Anchorage news

• Summer of spice: What cities can learn from Anchorage’s 2015 epidemic

  14-10-2016 23:40
  
  It is nothing new to say the effects of spice on the city of Anchorage were adverse, however a new report shows how responding to upsurges of drug use can strain emergency health care systems.
  The Alaska Division of Public Health’s Section of Epidemiology investigated Anchorage’s spice outbreak of 2015. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is publishing a report on the findings in its national Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, as an examp
  
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• Mic Check in the Morning: No Wake Band

  14-10-2016 23:10
  
  Father and son duo Pat Wake and Sean Renard formed the “No Wake Band” after finding some unexpected extra time on their hands. Wake’s machine shop in Palmer was flooded by waters from the Matanuska River, so the two decided to take a shot at performing live together.
  From there, Wake says the duo has taken off, and no longer has to “push on doors” for gigs.
  They released a CD this past summer, titled “Wind In My Sail.” More information is available on th
  
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• Four indicted in Anchorage murder case

  14-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Four people have been indicted for their roles in an Anchorage shooting death last month.
  The teens are accused of shooting 40-year-old Paula Zorawski on Sept. 22 when she answered the door of her East Anchorage home.
  Zorawski died Sept. 28 at Providence Alaska Medical Center.
  The teens visited the home prior to the shooting to buy marijuana.
  Yurel Nichols, 18, was indicted for 1st and 2nd degree murder and robbery in the 1st degree.
  Savon Berry, Tommy Higgs III – both 18-years-old &n
  
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• 2 More Women Accuse Trump Of Inappropriate Sexual Conduct. Here’s The Full List

  14-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Donald Trump speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, D.C. (Creative Commons photo by Gage Skidmore)
  The allegations against Donald Trump of inappropriate sexual behavior gathered momentum Wednesday night, with multiple women making new allegations about the Republican presidential nominee. Trump is thus far denying any of the incidents and has also threatened to sue the New York Times, which reported two of the new accusations.
  Though some allegations had first been reported months ago, a 2005 vide
  
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• Newscast – Friday, Oct. 14, 2016

  14-10-2016 22:47 via ktoo.org
  
  
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/20161014-newcast.mp3In this newscast:
  State officials still plan to move ahead with the sale of bonds to help pay for pension obligations, despite a credit rating agency’s warning,
  No foul play is suspected after a man was found dead in a pond off Mendendhall Loop Road, and
  An Alaska Gasline Development Corp. board member asks, should the state back off the pipeline dream?
  
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• Wanted man arrested after evading Troopers for almost a month

  14-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  After being chased by Alaska State Troopers in the air and on the ground, a man with two warrants for his arrest has been caught.
  Alexie Morris Jr. of Nome was wanted for two alleged incidents of felony assault and had been avoiding criminal service for nearly a month.
  According to a Troopers dispatch posted Thursday morning, troopers in Nome received credible information regarding Morris’ whereabouts on Wednesday.
  Morris was seen on the beach near mile 14 of the Nome-Council highway.
  The
  
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• Organ Donations Spike In The Wake Of The Opioid Epidemic

  14-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Debbie Deagle holds a photo of her son Stephen and herself. (Photo by Martha Bebinger/WBUR)
  On the final day of June 2015, Colin LePage rode waves of hope and despair. It started when LePage found his 30-year-old son, Chris, at home after an apparent overdose. Paramedics rushed Chris by helicopter to one of Boston’s flagship medical centers.
  Doctors revived Chris’ heart, but struggled to stabilize his temperature and blood pressure. At some point, a doctor or nurse mentioned to LePag
  
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• Kenai restricts borough assembly meeting invocation to approved groups

  14-10-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly passed a resolution on Oct. 11, revising its policy on the invocation, or prayer, that begins each Assembly meeting.
  Under the new policy, the borough clerk will maintain a list of the qualifying religious associations that have submitted requests to deliver the invocation. Only persons or organizations appearing on this list will be allowed to give the invocation.
  Borough Assembly President Blaine Gilman and Assembly Member Dale Bagley co-sponsored the resol
  
