Judge hears arguments in anti-Medicaid lawsuit; Plaintiff attorney joins by Skype
Superior court judge Frank Pfiffner heard oral arguments this afternoon in Anchorage in the Legislative Council’s case against Gov. Bill Walker to stop Medicaid expansion. The Council filed suit Monday to stop the program from going forward as planned next week, saying the governor doesn’t have the authority to expand Medicaid on his own.
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BC official says they’re open to more mine treaty talks
British Columbia’s top mining official says he’s open to involving his federal government in transboundary mine conflicts. That’s a change from earlier statements.
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Science takes center stage at USARC meeting in Nome
Science was in the spotlight when the U.S. Arctic Research Commission came together for its second and final day of meetings, covering a range of topics — from fire forecasts and walrus tagging to sea ice loss and the nutritional value of reindeer meat.
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GOP candidate Rand Paul drums up support in Alaska
Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul spoke in Anchorage and Fairbanks on Tuesday, kicking off a swing through western states for the Kentucky conservative.
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Final Sitka landslide victim recovered
Search crews have recovered the final victim of the Aug. 18 Sitka landslide. The body of 62-year-old William Stortz was found Tuesday afternoon.
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Speaking at Assembly, officials say: ‘Thank you, Sitka’
At the first meeting of the Sitka Assembly since last week’s landslides, city officials spoke emotionally about the loss of three local men — and said they had been overwhelmed by the response of city staff, volunteers, and ordinary citizens.
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State sets POW wolf harvest quota at 9
A wolf harvest quota has been set for Game Management Unit 2, which is Prince of Wales Island and surrounding islands. According to a joint news release from the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, biologists have set the state harvest at nine wolves.
Ketchikan prosecutor position to remain vacant
The Alaska Legislature has cut funding for every branch of state government, including the Department of Law, which oversees District Attorney offices throughout the state. This means Ketchikan’s D.A.s are taking on a larger workload as they wait to have a vacant position filled.
Gov. Walker continues to fight land into trust for Alaska tribes
Governor Walker is continuing the state’s appeal of a case that clears a path for Alaska tribes to put land into trust. Lawyers for the state filed an opening brief late Monday to appeal a ruling that overturns the so-called “Alaska exemption.”
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Anchorage law firm intervenes on behalf of state in anti-Medicaid lawsuit
An Anchorage law firm is helping the state fight the Legislative Council's lawsuit aimed at stopping Medicaid expansion.
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Walker Hopes to Reframe POTUS Perspective
President Obama’s visit to Alaska is now less than a week away, and he's not the only one with an agenda for his trip.
“It’s an exciting time for Alaska. We don’t have a lot of presidents who stop here unless they’re low of fuel," Gov. Walker says.
BC minister: Tulsequah Chief Mine leak should be fixed
British Columbia’s top mine official says the Canadian province needs to address pollution pouring out of an abandoned tunnel east of Juneau.
As national media hone in on Alaska, ICC plots its course
Alaska and the future of Arctic policy are seeing increased international attention as the U.S. holds the chairmanship for the Arctic Council and foreign ministers prepare to meet in Anchorage later this month. Bethel has seen international leaders on hand last week as the Inuit Circumpolar Council executive council met to plan their next few years of work.
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Parents feel sticker shock at rising price of high school activity fees
Classes in Juneau are just starting on Thursday, but some high school activities have been underway for weeks. This school year, the district has drastically cut funding for activities and athletics, leaving some parents paying hundreds of dollars more for their kid to participate.
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Kasilof Plane Crash Kills Pilot, Passenger
Two Kasilof men died when their plane clipped some trees and crashed just beyond the Cook Inlet bluff Saturday night.
Yupiit Nation Presses for Tribal Governance Progress
Yupiit Nation tribal members at an event Friday made a last second push for advancing sovereignty in Alaska. A few dozen people at a Yupiit Nation event in Bethel sent a late Friday afternoon letter to Governor Walker asking him to stop the state’s fight against putting lands into trust.
Potentially exonerating info leaked in Fairbanks Four case
Statements undermining murder convictions of the so called “Fairbanks Four” were briefly published in an on line Fairbanks Daily News-Miner article. The web story, which was quickly taken down by the paper today, shares leaked court documents outlining long sealed statements about the 1997 murder of John Hartman.
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Search teams race to find 3rd victim before storm sets in
Search teams in Sitka are racing the clock Friday afternoon, as they work to find the third victim of Tuesday’s landslide before a new storm arrives.
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Murkowski hears testimony on the state’s growing prison population
Alaska has already outgrown the $250-million Goose Creek Correctional Center that opened in 2012. Instead of pouring more money into building and maintaining prisons, people testifying in a U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs field hearing in Anchorage on Thursday said it’d be smarter to turn some of the money toward keeping people out of prison.
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BC officials to visit Alaska for transboundary mine dialogue
British Columbia officials travel to Southeast Alaska next week to discuss concerns about transboundary mines.