New Hospital Opens In Nome
Residents in the Norton Sound region had good reason to come together yesterday. The Norton Sound Health Corporation held a Grand Opening Celebration in Nome, marking the upcoming opening of the new Norton Sound Regional Hospital.
OSHA Hands Out $55,000 In Fines For Ammonia Spill
It’s been four months since an ammonia spill on a processing vessel shut down parts of Unalaska. Now, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has wrapped up their investigation into the accident.
One-Third Of Local Students Overweight Or Obese, Study Finds
About 36 percent of students in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District are overweight or obese – that according to a new study published by the Alaska Division of Public Health.
State Supreme Court Mulls Appeal in Same Sex Tax Case
Attorneys argued before the Supreme Court of Alaska yesterday whether same-sex couples in the Municipality of Anchorage should be treated the same as married couples when it comes to property taxes. The case involves three same-sex couples denied a senior tax exemption allowed under state law.
Senate Republicans to Continue Earmark Ban
Senate Republicans are vowing to continue a moratorium on earmarks this coming Congress. It could have repercussions in Alaska; a state that relies heavily on federal funding.
Unattended Candle Cited As Probable Cause Of Gastineau Apartments Blaze
An unattended candle likely caused last week’s fire at the Gastineau Apartments in downtown Juneau. Fire Marshal Dan Jager said an investigation determined the blaze started in the bedroom of an apartment on the fourth floor, in the back corner of the building.
No ‘Unusual Mortality Event’ Cases Reported This Year
The Unusal Mortality Event that saw seals and other marine mammals showing up with hair loss over a swath of Alaska's northern coast may be over. Experts told a science meeting Wednesday that no cases of the hair loss syndrome have been reported so far this year.
No Spill Detected So Far Near Grounded Tug
So far there have been no signs of a spill after a tug and barge went aground on Ukolnoi Island in the Aleutians - between Cold Bay and Sand Point. Five crew members from the tug "Polar Wind" were rescued. The owner, Northland Services, has joined a Unified Command team to respond to the grounding. The tug was 20 miles from Cold Bay when it became separated from the barge in 6-8 foot seas and 40 mile per hour winds.
WaterBuster
A personal story of how a multimillion dollar project displaced the Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara Nation in North Dakota. Producer J. Carlos Peinado returns to the Fort Berthold Reservation and discovers stories of the past as he assesses tribal identity. Through interviews and archival footage, a uniquely Native American perspective emerges, giving light to a portrait of resilience and survival in the face of catastrophic change.
TV: Thursday, 11/15 at 7:00pm
Thick Billed Murre Recovering After St. Lawrence Oil Incident
The Coast Guard and other agencies are still working to determine the source of oil that’s coating birds and seals near St. Lawrence Island. In the meantime, the only living bird recovered in the incident – a juvenile thick billed murre – has been cleaned up and is recovering at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage.
UAF Faces NCAA Fines
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is initiating a major infractions case against the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As KUAC’s Dan Bross reports, the case involves failure to meet athlete eligibility requirements.
Akutan Builds Harbor First, Access Later
While Akutan’s new airport has received considerable attention and scrutiny for being expensive and inaccessible, another large infrastructure project on the island that suffers some of the same problems has mostly flown under the radar.
New Calista Board Makes Changes At First Meeting
A lot is changing with Calista, the Native corporation that represents more than 12,000 shareholders from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Shareholders voted in two new board members at their annual meeting and the new board has continued to seek change.
Glass Recycling is Back in Anchorage
Glass recycling has finally returned to Anchorage. It starts on Wednesday. You'll have to drop it off yourself, but glass recycling is back in Anchorage after a three-year hiatus. Donna Mears is the recycling coordinator at solid waste services with the Municipality of Anchorage. She says there are drop off bins at the Anchorage recycling center ready to take glass from residents.
Food Bank Director Reflects On Time In Alaska
In 11 years as executive director at the Food Bank of Alaska, Susannah Morgan has helped feed more than 800,000 people. Despite her hard work, the hunger problem in Alaska has only gotten worse. When she started about 9 percent of the state’s residents needed the food bank’s services. Now that figure has increased to 14 percent.
Coast Guard Rescues 5 From Tug, Pollution Now A Concern
Five crewmembers from the Polar Wind were rescued after the tug and the barge it was towing went aground. The Northland Services tug was 20 miles from Cold Bay when it became separated from the barge it was dragging behind it. The two vessels went adrift while the crew was trying to reconnect the towline. According to Coast Guard Petty Officer David Mosley, weather was a factor.
Cleveland Spews Ash Cloud
After several months of inactivity, Cleveland Volcano erupted on Saturday.
Assembly Approves $475 Million Budget
The Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed the 2013 budget Tuesday night with a few amendments. One of the budget items which received lots of attention over the past few weeks was proposed cuts to the fire department, including the elimination of a truck in Eagle River and a water tender near the Hillside.
State Sends Officials New Estimate Of Fisheries Disaster
The Parnell administration has sent federal fisheries disaster officials a new estimate of that poor Chinook Salmon returns to Alaska rivers cost fishermen. Only commercial fishing is eligible for fisheries disaster aid, not subsistence or sports fishing. The new estimate is that about $16.8 million in revenue were lost by the industry because of Chinook Salmon closures. The prior estimate was about $10 million.
Nature: An Original DUCKumentary
Ducks fly through the air on short stubby wings — traveling in large, energy-efficient formations over thousands of miles. There are some 120 species of them, representing a wide variety of shapes, sizes and behaviors. Some are noisy and gregarious, others shy and elusive. They are familiar animals we think we know. But most of us don’t really know these phenomenal, sophisticated creatures at all. This program follows a wood duck family as a male and female create a bond, migrate together across thousands of miles, nurture and protect a brood of chicks, then come full circle as they head to their wintering grounds.
TV: Wednesday, 11/12 at 7:00pm