Federal Grants Boost Services at Aleutian-Pribilof Clinics
Community health centers in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands will get at least $600,000 in federal grant money for new services this year. The grants are aimed in part at helping new patients who enrolled in health plans under the Affordable Care Act. But there aren’t many of those in the Aleutian Islands. Instead, providers will use the money for the patients they already have.
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Sullivan Allowed to Keep In-State Tax Credits in Maryland
Maryland tax collectors had good news for Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan today, and perhaps bad news for his campaign. Maryland authorities say he doesn’t have to repay about $5,000 in homestead tax credits he received from 2006 to 2008, for a home he owned in Bethesda. Only owners claiming a home as their principal residence are entitled to the credits.
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After Long Delay, Governor Denies Record Request Into National Guard Response
Alaska regulations give government bodies 10 working days to fulfill a records request, plus another 10 if they need an extension. It took Parnell’s office 86 full working days just to deny one concerning the executive branch's response to sexual assault in the Alaska National Guard.
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Ebola Spreads to US; Risk to Alaska Deemed Low
Federal health officials announced today that the first case of Ebola has been diagnosed in the U.S. in Texas. The patient, who traveled from Liberia, is being treated in isolation at a hospital in Dallas. Public health officials in Alaska are prepared to respond if Ebola arrives in the state.
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How Should U.S. Lead in the Arctic?
Arctic experts and policymakers gathered at a Washington, D.C. think-tank today to focus on how the U.S. might wield its leadership when it assumes the chairmanship of the Arctic Council next year. Recommendations ranged from the lofty to the concrete.
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Walrus Are Hauling Out On Alaska Shores In Record Numbers
Pacific walrus looking for places to rest in the absence of sea ice are coming to shore in record numbers on Alaska's northwest coast.
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None Testify In Favor of Pot at Hearing In Bethel
The Bethel Legislative Office was packed Monday afternoon as Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell lead a hearing on Ballot Measure 2, a marijuana initiative that will appear on the November 4 ballot.
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Aleutian Towns Struggle to Retain Safety Officers
Two Aleutian communities are going without local law enforcement after their village public safety officers resigned.
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Insurer Thinks Affordable Care Act Needs Fix In Alaska
The open enrollment period for signing up for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act begins November 15th. Customers in Alaska who don't receive subsidies will have to pay dramatically higher rates for next year's coverage. And one insurer on the exchange- Premera Alaska, says the state needs to implement a new program to ensure future rate increases aren't as steep.
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‘No Means No’ – UAS Includes Sexual Assault Ed In Freshmen Orientation
Experts often refer to the first several weeks of college for new students as the “red zone” – a time when they’re more likely to be sexually assaulted. The University of Alaska system is on a list of 79 post-secondary schools being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for compliance with sexual assault laws or violations.
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Proposed Film/Photo Regs in Wilderness Areas Come Under Fire
As conservationists celebrate 50 years since the passage of the Wilderness Act, a U.S. Forest Service proposal to make certain wilderness area regulations permanent has brought forth accusations that the agency is infringing on First Amendment rights. Nearly a third of the 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is designated wilderness.
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Black Bear Party-Crashes A Ketchikan XC Meet
A black bear was in first place for a short time during one of the races at the Region V Cross Country meet Saturday in Ketchikan. Teams from around Southeast Alaska faced off for the chance to compete in the state championship. But the event took a chaotic turn when the first race was interrupted by a bear.
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Federal Grants Boost Services at Aleutian-Pribilof Clinics
Community health centers in the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands will get at least $600,000 in federal grant money for new services this year. The grants are aimed in part at helping new patients who enrolled in health plans under the Affordable Care Act.
Small-scale Hydro Project Proposed for Talkeetna River
The proposal for a massive hydroelectric project on the Susitna river is moving forward. The project has generated a lot of opposition in Talkeetna, the closest community to the dam site. Now a private company is proposing a second, smaller hydro project on the Talkeetna river.
Seismologist Says It’s Time to Talk About Earthquake Early Warning
Yesterday’s 6.2 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska struck without warning. Because that’s what earthquakes do here in Alaska. But state seismologist Michael West says now is the time for Alaskans to discuss the possibility of building an earthquake early warning system.
Seismologist: Quake’s Depth Helped Minimize Damage
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit Southcentral Alaska at 9:51 this morning. Michael West directs the Alaska Earthquake Center in Fairbanks. He says the epicenter was about 60 miles Northwest of Anchorage and 60 miles underground.
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Near Quake’s Epicenter, Businesses Escape Relatively Unscathed
Preliminary reports of damage around Talkeetna, near the earthquake's epicenter, are minimal. Some residents and businesses reported that items had fallen off of shelves and broken, but no serious structural damage was reported as of Thursday afternoon.
US Chamber of Commerce Pledges “Full Weight” to Sullivan
A new Dittman Research poll shows Republican Dan Sullivan is six points ahead of Democrat Mark Begich in the U.S. Senate race. The research was funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It ran a pro-Sullivan ad in April and today officially announced it’s endorsement of Sullivan.
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Studies Predict Peril for Alaska’s Feathered Migrants
America’s birds are in trouble. That’s according to two reports out earlier this month from the National Audubon Society and the Department of Interior. Both documents suggest climate change could have dire effects for many of the birds that migrate to Alaska each year.
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Petersburg Considers Changes to Senior Sales Tax Exemption
If you’re 65 or older, you don’t have to pay Petersburg’s 6 percent sales tax. Municipal Finance Director Jody Tow says that means local government is losing out on a lot of money.
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