Swanson’s Store Closing in Bethel
OMNI enterprises is shutting down their large Swanson’s Grocery store in Bethel. The store occupies a brand-new building and is the only competitor for the Alaska Commercial store there. As they liquidate their inventory with a half-off sale, customers are swarming the store to take advantage of sales. Many also lament the loss to the community.
Plenty Of Work Left Before An Alaska LNG Pipeline Becomes A Reality
Next year, Alaska is supposed to move forward on the engineering and design work of a natural gas pipeline. The project would cost at least $45 billion, with that amount split between the state, Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada. If the project gets built, it would allow Alaska to sell North Slope gas to Asia, and and use the revenue to help pay for state government. But there are a lot of things that must happen before the state gets to that point.
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Bethel Prosecutor Chris Carpeneti Resigns
Prosecutor Chris Carpeneti has resigned from his position at the Bethel district attorney’s office. His resignation comes about two weeks after the firing of Bethel District Attorney June Stein.
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Unusual Weather Prompts Concerns Over Early Fire Season Possibilities
Alaska wildfire mangers are anticipating the possibility of an early season. This winter’s unusual weather is prompting concerns.
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Walker Administration Renews Medicaid Push
A week after the House Finance Committee removed Medicaid expansion language from the budget, Health Commissioner Valerie Davidson is back before legislators advocating for the program.
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L48 Senators See Arctic Irony in Alaskan Views
Lawmakers fled Washington, D.C. ahead of a snow storm that closed government offices today. But scores of Alaskans packed into Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s hearing on Arctic opportunity. Sen. Al Franken used it as his opportunity to highlight what he sees as an Arctic paradox.
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Rep. Young’s Wolf Comments Raises Eyebrows
Alaska Congressman Don Young attended the only U.S. House hearing on this snowy day in Washington, and he created a stir with a comment about homeless people.
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Feds Turning Tongass Land Over To Sealaska
Sealaska Corp. gets its new land on Friday. The federal Bureau of Land Managementwill sign paperwork that day turning over 70,000 acres of the Tongass National Forest to the corporation.
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Alaska House Finance Committee Hearing Public Input On Budget
With the state facing a deficit of more than $4 billion, the budget is arguably the most important issue facing the Alaska Legislature this session. The House Finance Committee is now hearing from the public on its cuts, in preparation for any changes it might make to the spending proposal.
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Sullivan Jousts with EPA’s McCarthy
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan today engaged the head of the EPA, Gina McCarthy, in a testy exchange. Sullivan’s focus was the EPA’s proposed rule for the Clean Water Act. But first the senator extracted some crow from McCarthy for dissing gifts given to her when she visited Alaska last year. Sullivan says her reference to a jar of moose meat that could “gag a maggot” was disrespectful to Alaskans.
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Medicaid Expansion Event Brings Out Lawmakers, Davidson
Legislators, aides and others heard an alternate viewpoint on Medicaid expansion from a senior fellow with an organization that has referred to the "dangers" expansion poses in states that opt for it.
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Budget Cuts Would Eliminate Health Care Commission
The Alaska Health Care Commission would be eliminated in proposed funding cuts from the House finance committee. The Commission makes policy recommendations to the legislature and the Governor to improve the health of Alaskans and control health care costs.
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Jewell: No Plan Afoot to Declare ANWR Monument
President Obama infuriated Alaska’s political leaders when he announced in January he would ask Congress to protect more land within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, forever off-limits to oil drilling. Some, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, predict Obama will act on his own to bar development, by using the Antiquities Act to declare ANWR a national monument. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said today that’s not in the works.
Calista Announces Record Dividend
The Calista Corporation announced a record dividend Tuesday, totaling just over $5 million. The dividend amount is $3.80 per share, which works out to about $380 for the average shareholder with 100 shares.
Daylight Saving Bill Triggers Time Zone Déjà Vu
A bill that would eliminate daylight saving time in Alaska is now one step away from the Senate floor. But as the legislation has advanced, it’s also changed in a way that could divide the state -- literally.
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Developing State Regulations on Marijuana Mirror Alcohol, Cap Personal-Use Plants at 12
The majority of House Bill 75 spells out regulations for marijuana that mirror measures in place already for alcohol, granting local communities leeway with registering protests and setting civil fines.
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Cuts To Early Education Now Could Cost The State Later
Proposed cuts by Alaska lawmakers to early education programs could cost the state a lot more in the future. Program proponents say supporting parents and children from birth to age 5 is crucial to a child’s and the state’s development.
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Secretary of Defense Affirms Need For Arctic Emphasis
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter affirmed on Tuesday the need for a U.S. military strategy for the Arctic as Russia builds its military in the north.
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Gov. Walker, Republican Leadership Tangle Over Proposed LNG Line
Since Gov. Bill Walker was inaugurated, he and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have traded reams of angry letters and testy press releases. Now, their paper battle has transformed into outright hostility in dueling press conferences. APRN’s Alexandra Gutierrez is on the line to talk about the disagreements over a proposed natural gas line.
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Groups to sue Port of Seattle over Shell drilling fleet
A coalition of environmental groups says it's planning to sue to stop Royal Dutch Shell PLC from use Seattle's waterfront as a homeport for its Arctic oil drilling fleet.
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