JPARC Public Hearings Continue This Week
Public hearings are continuing this week on the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, or JPARCs plan to modernize and enhance training areas in the state. Monday night, two dozen people attended a hearing at the Palmer train depot.
Elders Saw Climate Change Coming Early
Long before climate change dominated headlines, Alaska Native elders noticed that major shifts were taking place in their environment. It is not surprising that people living in remote place depending on wild fish and game should have a sophisticated and intimate knowledge of the weather and its impacts on the wild food they depend on. But the elders went further. Forty years ago, elders advised the young to prepare for hard times.
Contest Brings Innovative Architecture To The Aleutians
The Aleutian Islands are soon to be home to some of the world’s most cutting-edge architecture. Last week, the International Living Future Institute announced the winners of a contest that challenged architects to design an affordable, net-zero energy home suitable for the region’s tough climate. Now, as KUCB’s Stephanie Joyce reports, the Aleutian Housing Authority is moving forward with plans to turn those designs into reality.
Are Alaska’s Teachers Appreciated?
If you use Facebook, you might have noticed your friends giving shout-outs to the teachers who have made a difference in their lives. This appreciation was part of last week’s Teacher Appreciation Week. KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez joined a sixth-grade class at the Unalaska City School to get the scoop on what makes a good educator, what challenges they face, and how to keep more teachers in the system.
Anchorage School Districts Lets 55 Employees Go
The Anchorage School District is letting 55 employees go. Thirty-five non-tenured teachers were laid off. In addition, 20 administrative and support staff members will be laid off. If jobs open over the summer, staff members may be recalled.
Anchorage Muni Election Recount Heads Into Home Stretch
The hand recount of votes cast in 15 of the precincts that voted in the April 3 Anchorage Municipal Election is heading into the home stretch. The initial recount is done, but workers are recounting seven races and one full precinct again.
Group To Evaluate How To Advance Tax Debate
Supporters of changes to Alaska's oil tax structure plan to meet to discuss how best to advance the debate after another legislative defeat. The co-chairs of the Make Alaska Competitive Coalition, in an email Tuesday, said they are not giving up on pressing for what they call meaningful tax reform, saying the state's economic future is at stake.
Special Session Cost At Least $403,790
Last month's 13-day special legislative session cost at least $403,790. Jessica Geary, finance manager for Legislative Affairs, says she expects the figure to rise. Costs are still being tabulated.
Anchorage Edges Closer to Glass Recycling Solution
Compared to just a few years ago it's easier recycle in Anchorage. Since 2008, curbside recycling of paper, cardboard and plastics has spread throughout the municipality. And there are drop-off locations for other things from construction materials to electronics. But there's one thing that people can't recycle that they used to be able to: glass. KSKA's Daysha Eaton looks into what's holding up glass recycling in Anchorage.
Garrett To Take Command Of US Army Alaska
A new commander for U.S. Alaska has been selected. Army officials say in a release that Maj. Gen. Michael X. Garrett will take command during a ceremony Thursday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
$107 Million To Be Spent On Pebble Permitting
The Pebble Mine is being prepared for permitting later this year. Mining company Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. announced Tuesday that $107 million has been approved to prepare the mine in southwest Alaska for permitting, with the process beginning in the fall.
North Dakota Becomes Nation’s Second-Leading Oil Producer
North Dakota has passed Alaska to become the second-leading oil-producing state in the nation, trailing only Texas.
American Experience: Clinton – Part 2
From draft dodging to the Dayton Accords, from Monica Lewinsky to a balanced budget, the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton veered between sordid scandal and grand achievement. In CLINTON, the latest installment in the critically acclaimed and successful series of presidential biographies, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE explores the fascinating story of an American president who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history and one of the most complex and conflicted characters to ever stride across the public stage.
KAKM: Tuesday, 5/15 at 7:00pm
Groups Push For Ratification Of Law Of The Sea Treaty
Leaders in Washington D.C. are renewing the push to ratify a 30-year old treaty known as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The treaty’s passage could pave the way for expanded drilling in the Arctic Ocean. There’s an odd assortment of groups pushing for it in the nation’s capital.
Some Federal Unemployment Insurance Payments To End
Some unemployed workers in Alaska are about to lose their unemployment insurance benefits thanks to federal legislation that ties the payments to a state’s unemployment rate.
Marine Toxins Finding New Habitats As Oceans Warm
Climate change is transforming the North. As ocean waters warm fish and marine toxins normally seen down south find new habitat. And that’s having a major impact on the people who gather wild food from the ocean, including Alaska Natives, who eat more wild protein than any other ethnic group in Alaska. So we’re beginning our week long look at how Natives are responding to warmer lands and waters, by heading to a Cook Inlet beach at low tide.
Redistricting Board Votes To Revise Two Southeast Districts
The state’s Redistricting Board made short work of its agenda Monday in Anchorage, voting unanimously to revise two Southeast Senate districts as ordered by the Alaska Supreme Court.
New Management Style Allows Health Organization To Improve Care
A Native health care organization in Anchorage is transforming the way it does business with the Toyota management system. Chugachmiut delivers health care and social services to seven Alaska Native villages around Prince William Sound. Executive director Patrick Anderson says the Toyota Lean management style has helped the organization free up resources to spend on improving care.
Alaska Cultural Connections: Communities Walk For Suicide Prevention
Despite years of effort and millions of dollars in state campaigns, Alaska’s suicide rate remains at nearly double the nation’s average. On Saturday communities across the state participated in suicide prevention walks and gatherings.
Governor Signs Budgets and Bonds
The state’s spending instructions for next year have been set as Governor Parnell today vetoed very little from more than $12-Billion in operating and capital projects budgets the legislature approved last month.