Alaska news

• In public testimony, most support state income tax bill

  26-04-2017 21:16
  
  Juneau resident Julie Nielsen testifies in favor of House Bill 115 at a Senate committee hearing in Juneau on Tuesday. Most of the more than 100 Alaskans who testified supported the bill. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/KTOO and Alaska Public Media)The prospect of having a state income tax in Alaska for the first time in 37 years drew passionate responses both in favor and opposed during public testimony on Tuesday.
  Most of the more than 100 people who offered testimony to the Senate Labor and Comme
  
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• Two dead squid in two weeks: Coincidence?

  26-04-2017 20:45
  
  Larry Schmidt poses next to Unalaska’s second squid visitor in as many weeks. (Courtesy Larry Schmidt)The novelty of seeing a jumbo squid in Unalaska is not wearing off: a second one washed ashore Monday night.
  David Tonon of the U.S. Coast Guard was excited to check it out — he’s never seen anything like it.
  “I’ve seen little squid, squid we use for bait, squid at aquariums, and when I was diving in the Caribbean,” Tonon said. “But nothing that big. The
  
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• Ask a Climatologist: Alaska’s lucky winter

  26-04-2017 20:02
  
  Attendance numbers spiked at Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau thanks to fresh snowfall as seen here on March 5, 2017. (Photo courtesy of John Erben)Winter is more or less over in most of Alaska. And if you like that kind of thing — winter, that is — it was pretty decent in much of the state. But climatologist Brian Brettschneider, with our Ask a Climatologist segment said don’t get used to it. He said that “normal” winter was a sweet spot of cold in a much la
  
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• Alaska Airlines Pilots Say Good Quarter Should Mean Faster ... - TheStreet.com

  26-04-2017 17:23
  
  TheStreet.com
  Alaska Airlines Pilots Say Good Quarter Should Mean Faster ...
  TheStreet.com
  Alaska Airlines grew capacity after a merger and beat first-quarter estimates. Now pilots want faster talks on a joint contract....ALK.
  Alaska Air's profit tumbles, partly from Virgin merger costsThe Seattle Times
  Alaska reports 'solid' results in post-Virgin America acquisition 1QATWOnline
  Alaska Airlines & Virgin America Report Corporate Revenue Growth Post-MergerBusiness Travel Newsall 13 news arti
  
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• Southeast Alaska Hatchery to Reopen With New Owner - U.S. News & World Report

  26-04-2017 15:32
  Southeast Alaska Hatchery to Reopen With New Owner
  U.S. News & World Report
  A hatchery in a small southeast Alaska community that closed down under a mountain of debt in 2014 has been purchased by a nonprofit organization that plans to produce chum and Chinook salmon at the site. | April 26, 2017, at 9:25 a.m.. MORE.and more »
  
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• Arctic oil and gas activity essential to building Alaska's future - Juneau Empire (subscription)

  26-04-2017 15:31
  
  Arctic oil and gas activity essential to building Alaska's future
  Juneau Empire (subscription)
  Alaska received a C-minus for the general condition of its infrastructure on its most recent report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and even lower grades for the shape of its ports, marine highways and other facilities. The report ...
  
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• Alaska City to Get Giant Egg-Shaped Aircraft by 2019 - U.S. News & World Report

  26-04-2017 15:05
  Alaska City to Get Giant Egg-Shaped Aircraft by 2019
  U.S. News & World Report
  A company looking to bring a football field-sized airship to Alaska is planning to use it to transport liquefied natural gas to the state's rural areas. | April 26, 2017, at 10:20 a.m.. MORE. LinkedIn · StumbleUpon · Google +; Cancel. Alaska City to ...and more »
  
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• Blockbuster has survived in the most curious of places — Alaska - Washington Post

  26-04-2017 10:48
  
  Washington Post
  Blockbuster has survived in the most curious of places — Alaska
  Washington Post
  For families across the United States, driving to the local Blockbuster Video was a Friday night ritual. The kids fought over which movies to rent, parents had to pay off the late fees and all succumbed to the popcorn and candy buckets at the register.and more »
  
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• Time to contribute to the Alaska we want - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

  26-04-2017 10:03
  
  Juneau Empire (subscription)
  Time to contribute to the Alaska we want
  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
  The debate in Juneau is about what kind of state we want to live in. I want an Alaska we can all believe in, not one where too many of our neighbors are talking about leaving. I think our bipartisan House Majority and the GOP-led Senate, despite ...
  Alaska Senate reluctantly examines income taxJuneau Empire (subscription)
  Income Tax Offers Best Bang for the Buck in AlaskaTax Justice Blog (blog)all 1
  
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• Pilot, company culture blamed for 2015 fatal Alaska crash - Seattle Times

