Berkowitz Appointees Reflect Focus on Housing, Community Development
Fleek-Green, Wilber, Shuttee to take over prominent roles in next mayor's administration.
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, June 11, 2015
Legislature Verges on Gaveling Out; 'Erin's Law' Unanimously Passes In the Senate; Murkowski Votes 'Nay' on Icebreaker Provision in Defense Bill; Rep. Young Lobbies To Offer Land Allotments For Alaska Native Vietnam Vets; ACA Subsidies For Alaskans May Be In Jeopardy; Orthodox Cathedral Desecrated During Vandalism Spree in Kodiak; Low Oil Prices Haven't Reached Dillingham; Flight Service from Alaska to Russia's Far East To Resume; Feds to Investigate Groundwater Contamination in North Pole; State Study Shows 60% Wolf Decline on POW; Race To Alaska Competitors Close In On Ketchikan
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Low Oil Prices Haven’t Reached Dillingham
The drop in oil prices has been bad news for Alaska's state budget, but good news for some Alaskans at the pump. But the gas price has been slow to drop in some Bristol Bay communities, especially Dillingham.
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Feds to Investigate Groundwater Contamination in North Pole
A federal agency will conduct a study to determine the danger of drinking groundwater contaminated by the industrial solvent sulfolane in the North Pole area.
State study shows 60% wolf decline on POW
The number of wolves on Prince of Wales Island and nearby islands has dropped dramatically, according to a draft report from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. A state official said that decline is something to watch carefully, but he’s not concerned yet about the viability of wolves in that area. Conservationists, though, are alarmed and say that number could be too low to maintain genetic health among remaining wolves.
‘Race To Alaska’ Competitors Close In On Ketchikan
Race To Alaska organizer Jake Beattie is in Ketchikan preparing the finish line for the inaugural 750-mile engineless boat race through the Inside Passage. And he better be quick about it.
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Regular Flights To Russian Far East From AK Resume
If you've run out of isolated wilderness to explore in Alaska, there's good news: flights from Anchorage to Yakutsk start in July.
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Launch of Independent Ferry Service Delayed In Southeast
A new independent ferry service in Southeast Alaska is delaying the start-up of service that was planned for this weekend.
Pioneering Rough Terrain Unicycling | INDIE ALASKA
George Peck began riding unicycles around Seward, Alaska in the eighties. Eventually moving on to riding the ultimate wheel - a unicycle with no seat - on mountains and beaches, George pioneered the sport of "rough terrain unicycling" and began a family tradition carried on by his children, Kris and Katie Peck.
House Passes Operating Budget, As Special Session Moves Toward End
The Alaska House of Representatives has passed an operating budget, signaling the end of a stalemate over the state’s multi-billion-dollar budget deficit.
Chinook Closures Impede Summer Chum Subsistence
Summer chum and Chinook salmon have begun their runs along the Yukon River. Wildlife managers and fishermen met via teleconference yesterday to discuss river conditions and the salmon’s progress upstream. Community members reported summer chum as far upriver as Huslia and Ruby, with Chinook salmon fast on their heels.
National Park Service supports Mount McKinley name change
The National Park Service is not against changing Mount McKinley's official name to Denali, but Alaskans are still in a battle with Ohioans over the name of North America's tallest mountain.
Sitka man found dead in Thomsen Harbor
A 52-year-old Sitka man was found dead in Thomsen Harbor Monday morning. The Anchorage Medical Examiner today identified him as Sitka resident Kevin Climer.
U.S. House Bill Seen as Aviation Boon, Housing Bane
The House this week passed a transportation and housing bill. Rep. Don Young says it includes programs important to Alaska aviation, while the White House says it shortchanges homeless programs and transit.
Lawmakers Strike Budget Deal
The stalemate finally ended on Wednesday night, when a conference committee between the two bodies agreed to pay for the contracts this year, but placed limits on future increases.
Village Crime Victims Need Intervention, Senators Told
A U.S. Senate committee today heard pleas for better treatment of crime victims in Native communities. Gerad Godfrey, chairman of an Alaska victims' compensation panel, recommends sexual assault rapid response teams for Alaska villages.
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Key Provision Of Erin’s Law Restored
After holding the bill for three weeks, the Senate Finance Committee has unveiled a new version of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act -- known nationally as “Erin’s Law.” Some controversial riders have been removed.
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State Consolidates Two Divisions in Dept. of Labor
Gov. Bill Walker will take a modest step toward streamlining state government by combining two divisions within the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
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Lawyers Say Walker Can Act On Medicaid Without the Legislature
Governor Bill Walker likely has the authority to expand Medicaid without legislative approval, according to two legal opinions written last month.
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Fairbanks Man Likely Contracted Measles in Mongolia
A case of measles in Fairbanks is the first confirmed occurrence of the highly contagious viral infection in the state in 15 years. An epidemiologist says the patient likely contracted it in Mongolia.
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