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• Gardentalk – Protecting your begonias, dahlias and fuschias

  14-10-2016 21:25 via ktoo.org
  
  
  This dahlia blossom won a ribbon during the 2015 Harvest Fair at the Juneau Community Garden. (Photo by Matt Miller/KTOO)
  Master Gardener Ed Buyarski suggests that Juneau gardeners start bringing in their begonias, dahlias and fuschias. Temperatures are dropping overnight in the Juneau area, sometimes dipping to well under freezing in the Mendenhall Valley near the Mendenhall Glacier.
  Fuschias should have some of their leaves cut back, and the plants should be watered lightly every few weeks ove
  
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• Russian aggression unlikely to hit Arctic, security experts say

  14-10-2016 21:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Russia is antagonizing the U.S. on multiple fronts these days, in Europe, in Syria and in cyberspace, if claims prove true that Moscow is behind some high-profile email hacks.
  But in the Arctic, Russia is still playing nice, one conclusion a panel of national security experts made at a Washington, D.C., briefing Thursday.
  Russia has certainly built up its military on its side of the Arctic.
  It has installed or refurbished Arctic bases, enlarged ports and built new airfields.
  “But the
  
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• World Health Organization Warns Tuberculosis Is Not Under Control

  14-10-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The World Health Organization says global governments are not on track to meet their goals for reducing tuberculosis deaths and infections.
  At the World Health Assembly in 2014, leaders from around the world agreed to the twin goals of reducing deaths from the respiratory infection by 90 percent and cases by 80 percent by 2030, compared to 2015 levels.
  But in a report released Thursday, the WHO announced the number of reported cases actually grew between 2013 and 2015.
  The increase reflects a pe
  
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• Woman pulls gun after getting a dozen doughnuts

  14-10-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — Someone wanted a baker’s dozen from a 24-hour doughnut shop in Anchorage, and used a gun for the extra treat.
  Anchorage television station KTUU reports a woman walked into Golden
  Donuts shortly before 1 a.m. Friday and ordered a dozen doughnuts.
  As the employee handed over the doughnuts, he says the woman then pulled out a gun and demanded cash from the register.
  He gave her the money and called police after she left.
  About 90 minutes later, Anchorage police said in
  
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• APD: Doughnuts, drugs found in vehicle of pastry shop robber

  14-10-2016 19:51
  
  A woman is accused of the armed robbery of an Anchorage doughnut shop early Friday morning, according to police.
  The Anchorage Police Department said in a release later Friday morning that the crime was reported just after 12 a.m. at Golden Donuts on East Tudor Road.
  An employee of the shop said a woman, identified by police as 35-year-old Melissa Noel, walked in and ordered a dozen doughnuts. When the register opened, she pulled out a gun, demanded cash and ran away. APD’s relea
  
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• LED lights to light up Homer Harbor

  14-10-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Homer will soon join the list of U.S. cities making the switch to LED lights.
  On Oct. 10, the Homer City Council passed an ordinance authorizing the installation of new LED lights on seven high mast poles around the Homer Harbor.
  Originally, the Port and Harbor Department had planned to install LEDs on a single pole as a test project.
  The City Council voted down that ordinance in favor of an expanded project that will install lights on all seven poles.
  The price tag for the project is estimated
  
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• Daybreak Adopt-a-Pet for Oct. 14, 2016

  14-10-2016 19:00
  
  From Anchorage Animal Care and Control:
  SassafrasSassafras is a Rabbit, and wants to let you know that rabbits make perfect pets. They bond closely with people and can even be trained to run through hoops.
  Dominick
  Dominick the Chinchilla has a perky personality and is really curious about your home.
  AnnickAnnick the guinea pig loves to sit on your lap and be pet. He wants a forever home and wants to let you know that guinea pigs are worth it.
  Check with the Municipality’s website for upda
  
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• Panel: No indication of Russian aggression in Arctic

