Breakup Creating Havoc For Ice Dredgers
The early break-up of sea ice has left winter gold-dredging operations scrambling to haul equipment back to shore – and not everyone has fared well so far.
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Report Outlines Emerging Arctic Research Issues
A report is out today from the National Academy of Sciences outlining emerging Arctic research issues. The report says among other things that a refuge of Arctic sea ice is likely to remain in the summers into the foreseeable future, raising questions about shrinking rather than vanishing wildlife habitat.
Crews Work To Refloat Sunken Skagway Ferry Dock
The community of Skagway in northern Southeast remains cut off from ferry service as the state works to figure out why the dock sank late last week.
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Wildfire Threat Increases As Snow Melts
As snow melts, wildfire is becoming a threat. Red Flag warnings are in effect for areas of South Central and Interior Alaska, including Fairbanks, Delta Junction and Tok.
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River Watch Teams Prepare For Breakup
Teams are heading out to keep an eye on breakup conditions along Alaska's largest river systems. The National Weather Service is predicting below average flooding this year, but the state wants villages to be ready just in case.
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Breaking Ice Pack Sets Kwigilngok Hunters’ Snowmachines Adrift
Thin ice caused a scare for many seal hunters from Kwigilngok when about a dozen snowmachines began floating into the Bering Sea after a large chunk of ice broke off and began drifting away.
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Court Rules In Favor Of Same-Sex Couples In Property Tax Case
State Supreme Court on Friday justices decided in favor of two same sex couples in a property tax case that could have wider implications for the state.
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Investigation Attributes USCG Death To Faulty Equipment, Work Practices
The Coast Guard has finished investigating a Bering Sea rescue that left a 28-year-old crewman with fatal head injuries late last year. According to a review board, faulty equipment and work practices developed by the crew of the cutter Waesche put Petty Officer Travis Obendorf in harm’s way.
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NOAA Investigating Rare Whale Beachings
Three rarely seen whales beached on Alaska’s coast last year, and NOAA Fisheries is investigating whether human activity contributed to the strandings.
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Customers Suing GCI For Poor Cell And Data Performance
GCI is facing a lawsuit filed by customers in Bethel and along the Kuskokwim. The suit alleges that the communications company has been ripping off customers in the YK Delta.
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Kotzebue Man Charged With Animal Cruelty For Shooting Dogs
A Kotzebue man is behind bars and faces a felony animal cruelty charge after State Troopers say he killed four sled dogs while drunk.
Legislature Passes Bill With Aid For State Refineries
The package, which includes state income tax credits and other provisions, was forwarded by Governor Sean Parnell as a means to ensure Alaska retains its refining industry as cheaper Lower 48 oil makes shipping fuel into the state an option.
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What Needs To Be Done To Respond To An Arctic Oil Spill?
The National Research Council released a report on what needs to be done in order to be able to respond to oil spills in Arctic waters. Environmental groups were quick to respond that so much needs to be done that it would be better to not drill at all.
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Two Rescued As Troller Goes Aground In Heavy Surf
Two crewmen were rescued safely after their troller ran aground in heavy seas in Sitka Sound early Monday morning. The 52-foot steel-hulled troller Mirage radioed a distress call at about 3:30 AM. The boat had gone aground on the southern shore of Low Island, in surf and strong winds.
‘Demo Dose’ Lab Tests Find Bacteria
Lab testing of a synthetic saline solution wrongly used in a University of Alaska Fairbanks medical class shows bacteria. A Houston based laboratory was hired by the university to analyze samples of “Demo Dose.” The solution, which is not intended for humans, was used by UAF Community and Technical College Clinical Procedures Class students to practice injections on themselves and one another.
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Alaska Becomes The Second State To Officially Recognize Indigenous Languages
Supporters of a bill to make 20 Alaska Native languages official state languages organized a 15 hour sit-in protest at the Capitol on Sunday. Their dedication paid off early this morning, when the measure passed the Alaska Senate on an 18-2 vote.
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Legislature Passes Gov. Parnell’s LNG Pipeline Plan
The House voted 36-4 on the measure Sunday. The Senate later voted 16-4 to agree to the House changes. Senate Bill 138 would set state participation at about 25 percent in a project also being pursued TransCanada, the Alaska Gas-line Development Corp., and the North Slope's major players. It would allow the project to move to a stage of preliminary engineering and design and cost refinement.
Series Of Quakes Rattle Northwest Alaska
A series of earthquakes rattled Northwest Alaska about 40 miles northeast of Kotzebue on Friday morning. The tremors began with a strong 5.6 magnitude earthquake at 10:44 Friday morning.
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‘Recall Lindsey Holmes’ Group Takes Petition Dismissal To Court
Representatives from the "Recall Lindsey Holmes" group and Alaska's Division of Elections met in State Superior Court on Thursday.
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NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Fatal Hageland Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board has published a preliminary report about the crash that killed two pilots near Three Step Mountain.
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