Alaska News Nightly: February 28, 2014
EPA Starts The 404-C Veto Process To Stop Development At The Pebble Mine; Pebble Opponents, Proponents React To EPA Decision; Bill Could Link Drivers Licenses To Immigration Status; Pacific Area Commander Tapped As Next Coast Guard Commandant; People Say Final Farewell To Former Territorial Governor Stepovich; Senate OKs Medevac Memberships; Final Friday Marks Last Public Day For Alaska State Museum; Willow Runner Sets New Iditarod Trail Invitational Record; AK: New Bishop; 300 Villages: Takotna
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Pacific Area Commander Tapped As Next Coast Guard Commandant
The White House has nominated the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area commander to be its next commandant. Vice Admiral Paul Zukunft was nominated Friday to replace outgoing Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp.
Alaska’s Natural Gas Pipeline Plan
Nobody ever said it would be easy to attract investment for one of the biggest construction projects on earth in the difficult conditions of Arctic Alaska, but we all know it happened once for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Can it happen again for a gas-line?
APRN: Tuesday, 3/4 at 10:00am
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Strong Deep-Sea Quake Rattles Unalaska
If there’s an earthquake in the ocean and no one’s there to feel it, did it really happen? On Wednesday in the Aleutian Islands, the answer was yes.
Alaska Edition Friday February 28, 2014
Education and the funding of education remain deeply contentious in Juneau. The Anchorage School District passes the budget for the coming year. Flint Hills refinery closes - controversy follows. Channel 2 has a series "Inside Alaska Prisons." Anchorage Municipal Elections are barely a month away. US Senate candidate Dan Sullivan not only has raised a lot of money, he has a lot of his own and family money. Eielson AFB remains in the hunt for the F-35 fighter. CH2MHill returns to the troubled port of Anchorage as a contractor. The Iditarod.
KSKA: Friday, 2/28 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, 2/28 at 6 p.m.
KAKM: Friday 2/28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday. 2/28 at 4:30 p.m.
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EPA Moves to Protect Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine
The Environmental Protection Agency today announced that they are using section 404 C of the Clean Water Act to halt development of the Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska.
Abortion Bill Advances On Tight Vote
A bill that puts restrictions on Medicaid payments for abortions narrowly passed its final committee of review in the State Legislature. It advanced without any money for family planning services.
3 OK After Vessel Sinks Near Valdez
Three men are okay after their vessel sank near Valdez while participating in an oil spill response drill. The Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center received a report Wednesday night that the landing craft Belltech 5 was taking on water and sinking near Valdez Arm.
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4 Snowmachiners Rescued By Alaska Air National Guard
On Tuesday afternoon, four snowmachiners were rescued by the Alaska Air National Guard in the Talkeetna Mountains.
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Turning The Tide Against Marine Debris
It’s been about three years since the tsunami in Japan washed away entire towns, sending thousands of tons of debris out to sea. Less than eight months after the tsunami, items started showing up in Alaska and have continued to do so in the months and years since. It will still be a few months before clean up crews take to Kodiak’s beaches, but the planning process for those clean ups is already well under way.
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Fairbanks Polaris Building’s Owner Optimistic About Renovation
The owner of the Polaris building is optimistic about financing renovation of the long vacant downtown Fairbanks high rise. Anchorage developer Marc Marlow reported to the Fairbanks city council Monday that he planned to file a federal loan guarantee application with the Bureau of Indian affairs this week.
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Bristol Bay Forever Initiative Survives Challenge in Court
The Bristol Bay Forever Initiative, which seeks to add a layer of legislative approval to any future hard rock mining within the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve, has survived a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. Backers expect the initiative to still be on the primary ballot this August.
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Alaska News Nightly: February 27, 2014
Bill Restricting Medicaid Payments For Abortions Passes Committee Review; Magnuson-Stevens Act Up For Reauthorization; 3 OK After Vessel Sinks Near Valdez; 4 Snowmachiners Rescued By Alaska Air National Guard; Turning The Tide Against Marine Debris; Fairbanks Polaris Building’s Owner Optimistic About Renovation; Bristol Bay Forever Initiative Survives Challenge in Court
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Industry Says U.S. Fish Law Works Well in Alaska
The Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 1976 law that governs fishing in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and other federal waters, is up for reauthorization in Congress. In past revisions, sectors of the Alaska industry squared off against each other. This time, the industry is mostly united in praising the law. But some of Alaska’s non-commercial fishermen say their needs aren’t getting enough attention.
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Cost Overruns Add Up To A Bigger Bill For Blue Lake Dam
Sitka’s Blue Lake dam expansion project will cost about $3.6-million more than expected. The total project — not including new backup diesel generators — was originally estimated to cost about $142-million. It is now up to about $145-million, Utility Director Chris Brewton told the Sitka assembly Tuesday night (2-25-14).
Bethel Man Up For National Environmental Health Award
A YKHC employee is up for the national Indian Health Service Environmental Health Specialist of the Year. Brian Berbube is representing the Alaska region.
Legislation Introduced to Compensate Victims of Wrongful Imprisonment
A State Representative from Fairbanks has filed legislation intended to protect Alaskans who are wrongfully convicted of a crime and serve time in prison. House Bill 352 was put forward by Representative Scott Kawasaki.
Buccaneer, CIRI Heading Back To Court
Buccaneer Energy is going back to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to try and settle issues at the Kenai Loop well site in Kenai.
The Sand Lake Boys
It was 1978 and the summer between my 10th and 11th grades. We were living in the Sand Lake area of Anchorage, just off of Raspberry Road.
A bunch of us guys who went to Dimond High School had taken to calling ourselves the “Sand Lake Boys.”
Read more. Alaska Gets $21 Million In Federal Disaster Funds
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced it is sending Alaska $21 million in federal disaster funds for poor king salmon returns in three regions.
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