Eric Stone, Alaska's Energy Desk - Ketchikan
As COVID outbreak worsens, Ketchikan raises pandemic risk level to ‘very high’ for first time
As of Tuesday, officials say one person is currently admitted to the COVID-19 unit at Ketchikan’s hospital. Some 77 cases are active in the community, and 65 have been reported in the past week.
State of Alaska, cities, business groups file to defend exemption of Tongass from Roadless Rule
The state of Alaska and a former governor along with a host of municipalities, trade groups and businesses have filed to defend the Tongass National Forest’s exemption from a Clinton-era rule that limits development on federal land.
Alaska cruise cancellations pile up even as lines plan return to North America this summer
Though large cruise lines will resume sailing in other jurisdictions, it appears unlikely they will in Alaska.
Metlakatla appeals to Ninth Circuit in fishing rights case against Dunleavy administration
Metlakatla Indian Community is appealing a federal judge’s dismissal of a fishing rights case against Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his administration. Lawyers for the tribe filed the appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday.
As Alaska prepares for first ranked-choice election, experts say now is the time to educate and test
The passage of Ballot Measure 2 in the 2020 election means Alaskans will rank their top candidates in the next election. Experts from states where that's been implemented say it's important to educate citizens about how the new election system works.
If cruise ships aren’t behind Ketchikan’s beach bacteria problem, what is?
For the fourth year in a row, weekly summer water quality tests show that most Ketchikan beaches have elevated levels of bacteria that could make people sick. That happened this year even without dozens...
As planet warms, researchers project more ‘extreme’ rainfall in Southeast and Western Alaska
Rising temperatures are also forcing researchers to reconsider just how much rain a storm can drop.
Impending Crowley sale stokes fears of fuel monopoly in Ketchikan
A major player is exiting the energy business in Southeast Alaska. Crowley Fuels is set to sell its Southeast Alaska business to Anchorage-based Petro Marine Services.
Investigation blames U.S. Forest Service for giving Alaska grant used for Roadless Rule fight
A federal watchdog agency said the U.S. Forest Service acted illegally when it awarded a $2 million firefighting grant to the state of Alaska in 2018. The state had asked for the grant to gather input on a proposal to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the Clinton-era Roadless Rule.
What tourism bubbles could look like in Southeast Alaska port communities
As cruise ships start eyeing a return to Southeast Alaska, towns are racing to come up with ideas for how to keep passengers - and their towns - safe from COVID-19.
Rep. Don Young says feds should compensate state if Pebble mine gets blocked
The state’s sole U.S. House member said Monday that the federal government has no business telling the Pebble Limited Partnership whether it should be allowed to build the proposed copper and gold mine near the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
GOP House candidate Leslie Becker gets rocky reception at Metlakatla campaign stop
Becker came under fire for comments in a blog post, which were interpreted as containing racist stereotypes of Alaska Natives.
Trump administration reportedly overruled CDC’s recommendation to extend no-sail cruise ship order
The Centers for Disease Control pushed to extend an order barring large cruise ships from sailing from U.S. ports until February 2021 over coronavirus concerns.
Forest Service forging ahead with full Roadless Rule exemption for Tongass
The decision comes amidst strong public opposition.
West Coast wildfires bring smoky haze to southern Southeast
But air quality remains in the "Good" level
Seafood Trade Relief Program offers help to fishermen hurt by U.S.-China trade war
USDA will provide cash to Alaska fishermen based on last year's catch: 16 cents a pound for salmon, 4 cents a pound for herring and a whopping 76 cents per pound for geoduck clams.
Tribal members shouldn’t need state permits to fish in Metlakatla’s traditional waters, lawsuit argues
Attorneys for Metlakatla point to a Supreme Court case from 1918 that says the reservation included deep waters around the islands.
New protections for LGBTQ individuals unanimously approved in Ketchikan
The ordinance came up for vote following a controversy over a flower shop that refused to sell to a same sex wedding.
Southeast lawmaker is counting on the $5 billion Alaska squirreled away this year for future dividends
The constitutionally-protected portion of the Alaska Permanent Fund got a nearly $5 billion boost as the fiscal year drew to a close last month.
Without cruise ships, researchers will study fecal bacteria on Southeast Alaska beaches
Scientists have the opportunity to monitor any changes in the level of fecal bacteria in the absence of cruise ship traffic.