Lawmakers examine Power Cost Equalization Endowment Fund
Rural Alaskans can pay three to five times as much for electricity than those in urban areas. That’s why the state launched the Power Cost Equalization Endowment Fund in 2000. It’s paid roughly $40 million annually to subsidize rural energy bills. Download Audio
State, feds pursuing better coordination after wolf kill in national preserve
State wolf control in the vicinity of Yukon Charley Rivers National Preserve has prompted agencies to pursue better cooperation. A wolf was killed by the state inside the Preserve earlier this month. Download Audio
Seabird die-off takes twist with carcasses in Alaska lake
The massive die-off of a widely distributed North Pacific seabird continues to surprise federal scientists. The latest twist was the discovery of thousands of carcasses of common murres along a freshwater Alaska lake. Download Audio
PERF report recommends 67 more APD patrol positions
A new report on policing in Anchorage says the city needs dramatically more officers to meet its public safety goals. Download Audio
Municipality updating Anchorage’s dated land use plan
The Municipality of Anchorage is well on its way to producing an updated land use plan for the Anchorage Bowl. The map currently in use has not been updated since 1982. Download Audio
Alaska GOP reallocates delegates with Rubio out
The Alaska Republican party has awarded 14 delegates each to Ted Cruz and Donald Trump after Marco Rubio suspended his campaign earlier this week.
It’s herring season! Sitka sac roe fishery opens on short notice
The commercial herring season opened Thursday, more abruptly than in past years. Herring seiners had about 2-days’ notice to get to Sitka. And then about another 4 hours’ notice to prep their gear.
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Sitka Sound Science center hatches new experiment
The Sitka Sound Science Center raises millions of salmon at the Sheldon Jackson Hatchery every year but recently the organization started nurturing another type of sea creature.
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Tribal council wants pre-mine ecosystem study
Southeast Alaska’s largest tribal government is pressing for an intensive environmental analysis of the region’s health. It’s part of a larger push for protection of transboundary rivers, which flow from British Columbia into the region. Download Audio
Freeride athletes excited to take on ‘famous mountains’ of Haines
An international big mountain ski and snowboard competition is back in Haines. The Freeride World Tour tests the skills of alpine athletes from around the world, with stops in five countries. The athletes say the slopes in France, Austria and Andorra don’t compare with the mountains in Haines. Download Audio
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Mar. 16, 2016
Obama's Supreme Court nomination draws criticism and praise; push to label GE food, including salmon, has staunch opponents; Arctic Council arrives in Fairbanks; State contemplates how it will pay for the budget; lawmakers struggle to fund pioneer senior homes; Ken Koelsch wins Juneau mayor’s seat; Houston at the forefront of Mat-Su marijuana legislation; Bristol Bay fishermen tour the East Coast Download Audio
Obama’s Supreme Court nomination draws criticism and praise
President Obama Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Both of Alaska’s U.S. senators issued written statements reaffirming their support for the Senate’s Republican leaders, who are refusing to hold a hearing or a vote on the nominee. Download Audio
Bristol Bay fishermen tour the East Coast
During a whirlwind east coast tour this month, a group of young Alaska fishermen had the chance to visit the Boston Seafood Show, participate in Slow Fish in New Orleans, and share their concerns with Alaska’s congressional delegations.
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Ken Koelsch wins Juneau mayor’s seat
Ken Koelsch will be Juneau’s new mayor. Unofficial results from Tuesday’s special election show Juneau voters backed Koelsch with 59 percent of the vote.
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Houston at the forefront of Mat-Su marijuana legislation
When Alaska voters approved legalization of recreational pot and retail sales of marijuana products in 2014, they also approved the right of local governments to ban commercial marijuana grow operations or pot sales within city limits. Two cities in the Matanuska Susitna Borough have opted to ban marijuana sales and grow operations. But Houston is aiming to bolster its city revenues with legal marijuana commerce. Download Audio
Push to label GE food, including salmon, has staunch opponents
This morning, the U.S. Senate considered a bill to block state labeling mandates for GMO foods, including fish. The bill didn’t get enough votes to advance, but the debate shows the forces Sen. Lisa Murkowski is up against as she tries to require consumer labels for genetically engineered salmon. Download Audio
Arctic Council arrives in Fairbanks
Every hotel is booked up solid in Fairbanks this week, and rental cars are hard to find. Over a thousand people from 30 different countries are in the Golden Heart City for a meeting of Arctic scientists and policymakers called Arctic Science Summit Week. One of the highlights includes a meeting of the Arctic Council, a multinational governmental forum created to address the Arctic’s pressing issues. Download Audio
State contemplates how it will pay for the budget
As the state legislature begins the final month of the session- one big question is looming: How are lawmakers going to pay for the budget? Download Audio
Lawmakers struggle to fund Pioneer senior homes
The pioneer home system is older than the state of Alaska. The first home, in Sitka, was repurposed from abandoned marine barracks in 1913. The state-funded system now operates in six locations and provides care to 440 of Alaska’s senior citizens. And demand is only growing. But as lawmakers grapple with the budget, some wonder whether the state can keep funding the homes at all. Download Audio
Southeast tribal government seeks to protect trans-boundary rivers
Southeast Alaska’s largest tribal government is pressing for an intensive environmental analysis of the region’s health. It’s part of a larger push for protection of transboundary rivers, which flow from British Columbia into the region.