News

Petersburg’s officials and enforcement officers are cracking down on a growing problem in the borough’s harbor – sea lions. More and more of the creatures have arrived in the harbor, lured by the catch of local sport and commercial fishing fleets. Now the problem has turned dangerous. Download Audio

The National Park Service is finalizing its strategy for future land acquisitions in and around Lake Clark National Park. The park’s first final Land Protection Plan should be finished in July. Download Audio

Rocks began sliding off Pillar Mountain between Piers 2 and 3 Monday afternoon, possibly driven by steady rain and winds gusting to 45 mph. Rezanof Drive West was closed for about two hours at midday, according to Department of Transportation spokeswoman Sharon Barrett.

The long awaited entry of telecommunications carrier Verizon into the Alaska market is now happening. The company announced it is about to light up its 4G LTE network in the more urban parts of the state and begins taking customers for data transmission Friday.

On Monday, BP committed to spending at least a billion dollars in Alaska over the next few years. The oil giant plans to use that money to bring two drill rigs to Prudhoe Bay and to potentially expand into undeveloped parts of that field. The announcement comes on the heels of a major change to the state's oil tax system. Download Audio

Major hurdles need to be cleared before Galena residents, who evacuated due to a major ice jam flood last week, can return home. Download Audio

A draft Environmental Impact Statement released by the Air Force Friday recommends downsizing Eielson Air Force Base for cost savings, but Alaska’s leaders argue the document ignores requests for cost reduction estimates and fails to consider the local impact. Download Audio

About 35 carpenter union locals in the Pacific Northwest have closed in the past three years to join larger locals. Earlier this month, Juneau’s Carpenter Union Local 2247  fell to the same fate and its members have been absorbed by Anchorage’s Carpenter Union Local 1281. Download Audio

Around this time last year, it looked like Adak’s jet service was in jeopardy. Alaska Airlines wanted to stop flying there, and it was only after much back and forth that they conceded to continue serving the community, on a trial basis. Download Audio

The Federal Subsistence Board announced on Friday that the Copper River subsistence salmon fishery will not open on June 7 as previously scheduled. Download Audio

A group that wants to convert Fairbanks dormant Polaris building into an indoor produce growing facility isn’t giving up. Project leader and executive director of the locally based Alliance for Reason and Knowledge, Robert Shields says he’s organizing a campaign to raise money to buy the 1950’s era Hotel, and do initial renovations for hydroponic farming. Download Audio

For over a decade, the Matunuska-Susitna Borough has outstripped the rest of Alaska in population growth. From 2000 to 2012, the borough increased by over 34,000 residents. That 58 percent rate is nearly four times Anchorage and the state as a whole. One group finding the Mat-Su particularly attractive are Alaska Natives. Download Audio

Early Saturday morning a man assaulted a couple from the Pribilof Islands with his car in the parking lot of a hotel near the Anchorage airport. Reportedly the vehicle was occupied by two people, who first accosted the couple with insults and then went after them with the car.

BP today announced a billion dollar spending program for the North Slope. The company said this decision was made because of changes made in Alaska's oil tax. BP said some of the spending could come this year. Later BP plans to bring two more drilling rigs to the Slope by 2016 and says it is evaluating another $3 billion of development projects with its partners in the western end of the Prudhoe Bay area. And it says it is ready to start selling its natural gas.