Shutdown Could Mean Total Loss for One Biologist, Big Financial Hit For His Pilot
Among the many Americans affected by the government shutdown, are scientists who rely on federal funding for their work. But that money doesn’t just go to the scientists. Lots of it trickles down into the community.
USCG Cutter Maple Commander Removed For ‘Poor Command Climate’
The commander of the Sitka-based Coast Guard cutter Maple has been temporarily removed from command after officials received reports of problems on board.
Officials Say White Powder At State Office Building Non-Hazardous
Officials now say there was no threat from a suspicious white powder found in a package at the State Office Building in Juneau on Friday. The incident prompted the building to be evacuated shortly after 10 o’ clock this morning.
Galena Residents Struggle To Navigate Assistance Programs
It’s been nearly 4 and a half months since a spring break up flood ravaged Galena. Much progress has been made to repair damaged infrastructure from power and water lines, to roads, and public buildings. Over 50 homes have been fixed or rebuilt, but many others remain in disrepair. Some Galena residents have struggled to navigate a tangle of assistance programs.
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AVEC On Schedule For Bethel Utilities Corporation Takeover
Meera Kohler, President of the Alaska Villages Electric Cooperative, says they are still on schedule for a Spring takeover of Bethel Utilities Corporation. AVEC is a non-profit electric utility serving Western Alaska. The buyout would cut electric rates for customers in Bethel, Napaskiak, and Oscarville. The coop’s other 52 villages should experience lower rates as well.
Murkowski, Young Ask Dept. of Commerce to Jumpstart Crab Season
As it stands, the Bering Sea crab harvest is on hold until fishermen receive their permits from federal government. But three Pacific Northwest congressional leaders have an idea to get the season back on schedule.
Salvage Efforts Continue For Sunken Tender In Haines
A salvage operation and clean-up efforts are still underway in Haines, where a 78-foot tender sank last weekend in the boat harbor.
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Impacts Of The Shutdown On The Tongass
The U.S. Forest Service employs about 400 people in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. And most of them are on furlough, awaiting a call from the federal government that they’ll soon be back to work. With the partial U.S. government shutdown in its second week, KTOO’S Rosemarie Alexander takes a look at the impact on the Tongass.
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Fairbanks Natural Gas Founder Running Another LNG Company
The man who started Fairbanks Natural Gas and now runs another gas company, is poised to build a North Slope LNG processing plant that could supply trucked in gas to Fairbanks.
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Volleys Traded Over Tennis Court Funding
A $10.5-million earmark for indoor tennis courts in Anchorage has become a lightning rod because the city didn't ask for it and many lawmakers thought the money was being used for other purposes.
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Alaska’s Supreme Court Justice Talks About Diversity On The Court
The Alaska Supreme Court was in Barrow last week to hear a climate change lawsuit on the Barrow high school stage. Chief Justice Dana Fabe says it’s important for students to learn how their legal system works. The Chief Justice feels strongly that diversity on the bench helps communities have faith in the decisions judges make. In her chambers at the Boney courthouse in downtown Anchorage she spoke highly of her predecessor Jay Rabinowitz who believed all Alaskans should have equal access to the judicial system.
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AIDEA Signs Agreement To Support Niblack Project
The owner of the Niblack mining project on Prince of Wales Island continues to explore the possibility of a minerals processing plant on Gravina Island near Ketchikan.
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Alaska Native Tribal Governments Keep Doors Open For Now
Alaska Native tribal governments are keeping their doors open, but worry about how long the federal government shutdown will go on.
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Signing Up For Insurance On Federal Marketplace Still A Waiting Game
The main groups working to help Alaskans sign up for marketplace insurance plans haven't successfully enrolled anyone. One week after after the launch of the federally run health insurance marketplace, it's still not operational.
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State Expects Unemployment Filings To Rise Due To Shutdown
It’s been one week since the federal government shut down. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development expects a rise in federal workers filing for unemployment payments due to the furlough.
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Bethel Economic Summit Looks At Energy Needs
Energy and the challenges of providing it in remote Western Alaska was the main topic of a summit in Bethel on Monday.
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Nikiski Top Pick For Gasline Terminal
Since natural gas was discovered on the North Slope, there's been talk of building a pipeline to get it to market. But where should that pipeline end? Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, and TransCanada announced on Monday that Nikiski is their top choice for a stopping point.
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Great Bear says Alaska’s Shale has Great Potential
The CEO of Great Bear Petroleum says their new 3-D seismic data confirms a promising new oil resource in the shale rocks just south of Prudhoe Bay. Ed Duncan said they received the data late last month and are still examining it, but “every source rock that we predicted to be present, is present."
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Haines Harbor Reopens As Cleanup Efforts Continue
Fuel from a sunken vessel in the Haines Small Boat Harbor has been contained, although it could still be several days until clean-up is complete and the boat is salvaged.
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Sitka Fish Processor Recalls Two Years’ Worth Of Product
A Sitka seafood processor has recalled two-year’s worth of product, after a state inspection revealed that monitoring equipment had failed.