  14-10-2016 18:51
  
  A panel of national security experts says that while Russia has built up its military on its side of the Arctic, there is no evidence of Russian aggression there.
  Julia Gourley is the senior Arctic official at the U.S. State Department. During a briefing of congressional staff in Washington, D.C., she said it appears Russia is preparing to protect its economic interests. She says all countries would do the same.
  But Sherri Goodman, a former Pentagon official, says the U.S. should pay attention f
  
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• No foul play suspected after man found dead in Juneau ditch

  14-10-2016 18:47
  
  Juneau police say there were no signs of foul play after the body of a man was found partially submerged in a drainage ditch.
  The Juneau Empire reports the man was identified as 55-year-old Gary D. Brummitt of Juneau.
  Someone walking on a bike path in the Mendenhall Valley found the body Thursday.
  The body will be sent to Anchorage for an autopsy.
  ___
  Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, http://www.juneauempire.com
  (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
  
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• Native Brotherhood, Sisterhood boost youth leadership

  14-10-2016 18:33 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Alaska’s oldest Native organizations are giving younger members more power.
  That’s the result of leadership elections held at the recent Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood Grand Camp Convention in Juneau.http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/13CampFolo.mp3The hundred-plus-year-old organizations have been trying to attract more youths and young adults.
  To highlight that effort, they chose Devlin Anderstom, 19, to be their keynote speaker.
  He’s already president o
  
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• Obama Eases Special Limits On Cuban Products, From Drugs To Rum And Cigars

  14-10-2016 18:00 via ktoo.org
  
  As of Monday, U.S. citizens who travel to Cuba will no longer be limited to bringing back goods worth up to $400 — including $100 worth of tobacco and alcohol. President Obama ordered the changes, which also clear the way for Cuban-origin pharmaceuticals to gain U.S. regulatory approval.
  Instead of those special quotas, normal limits on Americans’ importation of foreign products for personal use will apply.
  The changes are meant to “open up space for Cubans to improve their liv
  
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• Family of stranded hikers rescued in Kachemak Bay State Park

  14-10-2016 18:00 via ktoo.org
  
  A family of three stranded overnight in Kachemak Bay State Park were rescued this week.
  Two hikers, Slobodan and Nevenka Kitanovski, along with their 2-year-old son, were hiking near Halibut Cove on Oct. 12.
  The family was visiting from Wasilla and staying in one of the “Halibut Cove Lagoon” cabins managed by the park.
  Kachemak Bay State Park district ranger Jason Okuly said the family hiked about nine miles along Moose Valley Trail before realizing they were in trouble.
  &l
  
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• Candidate for Bethel city manager job to visit town

  14-10-2016 17:23
  
  One of three finalists for the position of city manager in Bethel will be visiting the community next week.
  Bob Sivick of Omaha, Nebraska, was among some 30 people to apply for the job. The search came after former City Manager Ann Capela filed notice to leave her three-year contract early, citing struggles with the climate.
  Bethel City Clerk Lori Strickler says Sivick is set to arrive Sunday night. She says there will be a reception in the community for him on Monday.
  Strickler says Sivick prev
  
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• Statehouse candidates Parish and Muñoz spar at Juneau Votes debate

  14-10-2016 12:01 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Democrat Justin Parish speaks at the Juneau Votes Statehouse Candidates Debate as incumbent Reps. Cathy Muñoz and Sam Kito III listen at the Egan Lecture Hall at the University of Alaska Southeast on Thursday. Parish is challenging Muñoz, a Republican. Sam Kito III is a Democrat who is unopposed. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/14DEBATE-NPR-One.mp3In a statehouse candidate debate Thursday over House District 34, Juneau Democrat J
  
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• 9th Army Band brings military music to Anchorage

  14-10-2016 06:54
  
  If you’ve been to a military ceremony in Alaska, chances are you’ve heard them play. The 9th Army Band will soon be making music all around Anchorage.
  Recently, the band moved from Ft. Wainwright down to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or JBER.
  The band was facing cuts when the army downsized last year, but it’s the only military band in Alaska– so leaders worked to save it.
  “We’ve always had a band. We want to continue that. We don’t want to lose those
  
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• Could a North Slope lawmaker’s loss spark change in legislative leadership?

