Tribal School Could Lose Language Program
A tribal run K - 8th grade school near Palmer has made the study of Alaska Native language and culture it's cornerstone. But funding to continue the Ahtna language studies at Ya Ne Dah Ah school is drying up, and although the school has applied for Bureau of Indian Affairs assistance, it's been turned down because of an old state education policy. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer has more.
October Rains
When I hear the October rains thrumming on the roof, I think about Girdwood, the little ski resort town where I lived many years ago.
I lived there at a time in my life when I thought it utterly cool to have no telephone, no radio or television, no running water, no plumbing, and a little Quaker pot-burner oil stove for heat.
Read more.
New Pamyua Music Video Released
Bubble Gum is from Pamyua's album SideA/SideB. This drumsong commemorates a student in Ossie's dance class chewing gum when he wasn't supposed to.
This music video was shot in Unalakleet, Alaska during the filming of the Discovery Channels show Flying Wild Alaska season three by Anchorage-based film collective Electric Igloo Creative.
Click for more.
Homemade Bird Suet Cakes
The cold and frost came upon us hard and fast this year. I felt lucky that the clouds lifted for long enough to get the fall yard chores wrapped up before it hit.
This time of year, I am careful to keep my bird identification book handy, because sometimes an unusual bird will make a stop at the feeder while passing through, even if it doesn't live nearby.
Click for the recipe.
Autumn in New York (Playing the Ponies at Belmont)
When I was a little girl, my father promised me a trip to the racetrack when I turned twenty-one, which never occurred as he suddenly died. Fast forward forty years and I’ve been researching the lower East Side of the late nineteenth century and discovering that off-track betting was the poor man’s stock market.
So, I finally made my trip to Belmont Park, named for a Rothschild cousin, who moved to America to manage family holdings.
Read more. 
Halloween is Primetime for Moose
Every Halloween, moose in inhabited areas - like JBER's housing - detect a scent in the air alerting them to the opportunity to add a little color to their diet - pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns.
All families who celebrate Halloween with pumpkin and jack-o-lantern displays should be aware of this potentially dangerous situation.
Read more. 
Photojournalist Ruth Gruber Retrospective Opens
“Ruth Gruber, Photojournalist,” on view Nov. 2 through Jan. 6, 2013 at the Anchorage Museum, celebrates the 101-year-old’s remarkable life and heroic tenacity through her photographs, filmed interviews and mementos. Images include some of the earliest color photographs of the Last Frontier.
Learn more. 
AK: Ghosts
Haunted buildings and ghost stories are popular around Halloween, but a newer tradition that combines the two has made its way to Anchorage. For the past two years one man has undertaken the chilly task of leading ghost tours of Anchorage.
AFN Concludes; and Voters to Decide on $50 Million in Bonds for Port of Anchorage
The Alaska Federation of Natives conference concludes in Anchorage. What is happening with the APOC hearing on a complaint against Bob Bell? There are $50 million in bonds for the Port of Anchorage on the November ballot. "Protesters say No to Outside money in politics." Murder suspect Israel Keyes home is searched by police again. New Cook Inlet analysis raises LNG gas concerns.
KSKA: Friday, 10/26 at 2:00pm & Saturday, 10/27 at 6:00pm
TV: Friday, 10/26 at 7:30pm & Saturday, 10/27 at 5:00pm
Point Thomson Project Gets The Green Light
The Point Thompson project moved a step forward today, when the US Army Corps of Engineers issued Exxon Mobil Corporation and PTE Pipeline LLC a wetlands permit allowing construction of three drill pads in the Arctic Coastal Plain off the Beaufort Sea. The move could spell good news for the state's long-awaited gasline plan. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer has more. [:20]
Skwentna Coal Project Subject of Public Hearing
Skwentna residents asked to weigh in on coal exploration.
Hunting Alaska’s Wild Chickens
While much of Alaska’s summer bounty is coming to an end - the salmon runs are done, moose season is wrapped up, berries are frozen on the ground - there are still some harvests to be had.
As we sit in the limbo of fall and winter, our lovely state bird becomes a stand out target on the landscape.
More on harvesting the birds.
Student Teacher Relationships Matter Most
I keep up with what is new in education. I read the weekly, monthly, and quarterly publications as well as daily blogs. I get alerts from so many sources that I can hardly keep up.
But what I know and what I see in good classrooms will forever be the same: it is the relationship and bond that build between a good teacher and her students.
Read more. 
Video: Bush Pilot Bear Viewing
Italian filmaker and bush pilot Massimo Uberti visited Alaska in August, 2012. Uberti documented his trips to both Homer and Talkeetna, creating new additions to his collection of short documentaries.
This video features a bear viewing trip out of Homer to Katmai National Park.
More.
House District 6: Feige – Duhamel
A newcomer to the Matanuska Valley political scene is challenging House District 6 incumbent Republican Eric Feige for his seat in the legislature. Feige, a professional airplane pilot with one House term under his belt, is a self-styled "conservative voice" for the district. His Democratic opponent, Jamey Duhamel, has spent the last year working for an anti-coal citizens' group. But both candidates agree: energy is the big issue. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer reports
Senate E: Huggins – Herman
Incumbent Charlie Huggins, a Republican with a strong military background and a Vietnam veteran, is being challenged for the Senate E seat representing Wasilla, Big Lake, and Point Mackenzie, by a woman who is a professional therapeutic masseuse with long roots in early childhood education. Democratic opponent Susan Parsons Herman, says she'll work across party lines, while two term Senator Huggins says he'll stick to a party agenda. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer has more.
AK: Breathe
Elections, stormy weather, the impending winter darkness, we all need to take a deep breath this time of year. Luckily, our bodies can’t forget to breathe. But we have all forgotten when and how breathing originated. But scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks may have discovered the origins of the process. And they have found the answer in a primitive fish that still swims Alaska’s rivers.
House District 9 Race
An airplane pilot and a heavy equipment operator face off in this year's District 9 race in Wasilla. Republican Lynn Gattis and Democrat Blake Merrifield, are both newcomers to state politics in a new district, and their race may pinpoint how Matanuska Valley politics is changing. KSKA's Ellen Lockyer has more.
Voters To Decide On $433 Million In Bond Projects; Campaign Season Wrapping Up
Legislators asking voters to approve $433 million in bond projects, including $50 million for the Port of Anchorage. How are Alaskans affected by Hurricane Sandy? Three subsistence fishermen found guilty of fishery law violations. Campaign season wraps up as the Nov. 6 election draws near. The Anchorage Assembly eyes reapportionment. Social conservatives target Judge Sen Tan, who is up for retention on this year’s ballot
KSKA: Saturday, 10/27 at 6:00pm
TV: Saturday, 10/27 at 5:00pm
Night Music: October 27, 2012
Here’s the music playlist for Night Music with Kirk Waldhaus. All tracks played are listed below in the following format:
Song Title
Artist Name
Album Title
Label
Duration
One for...