Alaska news

• Report finds food insecurity complex, widespread for some Alaska Natives - Alaska Dispatch News

  17-12-2015 23:48
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Report finds food insecurity complex, widespread for some Alaska Natives
  Alaska Dispatch News
  In this August 2014 file photo, Elder May Bernhardt picks fireweed blossoms off the stalks to make fireweed jelly at the Maniilaq Association elder care facility in Kotzebue. Food scarcity issues are more complex in rural Alaska, where traditional ...
  

• State, boroughs brawl over Alaska gas line property tax windfall - Alaska Dispatch News

  17-12-2015 22:39
  Alaska Dispatch News
  State, boroughs brawl over Alaska gas line property tax windfall
  Alaska Dispatch News
  This October 2014 file photo shows a demolished building on land in Nikiski purchased by the Alaska LNG project. The state is proposing a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement as a way of handling anticipate revenue from property taxes generated by the ...and more »
  

• Murkowski claims several Alaska victories in year-end spending, tax bills - Alaska Public Radio Network

  17-12-2015 22:33
  Alaska Public Radio Network
  Murkowski claims several Alaska victories in year-end spending, tax bills
  Alaska Public Radio Network
  Congress has agreed on a year-end spending and tax package, though the final votes in the House and Senate have yet to be taken. The legislation sets federal funding levels for the next year and extends several tax breaks. Senator Lisa Murkowski played ...
  Federal package includes labeling provision for genetically modified fish ...Newserall 58 news articles &ra
  

• Chaundell Piburn - Alaska Dispatch News

  17-12-2015 22:08
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Chaundell Piburn
  Alaska Dispatch News
  A popular restaurant in the Southeast Alaska community of Craig was destroyed by a fire early Thursday, city officials said. City administrator John Bolling said he hadn't heard any reports of injuries from the fire at Ruth Ann's, on the corner of ...and more »
  

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• Bethel strides toward renewable wind energy

  17-12-2015 22:02
  
  AVEC meteorological tower south of the Bethel landfill. (Photo by Dean Swope / KYUK.)
  Energy officials hope two newly constructed towers in Bethel will pave the way to reducing the city’s multi-million gallon dependence on diesel fuel. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, or AVEC, raised the towers to collect atmospheric data for future wind turbines.
  Steve Gilbert manages AVEC’s energy projects and said one turbine could replace over 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel per
  
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• AVEC strides toward renewable wind energy in Bethel

  17-12-2015 22:02
  
  AVEC meteorological tower south of the Bethel landfill. (Photo by Dean Swope / KYUK.)
  Energy officials hope two newly constructed towers in Bethel will pave the way to reducing the city’s multi-million gallon dependence on diesel fuel. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, or AVEC, raised the towers to collect atmospheric data for future wind turbines.
  Steve Gilbert manages AVEC’s energy projects and said one turbine could replace over 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel per
  
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• No injuries reported in Valdez helicopter crash

  17-12-2015 21:56
  
  Two employees of Copper Valley Electric Association were shaken, but uninjured Wednesday morning when the helicopter they were riding in crashed after take-off from the Valdez Airport.
  According to a CVEA press release, the two employees were flying out to perform an aerial patrol of the transmission line at about 9:30 am Wednesday.
  The helicopter contracted to take them on patrol reached about 75 feet in altitude, lost power and began free-falling to the ground.  When the helicopter crashe
  
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• Walker administration misses financial reporting deadline

  17-12-2015 21:53
  
  Gov. Bill Walker’s administration has missed a legal deadline to file the state’s annual financial report.
  The Alaska Dispatch News reports that the report was due to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board on Tuesday. In a letter to legislative leaders, Administration Commissioner Sheldon Fischer said the new rule from the board that requires improved disclosure of state and local government entities’ pension obligations kept his department from finishing the report.
  The r
  
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• Trial set in lawsuit challenging contribution limits

