Juneau Man Arrested for Failing to Pay Child Support
Ten thousand dollars cash bail has been set for the manager of a Southeast newspaper arrested as a fugitive from justice.
Sitka Herring Harvest To Be Lower in 2013
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game announced the guideline harvest level for the 2013 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery Wednesday. It is 11,055 tons. The harvest level, also known as the GHL, determines how much the commercial fleet is allowed to catch.
Trucks Hauling Massive Girders for Bridge Project Likely to Cause Traffic Delays
A Fairbanks-based trucking company is hauling dozens of massive support structures up the Richardson Highway over the next few months. The 165-foot steel girders will be used to build the Alaska Railroad bridge over the Tanana River at Salcha. Motorists who encounter the slow-moving convoys of trucks hauling the girders should drive carefully – and expect delays.
Hemlock Trees Show Sawfly Infestation Damage
Boaters may have noticed gray, dead-looking trees on islands north of Ketchikan. Like other parts of Southeast Alaska in recent years, Western hemlock trees on those islands are suffering a sawfly infestation. But U.S. Forest Service officials say it’s normal, and not a cause for concern.
Energy Dept. Might Speed Up Terminal Approvals
There’s buzz in Washington that a recent report commissioned by the Department of Energy could speed up approval of export terminals for liquefied natural gas in the Lower 48. Some energy experts say the effect will be minimal on Alaska. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a market for Alaska’s gas.
Alaska News Nightly: December 12, 2012
Matanuska Creamery Co-Owner Indicted; Dispersants Used After Blowout Had Few Ill Effects; Energy Dept. Might Speed Up Terminal Approvals; NOAA Administrator Stepping Down; State Commission Challenges Park Service Hearings; Southeast Leaders Upset With Parnell About His Ferry Plans
Matanuska Creamery Co-Owner Indicted
The U.S. Attorney's office in Anchorage on Wednesday announced an indictment by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and false statements to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The indictment is in connection with the construction and management of Valley Dairy, doing business as, Matanuska Creamery in Alaska. The six-count indictment named Kyle E. Beus, 48, as the sole defendant.
Report: Dispersants Used After Blowout Had Few Ill Effects
The Deepwater Horizon blowout of 2010 marked the first time that chemical dispersants were injected into an oil spill underwater. Now a report from government scientists finds remarkably few ill effects from these chemicals. That has heightened concerns of several Native groups, and others who have been pushing for tighter regulation of dispersants.
NOAA Administrator Stepping Down Next Year
You can add the name of NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko to the list of top Obama administration officials not sticking around for the president's second term. The Commerce Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere told her staff Wednesday that she'll be leaving her job early next year.
State Commission Challenges Park Service Hearings
A state commission is taking issue with the number of public hearings scheduled by the National Park Service on proposed regulations that would block some state sport hunts for bears, wolves and coyotes in several national preserves.
Parnell’s Ferry Plans Upsetting SE Leaders
A number of Southeast leaders are upset about the governor’s plan to scale back the Alaska Class Ferry project. He made his announcement Tuesday in Ketchikan. Legislators and members of an advisory board say they should have been consulted first.
Sitka Teens Working on Communication Skills
Teenage years are filled with change, and navigating relationships among peers is a big part of everyday life. Bullying and violence are just some of the pressures they face. In Sitka, a group of teens is pushing back against this norm by practicing open and honest communication.
No Snow Stops Sheep Mountain 150
The mushing season is in full throttle by now, but with a lack of snow, mushers are starting to wonder how their racing season will shake out. On Monday, organizers announced the cancellation of the Sheep Mountain 150, a favorite mid-distance race in Southcentral Alaska It's not be the only sled dog race to succumb to this year’s weather.
Friends Not Giving Up on Missing Wilderness Instructor
Friends of missing wilderness survival instructor Thomas Seibold haven’t giving up hope of finding him. The search for the 31-year old German outdoorsman officially ended in November, but those who know him say there’s reason to resume looking.
Preliminary Engineering Underway For Susitna Watana Dam
Preliminary engineering is underway for the proposed Susitna Watana hydro electric dam. The state has hired Colorado based MWH Global to develop designs for the project, which would provide rail belt power.
Petersburg Voters To Decide On Creation Of New Southeast Borough
While the rest of the Alaska is done with elections for a while, one is heating up in Petersburg. Voters there are deciding this month whether to create a new borough in Southeast. The proposal would dramatically expand municipal boundaries and the tax base for Petersburg and increase the population by about 10 percent.
2nd Whaling Commission Exec Sentenced
A second former executive director of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission has been sentenced in Anchorage’s federal court for stealing from the organization.
AHFC Study Estimates $125 Million In Energy Savings
Over the last three years, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has collected energy use data on more than a thousand publicly owned buildings in the state. Results show that energy-related improvements to public buildings could save more than $125 million annually.
Sealaska Timber Touts Habitat Maintenance
Thick stands of young trees surround Election Creek, near Klawock on Southeast Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island. The forest was logged in 1989, and it’s been left to grow back on its own. Now, more than 20 years later, Sealaska Corporation is getting ready to thin the crowded stands of trees that have returned.
Fun With Physics At The Roller Coaster Riot
How do you get 135 third, fourth and fifth graders to learn and apply Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion? Have them design and build paper roller coasters.