Anchorage news

• Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf resigns effective immediately

  12-10-2016 23:31
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Wells Fargo’s embattled CEO John Stumpf has resigned, effective immediately, as the nation’s second-largest bank is roiled by a scandal over its sales practices.
  The San Francisco bank said Wednesday that Stumpf will also relinquish his title as chairman. Its chief operating officer, Tim Sloan, will succeed Stumpf as CEO.
  Stumpf had led Wells Fargo since 2007.
  He faced congressional hearings and consumer wrath after Wells Fargo was found to have opened mil
  
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• Three cost cutting tips to slash your energy bill in Alaska this winter

  12-10-2016 23:01
  
  Alaska has high energy costs, especially in the winter and especially in rural parts of the state. October is Energy Awareness Month, Sean Skaling with Alaska Energy Authority and Shaina Kilcoyne with the Renewable Energy Alaska Project stopped by Daybreak with three things you can do to lower your energy bill this winter.
  The first cost cutting measure is switching your lights to LED or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs. The second is setting your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The
  
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• Fairbanks chief of staff returns to work following summer DUI charge

  12-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  One personnel issue has come to a close, and another continues at the City of Fairbanks.
  Speaking at a city council meeting Monday night Mayor John Eberhart welcomed Chief of Staff Jeff Jacobsen, who was charged with driving under the influence this summer, back to work.
  ”Let me just say, this was a out of character incident with extenuating circumstances by a person who has spent decades, literally decades, in service to North Pole, the city of Fairbanks the Arctic Winter Games and others
  
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• Aggressive bears concern Sitka Police

  12-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Sitka Police Lt. Lance Ewers urges residents to keep their garbage indoors until the day of pickup. (Photo by KCAW).
  The Sitka Police Department is on a bear hunt.
  There’s been a recent spike in bear sightings around town and even a few close calls.
  It’s not uncommon for bears roam neighborhoods in search of trash, especially in the months leading up to hibernation, but all the usual tricks for keeping Sitka’s bears at bay haven’t been working.
  It’s safe to say it&r
  
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• Tribe explores ‘self-determination’ options in downtown Craig

  12-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Indian law is often complicated and obscure. But one bit of Indian law just got a lot more concrete for the Southeast community of Craig: the concept of land into trust. The Craig Tribal Association is the first Alaska tribe to apply to put property in trust with the federal government.
  The Craig Tribal Association building is in the center of Craig. (Image: Google)
  The tribe wants to place slightly over one acre in trust. It’s in downtown Craig, and it’s the building that houses the
  
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• Review Finds San Francisco Police Disproportionately Targeted Minorities

  12-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  LaJoy Crenshaw, center, holds a picture of Mario Woods during a demonstration outside of city hall, in December 2015. (Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press)
  The San Francisco Police Department disproportionately targets people of color, a review by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has found.
  The 400-plus-page report found among other things:
  — Nine out of 11 use of deadly force incidents from 2013 to 2016 involved people of color.
  &mdas
  
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• Minor injuries after driver swerves to avoid deer

  12-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  A 16-year-old driver and her 20-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries following a single-vehicle accident early Monday morning near Mile 12.6 North Tongass Highway.
  According to the Alaska State Troopers online dispatch, the accident was called in at about 3:30 a.m. Monday.
  A caller reported an unoccupied and overturned vehicle in the ditch.
  Following an investigation, Troopers were able to find and talk to the driver at about 10 a.m. Monday.
  Troopers report that the driver and her pas
  
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• New details emerge in fatal plane crash near Togiak

  12-10-2016 21:00 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — Though the cause of a small plane crash near Togiak that killed three people is still under investigation, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board has revealed details about the wreckage.
  KTUU-TV reports that the commercial flight Ravn Connect Flight 3153 originated in Bethel on Oct. 2 and made stops in Togiak and Quinhagak before crashing. The plane was scheduled to land again in Togiak before heading to Bethel.
  Three people were on board when the plan
  
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• Telling Tales – 10-11-16

  12-10-2016 20:43 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Telling Tales with MsG celebrates “Indigenous People’s Day”“Girl Receives Bear Power”
  “Mooin, the Bear’s Child”
  “Cherokee Bear People”
  “How the Rainbow Was Made” — A Creation Tale from the Ojibwe Nation (from Native American Myths) retold by S.E. Schlosser
  ~We are all related.http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/TT101116.mp3 
  
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• Killing Reindeer To Stop Anthrax Could Snuff Out A Nomadic Culture

