Downtown Stores Called Upon to Keep Juneau Attractive
The last cruise ship to visit the capital city pulls out of Juneau at 9 p.m. Thursday. As stores in the tourist district pack up and shut down for the fall and winter season, the Juneau Economic Development Council wants to make sure downtown remains an inviting place to be.
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Five Arrested in Connection With Medication Theft from Shishmaref Clinic
Five people, including two adults, have been arrested in connection to a break-in at the Shishmaref clinic and the theft of more than 100 painkillers—a theft Alaska State Troopers say was accomplished using tools the group stole earlier from the community school.
Murkowski Backs Sullivan in TV Spot
U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan has a new campaign ad featuring the person he hopes to call a colleague: Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
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Tribes Advance Self-Governance Initiative With Tax Bill
A bill that will exempt tribes from taxation on social welfare programs has made its way through Congress and is awaiting the president’s signature. The bill was introduced in response to the Internal Revenue Service’s increased auditing of tribes over the last few years and is part of a national initiative to give tribes the same tax status as local and state governments.
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Wasilla Clinic Owner Charged With Medicaid Fraud
The owner of a Wasilla disability clinic has been charged with Medicaid fraud. The Alaska Department of Law filed charges against Laura Sasseen, owner of the Mat Su Activity and Respite Center LLC on Monday, alleging falsification of business records and and misdemeanor medical assistance fraud.
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Arctic Sea Ice Hits Minimum Extent, 6th Lowest On Record
The National Snow and Ice Data Center this week announced Arctic sea ice reached its minimum extent on September 17th. It’s the sixth lowest sea ice extent since scientists began keeping records back in 1979.
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Art is Big Business in Southeast
What are the arts worth to Southeast Alaska? A new economic study says painting, carving, theater, music and other creative pursuits generate at least $60 million a year in business.
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Anchorage: A Climate Refuge?
“Alaskans, stay in Alaska.” That was the first line of Tuesday morning’s most-emailed story in the New York Times, which looked at which U.S. cities are likely to be most hospitable in a changing climate.
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State Files Complaint Against Medicaid Payment Vendor
The state has filed an administrative complaint alleging unfair or deceptive practices by the vendor it hired to implement a new Medicaid payment system.
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Deadline Set; Southeast Wolves To Undergo ESA Review
The federal government has agreed to a deadline of the end of next year for an endangered species review for wolves in Southeast Alaska.
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25-Year-Old Rescued After Fishing Boat Sinks
One man is reported safe after his fishing boat sank in Lynn Canal on Sunday night. Twenty-five-year-old Woody Paul of Haines was rescued by another fishing boat in William Henry Bay north of Juneau after his boat the 36-foot, Kyra Dawn began taking on water and then capsized.
NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Deadly 2013 Soldotna Crash
A plane crash in Soldotna last summer resulted in the deaths of 10 people. The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary findings on the crash this week.
Governor Parnell Inks Support for King Cove Road
Gov. Sean Parnell was in King Cove Friday to sign a resolution urging the federal government to allow an access road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Alaska Delegation Review 113th Congress
The U.S. House and Senate are on recess now. When lawmakers return it’ll be after the November election for a lame duck session that will end the 113th Congress.
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Tribes Request King Bycatch Reduction as Pollock Season Wraps Up
As the Pollock season wraps up in the Bering Sea, the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Tanana Chiefs Conference want immediate action to protect declining Western Alaska King Salmon stocks from trawl bycatch. Wednesday they filed a joint petition for emergency regulations with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to crack down on king bycatch for the remainder of the 2014 season.
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Panel Completes Review of Standard Used to Set Refinery-Pollution Cleanup Level
A panel of experts wrapped up two days of meetings Thursday in Fairbanks that will help the state Department of Environmental Conservation determine the appropriate cleanup level for contamination of North Pole’s groundwater caused by chemicals leaking from the refinery now owned by Flint Hills Resources.
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State Takes Step Toward Recognizing Tribal Sovereignty
Until recently, Governor Sean Parnell, like his two Republican predecessors, and Governor Wally Hickel before them, used lawsuits, legislative initiatives and policies to dispute or diminish tribal authorities on several fronts. The Parnell administration now is taking a step toward acknowledging tribal sovereignty.
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Researchers, Academics Convene On Arctic Development Issues
Researchers and academics from multiple nations are gathering at the University of Alaska Anchorage this week to aggregate research on Arctic development. There are two efforts underway. The first is the initial meeting of Arctic Frost or Arctic Frontiers of Sustainability, looking at resources and development in a changing north. The idea is to bring together existing international research, clarify the new knowledge and get the information out to the public and schools. Dr Diane Hirshberg is the Professor of Education Policy and director of UAA’s Center for Alaska Education Policy Research. She says in addition to Arctic Frost, the second Arctic Human Development report will be released. The base line study was conducted 10 years ago.
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Feds Investigate University of Alaska For How It Deals With Sexual Assault
The U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office will be visiting four campuses of the University of Alaska next month to check if the school is handling sexual violence complaints according to federal law.
The University of Alaska system is on a list of 79 post-secondary institutions around the nation being investigated for possible violations, but university officials aren’t sure why.
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Towing Drill Tests Emergency Mooring Buoy
After seven years, Unalaska’s emergency system for towing stranded vessels away from shore is finally complete. A new dedicated buoy for disabled ships got its first full-scale test during an annual drill last week.
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