  14-10-2016 06:44
  
  Rep. Benjamin Nageak apparently lost his seat in the Alaska Legislature Wednesday, when the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in favor of his challenger Dean Westlake. The decision could come with a chain reaction, linking Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans together to create new leadership in the Alaska House of Representatives.
  Republicans currently make up the majority in Juneau — which means they hold the gavels in committee and leadership roles, with a few exceptions. Nageak an
  
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• Amazon adding 120,000 workers to meet holiday demand

  14-10-2016 05:35
  
  NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon.com will add 120,000 seasonal workers in an effort to meet an expected spike in demand during the holidays.
  The seasonal positions will be created at fulfillment centers, sorting centers and customer service sites in 27 states. The move marks a 20 percent boost from the 100,000 seasonal hires a year ago.
  Last year, the company said it transitioned 14,000 seasonal positions to regular, full-time jobs and it expects to boost that figure this year.
  The e-commerce giant
  
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• Video: Whale skeleton takes flight in Anchorage

  14-10-2016 05:28 via ktoo.org
  
  Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks were at Kincaid Beach in Anchorage to finish recovering the skeleton of the humpback whale that washed up there in July. The team, led by Mammals Collection Manager Aren Gunderson, removed half the whale by hand in September then came back the next month with a helicopter for the remaining large bones. The massive specimen will become part of the largest marine mammal collection in North America housed at the University of Alaska Museum in Fai
  
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• Going back to their Inupiaq roots: Barrow residents vote to rename city

  14-10-2016 04:05
  
  The people of Barrow have spoken; the majority of voters want their Arctic town’s name to reflect their heritage.
  On Indigenous People’s Day, Monday, early-October election results were certified. The outcome? Barrow will no longer be known as Barrow, but as Utqiaġvik instead – it’s traditional Inupiaq name.
  In late August, Barrow City Counsel member Qaiyaan Harcharek introduced the ordinance. But the idea was actually sparked before Harcharek was ever elected to the
  
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• As election dusts settles, future of senior sales tax exemption unclear

  14-10-2016 02:58 via ktoo.org
  
  
  For the first half of 2016, seniors have claimed sales tax exemptions at one-third of the levels claimed for the same period in 2015.
  The Juneau Assembly restricted the senior tax break last year in an effort to save the city a projected $1 million. But at least one newly elected assembly member thinks the reform should be revisited.http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/13SENIORTAX.mp3A large part of Norton Gregory and Mary Becker’s successful assembly campaigns focused on bringin
  
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• State proceeds with pension bond plan despite credit warning

  14-10-2016 02:47 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — The state is proceeding with plans to sell up to $3.3 billion in bonds to help pay for Alaska’s pension obligations despite a warning that the action could trigger a drop in the state’s credit rating.
  S&P Global Ratings last week indicated that it would likely lower the state’s credit rating if the bonds were sold. It is the only one of three major ratings agencies to indicate that a credit hit from the sale is possible.
  The Alaska Journal of Commerce repo
  
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• Researchers collect last whale bones off Anchorage shore

  14-10-2016 02:46 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — University researchers in Alaska will soon have access to the only complete humpback whale skeleton in the state.
  Anchorage television station KTVA reports researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Wednesday collected the remaining bones of a dead humpback that washed ashore last July at Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
  Volunteers earlier made 45 trips up a 200-foot bluff with lighter bones, but a helicopter was used this week to ferry out the heavier bones.
  Aren Gu
  
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• Trailers stolen carrying pretzel business, Cub Scout popcorn

  14-10-2016 02:42 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — A Fairbanks gourmet pretzel business is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the return of a trailer used as a food truck.
  Owners of the Pretzel Chef discovered their trailer was missing Sunday.Michelle Titus Hajdukovich says the 14-foot trailer contained ovens and other tools needed to make pretzels from scratch.
  The loss is estimated at $30,000.
  A second trailer with a food connection was stolen Monday in Wasilla.
  Anchorage television station KTVA reports someo
  