  17-12-2015 21:53
  
  A federal judge has set an April trial date in a case that could affect state campaign contributions limits in Alaska.
  U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess said the trial is estimated to take five days. It is scheduled to start April 25, about four months before the state’s primary elections.
  An Anchorage state Republican party district and others are suing leaders of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, challenging the constitutionality of certain campaign contribution limits.
  The l
  
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• Murkowski claims several Alaska victories in year-end spending, tax bills

  17-12-2015 21:48
  Senator Murkowski discusses the spending bill. (Image via Sen. Lisa Murkowski)
  Congress has agreed on a year-end spending and tax package, though the final votes in the House and Senate have yet to be taken. The legislation sets federal funding levels for the next year and extends several tax breaks.
  Senator Lisa Murkowski played a major role in crafting the final deal. She says Alaska can claim a number of victories, including provisions pertaining to national defense, veterans benefits, and la
  
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• Alaska near bottom of Harris Poll of where people want to live - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

  17-12-2015 21:17
  Alaska near bottom of Harris Poll of where people want to live
  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
  ORLANDO, Fla. — A new Harris Poll says Florida is the top choice of where people want to live, other than their current state. The poll released Wednesday said California and Hawaii were No. 2 and No. 3 for those surveyed. Rounding out the top 5 were ...and more »
  

• Latest Alaska budget cuts impact on Medicaid - State of Reform

  17-12-2015 20:30
  State of Reform
  Latest Alaska budget cuts impact on Medicaid
  State of Reform
  Just in time for the holiday break, the Walker-Mallott Administration has released its New Sustainable Alaska Plan and the 2017 fiscal year budget. The plan proposes another $140 million in budget cuts. That is on top of the $1 billion in cuts made ...
  Alaska budget plan shows deficit for next yearFairbanks Daily News-Miner
  Governor's budget proposes major changes to oil tax creditsAlaska Public Radio Network
  New Alask
  

• Alaska Bound and Down Article and Photos - Transworld Skateboarding

  17-12-2015 19:23
  Transworld Skateboarding
  Alaska Bound and Down Article and Photos
  Transworld Skateboarding
  The seemingly unskateable has always captured my imagination. Alaska has forever been in my sights and in the back of my mind. It's a place I've planned on doing a skate trip to for a long time. It's mostly because places like this are never actually ...
  

• President Obama, Joining Bear Grylls, Tests Survival Skills in Alaska

  17-12-2015 19:05 via nytimes.com
  The president’s appearance on the survivalist reality show “Running Wild With Bear Grylls” is part of an effort by the White House to highlight the perils of climate change.
  
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• Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

  17-12-2015 18:45
  (Photo by Debra Gehris © By Intellectual Reserve, Inc.)
  Renowned star of stage and song Santino Fontana and the Muppets® from Sesame Street® join the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square for a magical holiday extravaganza. SESAME STREET has been educating and entertaining the world for more than 45 years, but this concert special marks the Muppets’ first performance with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.
  The concert incl
  
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• Trial set in lawsuit challenging Alaska campaign contribution limits - KTUU.com

  17-12-2015 18:14
  KTUU.com
  Trial set in lawsuit challenging Alaska campaign contribution limits
  KTUU.com
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge has set an April trial date in a case that could affect state campaign contributions limits in Alaska. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess said the trial is estimated to take five days. It is scheduled to ...
  Trial set in lawsuit challenging campaign contribution limits in AlaskaKTVA.com - Alaska News and Weatherall 11 news articles »
  

• President Obama, Joining Bear Grylls, Tests Survival Skills in Alaska - New York Times

  17-12-2015 18:00
  New York Times
  President Obama, Joining Bear Grylls, Tests Survival Skills in Alaska
  New York Times
  WASHINGTON — He helped make tea from catkins, ate a salmon prechewed by a bear, and discussed why people would drink their own urine. On Thursday night, President Obama appeared in an episode of the survivalist reality show “Running Wild With ...
  VIDEO: Obama visits Alaska on NBC's 'Running Wild With Bear Grylls'WNCN
  President Obama Treks Through Alaska Tonight On NBCNBC26.tv
  Oba
  

