News

The U.S. House has stripped a relief bill of money for the fishery disaster in Alaska. The outlook is not much better in the Senate.

Ketchikan Superior Court Judge William Carey is considering whether to order DNA testing in a 30-year old double homicide in Juneau. It could be one of the first tests of a new Alaska law that allows state-funded examination of DNA evidence after a convicted felon has been sent to prison.

All schools in the Anchorage School District are closed on Monday due to the icy road conditions. All schools in the Mat-Su school district are closed too, except for Glacier View. The UAA, Eagle River and JBER campuses are closed. The administrative offices of ASD are open and employees are encouraged to come to work when and if they can. Many streets throughout Anchorage and the Mat-Su remain extremely slippery.

The National Weather service has canceled its freezing rain advisories for Anchorage and the Mat-Su, but warned driving conditions still could be hazardous for the area. Forecasters say the area will still get some rain on Sunday as temperatures rise to the low 40s during the day. High winds - with gusts up to 85 mph along Turnagain Arm and the Hillside areas - are expected through the evening and into Monday morning. A flood watch is still in effect for Anchorage and the Mat-Su.

Shell's Arctic drilling problems continue to mount up. This morning word is out that the Environmental Protection Agency has cited both of its drilling rigs for air pollution violations during the past drilling season. The Noble Discoverer still sits in Seward, originally detained for safety and propulsion violations. And the Kulluk is anchored in a Kodiak Island bay still being inspected for damages from being grounded on New Year's Eve.

The legislature released a new set of bill this morning, in advance of the coming session. Nearly 20 bills were filed. One big ticket item would help finance a natural gas liquification plant on the North Slope, and it would authorize a loan of up to $275 million. Another would create a Chinook salmon research endowment.

Anchorage police are seeking witnesses to learn more about what happened when an SUV pulled out of a midtown parking lot and hit and killed pedestrian Hymie James Castro, 64. They have released the identity of the driver now - Virginia Jacober, 68, of Anchorage - and they have filed no charges. They say they need to know more about how Castro got in the street at the corner of C street and Northern Lights Boulevard.

Vice President Joe Biden says he will deliver recommendations for new gun control measures to President Barack Obama on Tuesday. Mr. Biden says he will call for both legislation and executive order from the White House.

Wax buildup caused by low oil throughput is continuing to cause problems for Trans Alaska Pipeline operators. The wax is at the heart of recent trouble with mechanical pigs used to clean the inside of the pipeline.

Pollution from two outdoor wood boilers in Fairbanks has resulted in the state filing suit against the operators. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is suing Andrew and Gloria Straughn to halt operation of the boilers at rental properties they own in a neighborhood near Wood River Elementary School.

It looks like there was a spill from the Kulluk grounding after all. One of four life-boats dislodged and washed ashore as the huge rig grounded off Sitkalidik Island has at least two damaged fuel tanks. The rig itself has been towed to more sheltered waters and responders discovered the empty tanks while assessing materials washed to the the shoreline during the New Year's Eve grounding. The spill is estimated as under 270 gallons of diesel fuel. That estimate may rise as more tanks are examined on the four lifeboats.

The Parnell administration is poised to introduce oil tax reform legislation again. Previous attempts have failed to gain enough support to pass the state legislature. The new bill was previewed for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. It incorporates some ideas raised in recent year’s discussions.

Democrats in the legislature’s minority haven’t offered a counter proposal, but they have introduced bills that handle some of their concerns about oil tax reform in a piecemeal fashion.

Congress failed to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act last year. It’s unclear if and when the new, recently sworn in Congress will pick the measure up. Victim service providers in Alaska are worried about future funding without a reauthorization.

The Tram at Alyeska Ski resort won't be running again for at least another month. One of the tram cars was damaged in an accident on New Year's Eve when a wind gust blew it into the tram tower. One guest suffered a minor injury in the incident.

An Anchorage man died Tuesday after he was struck by a car pulling out of a parking lot on a midtown street. James Castro, 64, initially appeared uninjured but later died in the hospital. Police have not yet released the identity of the 68-year-old woman who drove the SUV that hit him.