House Finance Committee Blocks Medicaid Expansion Bill
House Finance Committee Chair Steve Thompson says the committee will not advance the Governor's Medicaid expansion bill.
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UAF Gets a Federal Boost for Unmanned Aircraft
The FAA last week named University of Alaska Fairbanks a “Center of Excellence” for research on unmanned aircraft. UAF and partner universities are charged with helping the FAA figure out how to integrate the unmanned machines in the national airspace. It’s still not clear if much federal money will follow.
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Body of Argentine Climber Found High on Denali
The National Park Service reports that the remains of an Argentine climber have been found at a camp high on Denali.
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Hooligan Run Lowest in Years on the Chilkoot
Hooligan fishing is a tradition for many people in the Upper Lynn Canal. But this spring, those who fish in the Chilkoot had disappointing results. Researchers say the mysterious fish seem to have turned right instead of left into the Taiya, near Skagway, instead of the Chilkoot. And there’s no way to know exactly why.
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Man Survives More Than An Hour Adrift After Skiff Capsizes
A goose hunter spent about an hour and a half adrift after his skiff took on water and capsized in rough seas.
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Sitka Parks Feel the Strain of Fiscal Belt Tightening
State officials have rolled out their plan to terminate direct management of state parks in Sitka, including two of the most historic sites in Alaska.
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Seafood Plants Offset Wage Hike Through Room & Board
In the next few weeks, thousands of seafood processors will return to Unalaska for pollock B season. They’ll be earning more money, thanks to the state’s minimum wage hike -- but they’ll also be paying more to live.
Alaskan Natives Support Arctic Drilling; Seattle City Council Opposed
Royal Dutch Shell’s drilling plans for the Arctic have hit a snag in Seattle. Shell is planning to dock oil rigs at the Port of Seattle before they head north to drill in the Chukchi Sea. The city council and mayor have come out against that deal. And that got the attention of a group of Alaskans, who showed up to tell Seattle’s leaders to get out of the way.
FCC Investigates Bid Discounts for Doyon-Owned Firm
The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday morning the FCC is ready to investigate how a company partly owned by Fairbanks-based Doyon won licenses to use the wireless spectrum, while claiming it was entitled to billions of dollars in discounts. Critics say Doyon’s big corporate partner, Dish Network, is taking advantage of a program meant to help small businesses. Doyon says the program worked exactly as intended.
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With No Budget Deal In Sight, Lawmakers Hold Brief Technical Session
The next floor sessions are scheduled for Friday and Saturday this week, and are also expected to be technical sessions barring any deal between lawmakers.
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Walker Administration Says Medicaid System Is On The Mend
The state’s troubled Medicaid payment system has seen improvements in recent months, according to Walker administration officials.
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Climbers Heli-Rescued Off Mt. Dickey After Slide
The National Park Service reports that two Idaho climbers have been rescued after an avalanche on Mt. Dickey in the Alaska Range.
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Sitka Gets Creative To Pay For Its Dam
After a month of discussion, the Sitka Assembly on Monday night settled on a modest electric rate increase. Residential rates will go up by about 6 percent in the coming year, to pay for debt service on the Blue Lake dam.
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Chinook Researchers Encounter Unlikely Predator In Bering Sea
While studying Chinook salmon in the Bering Sea, researchers have found themselves in the wake of an unlikely killer.
Court Overturns Wassillie Gregory’s Conviction
A judge has dismissed the harassment conviction of a man who was roughly arrested by a former Bethel police officer in the AC parking lot. Judge Bruce Ward approved the application Monday for post conviction relief filed by Wassillie Gregory’s attorney after video surfaced last month.
While Pitching Expansion, Health Department Officials Cite Fixes To Payment System
The state’s troubled Medicaid payment system has seen improvements in recent months, according to Walker administration officials. The update comes as Gov. Bill Walker has asked lawmakers to accept federal dollars to expand the state’s Medicaid program.
Minority Democrats To Hold Own Hearings
As part of the Legislature’s majority party, Republican committee chairs have the authority to schedule official hearings. At a press availability on Monday, members of the minority explained they were dissatisfied with the progress of the special session, and decided to hold meetings of their own.
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Teacher Charged with Felony Sex Abuse
A teacher in Kwigillingok has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old student.
Lawmakers Seek Audit Of State Crime Lab
Sen. Berta Gardner, an Anchorage Democrat, filed a bill to audit the processing of rape kits in the state earlier this year, after a report by the Legislature’s research department was unable to get information on the number of untested kits.
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Prenatal Pot Use on the Rise in Alaska
About 1 in 14 Alaska women are using marijuana while pregnant, and that ratio appears to be going up, according to the results of a statewide survey.
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