$1 Million Loan to Buy Sitka Hospital ‘Breathing Room’
Sitka Community Hospital will get a $1-million infusion of cash from the Sitka assembly, in order to meet short-term expenses. A long-term solution for the hospital’s cash woes is still on the horizon.
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Fire Marshals say PATC Fire Cause ‘Undetermined’
A report from the State Fire Marshals’ office has ruled the cause of a fire that burned the new alcohol treatment center in Bethel as ‘undetermined’. The building is owned by the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation and was fully insured.
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Incoming DNR Commissioner Prepares For New Position
Mark Myers is preparing to become Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources on January 16th. He is currently Vice Chancellor of Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Myers has also worked for the oil industry as a petroleum geologist and for the federal government- leading the United States Geological Survey.
And he was the director of the division of oil and gas when Frank Murkowski was Governor. Myers says he made a difficult decision to resign from that job.
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Homer Residents Take Part In Christmas Bird Count
The birders met at 8:30 in the morning Saturday at the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center to take part in a decades-old tradition of Christmas bird counting.
Officials Warn of Botulism Outbreak in Twin Hills
Health officials are warning of a botulism outbreak from a batch of seal oil produced recently in the Bristol Bay village of Twin Hills, near Togiak. A state investigation into the outbreak says more than 25 people may have consumed the seal oil, and they're working quickly to track them down.
Investor Pulls Out of Tulsequah Mine in BC
The company trying to re-open the controversial Tulsequah Chief mine in British Columbia announced a setback this week. It says a big investor is pulling out of the project. Chieftain Metals Company says it will use a bridge loan to repay a $10 million advance from Denver-based Royal Gold. Chieftain had been counting on another $45 million from Royal Gold to develop the mine.
Alaska LNG Export Project Hits A Couple of Bumps in D.C.
Gov. Bill Walker on Tuesday announced an agreement that could help sell Alaska liquefied natural gas in Japan, but the effort to build a trans-Alaska gas pipeline is meeting some resistance in Washington, D.C. Lack of political support there is forcing the federal coordinator for the Alaska gas pipeline to close up shop. Also, opponents of gas exports are raising their voice, and their targets include the pipeline Walker and many Alaskans pin their economic hopes on.
Generators Going Again; Lights Back on In Ft. Yukon
The lights are back on in Fort Yukon, including the Christmas trees, now that three of the village’s four electrical generators are functioning again. A couple of weeks ago, the holidays didn’t look so happy for the remote Yukon River community, when all but one of its generators broke down.
Fire Marshal Releases Report on Bethel Fire
A report from the State Fire Marshals’ office has ruled the cause of a fire that burned the new Phillip Ayagnirvik Treatment Center, or PATC, in Bethel as ‘undetermined’. The building is owned by the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation and was fully insured. The report, completed December 10th, according to state fire officials, was released to KYUK on Wednesday.
Gov. Walker Signs MOU With Resources Energy, Inc.
Alaska Governor Bill Walker signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday with Japan-based Resource Energy, Inc. for liquefied natural gas development and export out of Cook Inlet.
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Origins Of The Endangered Species Act
Humpback whales may be coming off the endangered species list soon - federal officials are expected to announce a decision within the next few weeks.
Regardless of what they decide, one thing is clear: without whales and other marine mammals, there might not even be an endangered species list.
In the first of a series exploring humpback whales and the Endangered Species Act, KCAW reporter Rachel Waldholz and biologist Ellen Chenoweth explain how one of the nation's most enduring environmental laws emerged from the office of one of its least revered presidents.
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Canada Approves Controversial Mine Plan in Southeast
A controversial mine near Southeast Alaska’s border has won approval from Canada’s federal government. That worries critics, who say the development could pollute salmon-bearing rivers.
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Anchorage Forms New Committee To Navigate Pot Legalization
Just a week after a vote shooting down a controversial proposal to ban commercialization of marijuana within Anchorage, the city Assembly is forming a new committee to handle local implementation in the months ahead.
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Orphan Bear Cubs Find A Home Outside
A permanent home has been secured for two black bear cubs rescued last month. The animals are being temporarily housed at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage, but they’ll soon be headed Outside.
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Do I Need to Rinse This? A Look Inside City Recycling
The rules about what you can and can't put into a recycle bin can be confusing, but they have a reason. Here's a quick primer on the basics of recycling.
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Doctors Hope To ‘Reset’ Healthcare Model In Alaska
A group of doctors in Anchorage hopes to do a better job caring for some of the sickest patients in the city. It may cost more money initially, but in the long run, the goal is also to save health care dollars. The new group is called Alaska Innovative Medicine and the idea is based on a kidney dialysis clinic.
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University President: Budget Cuts Will Require Downsizing to ‘Core’ Missions
University of Alaska President Pat Gamble is anticipating budget cuts that will force the institution to downsize, and focus on its core missions. Gamble plans to retire at the end of the 2015 school year, but he’s looking beyond his tenure to help the university prepare for the future.
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Coastline Search Leads To First Residents’ Camps
The Earth’s crust is more flexible than you think – especially in Southeast Alaska. Growing and shrinking icefields and glaciers, and rising and falling oceans have altered the region’s coastline over time.
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Interior Dept. Appoints New Leader for Offshore Energy
The federal agency that regulates offshore oil drilling is about to get a new leader. Abigail Hopper has been named director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, according to a report from FuelFix.
Unknown Oily Sheen off Shishmaref Coast Returns
An oily sheen of unknown origin discovered along the northeast coast of Shishmaref this summer has returned.
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