Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, March 2, 2023
DNA evidence leads to a suspect in a decades old sexual assault case. Also, what's keeping mushers from entering the Iditarod? (Some say it's economics). And the Anchorage Fire Department assists with the unusual rescue of a sled dog from an ice floe.
Meet 5 Iditarod rookies from a Denali climber to a former garbage truck driver
More than one in four competitors in this year’s Iditarod are rookie mushers.
Juneau School District loses $269K to scammer
City and Borough of Juneau Finance Director Jeff Rogers outlined the incident Wednesday in a memo shared with the Assembly Finance Committee.
Alaska senators introduce bipartisan bill intended to revive a pension program for state workers
One in five state jobs is vacant, and reintroducing a pension will help the state fix its recruitment problems, bill sponsors said.
Alaska leaders fly to D.C. to press for Willow project
The ConocoPhillips project is opposed by environmental advocates but supported by Alaska's political and business establishment.
Weather Service overhauls Alaska marine forecasts’ shoreline information
The changes, slated to go into effect March 8, follow feedback from mariners calling for more accurate forecasts closer to shorelines.
Wrangell urges feds to leave Southeast wolves off endangered species list
The Wrangell Assembly approved a resolution urging the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service not to list Alexander Archipelago wolves as endangered.
Clam Gulch musher still looking for dog after Seward Highway trailer incident
One sled dog was rescued from an ice floe and another is still missing after a Kenai Peninsula musher’s trailer disconnected from his truck.
Airman slipped on ice, fell off Tanana River bridge, troopers say
Troopers have wrapped up their investigation of the Feb. 18 incident. The Eielson Air Force Base airman who fell is still being treated for her injuries.
Native Hawaiians face sentencing in a crime that exposed the state’s racial complexity
Two Native Hawaiian men will be sentenced Thursday in the beating of a white man who tried to move into their remote fishing village.
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Alaska Native leaders rally in DC to support the Willow project. The VA secretary speaks to veterans in Bethel. Plus, get to know the rookie mushers in this year's Iditarod.
Anchorage Assembly member wants to ban the city from using of facial recognition technology
“Oftentimes, facial recognition algorithms and the databases they use end up having inaccuracies," said Assembly member Joey Sweet.
Kodiak Island Borough’s mayor becomes its manager
Aimee Williams' appointment by the Assembly ends a tumultuous job search, but leaves the borough seeking an interim mayor.
Alaska Airlines’ flying salmon is about to be extinct
Alaska Airlines will paint over “Salmon Thirty Salmon,” the custom Boeing 737 that looks like a 129-foot-long Alaska king salmon.
Norton Sound crabbers become catcher-sellers to offload winter harvest
With no local buyer to purchase Norton Sound red king crab this winter, commercial fishermen are getting creative to sell their catch.
Juneau update: James Brooks does the math on school funding and Alaska Permanent Fund dividends
The Legislature has had 45 days to get its arms around the problems. Next up: search for solutions, says Alaska Beacon reporter James Brooks.
Army selects natural gas-fired heat system for Fort Wainwright
The U.S. Army is proposing to replace Fort Wainwright’s coal-fired heat and power plant with natural-gas fired boilers installed around the post.
Alaska school board and Gov. Dunleavy pick new education commissioner
Former special education teacher Susan McKenzie will be the new commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
Juneau joins Southeast communities in backing king salmon troll fishery
Juneau's Assembly is the latest to support Southeast Alaska’s king salmon troll fishery against a lawsuit that could threaten its future.
Eli Lilly cuts the price of insulin, capping drug at $35 per month out-of-pocket
Eli Lilly will cut prices for some older insulins later this year and immediately expand a cap on costs insured patients pay to fill prescriptions.