Rep. Herron Cited Again for Ethics Breach
Representative Bob Herron, a Bethel democrat, received a second ethics citation tied to his co-ownership of a school bus company.
Black Tar Heroin And Marijuana Seized In Bethel
This week’s drug-related arrests came after a several-month-long investigation involving the work of a confidential informant. It led to seizures of heroin, pot, and the arrest of an alleged bootlegger who bought over 1,500 bottles of whiskey.
Tribal Courts
The state's law department deals with a wide range of legal matters but this week's show focuses on tribal courts and what the future may look like for court proceedings in rural Alaska. Earlier this week the Senate Indian Affairs Committee reviewed the Indian Law and Order Commission report. It paints a bleak picture for Native communities, saying the high rates of crime in Native communities is a "National Disgrace and a National Problem" and calls for more authority for tribal justice systems, saying in part that the state and fed government should strengthen rather than degrade tribal sovereignty.
KSKA: Friday, 2/14 at 2PM & Saturday, 2/15 at 6PM.
KAKM: Friday 2/14 at 7:30PM & Saturday. 2/15 at 4:30PM
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APD Releases Use-Of-Force Policy
After two years of high profile officer-involved shootings, the Anchorage Police Department has made their use-of-force policy public. Police Chief Mark Mew made the announcement last night, (Thursday 2/13) during a community forum at Clark Middle School in the Mountain View Neighborhood.
Legislators Rack Up Million-Dollar Travel Bill
In 2013, the state paid nearly a million dollars for lawmakers to fly across Alaska, across the country, and in some cases, around the world. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez reports that legislative travel costs went up nearly 50 percent last year.
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Republican Lawmakers Send Support Letter To Northern Dynasty
Several members of the Alaska Legislature sent a letter of support earlier this month to the head of the company looking at developing the controversial Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay region. The letter was signed by 8 lawmakers including the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.
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State Picks Direct Route For U-Med Road
State transportation officials have selected a preferred route for a mid-town Anchorage road connecting the University of Alaska and two city hospitals with major traffic arteries. The municipality and the state are partners in the project, along with landholders in what is called the U-Med district.
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Army Investigate Soldier Death
The U.S. Army is investigating the death of an Alaska-based soldier from Illinois. Army officials say 24-year-old Sgt. Okan Murat Cetinbag died at an Anchorage hospital Tuesday evening after being removed from life support.
U.S. Senate Considers Law Enforcement Gaps in Native Alaska
In Washington, D.C. the Senate Indian Affairs Committee yesterday reviewed a controversial report on Native American law-and-order that portrays the high rates of violence in rural Alaska, particularly against Native women and children, as a national disgrace. While Alaska’s senators agreed the gaps in law enforcement are deplorable, the long-standing dispute over tribal jurisdiction in the state hangs over the search for solutions.
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Alaska Could Soon Supply Its Own Donor Human Breast Milk
Alaska could soon have a Human Breast Milk Bank. The Milk Bank would operate under the Alaska Blood Bank and supply the state with donor milk. The Blood Bank has submitted a proposal to their board and is awaiting a decision. KNOM’s Anna Rose MacArthur reports.
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New proposal surfaces to develop Juneau subport property
Two local businessmen have come up with an early design concept for a prime piece of real estate in the Capital City. The so-called subport property, near the corner of Egan Dr. and Whittier St., has been vacant for more than a decade. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority owns the bulk of the proposed development site. The question remains: Is the authority ready to let it go?
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New Fairbanks Nonprofit Would Make Mushing Accessible
Dog mushing is Alaska’s official state sport, but not everyone can just jump on a sled and go. KUAC’s Dan Bross reports on a new Fairbanks non-profit organization aimed at getting people with disabilities out mushing.
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Senate Considers Treaties to Go After Fish Piracy
The U.S. Senate is considering two international treaties that Sen. Lisa Murkowski says would help crack down on pirate fishing in the North Pacific. Murkowski today told the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee that illegal high seas fishing is an economic threat to the crab industry.
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Record Run Leads To Glut Of Pink Salmon
The record setting pink salmon catch in Alaska last year has left seafood processing companies with several year’s worth of inventory of canned product, although not all of the pink salmon winds up in a can. In fact, industry in recent years has been freezing and reprocessing around half of Alaska’s pink catch. Analysts say that move has helped weather the boom and bust cycles of salmon returns.
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Mat-Su Sport Fishermen Applaud Board Action
Sports fishermen in the Mat-Su Borough are thrilled with a change the Alaska Board of Fisheries made this week to the Cook Inlet drift-net fisheries.
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Fabe Addresses Cost Of Delivering Justice
The State of the Judiciary address can sometimes be a lofty affair, where the head of the State Supreme Court sets out a vision for what justice in Alaska should look like. This year, Alaska Supreme Chief Justice Dana Fabe delved into more pragmatic concerns, like the effect of declining revenues on the state legal system.
5,000 Alaskans Sign Up On Healthcare.gov
More than five thousand Alaskans have signed up for health insurance on the federal marketplace. The new numbers released today include enrollments through the beginning of the month and show a 30% jump since the end of the December.
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Construction Spending Expected To Increase
Spending on construction projects in Alaska is expected to increase this year according to the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research. The 2014 construction spending forecast was put together by the ISER researchers for the Associated General Contractors of Alaska.
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The ‘Kiwi Musher’ is a Rookie, But He’s No Stranger to Mushing
The Yukon Quest has once again proven itself as one of the toughest races in the Far North. Of the 18 mushers who signed up for this year’s race, only eleven may finish. The race has claimed rookies, and seasoned veterans alike, but there are still a handful of teams plugging along toward the finish line outside of Whitehorse. KUAC’s Emily Schwing caught up with the “Kiwi Musher” and has this profile.
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Late Performer Leaves Seven Decades of Archive Treasures
When someone dies, it can take months to sort out legal and personal matters, but what if that life encompassed more than 70 years of international stage performances? Russ Reno is a long time family friend of the late performer Percy ‘Mike’ Madill.
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