News

All news stories, regardless of topic (local, statewide + national news stories, as well as Talk of Alaska, Alaska News Nightly, Alaska Insight, Alaska Economic Report). Some news stories may also have other categories marked, which will also put them on a subpage. Not all news stories will fall into a subpage.

In Continuing Fight, Public Broadcasting Funding Axed

Earlier this month, public broadcasting survived an effort in the House to slash its state funding by half. Now, a subcommittee in the Senate has axed the appropriation entirely.

As Legal Landscape Changes, A New Marijuana Club Opens Its Doors in Anchorage

Just a week after a high profile raid on another operation, a new marijuana club is making sure its neighbors, customers, and the police are all on the same page as they open for business.

Alaska News Nightly: March 26, 2015

Lawmakers Consider Audit Of Determine Number Of Untested Rape Kits; Choose Respect Rally Marches Through Juneau; Anchorage Marijuana Club Navigates Shifting Legal Landscape; Fairbanks School Board OKs Budget That Cuts 60 Jobs; Member May Seek Salary Freeze; Conservation Groups Appeal Big Thorne Ruling; Prolific Glacial Melt Is 10% Of Annual Fresh Water In The Gulf Of Alaska Download Audio

Choose Respect Rally Marches Through Juneau

Gov. Bill Walker led about 100 people in a Choose Respect rally and march through Juneau on Thursday. The statewide initiative to raise awareness about Alaska’s high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault started six years ago, and grew in prominence after being embraced by former Gov. Sean Parnell. Download Audio

Fairbanks School Board OKs Budget That Cuts 60 Jobs; Member May Seek Salary Freeze

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District Governing Board passed a budget Wednesday that would cut about 60 full-time positions and trim many programs. One board member who voted against the measure says the cuts go too far, and she says she'll push for a salary freeze to reduce the impact of the cuts. Download Audio

Conservation Groups Appeal Big Thorne Ruling

Less than a week after losing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court, a coalition of conservation groups seeking to stop the Big Thorne Timber Sale has filed a Notice of Appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and asked for an injunction pending the outcome. Download Audio

Prolific Glacial Melt Is 10% Of Annual Fresh Water In The Gulf Of Alaska

A kayak trip in Glacier Bay in 2006 inspired an engineer to research the impact of glacial run off in the Gulf of Alaska. David Hill is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at Oregon State University. For the study, he used decades of state and USGS stream flow data, combined with calculations on land characteristics and watershed size to create an analysis for the entire area. He found glacier melt makes up about 10% of the overall precipitation added to the Gulf. The annual amount is measured in multiple feet of water. Hill says he worked to model how quickly rain and snow melt started to flow. Download Audio

Alaskan-Italian Minestrone | Indie Alaska

Growing up in Washington DC, Stephanie Cromarty felt completely removed from her Alaska Native heritage. A series of life changes prompted her to pack up her life and move her family to Alaska in order to be more in touch with herself and to reconnect with the culture she missed growing up.

Nevada Man Dies At Logging Site Near Wrangell

A Nevada man was found dead this week at a logging site 12 miles west of Wrangell. Alaska State Troopers were notified around 5 p.m. Tuesday that David Fussell, age 55, died on Zarembo Island.

Entrepreneur Pitches “Fish Franks” As Key to Recovery in St. George

The Aleutian Marketplace contest was designed to gather ideas and provide funding for new start-up businesses around the Bering Sea. As the competition heads into its second round, one winner is asking for extra support -- and a chance to turn his recipe for success into the real thing.

AVO Puts Volcano Near Adak Back on Watch

A volcanic island in the Western Aleutians is stirring again, after several months of quiet. Semisopochnoi was put on an advisory alert level on Wednesday morning. It’s the first alert at the volcano since a seismic flare-up last June, which was its first activity in almost 30 years.

Alaska Senate Votes To Sunset School Bond Payment Program

The Alaska Senate has passed a bill that would stop state reimbursement of new school bonds, including ones that are currently being considered in Anchorage. Download Audio

Alaska News Nightly: March 25, 2015

Bill Stopping State Reimbursement Of New School Bonds Passes Alaska Senate; Alaska Senate Bill Would Treat Marijuana As Controlled Substance; Rep. Young Co-Sponsors Pot Bill to Let States Decide; Alaska Joins Investigation Into Premera Cyber Attack; MDA: Fort Greely Missile System Ready for Iran ICBMs, Too; Report: Ship Trouble in the Arctic on the Rise; Truck Rolls Over, Spills Fuel On Dalton Highway; Discovery Southeast honors teacher Allie Smith; Bethel Citizens Urge Council to Stop Liquor Stores; More Than Half Of Bering Strait Women Report Experiencing Violence In Their Lifetime Download Audio

Senate Bill Keeps Marijuana As A Controlled Substance

When the Alaska Senate votes on its primary marijuana bill later this week, the version they will consider treats marijuana as a controlled substance. Download Audio

Rep. Young Co-Sponsors Pot Bill to Let States Decide

Alaska Congressman Don Young has co-sponsored a bill that would, among other features, end the federal ban on medical marijuana in states that have chosen to make it legal. Download Audio

Alaska Joins Investigation Into Premera Cyber Attack

Alaska is participating in an multi-state investigation into Premera following a cyber attack on the health insurer early this year. The state's insurance director says she has a lot of questions about why the attack occurred and why it took the company two months to announce it publicly. Download Audio

MDA: Fort Greely Missile System Ready for Iran ICBMs, Too

The country's ground-based missile defense system, with its 26 missiles at Fort Greely, is capable of defending the U.S. not only from North Korea, but from Iran, too, says Missile Defense Agency Director James Syring. Download Audio

Report: Ship Trouble in the Arctic on the Rise

A new report says that as Artic ship traffic has increased, so has the number of Arctic ship mishaps. The annual Shipping and Safety Review by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, counts 55 ship casualties in the waters of the Arctic Circle last year, up from three a decade ago.

Truck Rolls Over, Spills Fuel On Dalton Highway

A truck rollover on the southern end of the Dalton Highway resulted in a fuel spill. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation reports that tractor portion of the rig remained upright, and the driver survived the Tuesday crash without serious injury. Download Audio

Discovery Southeast honors teacher Allie Smith

Discovery Southeast is honoring a second grade teacher for regularly exposing her students to nature. The local outdoor education organization is giving the first annual Discovery Award to Allie Smith from Auke Bay Elementary School. Download Audio