  26-04-2017 06:53
  
  Seattle Times
  Pilot, company culture blamed for 2015 fatal Alaska crash
  Seattle Times
  Investigators work near the wreckage of a sightseeing plane that crashed, Thursday, June 25, 2015, in remote, mountainous terrain near Ketchikan in southeast Alaska, killing the pilot and eight passengers. The NTSB on Tuesday, April... (Unknown/AP) More.
  NTSB: Pilot disoriented in fatal Alaska tour-flight crashUSA TODAYall 10 news articles »
  
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• Weed on a plane: How Alaska marijuana businesses carry pounds of pot on board, with police blessing - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 06:46
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Weed on a plane: How Alaska marijuana businesses carry pounds of pot on board, with police blessing
  Alaska Dispatch News
  2,500 prerolled joints in a bag with odor control bags for an Anchorage to Sitka flight. (Michelle Cleaver / Weed Dudes). The first time Michelle Cleaver arrived at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport with 5 pounds of marijuana in her carry ...and more »
  
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• Weed on a plane: How Alaska businesses get pounds of pot on board, with police blessing - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 06:46
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Weed on a plane: How Alaska businesses get pounds of pot on board, with police blessing
  Alaska Dispatch News
  2,500 prerolled joints in a bag with odor control bags for an Anchorage to Sitka flight. (Michelle Cleaver / Weed Dudes). The first time Michelle Cleaver arrived at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport with 5 pounds of marijuana in her carry ...and more »
  
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• Alaska continues to warm at twice global rate - Kenai Peninsula Online

  26-04-2017 06:20
  
  Kenai Peninsula Online
  Alaska continues to warm at twice global rate
  Kenai Peninsula Online
  The world is warming, but Alaska is warming faster, according to Jeremy Littell, lead research scientist at the Alaska Climate Science Center. At Monday night's Many Voices, Shared Vision meeting held at the Soldotna Public Libary, Littell discussed ...
  
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• Former cold-case investigator stars in Discovery's latest reality show about Alaska - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 05:39
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Former cold-case investigator stars in Discovery's latest reality show about Alaska
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Dearest readers, there are some great television programs out there waiting to streamed, Tivo'd, and even watched with commercials like people did in the olden days. Unfortunately, none of them fall into Alaska Reality Check territory, so let's just ...
  
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• Don't have time to grow your own vegetables this year? Alaska CSAs are here to help. - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 04:28
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Don't have time to grow your own vegetables this year? Alaska CSAs are here to help.
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Megan Talley, farm manager for APU's Spring Creek Farm, waters the tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm where Talley is growing tomatoes and peppers. (Bob Hallinen / Alaska Dispatch News). As the snow ...
  
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• Former Goose Creek prison corrections officer sentenced in drug conspiracy - Alaska Public Radio Network

  26-04-2017 04:17
  
  Alaska Public Radio Network
  Former Goose Creek prison corrections officer sentenced in drug conspiracy
  Alaska Public Radio Network
  A former Department of Corrections officer convicted of smuggling drugs into Goose Creek Correctional Center was sentenced Tuesday to eight months in federal prison. ACLU files lawsuit against city of Homer over proposed recalls. Shady Grove Oliver ...and more »
  
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• LA man gets 10 years for string of robberies in Anchorage - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 04:13
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  LA man gets 10 years for string of robberies in Anchorage
  Alaska Dispatch News
  A 37-year-old Los Angeles man will spend a decade in prison for a string of robberies in Anchorage last year, but he also is a fugitive in his home state and faces extradition. Donnie Holton pleaded guilty to and was sentenced on a consolidated first ...
  
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• Trump's tax plan gives favorable rate to businesses big and small - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 04:09
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Trump's tax plan gives favorable rate to businesses big and small
  Alaska Dispatch News
  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and President Donald Trump exit the Treasury Department building next to the White House after Trump held an event there, in Washington, April 21, 2017. (Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times file). President Donald ...and more »
  
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• Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, April 25, 2017

  26-04-2017 04:03
  
  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
  Listen now
  Senate majority not pleased with prospect of income tax as public testimony begins
  Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau
  Senators gave the proposed income tax a cool reception earlier today.
  Former Goose Creek prison corrections officer sentenced in drug conspiracy
  Josh Edge, Alaska Public Media – Anchor
  
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• Senate majority not pleased with prospect of income tax as public testimony begins

  26-04-2017 04:00
  
  Senate President Pete Kelly, R-Fairbanks, talks to reporters at a Senate Majority press availability. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)Senators gave the proposed income tax a cool reception earlier today.
  Listen now
  Anchorage Republican Senator Kevin Meyer said his constituents oppose creating a new bureaucracy to collect an income tax when the Permanent Fund continues to pay dividends.
  “I think that’s the part that — I think that’s the hardest for people to accept,” M
  
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• Bill requiring nonresident caribou hunters to have guides meets opposition

