AK: Plant Rehab
Devil’s club is probably best known as a plant to avoid at all costs. But several small Southeast Alaska companies have a different take. They’re turning the roots, stems and bark of the plant into rubs and salves to treat sore joints and damaged skin. Sitka is the center of the growing industry.
300 Villages: Hope
This week we’re headed to the small community of Hope, 15 miles off the Seward Highway on Turnagain Arm. Susan Anderson started the library in Hope.
Butte Residents Clean Up After The Flood
State homeland security officials estimate that the cost of recent flooding in Alaska has topped 13 million dollars. That includes damage to state and Borough infrastructure from Seward to Nenana, but does not include ruined individually -owned property. In the Matanuska Susitna Borough, many residents are still coming to grips with how much the flood will cost them. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer brings us this update on the flood's aftermath
Parnell Eyeing Ways To Further Advance Gas Line
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says an all-encompassing fiscal package for a major natural gas pipeline project isn't expected next year. Parnell had said that if companies met his milestones for progress on a line, the 2013 Legislature could take up gas tax legislation.
State Supreme Court Says Business Emails On Private Accounts Are Public Records
State employees can't use private e-mail accounts to hide their work communication from public record laws. The State Supreme Court issued a decision on the matter on Friday, that largely affirms an earlier Superior Court Ruling. The case dates back to the Sarah Palin Administration and addresses the tricky question of whether the state records law is keeping up with communication technology.
Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Fisherman
Thursday night the Coast Guard suspended its search for a fisherman who went overboard about 90 miles southwest of Kodiak on Thursday morning.
Mail Dispute Keeps Akutan Airport Idle
Akutan’s new, $77 million runway has been open for a month, but residents and their mail are still making the trip to town on PenAir’s World War II-era Grumman Goose seaplane. A dispute over transporting the mail is holding up the process of bringing scheduled service to the new airport.
Alaska Airlines Buying More New Jets
Alaska Airlines announced Thursday that it’s buying another 50 jets from Boeing. It already has 25 of the new 737s on order, and options for another 69. Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan says the new order, valued at $5 billion, will be delivered over the next 10 years.
Two Bodies Found Outdoors in Anchorage
Two women have been found dead in Anchorage this week. Both were found outdoors.
Dowling Remains Identified, APD Continues Investigation
View Quinhagak Street in a larger map The Alaska State Medical Examiner's Office has identified the deceased woman found in South Anchorage on Wednesday as 24-year-old Michelle Felber. Anchorage Police Department Spokesman Lieutenant Dave Parker says the Anchorage resident was reported missing by family members Monday, Oct. 8. But the family had not seen Felber for at least two months.
Another Body Found in Anchorage, Second in Week
View Larger Map The remains of another deceased female have been found in the Mountainview neighborhood of Anchorage. Police Department Spokesman Lieutenant Dave Parker says the woman's body was found by passersby around 1:30 Thursday afternoon near the Mountain View Community Church. The body will be sent to the medical examiner's office for identification. This is the second body found outdoors this week. Police are not making a connection between the two investigations.
Begich Working To Understand Lessons From Arctic Drilling Season
Shell still has drill rigs working in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. But Senator Mark Begich got an early start in Anchorage on Thursday trying to understand the lessons learned from the first season of Arctic drilling in more than two decades. At a Congressional field hearing, Federal agencies, local community representatives and Shell all weighed in on what went right in the Arctic this summer and what went wrong.
Organizations Attempt To Start Dialogue Around Homer Sexual Assault Incident
The community of Homer is still reeling from an alleged sexual assault that occurred at a teen drinking party last month. Several organizations in Homer have attempted to spur a community dialogue around the incident.
GVE Agrees To Stricter Pollution Controls For Healy Coal Plant
Golden Valley Electric Association has agreed to stricter pollution controls for the Healy Clean Coal Plant under an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency. The utility has battled with environmental groups over proposed re-start of the long idled 300 million dollar plant. As KUAC’s Dan Bross reports, the agreement is the result of direct negotiation with the federal government.
Individual Property Owners Not Included In State’s Flood Damage Estimate
State homeland security officials estimate that the cost of recent flooding in Alaska has topped $13 million. That includes damage to state and Borough infrastructure from Seward to Nenana, but does not include ruined individually-owned property. In the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, many residents are still coming to grips with how much the flood will cost them.
Officials Investigate Remains Found Near Wrangell
State and federal officials are investigating the human remains found near Wrangell last weekend during a fishing trip. Vena Stough and her family were fishing off Government Slough when she found a partial skull. She turned the remains over to local police who notified the U.S. Forest Service in Wrangell. Tongass Archaeologist Mark McCallum said he sent pictures of the skull to the state medical examiner.
Election 2012
Listen to live coverage from election central at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage 9:00 - 11:00 pm. Candidates, local analysts and APRN reporters from around the state join hosts Steve Heimel and Peter Granitz to discuss Alaska's election results and national outcomes. Listen on KSKA FM 91.1 and APRN member stations statewide.
Voter Resources:
- Find My Polling Place
- Sample Ballot Election 2012
- Redistricting Maps and Descriptions
- Early Absentee and In-Person Voting
- State of Alaska Division of Elections: 2012 General Election Results
Experts Think Foreclosure Crisis Bottoming Out
September saw the fewest foreclosures nationwide in five years. Alaska continued its downward trend as well. Some real-estate experts think the foreclosure crisis is bottoming out.
Buccaneer Scraps Plans For Tyonek Drilling
It’s been more than six weeks since Buccaneer Energy’s jack-up rig Endeavour arrived in Alaska to begin drilling for oil and gas in Cook Inlet. But the rig remains tied up at the Homer harbor and plans for it to drill this year near Tyonek have now been scrapped.
Searchers Locate Crashed Plane In Tikchik Lake
Searchers located the plane that crashed north of Dillingham in about 40 feet of water at the bottom of Tikchik Lake on Tuesday evening. As of last night, State troopers have not yet reported finding the body of the pilot and sole victim, 71-year-old Albert “Newt” Ball.