Decades After WWII, Alaska’s First Governor Gets His Discharge Papers
At the onset of World War II, the territory of Alaska was seen as too big, too remote, and too sparsely populated to defend. That is, until it was attacked by Japanese forces. In response, a few thousand residents came together to form the Alaska Territorial Guard. Once the war was over, the guard disbanded, and those who served went back to their daily lives. But they were never formally released from duty. Decades later, these guardsmen are now finally getting their discharge papers.
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New Airplane Will Improve Medevac Service In Southeast
A new turboprop aircraft will make it easier for a medical transport service to land in some Southeast Alaska communities. Airlift Northwest will operate a Turbo Commander as well as the Learjet between Juneau and rural communities.
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Americorps Workers Embrace Sitka
In our on-going series about culture in Alaska, we’ve been talking about how we define ourselves and live our lives as Alaskans. Last week, we asked how long you have to live here to call yourself an Alaskan.
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Visting Artist Merges Theater With Academics
Students at the Kodiak High School and Middle School dabbled in theatric storytelling last week. A handful of classrooms participated in a two week artist in schools program that culminated with a presentation of their work on Thursday.
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Mountaineering on the Cheap
Today we learn how to take an epic Alaskan journey on the cheap. Luc Mehl has lived in Alaska most of his life, and he does not waste an opportunity to be outdoors.
Luc has done it all - from skiing down volcanoes to pack rafting through craters. Most recently he traversed and climbed the three largest peaks in North America. That’s more than 800 miles of hiking, biking, skiing and rafting.
Indie Alaska: The Ski Train
The Ski Train is a springtime tradition in Alaska, and one of the biggest parts of the experience is the roving polka band, the Alaska Blaskapelle.
In this video, we take a look at the whole experience, and get a look at a few of the characters from the band.
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Squash Mac & Cheese
I love this dish. But I seriously fretted about what to call it.
Because it's a lighter mac & cheese, but calling it "light mac & cheese" is such a culinary turnoff. Might as well tell folks to chew on some saw dust, eh?
See the recipe.
Governor Sean Parnell Announces He Will Seek Re-Election in 2014
For months, there has been speculation as to whether Gov. Sean Parnell would run for reelection or choose to go up against Democrat Mark Begich in the Senate race. Tonight, he made his announcement in Fairbanks at a meeting of the Republican Women.
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Alaska Supreme Court Rejects “Fetal Personhood” Initiative
Over the past few months, states like Kansas and North Dakota have moved so-called "fetal personhood" measures forward as a challenge to Roe v. Wade. Friday, Alaska's Supreme Court reaffirmed that such anti-abortion laws would not hold up in this state.
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Convicted Former Murkowski Aid Registers as Lobbyist
A former aide to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who served time in prison for falsifying his fishing records, is now working as a lobbyist. Records from the first quarter of this year show Arne Fuglovg represented four commercial fishing companies.
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300 Villages: Newtok
Now it's time for 300 villages. This week we're going to the village of Newtok, on the Ninglick River, which drains into the Bering Sea. The community is being relocated because of coastal erosion due to climate change.
Senator Murkowski Meets with Subsistence Users in Glenallen
Senator Lisa Murkowski held a listening session on subsistence in Glennallen yesterday (Thursday). The meeting followed an a similar meeting in Bethel last month. Murkowski says the issues raised in Glennallen were different from those voiced in Bethel.
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AK: Bacon
This week on AK, bacon. From its sound to its smell, it’s safe to say most meat eaters love everything about bacon. But few love it as much as Erik Johnson. He makes his homemade. Over the years he’s experimented with different bacon recipes, once even using an entire bottle of whiskey as a marinade.
Scientists Study Mt. Redoubt’s 2009 Seismic Activity
For several months in 2009, Redoubt volcano had residents of Southcentral Alaska on edge. Scientists warned that the volcano could erupt at any time in January. But it wasn't until mid March that Redoubt sent a ash plume thousands of feet into the air.
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Fisherman Dies After Falling Overboard Near King Cove
A crew member from the 42-foot F/V Taurus died after falling overboard near King Cove Friday morning. A Good Samaritan vessel found the deceased, but the Coast Guard isn’t releasing the crew member’s name or any details about the incident until next of kin have been notified.
Canoes Arrive In Wrangell
People have been arriving in Wrangell for this weekend's rededication of the Chief Shake's Island house. KSTK's Shady Grove Oliver has this story on the canoes that came for the event.
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‘Day of Loss’ as Bill Brady Center Closes its Doors
Tuesday was the last day of operation for the Bill Brady Healing Center. The inpatient drug-and-alcohol rehab program has existed in its current form since 1996. Its closure is blamed on federal budget cutbacks. The center is part of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, which relies heavily on federal money.
Parnell Administration Shifts Focus From Oil To Natural Gas
If this legislative session was all about oil, the next one could be more focused on natural gas. The end goal is a pipeline capable of moving the massive supply of gas on North Slope to market.
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Begich To Introduce Social Security Legislation
Senator Mark Begich plans to introduce two bills related to social security by next Monday. Begich met with leaders of Alaska organizations today (Thursday) in Anchorage to gauge their concerns and to announce his plan.
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Business of Clean Energy Conference Begins
It's a busy week for energy issues in Alaska. Today (Thursday) "The Business of Clean Energy" conference opens at the Denina Convention Center in Anchorage.
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