Body found in lake tentatively identified as Las Vegas man
A body found in an Alaska lake has been tentatively identified as a Las Vegas man who went missing after his canoe overturned in late April.
Sen. Sullivan: VA Must Own Up to Alaska ‘Crisis’
A new Veterans Affairs program aimed at reducing long wait times for health care has had the opposite effect for scores of Alaska vets. At a congressional hearing today, Sen. Dan Sullivan said the Choice program is undermining older systems that helped Alaskans use their VA benefits to get treatment outside the VA.
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Young a Lonely GOP Voice for Puerto Rican Statehood
Rep. Don Young took some flack for holding a fundraiser in Puerto Rico last week, just days before chairing a subcommittee hearing on statehood for the U.S. territory. But at the hearing back in Washington this afternoon, Young made it clear he’s no Johnny-come-lately to the question.
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Surveyors Climb Denali to Recalcuate Its Height
A dispute over the height of North America’s tallest mountain may be resolved this week, as surveyors climb to the top of Mount McKinley.
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5.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles Mainland Alaska
The earthquake was centered 64 miles west of Willow. Alaskans from a large section of the state -- from Seward, Fairbanks, Denali and the Mat Su Valley reported the shaking.
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Juneau Police Chief: Secondhand goods ordinance ‘extremely successful’
The crime rate in Juneau went down in 2014, according to an annual report released by the local police department.
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HIV Testing Opens Doors, Disease Still A Problem in Alaska
After being diagnosed HIV while serving in prison, Diane Timberlake overcame stigmas to teach others about the importance of testing and living life with HIV.
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Wildfire Hinders Salmon Harvest on the Yukon
King and chum salmon are still slowly building a run up the Yukon this summer—and fishermen are contending with everything from gear restrictions to wildland fires in their efforts to fill their racks.
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KSM mine targets richer ore while seeking investors
A Canadian mining company says it’s found richer deposits of gold and copper ore at its controversial KSM project. It’s spending $16 million to continue to explore for more at its site, upriver from Ketchikan, this summer.
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Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Sen. Sullivan Says VA Must Own Up to 'Alaska Crisis'; Rep. Young - A Lonely GOP Voice for Puerto Rico Statehood; Surveyors Climb Denali To Settle Dispute Over Its Height; 5.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles Mainland Alaska; Juneau Police Chief Calls Secondhand Goods Ordinance 'Extremely Successful'; HIV Testing Events Open Access For Those Unsure; Wildfire Hinders Salmon Harvest on the Yukon; KSM Mine Targets Richer Ore While Seeking Investors; Bloom Boom: Juneau Farmer Joins Alaska Peony Rush
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Bloom Boom: Juneau farmer joins Alaska peony rush
Interior Alaska has about 50 commercial peony farmers and now a Southeast grower is about to give the cash crop a shot. The flowers are supposed to be the next big boom in Alaska exports.
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Crews continue containment work on Kenai Peninsula fires
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But in this case, smoke from the Card Street Fire on Tuesday was from an intentional burn, one meant to prevent the fire from coming any closer to recreational facilities in the Skilak Lake area.
Spike in number of female prisoners at Alaska prisons
The increase in the number of women prisoners in Alaska more than tripled that of male inmate growth between 2004 and 2013.
Enviros: Shell’s Arctic Plan Violates Walrus Rule
Environmental groups say they’ve found a fundamental flaw in Shell’s plan to drill in the Chukchi Sea this summer. They say Shell’s plan to use two drill rigs at once violates a 2013 Fish and Wildlife regulation aimed at protecting walruses.
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Interior Alaska Ablaze With Lightning-Ignited Fires
Smoke is spreading over a large area of the state, as wildfire activity grows. There were 56 new wildfires Monday statewide, and 238 active, mostly in interior and southwest Alaska.
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Crews Stage in Kalskag to Quell An Upshot in Wildfires
Fire officials are moving crews off the Whitefish Lake fire to Lower Kalskag as a staging area for protecting homes and other communities threatened by fires. Crews had been working to establish a fire line on the northern edge, but are now changing strategy.
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55 Homes Destroyed by Sockeye, According to New Estimate
The figure is double assessments from last week when officials were unable to survey areas within the fire zone.
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Two Volcanoes Under Watch in the Aleutians
Two volcanoes in the Aleutian chain have been showing signs of activity for years, but recent satellite images prompted the Alaska Volcano Observatory to raise its alert level and aviation color code.
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Innovative Summer School Class Helps Students Succeed, Together
What happens when you throw a mix of middle school kids who all learn at different levels into one class then hand them a couple of college-level texts? An innovative, collaborative approach to teaching that gets students to pay attention.
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Guide academy helps locals land jobs at sport lodges
For the past seven years, a mosaic of organizations including Bristol Bay Land Trust, Trout Unlimited, and BBEDC have run the Bristol Bay River and Guide Academy to train local kids in the art of fly fishing. The students spend a week at a lodge learning to be guides.
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