WEIO athlete, mentor Big Bob Aiken dies at 62
A legend of traditional Alaska Native games has died. Big Bob Aiken, known as the 'The World's Largest Eskimo' still held records for the Indian and Eskimo stick pull competitions. He believed deeply in the original purpose of the games.
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Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015
House approves TransCanada buyout; Plane goes down near Haines - 3 passengers OK, 1 critical; FBI practices nuclear bomb drill at Anchorage port; Fire marshals investigate Kilbuck disaster; Therapeutic foster care program struggles to get off its feet in YK Delta; WEIO champ Big Bob Aiken dies at 62; Study: Carbon emissions from northern fires likely underestimated; Subsistence harvest of emperor geese on hold until 2017; Southeast shelters assist 40+ animals rescued from Ketchikan house
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House approves TransCanada buyout
With a unanimous vote in the House on Wednesday, the Alaska legislature has approved Gov. Bill Walker’s request to end the state’s partnership with TransCanada -- and take a larger role in the project to build a natural gas line from the North Slope.
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Plane goes down near Haines; 3 passengers OK, 1 critical
A private plane crashed near Eldred Rock Wednesday afternoon. It was carrying three passengers and a pilot.
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FBI tests nuclear bomb drill at Port of Anchorage
The Federal Bureau of Investigation wrapped up a two-day assessment of how to respond to a nuclear bomb discovered at the Port of Anchorage.
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Fire marshals investigate Kilbuck blaze in Bethel; Cause not yet determined
Fire marshals are on the scene in Bethel investigating the Kilbuck campus fire. They’re photographing the site, talking with the fire department, and interviewing witnesses, trying to assess the damage and cause of the destruction.
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Therapeutic foster care program struggles to get off its feet in YK Delta
A new foster care program aimed at helping keep Western children in their communities is in-development. It incorporates therapeutic methods to help fix behavioral issues in the home that might be affecting both the child and parent. But the program is facing problems with one major hiccup -- no one has signed up yet.
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Study: Carbon emissions from northern fires likely underestimated
A recent study indicates fires in the Yukon Flat region of Alaska are releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than previously thought.
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Subsistence harvest of emperor geese on hold until 2017
A subsistence harvest of the Emperor goose, which had been proposed for the spring of 2016, is being put off another year.
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Southeast shelters assist 40+ animals rescued from Ketchikan house
Ketchikan’s animal shelter has gotten some relief in recent weeks after rescuing more than 40 animals from one home in early October.
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Juneau man maintains innocence in mobile home killing
A Juneau man has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting a man in a Mendenhall Valley mobile home park.
Retired Fairbanks 4 detective takes stand for second day
After defending interview and interrogation techniques Monday, former police detective Aaron Ring remained on the stand for most of the day Tuesday at the Fairbanks Four exoneration hearing.
Nushagak forecast includes 7 million Wood River reds
Next summer’s Bristol Bay sockeye run is estimated to number 46.5 million, with about a quarter of those fish headed for the Nushagak District.
Alaska LNG representatives visit Homer Rotary
The Rotary Club of Homer-Kachemak Bay hosted representatives of the Alaska LNG Project Thursday. Alaska LNG is a co-venture between the state and other stakeholders: Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, BP and TransCanada. The project representatives said they want to give Alaskans a clearer picture of what Alaska LNG will mean for their communities.
Nome public schools consider recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Nome public schools took the first step toward recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day at a school board work session last week. That’s when Superintendent Shawn Arnold proposed a resolution aimed at adding the holiday to the district’s official calendar.
Alaska budget cuts lead to less fishing opportunity
Because of Alaska’s budget crisis, state agencies cut spending this year and are planning additional reductions in the next few years. For the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, those cuts have meant less monitoring of fish runs, a change that will lead to more conservative management and less fishing opportunity. That was the message from Fish and Game officials to a commercial fishing industry organization that met in Petersburg in late October.
Bethel finalizing state disaster request after school fire
The City of Bethel is working towards declaring a state of emergency after a fire destroyed the Kilbuck campus, housing two schools and dorm buildings.
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015
Yup'ik artifacts spared in Bethel school fire; Sitka officials say taser incident conformed to police policy; Senate votes to buyout TransCanada; Senate witnesses describe dark side of Russian bear; Detective defends interrogation tactics in Fairbanks 4 case; For seniors with Alzheimer's, staying busy is key; 3D-printed replicas: Savior or scorn for rare artifacts?; Rising seas, peat may have caused Ice Age extinction event
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Yup’ik artifacts spared in Bethel school fire
Emergency responders in Bethel have a raging school fire under control, but not before it caused substantial damage to the building.
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Sitka officials say taser incident conformed to police policy
Municipal officials in Sitka were briefed about the repeated tasering of a teen in police custody, shortly after the incident occurred in September of last year.
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