King Charges to Lead in Iditarod; First Out of Cripple
Jeff King took the lead in the 2014 Iditarod when he charged out of Cripple Wednesday night ahead of Sonny Lindner. King left about 8:30 and Lindner followed at 9:09. Both were racing with 14 dogs.
Aaron Burmeister First to Cripple, Leads Iditarod
Aaron Burmeister was the first musher to Cripple Wednesday afternoon, about an hour ahead of Jeff King. Burmeister arrived about 3:26 with 13 dogs. King had 15. Sonny Lindner also reached Cripple Wednesday afternoon. He was racing with 16 dogs.
Bill Could Slash Salaries For Alaska Ferry Workers
For nearly 40 years, ferry workers who are Alaska residents have gotten a cost-of-living adjustment, allowing them to be paid more than those who don’t live in the state. Now, a bill getting rid of that salary bonus is moving through the Legislature. And the way it’s advanced has raised hackles.
Legislature Considers Changing Autopsies In Rural Alaska
When a person dies under suspicious or unusual circumstances, the state has an obligation to make sure that evidence is processed and that they can protect the victim and their family. In rural Alaska, that means sending the body to the medical examiners office in Anchorage. If the legislature acts on a bill, part of that examination could take place locally.
Download Audio
Mandatory 24-Hour Rest Playing Into Race Strategy
Iditarod teams are making their way across the Interior region where the trail is soft, smooth and covered in snow – a far cry from the rough and rocky trail that took many mushers out of the race earlier this week.
Download Audio
UAA Panel Discussing Pros, Cons Of Pot Legalization
Tonight the University of Alaska Anchorage will feature a panel discussion on the pros and cons of legalizing marijuana. Last night we brought you the perspective of a legalization advocate and this evening we offer the opposing side. Dean Guaneli is a retired assistant attorney general for Alaska. Guaneli says there is confusion over the current law regulating marijuana here. He says because of the privacy clause in the state constitution, a 1976 decision by the Alaska Supreme court made it impossible for the state to enforce the law for small amounts in one’s home. But he says in 2006, the legislature clearly re-criminalized marijuana.
Download Audio
Infusion Suite Opens At Ketchikan Hospital
Chemotherapy patients at PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center have a brand-new infusion suite for their treatments. The center opened last week with a special ceremony, and the first patients tried it out on last week.
Download Audio
Nome Business Owners Prepare For Iditarod Influx
Mushers are racing towards Nome. And so are the tourists. A small business owner is gearing up to capitalize on the influx.
Download Audio
Trapper Creek Man Survives Snowmachine Crash Thanks to His Dog
Dogs are an integral part of many people’s lives in Alaska, and one Trapper Creek man has even more reason to be grateful to his four-legged companion after she kept him warm during a night injured and stranded in the cold, then found the help that resulted in his rescue.
Download Audio
After Perfect Season, Kodiak Girls, Set Sight On Regions
The Kodiak High School girls basketball team wrapped up an undefeated regular season over the weekend. The Lady Bears are ranked number one among large schools in Alaska, and will be looking to advance to the state championship tournament with a good performance at regionals this weekend. The last time Coach Amy Fogle wrapped up an undefeated season, her team, the Kodiak High School boys, went on to win the state championship in the year 2000.
Download Audio
Alaska News Nightly: March 5, 2014
Bill Would Eliminate Ferry Workers’ Cost Of Living Adjustment; Legislature Considers Changing Autopsies In Rural Alaska; Burmeister Leads Mushers Into Cripple; UAA Panel Discussing Pros, Cons Of Pot Legalization; Infusion Suite Opens At Ketchikan Hospital; Nome Business Owners Prepare For Iditarod Influx; Trapper Creek Man Survives Snowmachine Crash Thanks to His Dog; After Perfect Season, Kodiak Girls, Set Sight On Regions
Download Audio
Fresh Snow Sends Drivers’ Slipping
Several inches of fresh snow coat Anchorage roadways and that's causing problems for drivers.
Download Audio
Many Mushers Alter Race Plans After Rough Trail Into Nikolai
In the aftermath of Tuesday’s rough run through the Dalzell Gorge and into Nikolai, many Iditarod mushers have had to act fast to change their race plans.
Snow in McGrath Offers Relief for Battered Iditarod Mushers
The Iditarod trail continued to claim victims through Tuesday. Reports of everything from broken ankles to broken hands came filtering back from Rohn and Nikolai. It will take a combination of resilience and persistence for mushers to keep moving down the trail.
Sonny Lindner Takes Iditarod Lead
Sonny Lindner took the lead in the 2014 Iditarod early Wednesday morning and was heading towards Cripple. He left Ophir almost two hours ahead of Aaron Burmeister. Nicolas Petit was in third. Jeff King and Joar Leifseth Ulsom trailed Petit.
Petit First Out of Taknota, Heads Iditarod Field
Nicolas Petit took the Iditarod lead Tuesday evening when he was the first to dart out of Taknota about 8:35 p.m. He spent just a few minutes in Taknota and headed towards Ophir.
Iditarod Leaders Leave Nikolai
The Iditarod race leaders left the checkpoint of Nikolai around mid day today. Sonny Lindner, Hugh Neff, Aliy Zirkle and Nicolas Petit pulled out of Nikolai within an hour of each other. But five mushers, including DeeDee Jonrowe and Jake Berkowitz scratched today, because of broken equipment that was damaged on the extremely rough trail out of Rainy Pass.
Download Audio
Burned Bald Eagles Draw Federal Scrutiny In Adak
It’s common practice to burn trash in the Aleutians, to keep landfills from overflowing. But it’s not that simple in Adak, where flaming waste has killed or injured at least ten bald eagles in the last few months. It’s now the subject of a federal investigation.
Download Audio
Should Humpbacks Lose Endangered Status?
State officials want the federal government to remove some protections for Southeast and Southcentral humpback whales. But a noted researcher says it’s too early to do that.
Download Audio
Panel To Discuss Possibility Of Marijuana Legalization
As Alaskans weigh how to vote on a ballot initiative that would legalize marijuana, the University of Alaska Anchorage is holding a forum on Wednesday evening debating the issue. Tonight we bring you the perspective of one of those panelists. Lance Buchholtz is a retired Midwestern Sheriff who joined Law Enforcement Against Prohibition or LEAP in 2013. He is also an ordained minister. He says the war on drugs isn’t working.
Download Audio