Rhetoric Heats Up in Advance of “SOS” Vote
The ‘Save Our Salmon’ Initiative goes before voters in the Lake and Peninsula Borough tomorrow, and the information war around the proposed Pebble mine that the initiative is aimed at stopping, is heating up.
Southeast Power Project Needs More Funding
Haida Energy is starting to build Prince of Wales Island's next hydropower plant. But as CoastAlaska's Ed Schoenfeld reports, the Southeast Alaska project needs more funding.
Local Ballots Produce State Interest
Today municipalities and boroughs across Alaska are holding local elections with some ballot items attracting statewide interest. Leading the list is the ballot initiative against the proposed Pebble Mine in the Lake and Peninsula Borough.
EyakTek Director Arrested in Major Bribery Case
An employee of Alaska Native Corporation EyakTek was arrested today (Tuesday) for his alleged role in a major 20 million dollar bribery and kickback scheme.
Federal Workers in Alaska Face Uncertain Future
Federal workers here in Alaska and nationwide began their first workday of the new fiscal year yesterday.
Murkowski Names New Fisheries Aide
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has hired a new fisheries aide.Murkowski’s office says Stefanie Moreland will start next month. Moreland will replace Arne Fuglvog , who pleaded guilty this summer to one count of violating the Lacey Act for falsely reporting where he caught sablefish that were intended for interstate commerce. Fuglvog’s sentencing is set for November.
Longtime State Employee in DC Resigns Over Partisanship
After serving eight governors, the director of Alaska’s Washington D.C. office is resigning. John Katz plans to leave the post at the end of the year.
Feds Arrest EyakTek Executive in Multi-Million Dollar Scam
An executive of Alaska Native Corporation Eyak Tek was arrested yesterday for his alleged role in a major 20 million dollar bribery and kickback scheme. Harold Babb was director of contracts for Eyak Technology LLC, which operates under the Eyak Native Corporation.
Anchorage Police Seek Public Help with Fatal Hit and Run
Anchorage Police are seeking a hit and run driver who killed a young woman early Tuesday Morning. A little after 3 a.m. a motorist called police to report a body on the street fronting the Northway Mall. The victim was identified as Geraldine Burns, 25, an Alaska Native and mother of two.
Some Key Races Still Lack Clear Results
With the exception of Anchorage, it was municipal election day Tuesday across Alaska. One high profile race was for the North Slope Borough mayor.
Valley Voters Approve Bonds
Matanuska Susitna Borough voter turnout was light yesterday (Tuesday), but those who made it to the polls elected two new Borough Assembly members and approved all three bond proposals. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer has the unofficial results of the Valley election.
Poll Finds Support for Mid Level Dental Providers
A concept based on an Alaskan program to make dental care more accessible is gaining support across the nation.
Jury Deliberates Bethel Murder Case
The fate of two men accused of torturing and beating a man to death now rests in the hands of a jury. Jeff Hout of Bethel and Harry Williams of Kwethluk are facing first degree murder charges at the Bethel Courthouse for the killing of 19 year old Benjamin Kaiser of Hooper Bay last October.
Congress Considers Hearings on EyakTek Investigation
The arrest yesterday (Tuesday) of an executive at the Eyak Alaska Native Corporation’s subsidiary EyakTek and two Army Corps of Engineers employees has some members of Congress clamoring for hearings, and has Alaska’s delegation worried about the fallout.
Palin Won’t Run for President
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin says she will not run for president. Her announcement today left little doubt that the eventual Republican nominee will come from the current field of contenders.
Two Boroughs Still Need Mayors and Barrow Rejects Liquore Store
In the North Slope Borough mayor contest. Charlotte Brower is leading but doesn't have the necessary 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. In that race she will face either Fenton Rexford or George Ahmaogak. It's too close to call.
Bethel Jury Finds Two Guilty of Second Degree Murder
Jeffrey Hout, age 47 of Bethel, and Harry Williams, age 33 of Kwethluk, were found guilty of second degree murder of 19-year-old Benjamin Kaiser of Hooper Bay. The jury turned in their verdicts this (Thursday) morning. The jury also found both men guilty of kidnapping.
Dividend Checks Pay for Fuel in Rural Alaska
In rural Alaska, dividend checks do more than pay for new sofas. Meera Kohler is the President and CEO of the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative or AVEC. Kohler says, many people in village pre-pay their winter electric bills with their PFD. She says the day checks get deposited is the busiest day of the year for AVEC.
Few Studies Track PFD Impact
The state is sending out nearly 650 thousand Permanent Fund Dividends today. Its the 30th dividend paid to Alaskans. In all that time, there have been very few studies on how Alaskans spend the extra cash and how that spending affects the state’s economy. But retailers say their sales around dividend time take a big jump.
No Bond for Three Men Accused in Bribery Scandal
The men accused in a massive government contracting bribery case involving Alaska Native Corporation EyakTek are staying behind bars – three of them until trial and the fourth at least through the weekend. At a hearing in Washington D.C. today (Thursday) the lawyer for EyakTek executive Harold Babb asked for a few more days before making his argument as to why Babb should be released on bond.