• NATURE: Alaska’s snowy owl

  17-12-2015 17:45
  NATURE takes an intimate look at the snowy owl, a bird made popular by Harry Potter’s faithful companion, Hedwig.
  “Snowies” stand out for their magical beauty, intelligence and charm. Filmmakers take us deep into the owl’s tundra home on the North Slope of Alaska to observe the daily struggles involved in raising a family of helpless owlets until they’re able to fly. Viewers discover that these strikingly beautiful Arctic owls have a range of skills far more impres
  
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• Pot regulations for Alaska on track, but obstacles remain - KTUU.com

  17-12-2015 17:07
  KTUU.com
  Pot regulations for Alaska on track, but obstacles remain
  KTUU.com
  ANCHORAGE (AP) — The chairman of Alaska's Marijuana Control Board says the state is on track with setting rules for the recreational marijuana industry, but that a few challenges remain. Bruce Schulte told the Alaska Public Radio Network ...
  Skagway, Alaska preparing for marijuana sales by springCBC.caall 7 news articles »
  

• Sea-Tac, Boeing, Alaska Air partnership hopes to take biofuels into mainstream - USA TODAY

  17-12-2015 15:10
  USA TODAY
  Sea-Tac, Boeing, Alaska Air partnership hopes to take biofuels into mainstream
  USA TODAY
  SEA-TAC AIRPORT -- The use of aviation biofuels could go more mainstream as the result of a joint effort by Boeing, Alaska Airlines and the Port of Seattle. On Wednesday the three organizations signed an agreement to study how biofuels could be ...
  Port, Alaska Air and Boeing press ahead on biofuels at Sea-TacThe Seattle Times
  Alaska Airlines, Boeing, port to study biofuels at Sea-TacThe News
  

• Shell working to protect assets offshore Alaska - UPI.com

  17-12-2015 14:48
  UPI.com
  Shell working to protect assets offshore Alaska
  UPI.com
  Shell working to protect its assets and interests in the Arctic waters off the coast of Alaska, but says that doesn't mean it's ready to start drilling again. Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Sign up for our Energy ...and more »
  

• Christmas for Alaska in D.C.: Omnibus spending bill contains many Last ... - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

  17-12-2015 10:12
  Christmas for Alaska in D.C.: Omnibus spending bill contains many Last ...
  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
  News-Miner opinion:The latest federal omnibus spending bill, released by Congress this week in Washington, is a doozy. Made up of a dozen smaller appropriations bills rolled into one, the bill would allocate $1.1 trillion to fund the government through ...and more »
  

• Fisheries enforcement act is a milestone for America's fishing communities - Alaska Dispatch News

  17-12-2015 03:51
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Fisheries enforcement act is a milestone for America's fishing communities
  Alaska Dispatch News
  OPINION: President's Obama's recent signing of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishery Enforcement Act is a milestone in the fight to keep illegally-caught fish from entering ports and illegal catch off the market. But it also allows the U.S ...
  

• Alaska News Nightly: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015

  17-12-2015 03:40
  
  
  Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.Download Audio
   
  Lawmakers: Legislature likely to vacate controversial downtown offices
  Austin Baird, KTUU-TV – Anchorage
  The Legislature is likely to back out of its controversial and costly lease of new legislative offices in downtown Anchorage, acc
  
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• 38K Alaska households turn to Food Stamps during tight times

  17-12-2015 02:53
  
  
  Tracy Peterson and her daughter apply for SNAP benefits during an event at the Sullivan Arena. Hillman/KSKA
  According to a new White House report, 38,000 Alaskan households receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Most people know SNAP by its original name: 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.
  Dow
  
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• Spending bill includes rider on GMO salmon labeling

  17-12-2015 02:37
  
  
  A bill poised to pass the U.S. Congress would require the FDA to produce labeling guidelines before it allows the sale of genetically engineered salmon. That’s one policy rider Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she fought for that’s included in the package of year-end spending and tax bills.Photo: AquaBounty Technologies
  Download Audio
  The FDA has already approved a genetically altered salmon for human consumption, without a labeling requirement. Murkowski, in a writt
  
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• Deeper cuts ahead for ferry system?

