Alaska News Nightly: November 21, 2014
LNG Project Gets Export Approval; Regional Tribal Government Considered by Calista Regional Committee; Kennels Protected Under New Mat-Su Ordinance; Another Orphaned Alaska Bear Cub Needs A Home; NOAA Designates Kachemak Bay a Habitat Focus Area; Federal Court Rejects Alaska's Appeal; Listen: What Marriage Means For One Alaska Same-Sex Couple; AK: Eagles Up Close; 300 Villages: South Naknek
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LNG Project Gets Export Approval
A federal agency has approved the export of liquefied natural gas from a proposed mega-project in Alaska to free-trade nations.
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Regional Tribal Government Considered by Calista Regional Committee
A new regional tribal government, new taxes, and a constitutional convention will be considered when theCalista-facilitated Regional Committee meets Monday in Anchorage.
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Borough Musher’s Law Protects Dog Kennels
Dog mushers in the Matanuska Susitna Borough now are protected under a new Borough ordinance. The law licenses kennels, but critics say it may never be enforced.
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Another Orphaned Alaska Bear Cub Needs A Home
Another orphaned Alaska bear cub needs a home. The young black bear found near Eagle is the 8th the state has dealt with this year. The other seven cubs, all but one black, including a trio rescued in Galena in September, have been placed in lower 48 wildlife care facilities. The fate of the latest orphaned cub is uncertain.
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NOAA Designates Kachemak Bay a Habitat Focus Area
Ocean acidification and climate change have become more prominent topics of conversation over the past few years, especially in areas heavily dependent on the sea, like Alaska.
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Federal Court Rejects Alaska’s Appeal
The state of Alaska has lost another attempt to reinstate a ban on same-sex marriage, and Gov.-elect Bill Walker has changed his stance on the issue.
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Listen: What Marriage Means For One Alaska Same-Sex Couple
Since same-sex marriage became legal in Alaska, of the roughly 480 marriage license applications in the state, about 20 percent are from same-sex couples.
One of those couples is former KTOO employee Kelli Burkinshaw and her partner Megan Ahleman. They’re getting married tomorrow in Juneau.
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Borough Bus Lines To Consolidate
State budget contraints are getting tighter, and that's being felt in the Matanuska Valley. Several public bus lines now serve various markets within the Mat Su Borough, but a new state mandate may force them to consolidate.
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Village Sewer and Water
It is estimated that one of every three families in village Alaska still do not have a sanitary means of sewage disposal, in spite of hundreds of million dollars poured into rural sanitation. Systems have been installed in 77 percent of villages, but the smaller the village the higher the cost per person. What is the answer to this puzzle?
APRN: Tuesday, 11/25 at 10:00am
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300 Villages: South Naknek
This week, we're heading to the community of South Naknek on Bristol Bay. Lorianne Rawson is the tribal administrator with the native village of South Naknek.
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AK: Eagles Up Close
Each fall, thousands of bald eagles flock to a stretch of the Chilkat River about 20 miles north of Haines. The birds fly there for a late chum salmon run. It’s thought to be the largest gathering of eagles in the world. Dozens of people travel to witness the raptors each year, filling up almost every hotel room in Haines.
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Reports Highlight High Rate of Violence in Alaska
Two recent reports highlight the tragically high rate of violence in Alaska. One from the FBI is a revision of how rape is defined in the state. The new definitions have resulted in much higher numbers in a state that already suffers from being the worst in the nation for sexual violence. The second report looks at the impact on Native children from exposure to violence in their homes and communities.
KSKA: Friday, 11/21 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, 11/22 at 6:00 p.m.
KAKM: Friday, 11/21 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 11/22 at 4:30 p.m.
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ASD budget surplus indicator of unfilled positions
The Anchorage School District spent less money than they planned during the first quarter of this year. If that trend continues, they'll have an extra $22 million left over by the end of June 2015. Much of the savings come from the district's difficulty in hiring and retaining highly-experienced teachers and staff. ASD is spending less than planned on salaries and benefits.
Begich Bill Would Shush Political Calls
After losing an election that was the most expensive -- and some say annoying -- in state history, outgoing Sen. Mark Begich has proposed a bill that would curtail political calls to voters’ homes.
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Hoffman, Halford Prepare for Walker Transition Weekend
Bethel’s Ana Hoffman and former Senate President Rick Halford are chairing incoming Governor Bill Walker’s transition team. Walker is racing towards inauguration next month.
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Alaska News Nightly: November 20, 2014
Begich Bill Would Shush Political Calls; Hoffman, Halford Prepare for Walker Transition Weekend; Gov.-Elect Walker Wants To Expand Medicaid. Can It Happen?; Anchorage School District Could Have Up To $22 Million Surplus Next Summer; Report: ‘Rural Governance Remains Unfinished in Alaska’; North Pole City Council Considering Sales Tax Hike; Community gives input on Anchorage plan to end homelessness; President Obama Highlights Sitka Schools on Technology
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Gov.-Elect Walker Wants To Expand Medicaid. Can It Happen?
On the campaign trail, Bill Walker made expanding the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act one of his top priorities. And he's confident he could make the decision without input from the state legislature.
"It’s up to the Governor to accept that."
But when Walker takes office next month, will it really be so easy to expand a program that has been a tough sell in other conservative states?
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Report: ‘Rural Governance Remains Unfinished in Alaska’
Formalizing a government to government relationship between tribes and the state was the message and mission today of former members of a commission tasked with addressing tribal self governance. Their report says rural governance "remains unfinished business in Alaska."
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President Obama Highlights Sitka Schools on Technology
The Sitka School District has a big fan: President Barack Obama.
Sitka Schools Superintendent Mary Wegner was in Washington D.C. on Wednesday for a White House summit on technology and education.
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