Dave Bendinger, KDLG - Dillingham
Bethel dominates wrestling regionals; Dozens of athletes earn trip to state
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.
Dillingham DA office to close next year amidst Dept. of Law cuts
Alaska’s Department of Law will close the Dillingham district attorney’s office at the end of this fiscal year, according to a budget plan submitted this week. It’s unclear if the one attorney and one paralegal positions will be cut or relocated.
Judge tosses Pebble subpoenas for some individuals, groups
A federal judge in Anchorage has quashed some subpoenas issued to opponents of the Pebble mine. In a 14-page ruling issued Wednesday, Judge H. Russel Holland said Pebble was "pushing the envelope" as it seeks information from third parties about EPA's efforts to preemptively block development of the proposed mine.
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Aleknagik celebrates new 440-ft bridge over the Wood River
The Aleknagik Wood River Bridge is complete and was officially opened at a ceremony Tuesday. The long-awaited bridge connects the North Shore residents of Aleknagik with the South Shore, and the 20-mile road to Dillingham.
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Court subpoenas emails of Pebble opponents
The Pebble mine is back in the news this week. Dozens of Pebble opponents were issued subpoenas as part of a lawsuit in federal court. That lawsuit alleges EPA was coordinating improperly with some of the mine’s opponents, and is now in the discovery phase.
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NTSB release preliminary report on deadly Iliamna crash
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Friday on the September 15th crash of a turbine Otter float plane in Iliamna. The accident killed three and wounded seven onboard. The plane was owned and operated by the Rainbow King Lodge. It left before dawn to take clients and guides to a day of fishing on a river northwest of Kodiak.
3 victims ID’d in Illiamna floatplane crash; 7 others survive
A Dehavilland Otter crashed after takeoff from a lake in Iliamna on Tuesday morning, killing three clients from a sport fishing lodge. The pilot and six others onboard were injured but survived.
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3 killed in floatplane crash in Iliamna
A Dehavilland Otter float plane taking off from East Wind Lake in Iliamna on Tuesday morning, and at three on board are confirmed dead. The Otter was operated by the Rainbow King Lodge and took off from the lake on floats with a total of 10 on board.
Fed judge subpoenas ex-EPA official in Pebble case
A federal judge in Anchorage has ordered a former EPA official to appear in a case involving whether or not the Environmental Protection Agency acted improperly in the lead up the agency's proposed restrictions against the Pebble Mine. But, no one seems to know where Phillip North or nearly a decade of his official emails are at.
Judge grants Pebble request to subpoena former EPA official
A federal judge in Anchorage has ordered a former EPA official to appear in a case involving whether or not the Environmental Protection Agency acted improperly in the lead up the agency’s proposed restrictions against the Pebble Mine. Phillip North's emails were reportedly destroyed, and he has apparently left the country.
Video: Great Pyrenees prove their mettle against a Dillingham brown bear
The Fox family on Aspen Drive in Dillingham had an unwelcome visitor one evening this week. Annie Fox filmed as their 2-year-old Great Pyrenees held their ground. Since Annie's mom Starla posted the video to the facebook page of the Kansas breeder they bought the dogs from, it's been viewed by tens of thousands of people, many of them great pyrenees owners.
M/V Challenger and barge overturned in Nushagak near Kokwok
A Ridge Contracting vessel and barge are overturned and sunk in the Nushagak River near the outlet of the Kokwok. The M/V Challenger with two onboard went down Sunday around 3 p.m.; both onboard are fine with no reported injuries. The cause of the sinking has not been determined yet.
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USDA to bailout some canned sockeye surplus
There’s some good news this week about that often spoken of glut of canned sockeye salmon: the US Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday it intends to purchase up to $30 million worth and put it into food banks and other emergency assistance programs.
AquaBounty reporting net losses for first half of 2015
AquaBounty Technologies released a consolidated financial statement reporting a net loss of $3.5 million for the first half of 2015.
Alaska Supreme Court upholds superior court ruling against ‘Save Our Salmon’ Initiative
In a ruling issued Friday, Alaska’s Supreme Court upheld the overturning of the 'Save Our Salmon' Initiative.
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Bristol Bay Sockeye: A Run on the Brink?
Alaska’s largest sockeye fishery is predicted to have a near record return this summer, but so far the reds have only trickled into Bristol Bay’s rivers.
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Bristol Bay Elder Hjalmar “Ofi” Olson Dies at 75
Bristol Bay elder Hjalmar E. "Ofi" Olson passed away at an Anchorage hospital at the age of 75. Olson was battling kidney failure, and his health was deteriorating in recent months. He was medevaced to Anchorage Sunday, and according to a family friend, was taken off dialysis mid-week. He succumbed late Wednesday or early Thursday, surrounded by family.
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Pebble FACA case against EPA to go forward
The Pebble Limited Partnership’s lawsuit against the EPA, alleging violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, will go forward. That’s according to a ruling Thursday by Anchorage federal court Judge H. Russel Holland.
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Court Allows Pebble v. EPA To Proceed
The Pebble Limited Partnership's lawsuit against the EPA, alleging violations of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, will go forward . That's according to a ruling Thursday by federal court Judge H. Russel Holland. Holland denied the EPA's motion to dismiss the case, which was argued last week in Anchorage court.
Supreme Court: DNR Wrongfully Issued Pebble Permits
Just a day after two federal lawsuits involving the Pebble mine were in the news, mine opponents Friday are hailing the Alaska Supreme Court’s decisions on two state cases. The justices unanimously overturned a 2011 ruling in a case that challenged whether the DNR permits issued for exploratory work at the Pebble site should’ve included some public notice.
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