Crews Fighting to Keep Funny River Fire Away from Homes
Firefighting crews battled to keep the Funny River fire from expanding toward homes and cabins on the Kenai Peninsula. People evacuated from about 1,000 households waited it out through Sunday night at shelters, and homes of friends and relatives. The fire has been spotted at times across the Kenai River.
Funny River Fire Hits 67,000 Acres
The Funny River fire on the Kenai Peninsula has topped 67,000 acres. The combination of Memorial Day weekend and extreme fire conditions have firefighters concerned.
Download Audio
Tyonek Fire Holds At 1,800 Acres
The Tyonek fire on the western side of Cook Inlet is holding steady at just over 1,800 acres. Sam Harrel, a public information officer with the Alaska Division of Forestry, says winds Thursday pushed the fire back onto itself.
Download Audio
Senate Panel Approves Labeling for GM Salmon
Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Senate Appropriations Committee she hopes the FDA never allows genetically modified salmon to reach supermarket shelves.
"But we haven’t been able to get the FDA able to slow down off their track of approval," she said.
So, Murkowski says, they should at least require "that they put on the package of fish: This is a genetically modified salmon."
Download Audio
Funny River Fire Consumes Nearly 50k Acres
The Funny River fire that has been burning on the Kenai Peninsula since Monday has grown to nearly 50,000 acres.
Download Audio
New President At Premera Alaska Will Be Based In Seattle
Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska has a new president. Jim Grazko is replacing Jeff Davis, who held the job for 17 years and is retiring at the end of June. Premera Alaska is the largest health insurer in the state, serving more than 100,000 customers.
Investigators Find No Cover-up at Alaska National Guard
An Army Inspector General found no fault with how the Alaska National Guard handled reports of sexual assault and harassment. At least, that’s how the Inspector General’s office for the Defense Department explained it in a letter to Sen. Lisa Murkowski. She says she won't comment until she gets a chance to see the IG report for herself.
Download Audio
Funny River Fire Takes 20,000 Acres, More Firefighters On The Way
Now in its third day, the wildfire burning on the Kenai Peninsula has consumed 20,000 acres.
Download Audio
Tyonek Fire Grows To 1,500 Acres
A fire near the village of Tyonek has grown to approximately 1,500 acres.
Download Audio
Assembly passes special zoning for Eklutna village
The village of Eklutna is now protected as a special area within the city of Anchorage. The Anchorage Assembly unanimously voted on Tuesday to create an overlay district to protect the 800 acres that are considered the to be the oldest continually inhabited Athabascan site in the region.
Download Audio
Wildfire Continues To Burn On Central Kenai Peninsula
A 7,000 acre wildfire continues to burn on the central Kenai Peninsula. So far, no evacuations have been ordered, and no property damage has been reported.
Download Audio
USFW Wants to Regulate Oil & Gas on Refuges; Young Objects
About 200 national wildlife refuges have oil and gas development. Among them: the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, the only refuge in Alaska with active petroleum extraction. The agency that manages refuges, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wants rules to regulate that activity. Alaska Congressman Don Young doesn’t like the idea, and he wasn’t quiet about it at a Congressional hearing today.
Download Audio
Ammo Shortages Still Hampering Rural Subsistence Hunters
With the return of marine mammals and migratory birds to the Bering Straits region, subsistence hunters are still struggling to find certain kinds of ammunition.
Download Audio
Former Sitka Principal Found Not Guilty On All Counts
Joe Robidou has been found not guilty on all counts. A Sitka jury of seven women and five men delivered its verdict in favor of the former school administrator at about 6 p.m. Monday evening.
Download Audio
ASD passes amended budget, adds back in teacher positions
The Anchorage School Board voted to increase the 2014-2015 school budget by $26.5 million on Monday night, which takes the total up to almost $770 million. With the additional money the district will only lose 57 teachers instead of 143. Other funds will go toward charter schools, early literacy programs, and updating aging science teaching kits.
Download Audio
Report Says U.S. Participation In Arctic Council Lacks Coordination, Follow-Through
A report released Monday from the Government Accountability Office suggests U.S. participation in the Arctic Council lacks coordination and follow-through.
Download Audio
State Files Fairbanks 4 Response
The state has filed a response to petitions for post conviction relief for the Fairbanks four. The four men, George Frese, Kevin Pease, Marvin Roberts and Eugene Vent were convicted of the 1997 beating death of John Hartman, but continue to profess their innocence. Last fall the Alaska Innocence Project filed new information in the case that points to others being responsible for the killing. The state response indicates it so far is not convinced, but it has requested an evidentiary hearing.
Download Audio
Ravn Outlines Safety Improvements As NTSB Pushes For Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board took the unusual move last month of asking the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the Ravn family of companies. A report says Hageland failed to achieve safety outcomes, at the time losing operational control and launching flights without proper oversight. The company’s CEO says the report does not reflect the changes Ravn has made in recent months.
Download Audio
Trial Program Aims To Increase Number Of Insured Alaska Natives
A tribal health organization in Southeast Alaska is encouraging members to enroll for health insurance. Through a new program, some Alaska Natives will have an opportunity to get it at no cost.
Download Audio
Special Exhibit Offers Hands-On Glimpse Of University’s New Research Vessel
A new exhibit opens at the University of Alaska Museum of the North over the weekend. The year-long installation is called “Arctic Odyssey: Voyages of the R/V Sikuliaq.” It offers a first-hand look the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ state-of-the-art new research vessel, slated to sail in Arctic waters next year.
Download Audio