Alaska News Nightly: January 2, 2014
Exxon, Chevron Make Big Contributions To Preserve New Oil Tax Law; New Energy Politics Changes Likely To Affect Alaska; CH2M Hill Selected to Rescue Anchorage Port Project; Legislative Task Force Clashes Over Education Funding; New Mat-Su Trooper Unit Gets First Arrests; Expansion Planned For Nome Graveyard; Alaska Air National Guard Finds Missing Snowmachiner; Climate Change, Arctic Activity Expected To Multiply Pollutant Concentrations; ‘Targeted Hunt’ Aims For Moose Near Roadways; Yukon Commercial Fishermen May Be Able To Use Purse Seine Gear
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CH2M Hill Selected to Rescue Anchorage Port Project
The Engineering firm CH2M Hill has been selected to manage the troubled Port of Anchorage project. The project was shutdown after construction problems a few years ago and remains tied up in lawsuits. but today (Thursday 1/2) officials said it could be on track again this year.
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Threat Level of Alaska Volcano Upgraded
The Alaska Volcano Observatory says the volcano appears to have kicked up to an elevated unrest. In the past six days, three brief explosions from Cleveland Volcano were detected.
Juneau Dogs Suffer From Kennel Cough
Suspected cases of kennel cough in dogs have recently spiked in Juneau. An animal shelter has cancelled its daily dog daycare and is quarantining its kennel.
US Senate Is Close To Saving A St. Mary’s Man Cabin
A St. Mary’s man is one step closer to saving his cabin. William Alstrom’s small cabin is located on the Andreafsky Wilderness in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, about 31 miles northwest of St. Mary’s.
Kookesh To Step Down As Sealaska Board Chair
Albert Kookesh is stepping down as chairman of the board of directors for Sealaska, the regional Native Corporation for Southeast Alaska. The company also announced the deadline to apply for its president and CEO position, as Chris McNeil prepares to retire.
Faces of Alaska: Rosita Worl
Throughout her life, Dr. Rosita Worl has been an a fighter, an anthropologist and an activist. Alaska Public Media's Alexandra Gutierrez sat down with Rosita to talk about her life, and her hopes for the future.
TV: Monday, 1/6 at 8 PM
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Two Brothers Sentenced for Drug, Tax Fraud
Two brothers from the Dominican Republic have been sentenced for a drug and tax fraud conspiracy that authorities say could have exceeded $25 million. The U.S. attorney's office says Joel Santana-Pierna was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to nearly 12 years and Abel Santana-Pierna got 72 months.
Alaska Waters to Brace for More Shipping
Canada’s energy board gave conditional approval earlier this month to the Northern Gateway Pipeline project, which would run through British Columbia and would send hundreds of more crude oil supertankers along high-traffic shipping lanes in Alaska waters. That means the Aleutian Islands will have to prepare for a higher risk of spills and accidents.
Part II: Lt. General Russell Handy On Arctic Strategy
The Alaskan commander for the state's military, Lt. General Russell Handy is tasked with coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the Arctic Strategy plan. In part two of our interview with General Handy, he says funding has not yet been determined, partially because of uncertainty over how quickly arctic climate conditions are changing.
Alaska News Nightly: December 31, 2013
Two brothers sentenced for tax, drug fraud; Alaska waters to brace for more shipping; Lt. Gen. Handy interview part II; state wants more to get flu shots; sobering center building connections; top stories of 2013; data being collected on Nushagak Bay; fireworks banned in Anchorage
State Encouraging More to Get Flu Shots
An effort to coax more Alaskans into getting a flu shot has prompted the State Division of Public Health to continue its fee waiver for flu vaccines. Free vaccines will be available at all state public health centers in Alaska for certain Alaskans.
Sobering Center Provides Nearly 2,000 Bed Nights A Year
The Sobering Center is now in its fourth winter of operation. It provides a safe place for intoxicated people to sleep off a bad night of drinking. Since it opened, the center has expanded its hours and built relationships with the people it serves.
The Big Stories of 2013
The year that’s about to end had more than its share of drama. As we turn the page on another year of news, APRN’s Steve Heimel has a look back at some of the highlights, with his list of the top 10 news stories of 2013. What was big news in Alaska in some ways depended on where you were.
Data Being Collect on Nushagak Bay
For the last six years the Bristol Bay Environmental Science Lab has been collecting data about Nushagak Bay. There is a lot that is known about the bay but there are still holes in the data.
Firework Displays Banned in Anchorage
There are places in Alaska where you can blow off fireworks on New Year’s Eve, but not within the city limits of Anchorage.
Alaska Tapped To Be UAV Test Site
A University of Alaska lead consortium has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle test center. It will be one of six centers across the country charged with helping integrate the technology into national airspace. Alaska partnered with Oregon and Hawaii on the successful proposal.
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Preventing Language Loss: A 3-Step Process
Indigenous languages throughout North America are teetering on extinction. In Southeast Alaska, less than 200 people can speak Tlingit, Haida, or Tsimshian. But a Tlingit language expert suggests indigenous language loss can be prevented by addressing it at three levels.
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BLM Builds Long-Term Clean Up Plan For Red Devil Mine Site
The Bureau of Land Manage is planning do a quick field season at the Red Devil mine to try to stop the large tailings piles from eroding into Red Devil Creek and sending more metals into the Kuskokwim River. But there are more than 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated ground at the site.
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Slow Business, High Costs Shut Down Paxson Lodge
The Paxson Lodge is closed. The owner of the roadhouse at the junction of the Richardson and Denali highways says he shut the lodge down due to slow business and high operating costs. It’s the latest of several Richardson Highway roadhouses that have closed down in recent years.
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