News

With both of Shell Oil’s Arctic drill rigs headed to drydock for repairs, the company says it’s suspending its 2013 drilling season. Spokesperson Curtis Smith says the New Year’s Eve grounding of the Kulluk drill rig prompted Shell to reassess its plans.

Alaska’s Redistricting Board is awaiting the outcome of a United State Supreme Court case that could remove some federal restrictions from state redistricting plans. Wednesday, the nation’s highest court heard arguments over whether states with a history of discrimination need to get Department of Justice approval for state voting maps. Although the federal Supreme Court case was brought by an Alabama county, it has implications for Alaska. The state of Alaska filed a brief in support of the plaintiffs, while the Alaska Federation of Natives filed a brief in support of the federal government.

Epilepsy, eclampsia, pulmonary hypertension, and sickle cell anemia. Those are all conditions where a low-income woman would still qualify for abortion coverage under a new bill being considered by the Alaska state legislature. But depression, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence and bulimia aren’t on the list. Nor are any other mental heath conditions.

Eighty-five billion dollars in federal budget cuts are set to begin Friday. The U.S. Senate will debate competing measures to replace the cuts tomorrow, but neither will become law. The National Park Service is slated to lose 5 percent of its budget, and that would trickle down to every park in Alaska.

Last year, chinook salmon runs were so weak that the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers, along with Cook Inlet, were designated federal disaster zones. Now, a group of legislators from those regions want to create a permanent endowment that would fund research on the fish.

Studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Government Accounting Office show increasing numbers of Alaskans will be affected by floods and erosion in coming years due to rising waters and extreme weather events. And the studies predict some communities are likely to be destroyed by 2017.

The state would continue to supply the Flint Hills North Pole Refinery with crude oil under a proposed new contract. The state of Alaska has sold royalty oil to Flint Hills for the last three decades, an arrangement state and company officials say is mutually beneficial.

It’s been an incredible 24 hours for nordic skiers Kikkan Randall, from Anchorage and her Minnesota teammate Jessie Diggins. The pair made history in Italy Sunday, Feb. 24, winning the first World Championship gold medal in cross country skiing for the U.S. They dominated the skate sprint event from the beginning, but had to recover from a mishap late in the race.

Former state Senator Albert Kookesh's condition has been upgraded from serious to fair. He's recovering from a Feb. 18 heart attack at Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Marc McKenna and Dusty Van Meter were winners in the Iron Dog snowmachine race Saturday for the second year in a row. The pair also took the halfway prize in Nome. Van Meter has won five times, and McKenna four times.

Noah Pereira from New York state won the Junior Iditarod yesterday. The 16-year-old is a dog handler for Iditarod champ Dallas Seavey. Coming in second four minutes behind was Conway Seavey.

The first changes have been made to Gov. Sean Parnell’s oil tax proposal. The Senate resources committee offered their substitute on Friday, and it would bring the current base tax rate up from 25 to 35 percent. It also includes $5 per barrel production tax credit and exempts 30 percent of new oil production from taxes. Like the governor’s bill, the committee substitute gets rid of progressivity, a mechanism that raises taxes when oil prices are high.

A barge that sank in a Kuskokwim River slough last fall near the village of Kwethluk is still there. Residents are concerned fuel and oil from the barge may be contaminating a traditional watering hole. State officials say the tests haven’t shown any contamination but they have other concerns about the stranded barge.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar finalized the development plan for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Senator Mark Begich said he welcomes the decision to allow a pipeline corridor in the reserve.

Sealaska officials say board Chairman Albert Kookesh is making slow but steady progress as he recovers from a Monday heart attack. The Juneau-based regional Native corporation posted an online update this afternoon after speaking to his family. It says Kookesh has become more awake and alert during the past 48 hours and has been able to communicate with his family.