Fairbanks Man Frustrated With Obama’s ACA “Fix”
About 9,000 Alaskans are being forced out of their existing health insurance plans next year under the Affordable Care Act. Last week, President Obama announced new rules that may allow some residents to keep their plans for another year. But for Fairbanks knife maker Mark Knapp, that "fix" doesn't go far enough.
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Bethel Pushes to Keep Rural Status
Bethel’s rural status is not immediately at risk. But once the population hits 7,000, it will be presumed to be non-rural unless it proves to have rural characteristics. The federal subsistence board is in a multi-year process of reviewing how it decides which communities have the critical rural priority for accessing resources on federal lands as described under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
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Murkowski, Young Want Clarity on Bird Feather Use
Alaska’s congressional delegation has introduced bills that would clarify that it’s OK for Alaska Natives to sell artwork adorned with bird feathers. Under the legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, some traditional Alaska Native art and crafts would be exempt from a provision of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act barring the sale of items containing the feathers and non-edible parts of migratory birds.
DNR Calls Off Public Meetings For Permitting Bill
Since the Legislature gaveled out this spring, state officials have been trying to build support for a controversial land management bill that couldn't get enough votes in the final days of session. Public meetings were supposed to be part of their outreach effort. But now the Department of Natural Resources has called those meetings off.
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Parnell Says Medicaid Won’t Expand In Alaska
Friday, Governor Parnell announced he won't expand Medicaid in Alaska. Medicaid expansion is a key provision of President Obama's Affordable Care Act. It would offer health coverage to an estimated 40,000 low income Alaskans. Parnell says he doesn't want to attach Alaskans health care or finances to a "failing Obamacare system."
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Storms Appear To Subside In Western Alaska
The worst appears to be over for coastal villages in Western Alaska. State Emergency incident Commander Mark Roberts says a return to a more normal weather pattern with clear, cold conditions is forecast.
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Alaska Legislators Ask Constituents To Support Storm Relief Efforts
Massive weather events have shaken up coastal communities in Alaska and Philippines this month. Now, two state legislators are asking their constituents to support to relief efforts on both fronts.
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Alaska Leaders Attend White House Tribal Nations Conference
Tribal leaders from Alaska and the rest of the country had a chance this week talk with the highest powers in the federal government. Nearly all of President Obama’s cabinet secretaries participated in the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference, as did Obama himself.
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Fairbanks Assembly Approves Land Sale to Chena Hot Springs Resort
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly voted during their regular meeting Thursday to approve a land exchange sale between the Borough and Chena Hot Springs Resort. It's a deal that’s been in the works for more than a decade. It stalled earlier this year after a disagreement over the appraised value of the property.
2nd Grader Started Fire In Bethel School Bathroom
Lower Kuskokwim school officials say it was a 2nd grade student with a lighter that caused the fire in a detached building’s bathroom. The school will be disciplining the 2nd grade student according to the district’s policies.
Bethel Residents Make Case For Keeping Rural Status
Bethel’s rural status is not immediately at risk. But once the population hits 7,000, it will be presumed to be non-rural unless it proves to have rural characteristics. The federal subsistence board is in a multi-year process of reviewing how it decides which communities have the critical rural priority for accessing resources on federal lands as described under ANILCA.
Obama’s ACA ‘Fix’ Will Be Tricky To Implement In Alaska
President Obama said today insurers can continue offering the plans they intended to cancel as part of the Affordable Care Act. The announcement is a response to outcry over the President's "if you like your plan you can keep it" promise, which turned out to be untrue for millions of Americans. Now, state insurance regulators and insurance companies have to figure out if they can make Obama's new plan work.
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Storms Continue Dealing Damage In Western Alaska
Western Alaska has been wracked by storms the last few days. The first round occurred Saturday night and into Sunday morning. Before clean-up efforts were even finished in some of the worst-hit communities, strong winds and coastal flooding did more damage last night.
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Bad Weather Closes Fairbanks Schools
Schools were closed in Fairbanks for a second day on Thursday due to stormy weather. Driving conditions are slick, and more than 13,000 households were without power this morning. Golden Valley Electric Association had the number down to a few thousand by mid-day, but expected it will take until Friday morning to restore power to some remote neighborhoods.
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Large Projects Aim To Reduce Railbelt Energy Costs
The state is currently putting money toward five different large-scale projects aimed at reducing energy costs on the Railbelt. Some, like subsidizing Cook Inlet gas production, impact energy costs now and in the near term. Other projects, like the proposed LNG pipeline wouldn’t affect prices for at least a decade. The question is—should the state be supporting all of the projects?
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Alaska Railroad Adopts New Right of Way Use Policy
The Alaska Railroad Corporation has adopted a new policy regarding residential uses of Railroad rights of way. Over the last 30 years, some property owners adjacent to the rail line have created lawns, gardens, or structures that extend into the right of way near the tracks. Now, in order to begin or continue using the right of way, property owners will need a permit from the Railroad.
Alaska Has Few Healthcare.gov Enrollees
Enroll Alaska is back in business. The company suspended enrollments on healthcare.gov last month, after discovering the subsidy calculations weren't working properly for Alaskans.
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Murkowski Says Sequestration Jeopardizing National Defense
The country could face a second round of automatic budget cuts if Congress can’t agree on a spending plan by year’s end.
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Bethel Filipinos Reach Their Families After Storm
It’s unclear how many thousands of people lost their lives in the typhoon that hit the Philippines. But Bethel’s small Filipino population has been desperately trying to reach family back home to make sure they’re okay.
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Fire Damages Classroom At Bethel School
Fire crews responded to a fire today at the Bethel ME school, which houses pre-school through second grade.
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