Alaska ACLU Head Leaving State For New Position
Alaska ACLU head Jeff Mittman is leaving the state for another post with the organization. An ACLU press release does not disclose what his new job will be, but says that an interim Executive Director will serve while a national search goes on.
More Lawsuits Filed Against Former State Probation Officer
More lawsuits have been filed by women against former state probation officer James R. Stanton, already convicted of charges related to allegations of sexually preying on his clients.
AK: Going Bald
When you’re a teenager, looks matter. But one girl in Sitka decided that those concerns were trivial, and shaved her head for a cause much bigger than herself. By choosing to go bald, she was supporting childhood cancer research across the U.S.
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How Much Are Hospitals Charging? How Much Is Medicare Paying?
How much does a hospital charge for a certain procedure? That information can be difficult for consumers to access before they get a bill in the mail. Now for the first time, the federal government is publicly sharing what hospitals bill Medicare for the 100 most common procedures. The information shows hospitals across the country, and across Alaska, charge dramatically different prices for the same procedure.
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Arctic Scientists Take On ‘Emerging Research Questions’
Environmental changes from climate warming are hitting the Arctic harder and faster than anyone predicted. This week, top Arctic scientists have been meeting in Anchorage looking for better ways to investigate and even track the changes and what they could mean.
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City, Borough of Juneau Keeping Track of Marketplace Fairness Act
Juneau officials are keeping an eye on legislation making its way through Congress that would allow states to collect sales tax on online purchases. The U.S. Senate this week voted 69-27 in favor of the Marketplace Fairness Act.
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Alaska Native Fisheries Group Wants Fair Share
An Anchorage based Community Development Quota group wants a greater share of Alaska’s deep sea fisheries. The Coastal Villages Region Fund, which represents 20 villages in Western Alaska, has asked the state’s Congressional delegation to make changes in how the fisheries quotas are allocated, but critics call the plan “reckless” and say it could endanger the entire CDQ program.
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Police Break Up Eagle Party at Unalaska Safeway
A flock of eagles descended on the Safeway parking lot last week, prompting police intervention. Public Safety Director Jamie Sunderland says several people called in short succession on Thursday afternoon to report the melee.
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Land Exchange Between Fairbanks Borough, Local Resort Hits Snag
For nearly a decade, the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Chena Hot Springs Resort have been working on a land exchange sale. The Resort would buy 1480 acres in exchange for a series of easements that allow access to neighboring Borough property, which includes access to land popular for recreation. Last fall, the Assembly passed an ordinance to approve the sale. The deal is at an impasse, because neither side can agree to the value of the property.
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Biologists Release Numbers For Spring Wolf Count In Denali National Park
Biologists at Denali National Park released numbers today from their spring season wolf survey this year. In March, they observed 49 wolves in and around Denali National Park and Preserve. That number is down slightly from last fall, when 57 wolves were counted in the region.
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King Island Community Members Hope To Return To Bering Sea Island
It’s been more than 50 years since there were year-round permanent residents on King Island. And today, most King Island community members who now live in Nome, Fairbanks or Anchorage have never been to their homeland. But one person is raising money to bring members of her community to the island in the Bering Sea.
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Polar Bear Cub Heading To Buffalo Zoo In New York
A polar bear cub rescued on the North Slope in March has been cleared for flight and will head to the Buffalo Zoo in Buffalo, New York on Tuesday next week. The orphaned cub, Kali, has been at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage since his rescue. The final day to see Kali at the Alaska Zoo will be Monday, May 13, where he can be found out and about in his yard between 11 a.m. and noon and 3-4 p.m. each day until then.
Polar Research Board Deliberate Emerging Climate Warming Issues
Thursday, a committee of the Polar Research Board deliberates in a closed session in Anchorage on what they heard from Arctic researchers from many different fields about emerging issues involving climate warming.
Man Arrested In Haines In Connection To Utah Cold-Case Murder
A man accused in a cold-case Utah murder was arrested in Haines on Wednesday. Haines police and Alaska State Troopers assisted Ogden, Utah police in apprehending Stephen Ellenwood after he eluded law enforcement on a foot pursuit through a wooded Haines neighborhood.
Celebrate National Child Care Provider Appreciation Day
The second Sunday in May has long been recognized as the day to honor mothers and their commitment to children. But, did you know the Friday before Mother’s Day, May 10, 2013, is Provider Appreciation Day?
Learn more. Bethel Cop Charged With DUI At Police Shooting Scene
A former Bethel police officer is being charged with being intoxicated while on the scene of a police shooting last fall. Last October, a Bethel police officer shot and killed a man in a neighborhood near Brown’s Slough. The man, 24-year-old Sam Alexie Jr., was intoxicated and pointed a rifle at the officer who then shot him.
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State Leases Nearly 150,000 Acres To Oil, Gas Developers
The state of Alaska leased nearly 150,000 acres to oil and gas developers in a sale on Wednesday. The sale represents a continued interest in development in Cook Inlet that could focus on oil drilling in the coming years.
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Federal Government Targets 50 Legacy Wells For Clean-Up
Across the North Slope, there are over a hundred oil wells drilled by the federal government that are no longer operational. At some sites, there are abandoned drums sunk in oil seeps; other wells have gas leaking from them. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft plan identifying 50 of these so-called "legacy wells" for clean up.
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How Much School Can A Student Miss?
The high cost of travel for extracurricular activities in Sitka’s schools has been an ongoing debate for years. Now, the school board is going to take a hard look at whether travel costs students and parents more than just money.
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Frank Murkowski Lays Blame On Environmentalists
Former Alaska Governor and U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski is laying blame on environmentalists for a range of U.S. problems.
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