State Unemployment Rate Lowest In 6 Years
Alaska continues to add jobs to its seasonal economy. The preliminary statewide unemployment rate for April is 6 percent, the lowest since mid-2007. It dropped a full percentage point from April 2012.
Coast Guard Opens Kulluk Investigation Hearing
The Coast Guard opens an investigative hearing into January's grounding of the drilling rig Kulluk off Kodiak Island today.
Wisconite Petitions For Right To Distribute Alaska Petitions
There are a lot of rules if you want to gather signatures to get a question on the ballot. You have to be at least 18. You can't share your petition booklet with other people. And you have to be a resident of the state of Alaska. Now, a man from Wisconsin wants that last part of the law struck down, and he's taking his case to court.
Interior Rivers Begin To Break Up
Break up is starting to happen on Interior rivers. The Yukon River ice began moving early this morning at Eagle. It jammed and caused some flooding of low lying homes and roads. Six homes and a handful of sheds have been hit by truck size chunks of ice.
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Cybercrimes Increase In Alaska And Nationwide
A new report from the FBI’s “Internet Crime Complaint Center” shows an increase in the number of cybercrimes in Alaska.
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Bryce Johnson To Lead Juneau Police Department
Salt Lake City Police Assistant Bureau Commander Bryce Johnson has been selected to head the Juneau Police Department.
Seattle-Area Man Found Guilty Of Reyes’ Murder
Sentencing is scheduled for May 31st in King County Superior Court for a Seattle-area man convicted of the 2012 murder of 22-year-old Ashton Reyes of Juneau. A King County jury earlier this month found Jacob Andrew Mommer guilty of first degree murder and second degree assault, while armed with a deadly weapon.
Feds Oppose Smaller Sealaska Land Bill
A new, smaller Sealaska land-selection measure faces opposition from the federal government. The legislation would transfer 3,600 acres of the Tongass National Forest to the Southeast-based regional Native corporation. Sealaska’s timberlands have been logged of much of their harvestable trees. Officials say the acreage will keep timber operations going.
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Arctic Council Adds Six Observer Seats
None of the six nations borders the Arctic Ocean.
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ConocoPhillips Reviewing Spending In Alaska
ConocoPhillips says it’s reviewing spending in Alaska, a month after the legislature passed Governor Sean Parnell’s oil tax reform. The tax cut is worth billions of dollars to oil companies in Alaska. ConocoPhillips executives talked about the state’s new tax regime during their annual meeting and an analyst presentation earlier this week.
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Great Bear Undecided on 2013 Drilling Season
The small oil company won't say whether it will proceed with oil fracking this summer.
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Interior Rabies Cases Prompt Animals Vaccinations
The recent detection of two cases of rabies in wolves trapped south of the Brooks Range has prompted concern about whether the deadly disease has re-emerged in the interior. Many pet owners in Fairbanks are getting their animals vaccinated as a precaution.
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Marine Highway Dropping Discounts To Save Money
Say so long to summer drivers riding the ferry for free. Wave goodbye to the winter roundtrip discount. And printed schedules? Those are on their way out too. They won’t happen for a while. But the changes are some of the ways the Alaska Marine Highway will address a $3.5-million spending cut mandated by the Legislature.
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Found Firearm Prompts Valdez City School District Lockdown
A firearm found Tuesday in a Valdez school forced every school in the Valdez City School District on lock down. The Valdez Police Department is investigating as to how the weapon ended up in the school.
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Copper River Salmon Fleet To Start Fishing Thursday
The salmon fleet is getting ready to go fishing on Thursday morning on the Copper River Delta.
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Scientists Spot Lava Flows At Cleveland And Pavlof
Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory were able to get clear views of two restless volcanoes today. The images show that both Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands and Pavlof Volcano on the Alaska Peninsula are oozing lava.
An Anchorage Doctor Learns How To Talk About Death
Doctors deal with death all the time. But they still struggle to tell a patient they're dying or help them live with a terminal disease. A specialty called Palliative Care is trying to change that. It's been around since the 1990s. But a lot of people, even in the medical profession, still don't know it exists.
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Opponents Of Wastewater Discharge Bill Pass On Referendum
When voters head to the polls next year, they could be faced with questions on oil taxes, the minimum wage, and the use of recreational marijuana. But one thing that won't be on the ballot is a referendum on a controversial bill concerning cruise ship waste.
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Rescued Polar Bear Cub Heads To New York’s Buffalo Zoo
Kali, the orphaned male polar bear cub that has been kept at Anchorage’s Alaska Zoo, spent Tuesday afternoon waiting patiently in his carrier for boarding on a UPS cargo jet bound for the East Coast. Kali is heading to his new permanent home at New York’s Buffalo Zoo.
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Couple Escapes As Landslide Destroys Cabin
Two people are safe after a massive landslide destroyed the cabin they were camping in Sunday morning near Sitka. An air taxi pilot rescued the pair from a debris field estimated to be 20 feet deep. All their belongings were buried in the slide. Their dog remains missing.
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