current plan is to have the restart, where the competitive part of the race truly begins, in Willow the next day. But there are concerns about trail conditions between Rainy Pass and Nikolai. If the trail isn't acceptable by the beginning of next week, the restart will be moved to Fairbanks on March 3rd.
Allen Moore Wins 2014 Yukon Quest
Allen Moore has won the Yukon Quest International Sled dog Race for the second consecutive year. Moore’s team is known for its petite stature, perky ears and wagging tails and they didn’t disappoint. They jumped in harness and yelped after arriving at Takhini Hot Springs 30 miles outside of Whitehorse.
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Drumming and Healing at Beans Café
At midday, huge crowds of homeless men and women filter inside Beans Café in downtown Anchorage for meals and socializing. It can be noisy and chaotic. For many, it's their only respite from the cold and dust outside on the city streets. But once a week, volunteers recently began serving up more than a hot meal. KSKA's Daysha Eaton has the story.
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Fine-tuning your Valentine’s Day Mix
Today we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with music.
And what better gift than the gift of music? It’s highly customizable, and can be deeply personal.
Now, obviously the days of making your sweetheart a mix tape are long gone, but DJ Spencer Lee says you can go digital just as easily.
We Are A Goth Band
Cliff and Ivy have been performing as a goth band for over 30 years. For them, identifying as goth is empowering to people who are perceived as being different.
http://youtu.be/fVO-1slh-pk
Winds Whipping Up Dust, Gravel in the Mat-Su
Schools stayed open in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough on Friday, despite high winds raking the area late Thursday night and were expected to continue through Friday afternoon. A low pressure center moving into the Northern Gulf of Alaska, in combination with a high pressure area over the Interior, caused the winds. Palmer, Wasilla, Chickaloon and Sutton were affected by the winds, which reached 60 mph with gusts of up to 80 mph.
Parnell Warns Ketchikan of Lawsuit Repercussions
Governor Sean Parnell is warning that Ketchikan’s lawsuit against the state over school funding might make him and lawmakers reluctant to fund Ketchikan projects. In a visit to the community Thursday, Parnell discussed the Ketchikan Gateway Borough’s lawsuit, which argues that municipalities in Alaska should not have to pay a local contribution for public education. If the suit is successful, it could hold the state accountable for hundreds of millions more in education spending and Parnell predicted potential repercussions.
Parnell’s Ketchikan Comments Draw Response
Governor Sean Parnell’s candid comments regarding Ketchikan's lawsuit against the state over school funding drew some response. Sen. Bert Stedman, a Republican from Sitka, listened to the interview and said he believes it’s the right of every citizen to petition the government.
Stedman added he didn’t believe there will be any backlash against Ketchikan in the Legislature.
Fairbanks School District Planning for Funding Shortfall
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Fairbanks district is planning for a major funding shortfall. The district is anticipating cuts even if requested state and local funding increases come through.
Partnership To Combat Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
For nearly a year, a group made up of lawmakers, mental health advocates, and Native leaders have been working on a strategy to bring down the number of babies born with the disorder.
Hydroelectric Project Focus of Energy Hearing
The Alaska House Energy Committee heard testimony this week from the Alaska Energy Authority. While the meeting was not initially intended to focus on the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project, a multitude of questions from legislators, as well as the presence of members of the Susitna River Coalition, prompted a shift that saw about half the meeting center around the proposed dam.
Arctic Port Project Delayed Indeterminably
The release of the Arctic Deep Draft Port feasibility study has been put on hold, indeterminably. The Alaska U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had said the study would be issued for public review the first week of March. However, in a recent Joint Transportation Committee meeting, Lorraine Cordova, Project Technical Lead, said the entire port project is being pushed back a “few months.”
Yukon Quest: Race Stories Abound
Despite the effort of trailbreakers, Mother Nature has thrown plenty at mushers during the race. Almost every team has arrived with a story about a mishap on the trail.
Shishaldin Volcano Emits Ash Cloud; Scientists Keeping Watch
Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory are going to be keeping a close eye on Shishaldin Volcano over the weekend. The volcano emitted a small ash cloud that was identified early Friday morning. AVO geologist Chris Waythomas said the cloud drifted south of the volcano and dissipated.
Y-K Delta Regional Committee to Develop Strategic Plan
The Y-K Delta Regional Committee has selected a small steering committee and charged them with drafting strategic plan for the YK-Delta. The 16-person panel is tasked with coming up with a strategic plan by the end of the year.
AK: Connecting
Rural Alaska communities are not known for having good internet connections, cell phone reception or, really, many good ways of connecting to people and programs outside their area. But rural public libraries do now have those types of connections, thanks to a program through the Alaska State Library that connects libraries all over the state – and country – for a variety of programs and purposes.
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Postal Service Agrees to Rate Rollback for Rural Alaska
The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to rollback its parcel post rate hike for shipments to rural Alaska, according to Senator Mark Begich. In a Senate committee hearing today he added an amendment to a postal reform bill to undo the increase imposed last week for in-state mail to communities not linked by road. But he said he secured a separate commitment from the postmaster general to lower rates immediately, or as soon as the post office can change its machines.
Alaska News Nightly: February 6, 2014
Postal service to rollback rural rates; Parnell says state not to blame for refinery shutdown; Democrats want constitutional protection for PFD; Goodwill opens jobs center; NBC to air Olympics in rural areas; Alaskans hope for medals; managers give cleanup updates; VPSOs face challenges; Hooper Bay jail to pay millions; Sudanese violence touches Alaska.