Alaska news

• New bill would replace misdemeanor charges for underage drinking with fine

  27-04-2016 22:58
  
  Underage kids caught drinking alcohol won’t rack up a permanent charge on their record under a bill that passed the legislature last week.
  Sen. Pete Micciche sponsored the bill that would remove misdemeanors from underage alcohol consumers. (File photo by Skip Gray/360 North)Imagine a high school party. All the kids are underage — some are drinking. When police bust the party, they issue citations- even to kids who haven’t had a drop of alcohol.
  In Alaska, seventy-five percent
  
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• $488M budget easily clears Anchorage Assembly

  27-04-2016 10:23
  
  The Anchorage Assembly during its April 26th meeting. Photo: Zachariah Hughes, Alaska Public Media.The total price-tag on Anchorage’s 2016 operating budget is about $488 million. That’s up around $7 million dollars from a few months ago, $3 million of which is a result voter-approved measures in the April elections, according to Lance Wilber, director of the municipality’s Office of Management and Budget.
  For property owners, the mill rate will rise very slightly to 14.16,
  
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• ‘Error’ by expert witness marks second day of campaign contributions trial

  27-04-2016 05:53
  
  ‘Error’ by expert witness marks second day of campaign contributions trial An expert witness for the Republican plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Alaska’s tough campaign contribution limits admitted he made a significant error in his earlier testimony, and the judge blocked him from presenting additional evidence.April 26, 2016
  
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• Domestic violence case raises questions over Iditarod rules

  27-04-2016 03:56
  
  
  An accomplished musher was in a Palmer state court Tuesday over a domestic violence incident that happened in December of 2015. Critics have asked whether Iditarod organizers were aware of the assault charges prior to the race and let 24-year-old Travis Beals compete anyway.
  Travis Beals in Unalakleet during the 2016 Iditarod. Photo: Zachariah Hughes, Alaska Public Media.Download Audio
  Beals is accused of an Assault 4 misdemeanor, causing fear of injury, over an incident in Willow.
  The case was
  
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• Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2016

  27-04-2016 03:52
  
  
  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
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  Latest oil and gas tax credit aimed at gaining majority
  Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau
  Lawmakers are continuing work in Juneau. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday unveiled the latest attempt to rewrite tax credits for the oil and gas industry.
  
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• Early breakup occurs along Yukon River

  27-04-2016 03:39
  
  Ice is going out early along the Yukon River. Flooding has so far not been an issue.
   
  The upper Yukon River broke up at Dawson City April 23rd. National Weather Service hydrologist Ed Plumb says the date is a new early ice out record.
  ”Beat the previous record by five days which is pretty impressive,” Plumb said. “Dawson’s had observations of ice breakup since 1896 so they have a pretty good period of record there in Dawson.”
  The break up front is pu
  
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• Hydropower brought to Bristol Bay village of Igiugig

  27-04-2016 03:14
  
  An effort to bring renewable energy to western Alaska was recognized Tuesday by the federal government. The Ocean Renewable Power Company was named the 2016 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters for its ability to bring hydropower to the Bristol Bay village of Igiugig.
  The Power system on station in Kvichak River (Photo courtesy of ORPC)The Kvichak River flows out of Lake Illiamna and into Bristol Bay. It helps support the world’s largest sockeye salmon ru
  
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• Togiak herring season starts out rough

  27-04-2016 03:01
  
  The Togiak herring fishery is having a tough season. First the herringshowed up and started spawning earlier than ever before, then the winds andweather proved uncooperative. KDLG’s Dave Bendinger has more on the ongoingeffort to harvest roughly 29,000 tons in the state’s largest herringfishery:
  Pacific Herring. (Alaska Department of Fish & Game photo)
  
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• Latest oil and gas tax credit aimed at gaining majority

  27-04-2016 02:59
  
  Lawmakers are continuing work in Juneau. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday unveiled the latest attempt to rewrite tax credits for the oil and gas industry. The bill would save the state more money over the next three years than a previous version. But the savings are much less than what Governor Bill Walker proposed.
  Rep. Lance Pruitt, R-Anchorage, during discussions about the state operating budget shortly before it was passed out of the House Finance Committee, March 9, 2016. (Photo by Skip
  
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• Yupik Spelling Bee helps spread Yupik literacy

  27-04-2016 02:38
  
  Young Alaska Natives are spreading Yup’ik literacy. Six students from across the state competed in the fifth annual Yup’ik Spelling Bee for Beginners in Anchorage over the weekend. The contest is open to third through eighth grade and run by volunteers. It’s a lot of work. And with responsibility concentrated to a few individuals, the future of the event is in question.
  “Uivenqegg. U-I-V-E-N-Q-E-G-G. Uivenqegg. It means to turn around or spin,” said Daniel Hunter as
  
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• New assistant Sitka DA serves in stride

  27-04-2016 02:31
  
  Christopher Orman is the new assistant district attorney for Sitka, Petersburg, and Kake. He replaced Jean Seaton in February, who held the position since 2009. Originally from Southern California, Orman had a winding road to get into law, but he says he’s ultimately happy to be in field serving the community.
  Christopher Orman is the new assistant district attorney for Sitka, Petersburg and Kake. (Photo by Brielle Schaeffer, KCAW – Sitka)In the last week, Orman has worked on an evid
  
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• Sitka cruises to bring passengers to shore

  27-04-2016 02:23
  
  The majority of cruise ships making stops in Sitka this summer will be coming in to dock.
  (Photo courtesy of Holland America Line)Holland America Line has agreed to tie all its ships up at the Old Sitka Dock, meaning 45 ships will be bringing tourists directly to shore. This is a big change from years past, where Holland America ferried their passengers to town via tender boat.
  The news of the big cruise line tying up in town was music to the ears of Fred Reeder, the port director of Cruise Line
  
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