Buser Takes Early Iditarod Lead
Martin Buser took an early lead in this year's Iditarod. The former Iditarod champion was the first into Rainy Pass about 5:42 Monday morning. Nicolas Petit was into Rainy Pass about an hour later.
Race Leaders Approach Finger Lake
Martin Buser leads the pack as he approaches the Finger Lake checkpoint. Buser holds a few mile lead over fellow Big Lake musher, Kelly Maixner.
Iditarod Veterans Anticipating Rough Trail Conditions
The 42nd annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race is underway. Dog teams left Willow Sunday. They’re making their way toward the Alaska Range, where the trail is reportedly extremely rough.
Ceremonial Start Kicks Off 42nd Iditarod
On Saturday, mushers lined out their dog teams in downtown Anchorage for the Ceremonial Start of the race. This year's race includes six former champions and at least 20 mushers vying for a top-10 finish.
Alaska Zoo Polar Bears To Get New Home
The Alaska Zoo in Anchorage has been home to a long line of polar bears over the years, from the infamous sneaker stealing Binky to the fluffy cub Kalli which was shipped to a sister zoo back East last year. Right now, Ahpun a female, and Lyutik, a young male, are the only two residents in the zoo's polar bear enclosure, but that is soon to change, as the Zoo plans a new program that is expected to help Alaska lead the country in polar bear captive breeding and research.
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We Are An Iditarod Checkpoint Oasis
Winterlake Lodge on Finger Lake is an official Iditarod Trail checkpoint, 153 miles down the trail from Anchorage.
The Dixon family owns and operates the lodge, hosting mushers, their dogs and paying guests alike.
http://youtu.be/lMNLzEwfjCw
EPA Starts The 404-C Veto Process To Stop Development At The Pebble Mine
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency announced today they are starting a formal process to look at using EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act to stop development of the proposed Pebble Mine.
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Pebble Opponents, Proponents React To EPA Decision
The EPA’s announcement today was directly targeted at the Pebble Mine. The developers of that project are understandably not pleased with what they say is a gross overreach of federal authority which should be concerning to all Alaskans.
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Senate OKs Medevac Memberships
Legislation allowing a popular air-ambulance service’s membership program to resume coverage passed the state Senate on Friday.
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People Say Final Farewell To Former Territorial Governor Stepovich
People from across Alaska and the Lower 48 assembled in Fairbanks today to bid final farewell to former Territorial Governor Mike Stepovich.
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Final Friday Marks Last Public Day For Alaska State Museum
Friday is the last day that the Alaska State Museum in Juneau will be open to the public.
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Willow Runner Sets New Iditarod Trail Invitational Record
Willow runner Dave Johnston has set a new foot record in the 350-mile Iditarod Trail Invitational race. Dragging a sled over snow, ice and dirt trail, Johnston covered the distance in 4 days, 1 hour and 38 min. That’s over 87 miles per day. Johnston bested the old record set by Steve Reifenstuhl of Sitka in 2005, by more than 14 hours.
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AK: New Bishop
Last Sunday, the Orthodox Dioceses of Sitka and Alaska installed David Mahaffey as its 16th Bishop. A historic and ornate ceremony ensued in Sitka, attracting Orthodox Bishops from New York to Quebec. On the steps of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Native elders welcomed Metropolitan Tikhon, the head of the Orthodox Church in America with traditional bread and salt.
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300 Villages: Takotna
This week we’re headed to Takotna, a village of around 50 people located on the Iditarod trail west of McGrath. Nell Huffman is the secretary of the Takotna community Association.
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Legislature Passes Bill Shortening Driver’s License Validity For Immigrants
Starting this year, foreign nationals who wish to drive in Alaska may be getting more scrutiny when they go to the DMV. A bill pegging the expiration date of a driver’s license to a person’s immigration status is now on its way to the governor’s desk.
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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