Medicaid Reform Group Hears Passionate Testimony On Proposed Cuts
The State's Medicaid Reform Advisory Group has met for the last six months in relative obscurity. That changed today (Wednesday) when more than 200 parents, doctors and physical therapists showed up to testify about a list of proposed "innovations" the group hopes will help curtail the growing cost of program. The message the group heard was that the reforms would have huge impacts on the people who rely on Medicaid for health services.
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DOJ May Intervene In Alaska Supreme Court Case
The U.S. Department of Justice may intervene in an Alaska Supreme Court case concerning a non-Native couple’s adoption of an Alaska Native child. In September, the Native Village of Tununak lost its appeal against the State of Alaska and the adoptive couple.
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GOP’s U.S. Senate , House Hopefuls Try To Tie Democratic Foes To Obama, Reid et al.
Candidates for Alaska’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate squared off at a forum in Fairbanks Tuesday.
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Property Crime Victims Often Given The Back Seat
Nikiski residents are frustrated by a recent rash of property crimes and are dissatisfied with law enforcement’s response. A state agency set up to help crime victims claims there is a larger trend of disenfranchisement among property crime victims across Alaska.
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Unalaska Holds On As America’s Top Fishing Port
The port of Dutch Harbor will hang onto its title as the nation’s busiest fishing port for another year.
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Alaska Ranks Among Nation’s Least Energy-Efficient States
Alaska rates near the bottom in a nationwide survey on how states are improving energy-efficiency programs. A state energy official says the survey may not be giving Alaska enough credit for the programs it has put in place in recent years.
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New Geologic Materials Center Opens In Anchorage
The State has a new library – for rocks. The new Geologic Materials Center opened in Anchorage Wednesday in what used to be the old Sam’s Club. The facility is aimed at giving industry members, academics and the public access to the wealth of data kept in core samples from around the state.
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Alaska News Nightly: October 29, 2014
Alaska Public Media, Alaska Dispatch News Take State To Court Over National Guard Documents; Medicaid Reform Group Hears Passionate Testimony On Proposed Cuts; DOJ May Intervene In Alaska Supreme Court Case; GOP’s U.S. Senate , House Hopefuls Try To Tie Democratic Foes To Obama, Reid et al.; Wrangell Doctor Pleads Not Guilty To Child Porn Charges; Property Crime Victims Often Given The Back Seat; Unalaska Holds On As America’s Top Fishing Port; Alaska Ranks Among Nation’s Least Energy-Efficient States; New Geologic Materials Center Opens In Anchorage
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Letter Shaming Alaska Voters Cribbed From Study Proving Its Value
Letters from an unknown group calling itself the Alaska State Voter Project are appearing in Alaska mailboxes. They list the voting history of the addressee – along with that of other community members. Many recipients are outraged, saying the letters are an attempt to shame them into voting. A political scientist says the letters are nearly identical to ones he used in a 2006 experiment.
“CEO of the City” Campaigns to Bring Anchorage Business Acumen to Governor’s Cabinet
Sullivan aims to bring his focus on fiscal issues to the governor's cabinet. Money has been the major theme of his time as mayor, and that’s how he’s framing his so-far low-key candidacy.
Alaska News Nightly: October 28, 2014
‘Shaming’ Letters Aim to Boost Voter Turnout; ‘CEO of the City’ Campaigns to Bring Anchorage Business Acumen to Governor’s Cabinet; Fire Burns Bethel Alcohol Treatment Center Construction Project; Diocese: Fairbanks Priest Held on Federal Child-Pornography Charges was Screened; City engineer: No Good News On Juneau's Sewage Sludge Disposal; Bethel Food Pantry Struggles to Open; Is Someone Poisoning Sitka Bears?; Why Alaska Researchers Want To Use Drones To Find Hibernating Bears
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Fire Burns Bethel Alcohol Treatment Center Construction Project
Officials are investigating a large fire in Bethel that started just after 8 o’clock Monday night, behind the Bethel post office. The Fire destroyed an alcohol treatment center under construction by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.
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Diocese: Fairbanks Priest Held on Federal Child-Pornography Charges was Screened
A Fairbanks Catholic priest accused of trying to produce child pornography underwent a two-stage screening process as part of his hiring and ordination.
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City engineer: No Good News On Juneau’s Sewage Sludge Disposal
The way the City and Borough of Juneau disposes of its sewage sludge isn’t sustainable, and the long-term solution consultants are recommending will be expensive.
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Bethel Food Pantry Struggles to Open
The Bethel Food Pantry is having trouble getting enough food to open. They usually open in August or September but this year they won’t open until November.
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Why Alaska Researchers Want To Use Drones To Find Hibernating Bears
For the first time, Alaska researchers plan to use drones with thermal cameras to detect hibernating polar bears and grizzly bears on the North Slope. The University of Alaska Fairbanks team is working without dedicated funding, but is seeking industry support for the project. For now, they’re relying on UAF resources like the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration.
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Experienced Senate N candidates differ on most issues
Two experienced but very different politicians are both running for Senate Seat N in South Anchorage and Girdwood.
UAS Chancellor Pugh to Retire in May
University of Alaska Southeast Chancellor John Pugh will retire in May. He announced his retirement Monday in an email to Southeast campus councils and the UAS Alumni Board of Directors.
Massive Ground Game Underway in Senate Race
Between the candidate campaigns and Outside groups, nearly $52 million has been spent to try to influence your vote in the U.S. Senate race. Much of that is spent on advertising, for Sen. Mark Begich or Republican challenger Dan Sullivan. But in the end, every race is decided by who actually turns out to vote, so there's a ground game underway.
State Begins Releasing National Guard Documents
The Department of Law has started releasing state documents concerning the National Guard, in response to a lawsuit filed by Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Dispatch News. Their search turned up over 10,000 records that require legal review, but the first batch is made up of just a few personal e-mails to and from Gov. Sean Parnell’s chief of staff.
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