  12-10-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Nenet men hold a reindeer race. Photo by PW PIX/Getty Images)
  There’s a heated debate in the Arctic Circle. It’s about reindeer. Lots of them.
  Russian health officials want to cull a quarter million animals by Christmas, The Siberian Times reports. That’s enough reindeer to fill about 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  The announcement comes on the heels of three anthrax outbreaks in western Siberia this summer, caused by “zombie” bacteria brought back to life from t
  
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• Alaska gets extension to meet national ID standards

  12-10-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  JUNEAU — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has given Alaska an extension to meet national proof-of-identity standards with the expectation that the state will come into full compliance.
  The 2005 federal REAL ID law imposes tougher requirements for proof of legal U.S. residency in order for state driver’s licenses to be valid to enter many federal facilities.
  Alaska hasn’t met certain provisions, and a 2008 state law bars state agencies from spending money to comply with
  
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• Alaska Supreme Court overturns decision to throw out District 40 ballots

  12-10-2016 17:53
  
  An Alaska Supreme Court ruling issued Wednesday overturned a lower court’s decision to throw out some ballots in the disputed House District 40 race in the primary election, making Dean Westlake once again the winner.
  The final tally of ballots from the North Slope district put Westlake ahead of his opponent, Rep. Ben Nageak, by just eight votes. After the election results were certified in September, Nageak filed a lawsuit asking for either a new election or for some of the
  
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• Alaska Supreme Court hears disputed House election case

  12-10-2016 17:53
  
  The Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments in a disputed election for the state House of Representatives.
  Democratic challenger Dean Westlake beat incumbent Rep. Benjamin Nageak of Barrow by eight votes in the August primary. Nageak challenged the election and last week, state Superior Court Judge Andrew Guidi founds errors in how the state conducted the election.
  Guidi deducted 12 votes from Westlake and two from Nageak and ordered the Division of Elections to certify Nageak as t
  
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• North Pole parents don’t want elementary school name changed

  12-10-2016 17:35
  
  Parents are urging the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s school board not to change the name of their children’s elementary school, although it bears the name of a strawberry farmer who was convicted of child rape in 1916.
  The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports parents, alumni and employees of Badger Road Elementary School argued against the change before board members Monday.
  The school is named after a major road in the community, but is also tied to the late Harry Badger.
  Board membe
  
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• Transportation summit aims to make Anchorage more pedestrian and bike friendly

  12-10-2016 08:59
  
  Many want to make Anchorage a place where people can live, work and play. Professional transportation consultant Mark Fenton said that starts with making sure neighborhoods are connected.
  He was at the Active Transportation Summit to share his knowledge with community partners. They hit the streets of a Spenard neighborhood to see what improvements could be made.
  “The sidewalk condition as we came out of the building was in tough shape,” he said to the group.
  Fenton said building env
  
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• Trailer containing $2-$3K worth of popcorn stolen from Wasilla Cub Scouts

  12-10-2016 08:57
  
  Wasilla Cub Scouts of Pack 369 are taught to work hard, and be responsible, but now they’re also learning life isn’t always fair.
  After spending weeks selling popcorn to fund their next year of activities, they had their trailer loaded up, ready to deliver popcorn to their customers. But the owner of the residence it was parked at left home for an hour, only to return and find someone stole the trailer, with between $2,000 and $3,000 worth of popcorn and all their camping gear inside
  
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• As walrus arrive, Alaska village tells visitors to stay away

  12-10-2016 08:21
  
  Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey Department of the Interior
  A remote Alaska village is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reach out to potential visitors – and telling them to stay away.
  The Inupiat village of Point Lay on Alaska’s northwest coast in recent years has seen walrus come to shore by the thousands.
  The marine mammals take refuge on shore when sea ice recedes beyond the continental shelf over water that’s too deep for walrus to dive for clams.
  Disturb
  
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• Harsh words for candidates, criminal reform bill at ARWC debate

  12-10-2016 08:02
  
  Criticism for the governor and scathing reviews of the criminal justice reform bill — Senate Bill 91 — were the two big topics of discussion during Tuesday night’s state candidate debate at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The event was hosted by the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club (ARWC) and featured four Senate candidates and nine state representative candidates.
  The night started on the senate side with yes and no answers. When asked if the candidates would suppor
  
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• The numbers are in on Juneau’s economy

  12-10-2016 07:57 via ktoo.org
  
  In 2015, Juneau gained more young people and seniors, cost of living fell slightly, unemployment remained steady and the housing market was still tight.
  Those are highlights from a report compiled by the Juneau Economic Development Council on changes to Juneau’s economy between 2014 and 2015.
  In the housing market, prices rose and turnaround times for single-family homes and condominiums were still quick. According to the JEDC, home sales went up 10 percent last year.
  Juneau City Manager R
  
