Murkowski Names New Fisheries Aide
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has hired a new fisheries aide.Murkowski’s office says Stefanie Moreland will start next month. Moreland will replace Arne Fuglvog , who pleaded guilty this summer to one count of violating the Lacey Act for falsely reporting where he caught sablefish that were intended for interstate commerce. Fuglvog’s sentencing is set for November.
Federal Workers in Alaska Face Uncertain Future
Federal workers here in Alaska and nationwide began their first workday of the new fiscal year yesterday.
Local Ballots Produce State Interest
Today municipalities and boroughs across Alaska are holding local elections with some ballot items attracting statewide interest. Leading the list is the ballot initiative against the proposed Pebble Mine in the Lake and Peninsula Borough.
Southeast Power Project Needs More Funding
Haida Energy is starting to build Prince of Wales Island's next hydropower plant. But as CoastAlaska's Ed Schoenfeld reports, the Southeast Alaska project needs more funding.
Rhetoric Heats Up in Advance of “SOS” Vote
The ‘Save Our Salmon’ Initiative goes before voters in the Lake and Peninsula Borough tomorrow, and the information war around the proposed Pebble mine that the initiative is aimed at stopping, is heating up.
Barrow Will Vote on Dry Status
The question of whether to allow sales of alcohol will be on the ballot tomorrow for voters in Barrow. A yes vote would allow the first legal local liquor sales in the city in more than a decade. Barrow currently is a “damp” community.
Survey Shows High Rate if Sexual Violence in Anchorage
A new survey shows more than 50 percent of women in Anchorage have been the victim of some type of sexual violence in their lifetime.
Chukchi Lease Sale Stands
The federal government is upholding the 2008 oil and gas lease sale in the Chukchi Sea. The sale was challenged in court and last year, a judge required the Interior Department to complete a supplemental environmental impact statement and then decide whether to vacate the sale.
City Residents Without Health Insurance Can Now Get Prescription Discounts
Anchorage residents now qualify for a discount on prescriptions not covered by their insurance or if they have no insurance at all for prescribed medicines.
PFD Announced at $1174 This Year
Governor Sean Parnell opened a triple sealed envelope in Anchorage this (Tuesday) morning to announce this year's Permanent Fund Dividend amount: $1174. Parnell said this year's dividend check is healthy but the amount is based on a five year average of the stock market. He warned Alaskans can face lower dividend amounts in the future.
Probe of Arctic Slope Native Corporation 8a Contract Requested by McCaskill
U.S. Senator Clare McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and Chair of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight, has asked the NASA inspector general to investigate a contract between NASA and an Arctic Slope Regional Corporation subsidiary.
ACLU Wins Latest Same Sex Lawsuit
An Anchorage judge says Alaska same-sex couples are entitled to the same senior citizen and disabled veteran property tax exemptions as married couples. Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner ruled in a 34 page decision that the state's marital classification violates the Alaska Constitution's equal protection clause.
Fairbanks Voters Consider Air Quality Ballot Proposition
Fairbanks Borough voters will consider a ballot proposition aimed at reducing wintertime fine particulate pollution. A public meeting on the proposition was held Monday. As KUAC’s Dan Bross reports, the measure targets emissions from wood and coal fired heaters.
Fall Storms Halt Ferries
High winds in the Gulf of Alaska have forced ships into shelter. The cruise ship Statendam couldn't leave Seward Sunday, the Amsterdam and Westerdam cancelled their stops in Sitka, which is in sheltered waters, but still on the outer coast. Travelers expecting state ferries are advised to contact the Marine Highway for the latest information there.
The EPA issues Shell Oil Air Quality Permits for Arctic Ocean Drilling
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved an air quality permit for a Shell Oil drilling vessel and accompanying vessels that the company hopes to use in Arctic waters next year.
Anchorage Man is Injured in Reno Air Show Crash
An Alaska man who was injured at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show in Reno, Nevada, is recovering. Noah Joraanstad is a pilot for Pen Air.
Australian Company to Explore “Deep Coal” in Alaska
An Australian Company wants to explore deep coal resources in Alaska. As KUAC’s Dan Bross reports, the proposal is aimed at coal too far underground to mine.
Naknek Electric, Deep in Debt, Outlines Geothermal Plan
The Naknek Electric Association has released a plan explaining where they’re going with their geothermal project. The member-owned electricity cooperative filed for bankruptcy last year after problems with the more than decade-old geothermal exploration.
Ferry In Southeast Struggles Financially
The Inter-Island Ferry Authority was barely staying afloat when it made a decision to dramatically cut back its service. That’s according to IFA General Manager Bruce Jones, who discussed the IFA’s financial difficulties during Tuesday’s session of the Southeast Conference annual meeting.
More Anchorage Residents Than Ever Face Hunger
According to the Food Bank of Alaska, thousands of Anchorage residents will seek assistance from food pantries and kitchen during the course of a year. Yesterday, as part of Hunger Action Month, a panel at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce discussed the growing problem of hunger in Anchorage.