Alaska Senators sponsor legislation to repeal Cadillac tax
Alaska's two U. S. Senators are co-sponsoring legislation to repeal the so-called Cadillac tax, which will impact high priced employer health plans starting in 2018. Because health care is so expensive in Alaska, the tax could have a big impact in the state.
Hearings start on fighter jets coming to Eielson
Local hearings are happening this week on the planned basing of 54 F-35 fighter jets at Eielson Air Force Base. The sessions, in North Pole, Delta and Fairbanks, provide opportunity to comment on a draft Environmental Impact Statement on the basing plan.
Juneau Empire to lay off 5 employees, consolidate with other newspapers
The Juneau Empire and Capital City Weekly recently told five of its employees they were being laid off. Three people in the business office and two graphic designers are losing their jobs by the end of the year. Those duties will be done either in Anchorage or outsourced to another country.
25 walrus found dead, some decapitated off Cape Lisburne
Twenty-five walrus—including up to a dozen calves—have been found dead on a beach about 40 miles north of Point Hope. Now federal wildlife officials are investigating a possible criminal slaughter of the protected marine mammals.
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In Fairbanks, Equinox Marathon runners slog along for Usher syndrome
Fairbanks annual Equinox Marathon is Saturday. A hilly, mostly off road course and wet, cool weather make the race a challenge, but a few participants in this year’s event are battling a much tougher foe.
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Murkowski frets fees on public lands, especially Mendenhall
Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday challenged National Park and Forest Service officials about the fees they collect from visitors. At a Senate hearing, Murkowski said she “generally” supports the law allowing the agencies to collect fees. But then Murkowski homed in on the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center, in Juneau.
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UA Board of Regents formulates Legislative budget requests
The University of Alaska Board of Regents this week is meeting in Juneau. Among the topics up for discussion is figuring how the university should move forward in a progressively bleaker fiscal climate, and developing a plan of attack for their legislative budget requests.
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From Spanish flu to the ’64 quake, AK Child & Family celebrates 125 years
Well over a century ago, United Methodist church members started the Jesse Lee Home in Unalaska for children who had been orphaned by disease or needed care while their parents recovered from illness. When the Spanish influenza pandemic wiped out villages along coastal Alaska, the home moved to Seward, and after the 1964 earthquake, it moved again to Anchorage. A hundred and twenty-five years later, Alaska Child and Family, the contemporary to the Jesse Lee facility is celebrating their anniversary this week.
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Juneau roller derby team starts junior league
The Juneau RollerGirls are training a coed junior league this fall. Roller derby is characterized by fast-paced bouts, slick moves and cheeky alter egos. Helmets are essential. But the raucous sport can be adapted for kids.
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Of $1B settlement, $125M earmarked for Alaska tribes
Attorneys for Indian tribes and the Interior Department announced today an agreement to settle a class-action lawsuit for $940 million. It’s a case that dates back to 1994. Since then, until 2013, the department short-changed some 640 tribes that had federal contracts to provide services to their people. Alaska tribes are among those owed money.
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Bethel attorneys add Outside muscle to class-action suit against GCI
A San Francisco-based law firm is now working with two Bethel attorneys who filed a class action lawsuit against GCI for their marketing practices in the YK Delta.
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In the arms race of internet speed, GCI pulls ahead
GCI unveiled their new "red" internet in Anchorage's Rogers Park neighborhood on Wednesday.
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Money in hand, Denali Commission looks where to spend
The profile of the Denali Commission was elevated earlier this month, after President Obama announced during his visit to Alaska that the commission would coordinate the flow of resources to communities threatened by erosion, flooding and permafrost melt.
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Too close for comfort? Chilkoot bears lure tourists
The brown bears that frequent the Chilkoot River in Haines have continued to garner attention, good and bad, from tourists and locals alike. Authorities and local bear experts agree that human-bear interactions are getting too close for comfort.
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BIA settles with 640 tribes for $940M
The U.S. Justice Department today announced the settlement of a large class-action lawsuit brought by 640 tribes and tribal groups against the Bureau of Indian Affairs over payment of contract support costs.
Feds transfer 23 acres to YKHC for hospital expansion
The U.S. House on Wednesday passed a bill to transfer 23 acres of federal land in Bethel to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation.
Anchorage Assemblywoman savors White House embrace
It’s almost like the White House has a crush on Alaska. First, President Obama visits and gushes in social media about what a great time he had. Then, of dozens of cities honored in a Let’s Move event at the White House, the person organizers chose to introduce the First Lady? Anchorage Assemblywoman and Vice Chair Elvi Gray-Jackson.
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Legislative council prepares for next phase of Medicaid expansion lawsuit
The Legislative Council is moving forward with their lawsuit to stop Medicaid expansion. In the meantime, both the legislature and the Walker administration are working with consultants to find ways to reduce the cost of the Medicaid program.
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AIDEA inches closer to choosing an Interior fuel supplier
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority will select a partner for the Interior Energy Project by the end of the year.
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On heels of Presidential visit, Denali Commission considers next steps
The profile of the Denali Commission was elevated earlier this month, after President Obama announced during his visit to Alaska that the commission would coordinate the flow of resources to communities threatened by erosion, flooding and permafrost degradation.