  26-04-2017 03:01
  
  Rep. Dean Westlake, D-Kotzebue, speaks during a House Floor Session on Feb 3, 2017. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)House bill 211 sponsored by Kiana Democrat Dean Westlake met opposition in a house session early Monday afternoon.
  Listen now
  The act would require, through statute, that nonresident hunters have a hunting guide present to hunt caribou from the Western Arctic, Central Arctic, Porcupine and Teshekpuk herds.
  Westlake said during the house session that passing HB 211 would put Alaska on
  
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• Fire marshal: Youths confess to Twin Lakes playground fire

  26-04-2017 02:51
  
  Firefighters spray down a fire on Monday, April 24, 2017, at the playground near Twin Lakes. (Photo by Kelli Burkinshaw/KTOO)The two teenagers arrested for setting the Twin Lakes playground on fire Monday have confessed, and Juneau’s fire marshal has completed his investigation.
  Listen now
  Capital City Fire/Rescue Fire Marshal Dan Jager said the two teenagers admitted they started the fire with no clear motive.
  “They admitted as to how they did that,” Jager said. “Because
  
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• US judge blocks Trump order threatening funds for 'sanctuary' cities - Alaska Dispatch News

  26-04-2017 02:47
  
  Alaska Dispatch News
  US judge blocks Trump order threatening funds for 'sanctuary' cities
  Alaska Dispatch News
  SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge placed a nationwide hold Tuesday on President Donald Trump's order to strip funds from municipal governments that refuse to cooperate fully with immigration agents. U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick III, an Obama ...and more »
  
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• Mat-Su Borough budget shrinking as population grows

  26-04-2017 02:10
  
  Mat-Su Borough LogoThe Matanuska-Susitna Borough’s budget proposal is out and it’s smaller than last year.
  Listen now
  If approved, the budget for the fastest-growing population center in the state would shrink about $9 million to about $400 million. The plan keeps school funding about the same as last year.
  The borough prides itself on having the leanest personnel to resident ratio of any municipality in the state, with one employee for every 330 residents, Borough Manager
  
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• Ask a Climatologist: Alaska's lucky winter - KTOO

  26-04-2017 02:08
  
  KTOO
  Ask a Climatologist: Alaska's lucky winter
  KTOO
  Attendance numbers spiked at Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau thanks to fresh snowfall as seen here on March 5, 2017. (Photo courtesy of John Erben). Winter is more or less over in most of Alaska. And if you like that kind of thing — winter, that is ...
  
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• Fairbanks City Council ponders Polaris building

  26-04-2017 01:48
  
  Polaris Hotel. (Photo: Dan Bross / KUAC)The fate of the Polaris building drew public testimony at a Fairbanks City Council last night, as an ordinance to keep the long vacant downtown high rise under city control was considered. Many who addressed the council spoke against plans to demolish the neglected former hotel.
  Listen now
  The owner of the Polaris hotel owes thousands of dollars in back property taxes over several years. If a portion of the taxes aren’t paid by the end of May the pro
  
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• How should close-flying Russian planes be addressed?

  26-04-2017 01:30
  
  A Russian Tu-95 Bomber being escorted by British forces in 2014. (Photo courtesy of U.K. Ministry of Defence)Last week, Russian military planes flew near Alaska’s coast on four separate occasions. American military intercepted two of the flights and Canadian fighters joined their U.S. counterparts during the fourth intercept. All were legal, in international airspace and American military leaders have downplayed concern.
  Heather Conley is the senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and t
  
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• Coast Guard rescues three seal hunters off coast of Hooper Bay

  26-04-2017 01:06
  
  Joseph Lake, 39, (center) texted his brother-in-law Friday evening, saying that he, his cousin, Nathan David Lake, 38 (second to the right) and nephew Marlin Lake, 24 (left), were anchored in the Bering Sea after running out of gas. The group were rescued the following day by Hooper Bay Search and Rescue & the U.S. Coast Guard. They’re pictured here on a previous seal hunting trip. (Photo courtesy of Joseph Lake)39-year-old Joseph Lake texted his brother-in-law Friday evening, saying t
  
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• Former Goose Creek prison corrections officer sentenced in drug conspiracy

  26-04-2017 00:51
  
  Goose Creek Prison. Photo by Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage.A former Department of Corrections officer convicted of smuggling drugs into Goose Creek Correctional Center was sentenced Tuesday to eight months in federal prison.
  33-year-old Adam Jason Spindler pleaded guilty in August 2016 to one count each of drug conspiracy and possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
  Spindler was arrested in May 2016, after heroin and marijuana were discovered in a bag he was att
  
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• ACLU files lawsuit against city of Homer over proposed recalls

  26-04-2017 00:48
  
  Homer City Hall (Photo courtesy of City of Homer)On Monday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska filed a suit against the City of Homer.
  The suit targets the proposed recall of three Homer City Council Members.
  The recall stems from a pair of resolutions either introduced or supported by the council members. One resolution supported the Standing Rock Tribe in their effort to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.
  The other was a resolution to promote inclusivity, on the heels of President
  
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