NOAA Releases Cook Inlet Beluga Recovery Plan
NOAA Fisheries has a draft recovery plan to rebuild the population of Cook Inlet beluga whales. The end goal is to one day remove Belugas from the endangered species list.
Bethel settles out of court with Wassillie Gregory
Wassillie Gregory and the City of Bethel have settled out of court related to an incident in which the man was roughly arrested by a former Bethel police officer in the AC parking lot.
Murkowski, Cantwell Bill Pushes For Icebreakers
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Lisa Murkowski have introduced a bill that would allow the Coast Guard to build as many as six heavy icebreakers.
Noorvik Man Faces Kidnapping, Attempted Sexual Assault Charges in April Attack
A Noorvik man faces charges of burglary, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault after being charged with breaking into a neighbor’s home, attacking a woman walking by, and dragging her inside the house.
Critics question Sealaska finances
Could Sealaska make more money, pay higher dividends and make better use of its land? Yes, say some shareholders critical of the Southeast regional Native corporation’s management.
Murkowski: OCS Revenue-Sharing is ‘Simple Fairness’
Sen. Lisa Murkowski wants Alaska to get a share of the federal revenues from oil and gas development off Alaska’s shores. Alaska’s congressional delegation has tried before, but this time Murkowski hopes to harness the support of other coastal senators. The idea proved controversial at an Energy Committee hearing Tuesday morning.
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‘Erin’s Law’ Hangs On For a Bumpy Ride
It took until Day 22 of the 30-day special session for a sexual abuse prevention bill to get a hearing. And when it appeared before the Senate Education committee Tuesday, it was in a radically different form than the original.
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Hot, Dry Weather Fuels an Early Start to Fire Season
Wildland fighters are busy responding to new starts as hot dry breezy weather continues in the interior. Most of the human caused fires are being knocked down quickly, but a few are requiring larger responses.
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Noorvik Man Faces Kidnapping, Attempted Sexual Assault Charges for April Attack
A Noorvik man faces charges of burglary, kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault after allegedly breaking into a neighbors home, attacking a woman who was walking by, and dragging her inside the house.
US House votes to maintain current USCG spending levels
The U.S. House has passed a bill to keep the Coast Guard operating at the current spending level.
Walker Announces Budget Vetoes, Warns Of Layoffs
In a letter sent to state employees, Walker explained that the partial veto is being made because the Legislature authorized $5 billion in state spending when only $2 billion are readily available.
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Alaska’s Capital City Braces for Potential Layoffs
Of the 16,000 State of Alaska employees, more than a quarter of them work in the capital city. On their lunch break, state employees at the State Office Building talked about their tentative employment future.
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Flooding Closes Dalton Highway
The northern end of the Dalton Highway is closed again. A month after overflow from the Sag River shut it down, spring melt water has made the only access road to the North Slope oil fields impassable again.
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First Kuskokwim Restrictions Expected May 21
Expecting another poor king salmon run, the first fishing restrictions are expected to go into effect on May 21st. With the lessons learned from 2014, managers hope to bring enough king salmon to spawning grounds and allow for limited fishing along the way.
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M/V Susitna Racks Up As Much As $1M in Rain Damage
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s would-be ferry, M/V Susitna, has suffered expensive damage, and now the Borough estimates repairs could cost as much as $1 million.
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Thirsty California: A Potential Market for Alaska Water?
In Sitka, raising the hydroelectric dam at Blue Lake has created not only a source of renewable energy, but an even larger reserve of fresh water. The bulk water presents a business opportunity. With a contract deadline looming that could terminate its exclusive rights, Alaska Bulk Water hopes to deliver on long awaited promises to ship tankers of water and to make California its first customer.
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Troopers investigate two Atmautluak fires
Two weekend fires in the Kuskokwim delta community of Atmautluak were contained over the weekend—but Alaska State Troopers say they’ll still investigating the cause.
Wolf Hunt Adjacent to Denali Closes Early
The state of Alaska is closing wolf hunting early in the Stampede area along the northeastern edge of Denali National Park.
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5 Ill After Eating Fermented Seal Flipper
First three, and now five, people have fallen ill or been taken under medical observation after two separate meals of fermented seal flipper in the Seward Peninsula community of Koyuk have been linked to the toxic bacteria that causes botulism.
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NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Beluga Whale Recovery Plan
NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a draft recovery plan for Cook Inlet beluga whales. According to a release from NOAA, the plan will structure efforts to bring the whales back up to a healthy population size. Once there, the hope is to remove them from the federal endangered species list.
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