  17-12-2015 02:35
  
  
  Passengers enjoy the scenery during a Sept. 3, 2015, fast ferry Chenega sailing between Sitka and Juneau. Sitka would lose most of its ferry service under a schedule based on a reduced budget proposed by Gov. Bill Walker. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)
  Download Audio
  Budget cuts have already dramatically reduced Alaska Marine Highway sailings. And the recently-released spending plan for the next fiscal year calls for more. So, how does the ferry system fare in the governor’
  
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• Interior Energy Project loses GVEA business to Petro Star

  17-12-2015 02:34
  
  
  Golden Valley Electric Association is favoring oil over natural gas to fuel large generators in North Pole. The move reduces the utility’s role as an anchor tenant for the state-backed Interior Energy Project.
  Download Audio
  Golden Valley Electric Association is committing to a reduced quantity of natural gas from the Interior Energy Project — a little over half a billion cubic feet of natural gas per year when IEP comes on line in 2017. That’s well short of a predicted 2 billi
  
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• Sitka gets nod for ship-shape harbor

  17-12-2015 02:33
  
  
  Sitka is the fourth recipient of a statewide “Alaskan Clean Harbors” certificate. Along with Homer, Seward, and Haines, Sitka’s harbor system was recognized in October by the Alaska Clean Harbors Advisory Committee for meeting 88 best management practices.
  Download Audio
  From L to R: Chuck Hackett, Brett Farrell, and Stan Eliason hold the flag, designating Sitka as an “Alaskan Clean Harbor.” (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo)
  The Alaska Clean Harbors  checklist of best m
  
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• Whale research center comes ashore in Southeast

  17-12-2015 02:31
  
  
  A whale research foundation working in Southeast Alaska for the last 20 years is coming ashore. The Center for Coastal Conservation has acquired the former general store in Warm Springs Bay, on eastern Baranof Island, and has plans to expand its research programs beyond humpback whales.
  Download Audio
  The Alaska Whale Foundation’s facility in Warm Springs Bay can support up to 6 scientists and volunteers, with internet access and a fleet of small craft. Photo shared via KCAW.org.
  Don&rsquo
  
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• Bethel woman takes 4th international powerlifting meet

  17-12-2015 02:30
  
  
  Last month 25-year-old Alaskan Natalie Hanson placed fourth at an international powerlifting competition in Germany.
  Download Audio
  Profile photo of Natalie Hanson. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Carrillo of Lurchman Productions)
  Hanson, who’s originally from Bethel, loves a good underdog story. Partly, because she has one of her own.
  “It’s really fun being an underdog–it’s a lot of fun–because nobody even looks at you or thinks twice about you,” Hans
  
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• Village of Beaver narrowly keeps its school, for now

  17-12-2015 00:50
  The Interior village of Beaver’s school will remain open, despite a below-par student count this fall. The Yukon Flats Village School District lost state funding when a 10-student minimum wasn’t met, but at a school board meeting Tuesday, village first chief Rhonda Pitka says a decision was made to continue operating the school at a reduced level, at least through next May.
  Beaver – downstream of Fort Yukon, north of Fairbanks as the crow flies. Image: Google Maps.
  “The s
  
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• Lawmakers: Legislature likely to vacate controversial downtown office

  17-12-2015 00:04
  
  The Legislature is likely to back out of its controversial and costly lease of new legislative offices in downtown Anchorage, according to a couple of Republican lawmakers.
  Less than a year after moving into a new leased building with 30 offices, an auditorium, and several conference rooms, the Legislature appears increasingly likely to take a cheaper alternative. (KTUU / Austin Baird)The Legislative Council, a committee that handles business affairs for the branch and is composed of members of
  
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