Unalaska Installs Emergency Mooring Buoy
When cargo ships run into trouble along the Great Circle shipping route, they often end up in Unalaska. There are plenty of support services in town, but there's only so much dock space. And with Unalaska's rough weather, simply dropping anchor isn’t secure enough.
ASRC Joins Business Lobby, Tax Fight Looming
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is partnering with the nation’s largest business lobby. ASRC is launching the Native American Enterprise Initiative with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Recount Gives Kreiss-Tomkins 32 Vote Victory in House District 34
Sitka Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won a Southeast Alaska state House seat after a recount. Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai says Kreiss-Tomkins defeated Republican incumbent Representative Bill Thomas of Haines by 32 votes. The final count was 4,130 votes for Kreiss-Tomkins and 4,098 for Thomas.
National Guard Looks to Start Unit in Unalaska
Alaska as a whole is a very military-oriented state, with one of the highest percentages of military membership in the nation, but that trend doesn’t extend out to the Aleutians. At least not yet. The commander in charge of Alaska’s Army National Guard is in Unalaska this week, scoping the possibility of forming a unit in the community.
Officials Identify Two Killed In Parks Highway Collision
Two people who died Friday in a collision on the Parks Highway have been identified. Shawn Dugan, 25, of Fort Wainwright, and Sandy Graetzsch, 33, of Fairbanks were killed when their vehicle slid across the center line and hit a SUV with three aboard, who were treated for non life-threatening injuries.
Anchorage Police Investigate Suspicious Death
Anchorage police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found near the side of a road. KTUU says police are calling the death near Valley of the Moon Park suspicious. Sgt. Glenn Daily says the man's death appears to be due to a head injury that isn't immediately explainable.
Israel Keyes Dies Of Apparent Suicide In Alaska Prison
Confessed serial killer Israel Keyes is dead of an apparent suicide in his Alaska prison cell. Federal prosecutors announced Keyes' death at a news conference on Sunday. They said Keyes confessed to abducting Samantha Koenig from an espresso cart last February in Anchorage, and killing her, also to abducting and killing Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, Vermont. They say there may have been other killings as well.
Keyes Autopsy Underway, Investigations Continue
The Alaska State Troopers have provided this update on the autopsy of Israel Keyes:
"The Alaska State Troopers investigation into the 12/02/12 suicide of Israel Keyes while he was in federal custody at the Anchorage Jail Complex has determined that Keyes used a blade from a disposable shaving razor that had been imbedded into a pencil to cut himself on the left wrist. Additionally, Keyes had used a length of bedding material from his cell to strangle himself. A determination from the State Medical Examiner as to which of these injuries, either alone or in combination, primarily contributed to his death is not yet available. This event occurred while Keyes was locked alone in a cell, from 9:30 p.m. on 12/01/12, until he was discovered deceased at 5:57 a.m. on 12/02/12. There is no indication of any criminal involvement from other persons. Pages of crumpled, blood soaked paper that appeared to have writing on them were recovered from the cell. AST has provided this item to the FBI, at their request, for laboratory processing."
Independent Lens: We Were Here
When AIDS arrived in San Francisco in 1981, it decimated a community, but also brought people together in inspiring and moving ways to support and care for one another and to fight for dignity and a cure. By David Weissman.
TV: Monday, 12/3 at 9:00pm
68 Mushers Register For 2013 Iditarod
Registration for the 2013 Iditarod closes tonight. Sixty-eight mushers are on the docket so far. Mark Nordman, the Iditarod race director and race marshal, says the lineup likely won't change much before tonight's deadline.
Shell Underwater Oil-Spill Equipment Fails Key Test
Shell Oil has been building and testing equipment designed for the Arctic Ocean in Puget Sound. In September, a key test of underwater oil-spill equipment was a spectacular failure.
Delegation Pushes To Protect Eielson Air Force Base
Alaska’s Congressional delegation is pushing defense authorization bill amendments aimed at protecting Eielson Air Force base from downsizing.
BBNC Board Member Resigns After Sexual Assault Charges
Facing sexual assault charges, Sergie Chukwak has resigned from the board of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, where he had served since 2010. BBNC Board Chair Joseph Chythlook, said in a written statement today that Chukwak’s decision to voluntarily resign will allow the Board to “focus on effectively serving” its shareholders.
Snow Levels Low Around The State
Many Alaska locations are ending up the month with minimal snow. National Weather Service climate data shows Fairbanks and Anchorage 13 inches below normal, with 6 inches on the ground in Fairbanks and just 2 in Anchorage.
Fairbanks Unveils Air Quality Community Action Program
The Fairbanks North Star Borough unveiled a new air quality community action program during a meeting in North Pole Thursday night. The program encourages residents to voluntarily refrain from burning wood on days when air quality is poor.
Juneau Assembly Housing Committee Gets To Work
Juneau has perhaps the tightest housing market in the state. The average assessed value of the Capital City’s single family homes is nearly $350,000. Rents are also among the highest in the state. The average rental unit in Juneau currently goes for more than $1,150 dollars a month.
AK: Humpback Whales
There’s a baby boom going on with Alaska’s humpback whales. Slow-but-steady population growth is good news for the species, as well as whale-watchers. But it could be bad news for boaters, hatcheries and the herring fleet.
300 Villages: Eyak
This week, we’re heading to the Native Village of Eyak. The village of Eyak is no longer populated. But the Native Village of Eyak, in Cordova, is a federally recognized tribe. Larue Barnes is the museum director for the Native Village of Eyak.
Palmer Fire Out, No Homes Burned
The community of Palmer is resting a lot easier now that a fire that burned Thursday is out. Dozens of people spent yesterday afternoon and evening at the the Palmer Senior Center worrying that the blaze might burn their homes. But, no homes were burned and the damage was minimal.
Alaska Among The Best Run States In The Nation
Alaska is among the best run states in the U.S. A survey by 24/7 Wall Street, which is an online financial news and opinion journal, ranks Alaska as 6th place runner up after North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Utah and Iowa.