Former Marine Highway Head Asked To Resign By Department Commissioner
The deputy commissioner for marine operations at the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities says he was asked to resign by Pat Kemp, the newly-appointed department commissioner. Michael Nuessl is retiring at the end of this week. He had previously said the decision was by mutual agreement. Southeast leaders were surprised by his resignation.
Journalist Delivers Town’s Support To Wounded Soldier
Recently in Sitka, residents were invited to visit the library and sign a card of support for Joe Mille, a 2009 graduate of Sitka High, who lost his right leg in combat in Afghanistan, and who is now in a rehabilitation unit at Walter Reed Hospital in Maryland. The individual organizing the effort, however, is not in Mille’s family, or a member of his church. He’s the photojournalist who broke the story.
Alaska Dinosaur Exhibit Opens In Dallas Museum
An exhibit highlighting Alaska dinosaurs has recently opened at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. Anthony Fiorillo is the curator of earth sciences at the museum. He spends a lot of time in Alaska during the summer months looking for clues to Alaska's past animal inhabitants.
Copper Basin 300 Starts Saturday
The Copper Basin 300 sled dog race starts on Saturday in Glenallen. The race has a nearly full roster of Mushers eager for their first chance at competition in a season slowed by cold temperatures in the north and low snowfall in the south.
Mackey’s On His Way To Yet Another Comeback
An early season win for Four-time Yukon Quest and Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey has the Fairbanks musher in good spirits. Mackey says his kennel is once again living up to its name and making a ‘Comeback.’
Hiking Through a Forest With an Upright Bass, in a Cocktail Dress
What does the Rasmuson Foundation have to do with formally dressed musicians playing in the middle of a Sitka forest?
Find out in the full story.
Fuel May Have Leaked From Kulluk Lifeboats After Grounding
It looks like there was a spill from the Kulluk grounding after all. One of four life-boats dislodged and washed ashore as the huge rig grounded off Sitkalidik Island has at least two damaged fuel tanks. The rig itself has been towed to more sheltered waters and responders discovered the empty tanks while assessing materials washed to the the shoreline during the New Year's Eve grounding. The spill is estimated as under 270 gallons of diesel fuel. That estimate may rise as more tanks are examined on the four lifeboats.
The Reagan Presidency
THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY, a three-part series produced by the same team behind PBS' Herbert Hoover: Landslide, focuses on the critical domestic and foreign policy decisions President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) made during his two terms in office. This complex, thoroughly researched portrait of the nation's 40th president covers the Iran-Contra affair, the end of the Cold War, runaway inflation and rising employment, the air traffic controller strike of 1981, the Lebanese Civil War and the invasion of Granada, among other topics.
TV: Thursday, 1/10 at 9:00pm
Parnell Administration To Introduce New Oil Tax Reform Legislation
The Parnell administration is poised to introduce oil tax reform legislation again. Previous attempts have failed to gain enough support to pass the state legislature. The new bill was previewed for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. It incorporates some ideas raised in recent year’s discussions.
Alaska Democrats Introduce Bills Addressing Oil Tax Concerns
Democrats in the legislature’s minority haven’t offered a counter proposal, but they have introduced bills that handle some of their concerns about oil tax reform in a piecemeal fashion.
Congress Fails to Reauthorize Violence Against Women Act
Congress failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act last year. It’s unclear if and when the new, recently sworn in Congress will pick the measure up.
Victim service providers in Alaska are worried about future funding without a reauthorization.
Redistricting Board Wants High Court To Reconsider
The Alaska Redistricting Board wants the state’s highest court to reconsider its decision requiring Alaska’s political boundaries be redrawn. Attorneys for the board, in a petition filed this week, say the court misconstrued or overlooked important facts in the case. They say the court ignored its duty in failing to answer whether the plan adopted by the board was constitutional.
State Bond Rating Upgraded To Triple A
Alaska bond rating has been upgraded to triple A by Fitch Ratings. Triple A is the highest rating available.
Klukwan Native Corporation Closes Haines Office
The office of the local native corporation in the Haines area has shut its doors and all the shareholder records have been moved to Anchorage with the new President and CEO. Klukwan, Inc. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in August to settle a $7 million debt with an insurance company. A recent lawsuit settlement also changed the leadership in the corporation.
Alyeska Tram Will Be Sidelined Until February
The Tram at Alyeska Ski resort won't be running again for at least another month. One of the tram cars was damaged in an accident on New Year's Eve when a wind gust blew it into the tram tower. One guest suffered a minor injury in the incident.
Officials Take Victories, Lessons From Tsunami Evacuation
Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting included a topic no one could have foreseen when the agenda was released Friday. Fire Department officials briefed Assembly members on the Saturday morning evacuation that followed a 7.5 earthquake just before midnight Friday.
K300 Looks For Volunteers To Help With Large Field
The K300 Sled Dog Race starts in Bethel on Jan. 18 and preparations are in full swing. Twenty-eight teams are signed up to compete, the largest field in about 15 years.
Kreiss-Tomkins: Using Connections Instead Of Clout
Redistricting has cost Southeast one legislator this session, and voters in District 34 have made things even more interesting by sending a freshman to the House. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will be 23-years old when he’s sworn in next Tuesday. Here’s a session preview from the state’s youngest legislator.
Anchorage Man Dies After Being Hit By SUV
An Anchorage man died Tuesday after he was struck by a car pulling out of a parking lot on a midtown street. James Castro, 64, initially appeared uninjured but later died in the hospital. Police have not yet released the identity of the 68-year-old woman who drove the SUV that hit him.
NOVA: Decoding Neanderthals
Watch Decoding Neanderthals Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA.
What happened when the first modern humans encountered Neanderthals 60,000 years ago? In 2010, a team led by geneticist Svante Paabo announced that they had reconstructed much of the Neanderthal genome and the analysis showed that modern humans and Neanderthals had interbred, leaving a small signature of Neanderthal genes in everyone outside Africa today. NOVA explores the implications of this exciting discovery. Were Neanderthals really mentally inferior, as inexpressive and clumsy as the cartoon caveman they inspired? NOVA examines a range of new evidence for Neanderthal self-expression and language, suggesting that we may have underestimated our long-vanished cousins. TV: Wednesday, 1/9 at 8:00pm