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If Scott Harrison is going to prove that his disability are connected to his time in the military, the VA needs to comb through his service treatment record. Which, given his time as a Marine in the 80s, presents problems. Download Audio

Mike Romine is a Sitka man with a love of Christmas lights. His home has become an attraction every December with its huge displays, coordinated to musical hits such as “Uptown Funk” and “Let it Go” from Disney’s Frozen. But this season, as Sitkans work to recover from a deadly natural disaster, the lights hold a special meaning. Download Audio

The Haines-Fairbanks Pipeline that was built by the Army in the 1950s polluted Alaska land through fuel spills and leaks. The Army is now working to assess the contamination so that it can be cleaned up for good.

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Alaska has made healthy strides in improving care over the last few years. But some patients still fall through the cracks. In the first of a two-part story, an ex-Marine explains his difficulties navigating care and benefits through the VA, and the effect its had on his life. Download Audio

A suspect has been identified and charged in a recent stabbing death in the capital city. But another stabbing death remains unsolved. It's been more than a year since Juneau man Christopher Kenney died from a knife wound. The 50-year-old was found in his home two days after Thanksgiving last year and police still aren't sure if it was a murder or suicide. Download Audio

More and more Alaskans are heading Outside for major elective surgeries. Flying to the Lower 48 for things like knee and hip replacements can save patients and their health plans tens of thousands of dollars. Health care experts hope the practice will help put pressure on Alaska prices for those surgeries. And there is some evidence the strategy is working. Download Audio

Friday evening a seal made its way out of Nome’s iced-in port and up into the west side of town. Although it showed some physical signs of sickness, on Saturday local experts ultimately decided to release the seal back into the wild. Download Audio

On Sunday evening, the issue of Alaska coastal erosion will be featured on the Al Jazeera America program "Fault Lines." The correspondent for the story is former APRN reporter Libby Casey. She says they highlighted Newtok and Kivilina on the northwest Arctic coast. Download Audio

In a long day of wrestling that went almost till midnight last Friday, dozens of Western Alaska wrestlers earned a chance to go to the state tournament in Anchorage.

George Frese, Kevin Pease and Eugene Vent were released from the Fairbanks Correctional Center last night, and met up with hundreds of supporters a short time later at the Chief David Salmon Tribal Hall in Fairbanks.

It’s been a hard year for some Alaskans. Salvation Army branches around the state report significantly more requests for holiday assistance than last year. Here’s how the Southeast fishing community of Petersburg is responding to the need. Petersburg’s Salvation Army Community Center is collecting toys for 70 children this Christmas season. That’s up from 50 last year. About 85 families including around 230 people will get boxes of food. Those numbers are up too.

According to a new White House report, 38,000 Alaskan households receive benefits from Food Stamps. Two-thirds of those households have children. Half of them are in deep poverty. The statistics go on and on. But is the program working? Many people say yes, though there are some hiccups. Download Audio

Last month 25-year-old Alaskan Natalie Hanson placed fourth at an international powerlifting competition in Germany. Download Audio

While police issues continue to divide communities and make national headlines, the Sitka Police Department is trying to restore confidence locally, after disturbing video from the Sitka jail surfaced on social media this fall. Download Audio

School enrollment in the Pribilof Islands has been shrinking in recent years, along with the islands’ fishing economy. Download Audio

In the end of October, 19-year-old Caia Delavergne was shot in the head by a new acquaintance. Incredibly, she survived. Now, her mother, Chelan Schreifels is speaking out against gun violence. Download Audio

A 24-year-old Alaskan died in a hiking accident in New Zealand on Wednesday. Nicole Leman was the youngest daughter of former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman. A police constable says the terrain was severe but Leman and her companion hadn't done anything reckless. Download Audio

The decision by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter ends gender prohibitions on about 10 percent of all military jobs may have a big impact on the Army in Alaska

More than 80 community members will take the stage for Sitka Studio of Dance’s “The Nutcracker.” The show is a longstanding tradition in town, having been performed nearly nine times. Download Audio