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• Anchorage woman says late mother’s bank account nearly drained by fake checks

  12-10-2016 05:19
  
  Becky Gagnon’s mother, Eleanor Thurmond, passed away in mid-September. While grieving her loss, Gagnon said she has had to deal with someone attempting to steal hundreds of dollars from Thurmond’s bank account.
  She said a woman pretending to be her mom’s friend stole checks before writing them to herself.
  “My mom’s name is not even spelled right,” Gagnon said, noting the signatures on the fake checks look nothing like her mother’s.
  The woman who allegedl
  
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• Threats, sexist insults aimed at Millett after taking stand against Trump

  12-10-2016 05:08
  
  Online reaction to KTVA’s story about Rep. Charisse Millett’s stand against presidential nominee Donald Trump has not been pleasant, but in some cases it has become violent and degrading towards the Anchorage legislator. Just hours after its posting, the article gathered hundreds of comments. Most disagreed with the House majority leader’s decision, but some went a step further — even threatening sexual assault.
  Hilary Morgan, CEO of the YWCA in Alaska, which ad
  
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• Driver killed in Tuesday crash identified by police

  12-10-2016 05:07
  
  Updated at 10:21 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12
  On Wednesday, the Anchorage Police Department released the name of a man killed in a Tuesday evening crash. Police identified the the driver as 57-year-old Joseph Pineda, whose family has been notified. The crash is still being investigated.
  Original story
  Anchorage police are investigating a vehicle crash at the intersection of Dowling and Elmore Roads that claimed the life of one of the involved drivers.
  Police first responded to reports of
  
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• Driver killed in crash may have suffered medical crisis, police say

  12-10-2016 05:07
  
  Anchorage police are investigating a vehicle crash at the intersection of Dowling and Elmore Roads that claimed the life of one of the involved drivers. Dowling Road is currently closed in both directions, police said.
  Police first responded to reports of the crash just before 5 p.m. A Mercedes SUV and Dodge Durango collided when the Mercedes failed to finish turning onto Dowling Road from Elmore, instead driving “straight into oncoming traffic,” police said in a statement.
  &ldq
  
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• Democratic and nonaffiliated legislative candidates top Republicans in post-primary fundraising

  12-10-2016 04:55 via ktoo.org
  
  (Creative Commons photo by peasap)
  Democratic and independent candidates critical of the majorities in the State Capitol have raised more in campaign donations than Republicans since the primary.
  Political leaders interpreted the latest campaign finance reports in widely divergent ways.
  House Minority Leader Chris Tuck, D-Anchorage, watches a floor session in May. He says the campaign finance report reflects the public’s rejection of current legislative majorities. (Photo by Rash
  
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• APD: Search of Anchorage man’s home leads to child pornography charges

  12-10-2016 03:32
  
   Jacob Jarrett BrownCourtesy Anchorage Police Department
  The warranted search of an Anchorage man’s home Tuesday led to multiple charges against him related to child pornography. What’s more, police say they are concerned he has victims who have yet to come forward for help.
  The Anchorage Police Department, in conjunction with the Alaska Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, arrested 21-year-old Jacob Jarrett Brown on five counts of distribution of pornography and
  
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• District 40 primary fight heads to Alaska Supreme Court

  12-10-2016 02:56 via ktoo.org
  
  Rep. Benjamin Nageak, D-Barrow, speaks in the Alaska House of Representatives during debate on House Bill 123 to establish a marijuana control board in Alaska, April 14, 2015. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  The Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit over the Democratic primary in House District 40, which stretches from Kotzebue to Kaktovik.
  House District 40, the state’s northernmost, includes the North Slope and Northwest Arctic. (Image courtesy of the Divisi
  
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• State heath department offers grants to encourage breastfeeding in the workplace

  12-10-2016 02:54
  
  The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) wants to make it easier for working moms to breastfeed by providing supports in the workplace.
  Daniella DeLozier, a public health specialist with the DHSS Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology unit, said a federal grant is available for businesses who want to provide a place for women to pump or feed their babies.
  “In Alaska, 94 percent of women start off breastfeeding,” DeLozier said. “By three months, that
  
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• Workers hopeful as Agrium takes steps to reopen its Kenai Peninsula plant

  12-10-2016 02:53 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The sun sets over Agrium’s currently dormant fertilizer plant on Sept. 29, 2016, in Nikiski. The company is working to get the permits it would need from the state were it to reopen the facility. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/Alaska’s Energy Desk)
  The Agrium natural gas-to-fertilizer plant in Nikiski has been taking steps to reopen. If it does, then it could add hundreds of high-paying jobs to the struggling Kenai Peninsula economy.But that depends on a reliable natural gas supply,
  
