Alaska Unemployment Rate Drops To 6.6 Percent
The unemployment rate in Alaska dropped to 6.6 percent in December. The decrease of point one percent from November continues a downward trend. The state has seen its unemployment rate decline since August.
How do you keep developing rural energy projects in a fiscal drought? More loans.
Cady Lister, chief economist for the Alaska Energy Authority, says that communities and rural utilities need to rely less on grants and look more to loans. Listen now
Anchorage Still Cleaning Up Election Mess
The Election Commission will hold the final public canvass session to count ballots from the troubled municipal election in Anchorage Thursday. The ballots were found uncounted in a closet in city hall in July. After nearly four months, Anchorage officials say they hope the canvass will begin to shut the door on a messy chapter in the city's election history. The canvass will be followed by final certification of the election, later this month.
Archivists Rally To Keep National Archives In Anchorage
Funding for the National Archives And Records Administration, or NARA, building in Anchorage has been chopped from the National Archives budget as a result of a $10 million budget cut. All federal records will be moved to a Seattle based facility beginning in September. Local archivists, historians, senators and residents though, are rallying behind efforts to keep the archives in Anchorage.
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Why this Alaska glacier is surging ahead of the others?
Geologic changes typically move slow. But one glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve could be moving at a decidedly un-glacial pace. Scientists think it’s doing something only a small amount of glaciers do, an event called “surging.” Listen now
Man Drowns In Butte Creek After ATV Rollover
An all-terrain vehicle loaded with three people tipped in Butte Creek last Friday and one person was later pulled out dead.
U.S.-Canada trade deal creating uncertainty in Southeast timber market
The U.S. is in the midst of negotiations with Canada over an agreement on Canadian lumber imports. Many U.S. sawmill owners argue that the Canadian mills receive government subsidies on government-owned lands, making it difficult for the U.S. market to compete. Listen now
El Nino is out. Will La Nina follow?
One of the strongest El Ninos on record ended in May. A strong La Nina would normally follow. But that isn’t a sure bet this time around. Listen now
Here’s how a Kenai Peninsula wildfire could cause higher electric bills in Anchorage and Fairbanks
The wildfire damaged transmission lines that carry power from a major hydroelectric dam near Homer, officials said. And it could be months before the lines are fixed.
Mt. Edgecumbe Student Honored at White House
An Alaska teenager will be honored at the White House Tomorrow. Teressa Baldwin is a senior at Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.
Alaska Congressional delegation files brief in support of Exxon Valdez plaintiffs
Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski and Congressman Don Young today filed an amicus brief to the US Supreme Court in support of the...
Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Legislative Council adopts new sexual harassment policy; Complaint alleged unwanted contact from Parish; Senate joins House in recognizing Alaska Native languages emergency; Alaska to house 6 new cutters, Coast Guard says; Response wraps up on Shuyak Island oil spill; Southcentral Alaska road construction ramping up for summer; Deadline for Teacher of the Year nominations at the end of the month; The climatology behind the Nenena Ice Classic; Ketchikan High Academic Decathlon team gets a hero’s welcome Listen now
Kongiganak plans to farm plentiful southwest winds
A workshop in Bethel focused on wind energy last week sparked a lot of interest from villages in the region. One of the villages...
Three new teachers on board as Skagway School grows
Skagway School went through a restructuring this year. An influx in students enabled the school to create single-grade classrooms in the elementary school, increase Spanish and music classes, and start an accelerated learning program. It also opened space for three new teachers.
Alaska communities are one step closer to collecting online sales tax
Alaska communities that collect sales tax are getting close to leveling the playing field between online retailers and brick and mortar stores.
UAF looks to contractor for cleaner water supply
An ongoing water quality issue at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has prompted the university to commit to an outside water source.
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Lawmakers vote to audit Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority
The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority will undergo a special audit. The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee voted unanimously in favor of the action Tuesday with no discussion or questions. The audit will include an investigation into the Trust's investments. Listen Now
Stryker Brigade Soldiers Prepare for Deployment End
Cheryl Hatch, the former University of Alaska Fairbanks Snedden chair of Journalism is in Afghanistan visiting Fort Wainwright Stryker brigade troops. Last week Hatch was in Khenjakak, which is the combat outpost for Charlie Company in the 1st battalion, 5th infantry regiment of the 125th Stryker brigade. Hatch says it’s in the Panjawa’i district, an area she says is in the heart of the Taliban.
Assembly approves police transparency resolution
The Anchorage Assembly approved a resolution on Tuesday that aims to improve transparency within the Anchorage Police Department. It passed with an amendment supported by both the Berkowitz administration and APD, requiring regular reports to the assembly of any changes to police policy. It also involves the existing Public Safety Advisory Commission in reviewing policy changes to determine if public input is needed.
Anchorage Assembly urges Dunleavy and Alaska’s delegation to do more to fight COVID-19
In a nonbinding resolution, the Anchorage Assembly voted 9-1 to ask Gov. Mike Dunleavy to implement a statewide mask mandate.