Top Stories

News stories, radio and TV episodes that warrant one of six spots on our homepage. The homepage is in chronological order of publication date, so stories are moved off the homepage as more are categorized “top stories.”

Anchorage Police Crack Down On Drunk Driving

The Anchorage Police Department says it arrested 34 people for driving under the influence during the first weekend of an expanded effort to crack down on drunken drivers. There have been five drunk driving deaths in the city in the last two months. Listen for Full Story

Anchorage Police Search For Man Who Shot At Officer

A man fired several shots at an Anchorage police officer today, but the officer was not hit. Police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro says the suspect fled on foot, and police have set up a perimeter in the midtown area to search for the man.

Inuit Circumpolar Council Meets In Kotzebue

The Inuit Circumpolar Council met in Kotzebue last week. It was the first meeting there since a general assembly in 1986. Members from Russia, Greenland and Canada joined their Alaskan counterparts to discuss ongoing concerns for indigenous people in the north. Listen Now

Coast Guard Plans Arctic Spill Test

The Coast Guard icebreaker Healy is on its annual mission in the ice pack north of Barrow.  Next month a group of technology specialists will come aboard with drones and submersibles to test arctic oil spill response capabilities. Listen Now

Alaska Education Leaders Tepid to Obama’s Education Plans

President Barack Obama wants to tie college rankings to how affordable they are and whether students are landing in the workforce after graduation. Listen Now

Man Suspected of Shooting at Police Arrested

A 31-year-old man suspected of shooting at an Anchorage police officer has been arrested. James John Nick was arrested on a warrant this morning.

Millennium Passengers Call 911, Worried About ‘Riot’

The Celebrity cruise ship Millennium returned to Ketchikan Sunday night after mechanical problems. Police responded to the ship late Tuesday night following reports of unruly passengers. Listen Now

State Considers New Same Sex Partner Benefits

The Alaska State Personnel Board is considering including Same-sex partners in the definition of "immediate family." The proposed change in rules would allow state employees to take family leave due to a serious health condition of a same-sex partner. Listen Now

Memo Cites Concerns with Proposed Abortion Regulations

A legislative attorney says a proposed new regulation that would further define what constitutes a "medically necessary" abortion for purposes of receiving Medicaid funding would likely be found unconstitutional. Listen Now

Grand Jury Indicts Driver in Deaths of Two Girls

A 31-year-old Anchorage man accused of driving drunk and killing two teenage girls walking along a street has been indicted by a grand jury. The state Department of Law said today in a statement that Stacey Graham was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of manslaughter. He also was earlier charged by the state with driving under the influence. Listen Now

Tribal Summit On Suicide Problem Wraps Up In Anchorage

Suicide prevention was the focus of about 100 tribal representatives attending the 13th Alaska Tribal Leaders Summit in Anchorage Thursday and Friday. Alaska has the nation’s second highest suicide rate. In rural Alaska, suicide rates are four times the national average, and involve disproportionately high numbers of young Alaska Native men. Listen Now

Arctic Councils Test the Waters in Unalaska

Legislators, scientists, and industry stakeholders are flocking to Unalaska this week to work out a plan for exploring the Arctic and they want input from locals. The United States Arctic Research Commission convened at Unalaska’s Grand Aleutian Hotel today. The independent agency is made up of eight commissioners with diverse backgrounds in fisheries, science, and education. Listen Now

EPA Administrator Visits Portage Glacier

The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency is making a field trip to Alaska this week.  Gina McCarthy says this trip is not about regulation, but about learning and tribal consultation.  She'll be going to Fairbanks and Bristol Bay, but she started her trip at the site of a receding glacier. Listen Now

Juneau Clinic Will Close

The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium plans to close Front Street Clinic on October 1, according to SEARHC COO Dan Neumeister. The decision by the board of directors comes after two days of meetings last week. Listen Now

Nature Conservancy Will Review Susitna Dam Studies

A worldwide environmental conservation group is becoming more involved in the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project. This summer, contractors working under the Alaska Energy Authority have been conducting 58 studies to assess the environmental impact of the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric project. Listen Now

Two Months Later, Tender Is Still Grounded

The 78-foot sunken fishing tender Lone Star is still stuck in the mud in the Igushik River as responders try and figure out a new way to recover the vessel. The vessel grounded on June 30th while taking fish from the local fishermen for processing by Trident Seafoods. Listen Now

Dillingham Residents Talk Pebble Mine With EPA Administrator

Political, business and tribal leaders from the Bristol Bay region welcomed the new EPA Administrator to Dillingham Tuesday. They called on the EPA to step in and stop development of the proposed Pebble Mine. KDLG’s Mike Mason has the story. Listen Now

UAF Career Services Office Will Close

Students are returning to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks campus for classes beginning this week. But this will be the last year they will have the opportunity to seek career advice from staff. The office of Career Services will close in December 2014 as part of what the University calls a “budgetary pullback.” Listen Now

Alaska Fire Crews Heading South

More Alaska crews are heading south to help battle wildfires in the western lower 48, including the Rim Fire near Yosemite, California. Alaska Fire Service spokesman Mel Slater is tracking the state and federal fire fighter deployments. Listen Now
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell visits King Cove in 2013. (Photo by Annie Feidt, APRN - Anchorage)

Jewell Considers Human Safety, Wildlife Trade-Off For Izembek Road

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has a difficult decision ahead of her. She was in King Cove Friday to visit with residents about a road they want to build through the heart of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Residents say the road is necessary to access emergency medical treatment, but a road has never been built through a wilderness area and environmental groups say it would set a bad precedent. Download Audio