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• Hoping for jobs and lower fuel costs, an Alaska Native Corporation explores for gas

  12-10-2016 02:42 via ktoo.org
  
  Exploration well Tolsona No. 1, located about 11 miles West of Glennallen, Alaska (photo by Elizabeth Harball).
  Alaska Native Regional Corporation Ahtna, Inc. is searching for natural gas to reduce local energy costs and provide jobs. Last week, Ahtna, Inc. subsidiary Tolsona Oil & Gas Exploration LLC started drilling an exploration well on state land near Glennallen.
  Daniel Lee, oil and gas development manager for Ahtna, gave a tour of the new well on Monday.
  “What we’re lo
  
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• Hoping for jobs and lower fuel costs, Alaska Native corp Ahtna explores for gas

  12-10-2016 02:42 via ktoo.org
  
  Exploration well Tolsona No. 1 is located about 11 miles west of Glennallen, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Harball/Alaska’s Energy Desk)
  Alaska Native Regional Corporation Ahtna, Inc. is searching for natural gas to reduce local energy costs and provide jobs. Last week, Ahtna, Inc. subsidiary Tolsona Oil & Gas Exploration LLC started drilling an exploration well on state land near Glennallen.
  Daniel Lee, oil and gas development manager for Ahtna, gave a tour of the new well on Monda
  
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• Board certifies Juneau municipal election results

  12-10-2016 02:32 via ktoo.org
  
  The Juneau municipal election results were finalized earlier today.
  The Canvass Review Board met Tuesday afternoon to certify the Oct. 4 election results, which remain largely the same after absentee and questioned ballots were counted last Friday.
  There was a 33.5 percent voter turnout.
  
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• Juneau Afternoon 0 10-11-16

  12-10-2016 02:11 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Tuesday on A Juneau Afternoon, Ben Brown hosts.
  We’ll find out about a new business in town, Juneau Quick Care;
  Ed Buyarski will be here with news about the upcoming Garlic Lovers Potluck;
  High School Career Counselor Terri Calvin will be here to talk about the upcoming College/Career Fair on October 14.
  Andrew Bogar, from the Red Cross, talks about going to help victims of Hurricane Matthew.
  That, Writer’s Almanac, Bird Note, music and more, today on A Juneau Afternoon, live at 3 on
  
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• Juneau Afternoon – 10-12-16

  12-10-2016 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Wednesday at 3 on A Juneau Afternoon,
  Erika Simpson, from the Chamber of Commerce, will be here to highlight their annual dinner, A Night in Hollywood;
  Marianne Mills and Kim Andree will be here to discuss Friday’s League of Women Voters’ fundraising Wine Tasting;
  We’ll find out about the upcoming World Affairs Forum on Human Migration & Refugees
  And Reggie Schapp, from Juneau Jazz & Classics, will be here to spotlight an upcoming String Workshop.
  That, Writer’s A
  
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• Juneau’s certified October election results

  12-10-2016 01:54
  
  Alan Wu / Flickr Creative Commons
  The Canvass Board met in Juneau Tuesday and certified the results of the October Regular Municipal Election.
  Incumbent Mary Becker will hold onto her District 1 Assembly seat for another term, having beat out Arnold Liebelt with 4,076 votes over his 3,552. William Quayle Jr., who recently came under public scrutiny for his Twitter account, received only 293 votes.
  Beth Weldon ran unopposed for the District 2 Assembly, although 262 write-ins were tallied in the
  
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• Troopers: Thefts from 22 storage units discovered in Kodiak

  12-10-2016 01:15
  
  Alaska State Troopers are investigating thefts from more than 20 storage units over the course of several days.
  All of the units are owned by the Kodiak Transfer Company in Kodiak, located along Old Tom Stiles Road, according to an online trooper dispatch.
  The investigation into the thefts began when someone reported a theft from one of the units on Sunday, according to troopers. When employees went to check on other units, they found many that showed signs of damage, likely from forced entry, t
  
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• Potential fireworks ban sparks debate among Juneau Assembly

  12-10-2016 00:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The Juneau Assembly is working on restricting fireworks use in Juneau.
  The assembly discussed a draft ordinance at its work session Monday evening. It’s a template for Juneau residents to review and comment on.
  Assembly members Mary Becker, Maria Gladziszewski and Debbie White were unhappy with the definitions of fireworks.
  White and Mayor Ken Koelsch had concerns about possession and how enforcing it might affect the Juneau Police Department.
  Police Chief Bryce Johnson told the assem
  
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