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
Shaeffer Cox Sentenced To Nearly 26 Years In Prison
Fairbanks militiaman Francis Shaeffer Cox is facing a 310 months in prison. Federal judge Robert Bryan handed down the sentence – close to 26 years – U.S. District Court in Anchorage at noon Tuesday, despite pleas of leniency from both Cox and his attorney, Peter Camiel.
2 Federal Investigations To Probe Kulluk Incident
There will be two federal investigations of what went wrong with the Kulluk, the 266-foot Shell drilling rig that went adrift in the Gulf of Alaska and ended up on the rocks of the outer coast of Kodiak Island.
Student Arrested After Bringing BB Gun to School
An Anchorage high school went into lock down this morning (Tuesday, 1/8) after a student brought a gun to school. Anita Shell is a spokeswoman for the Anchorage Police Department. She says another student saw the gun and reported it to an administrator.
American Petroleum Institute Says Shell Should Move Forward With Arctic Ocean Drilling Plans
The top oil lobbyist in Washington DC says Shell Oil should not be hampered by the grounding of the Kulluk. The American Petroleum Institute says Shell Oil should move forward with its Arctic Ocean plans this year.
Officers Study Science Behind Deadly Force
Law enforcement officers from across the state have spent the past two days in a training on the use of deadly force. The workshop comes after two deadly, high-profile suspect shootings by Anchorage Police officers in 2012. As KSKA's Daysha Eaton reports, the training is focused on science.
Contaminated Site Has Nikiski Residents Worried About Groundwater Pollution
A contaminated site in Nikiski has residents worried for the safety of their groundwater. The Arness Septage site was a dumping ground in the 1980s for more than 4,000 gallons of oil contaminated waste, sludge and other pollutants. In the decades since, Department of Environmental Conservation staff say the site has not been properly monitored. Peninsula Clarion reporter Brian Smith just published a six-part series on the site. He says in the late 1980s the area was cleaned up. But he told APRN’s Lori Townsend there are still big questions about how area ground water was affected.
Are You Prepared For The Next Evacuation?
At 12:13 early Saturday morning in Sitka, the tsunami siren blew. Warnings were broadcast throughout Sitka after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck right before midnight. And the siren caught many city residents unprepared.
Hoonah Man's Sentencing Delayed Until April
John Marvin Junior's sentencing has been moved to early April. The Hoonah man, convicted last November of killing two police officers, was to be sentenced Feb. 1. A presentence report was due late last month, but it hasn't even been drafted yet.
Militia Leader Sentenced To Nearly 26 Years
The leader of an Alaska militia convicted of conspiring to murder federal officials will spend nearly 26 years in prison. Judge Robert Bryan on Tuesday sentenced Schaeffer Cox during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Anchorage.
Robert Meachum Services Planned For Tuesday
Services are planned for this afternoon for a Juneau defense attorney who unexpectedly passed away on New Year's Day. Fifty-seven-year old Robert Francis Meachum was a public defender who had worked most recently out of the Dillingham and Juneau offices.
Lonnie, Karen Vernon Sentenced In Militia Trials
An Alaska militia member will serve nearly 26 years in a federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and to amass weapons. Lonnie Vernon was sentenced today during a combative session in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, at which he denied the authority of the court, the judge and prosecutors.
Shell Drill Rig Anchored In Kiliuda Bay
Shell's Kulluk drill rig has successfully been anchored in Kiliuda Bay, on the east side of Kodiak Island. It took the Kulluk about 12 hours to be towed 45 miles to the bay. It was re-floated a little after 10 p.m. last night.
Nearly 60 Bills Pre-Filed For Upcoming State Legislative Session
A list of nearly 60 bills and resolutions was released today in preparation for the upcoming legislative session in Juneau. The pre filed bills...
Investigation of Anchorage Apartment Fire Points to Arson, Woman Charged
An arrest has been made in connection with the fire that burned a midtown Anchorage apartment building last week. Late Friday the Anchorage Fire Department announced that Jenae Collins had been arrested and charged. Officials with the Anchorage Fire Department say they believe it was arson.
POW Residents Feel Quake, Head To High Ground
The big question in Southeast Alaska this weekend was, “Did you feel the quake?” In some communities, it was, “Where’d you evacuate too?” or “Did anything break?” The 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck at 11:58 p.m. Friday, with more than a dozen weaker aftershocks following for hours. The temblor, which some called “The Midnight Quake,” hit about 60 miles west of Craig, on Prince of Wales Island. KRBD’s Leila Kheiry talked to people in Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island about the quake and its aftereffects.
Dillingham Students Embrace Automotive Class
One thing teachers and parents hope to see from their students is motivation, to show a little enthusiasm daily about learning something new, to embrace a challenge, to make productive use of their time in school each day. In the Automotive Class at Dillingham High School, students undertake routine maintenance on vehicles for free, if owners provide the parts and materials. The students are not only becoming pretty good at what they do, they’re also excited about it doing it. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger noticed the students’ motivation when he dropped his truck off for some maintenance.
Study: Otters Eating Sea Urchins Reduces Greenhouse Gas
There’s more scientific evidence that sea otters reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. That has meaning for Southeast Alaska, where the population is booming, and Southwest Alaska, where it’s dropped.
2 Winters Wide Apart
When it comes to snowfall, this winter and last winter in Anchorage are wide apart. So far the difference is more than 45 inches when comparing last year’s bounty and this year’s skimpy amounts of the white stuff.
Eastern Orthodox Christians Celebrate Christmas Today
Monday, Jan. 7, is Christmas Day on the Julian calendar observed by the Eastern Orthodox Christians. Western churches and most secular institutions follow the Gregorian calendar. In both calendars, however, Christmas falls on December 25th.