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• Police investigate submerged body found in Juneau pond

  14-10-2016 02:36 via ktoo.org
  
  Juneau police are investigating the death of a 55-year-old man who was found Thursday morning partially submerged in a pond.
  Police have identified the man as Gary D. Brummitt of Juneau.
  There were no signs of foul play.
  Brummitt’s body will be sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage for an autopsy.
  According to a JPD news release, a caller saw the body while walking on the bike path, and walked to Fred Meyer to call police.
  Police, medics and Capital City Fire/Rescue were
  
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• Reality Check w/ John Tracy: The Republican dumping of Trump

  14-10-2016 02:30
  
  I haven’t weighed in on the presidential race over the past year for a couple of reasons.
  First of all, I find it hard to believe that anybody is undecided in this election, nor do I believe that I, nor KTVA should start endorsing candidates.
  But to ignore the events of the last week and the impact on the election is just not possible. Donald Trump’s open-mic exchange 11 years ago about his entitlement to grope women has changed the race.
  There’s no need to repeat it.
  It w
  
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• Trump Threatens To Sue The New York Times Over Sex Abuse Allegations

  14-10-2016 02:25 via ktoo.org
  
  The whirling dervish that is Donald J. Trump spun ever-faster Thursday, shredding almost everything in his range of vision — Hillary Clinton, his fellow Republicans who fail to support him unequivocally, the growing chorus of women accusing him of sexual misconduct, and especially the press.
  In just the past 24 hours, Trump threatened to sue the New York Times for recounting the stories of two accusers; he slammed the media for serving, in his telling, as a wing of Clinton’s campaign
  
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• Juneau Afternoon – 10-14-16

  14-10-2016 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Friday on A Juneau Afternoon, Andy Kline hosts.
  We’ll talk with Alan Akiyama and Charlene Miller about the Meals on Wheels program;
  Lance Mitchell will be here to highlight Saturday’s Night of Entertainment at the Viking;
  And we’ll get an update about Bartlett Hospital.
  That, Writers’ Almanac, Bird Note, music and more, Friday on A Juneau Afternoon, live on KTOO-News at 3, repeated at 4 on KRNN, and available on-demand via ktoo.org
   
  
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• Bombing Suspect Pleads Not Guilty To Attempted Murder And Weapons Charges

  14-10-2016 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The suspect in last month’s bombings in New Jersey and New York that injured dozens pleaded not guilty Thursday.
  Ahmad Khan Rahimi was arraigned in Elizabeth, N.J., via teleconference. The 28-year-old Rahimi has been recovering in a hospital after a shootout with police. He pleaded not guilty to state charges of attempted murder and weapons offenses.
  The charges are related to Rahimi’s alleged detonation on Sept. 17 of a pipe bomb along the route of a charity race in Seaside Park, N.
  
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• Division of Elections: Trump campaign missed deadline for election pamphlet

  14-10-2016 01:14
  
  Earlier this week, the Alaska Division of Elections released the office election pamphlet for the Nov. 8 general election and missing from that document for voters were Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Libertarian Gary Johnson, also running for the seat.
  In a Thursday release from the division, they state that’s because neither the Republican or Libertarian candidates got their paperwork in on time. For presidential and vice presidential candidates from a recognized po
  
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• Fisheries panel hears transboundary mine concerns

  14-10-2016 01:12 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Hazeltine Creek, once a narrow waterway, is filled with mud, silt and logs following August 2014’s tailings dam breach at the nearby Mount Polley Mine. Southeast Alaskans testifying at a recent hearing say a similar dam break could damage the region’s rivers. (Photo by Chris Blake/MineWatch Canada)
  Critics of British Columbia mining told a legislative committee Wednesday about the dangers of mineral extraction along transboundary rivers.http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/201
  
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• Southeast Alaska hunters cited for shooting swimming deer

  14-10-2016 01:05
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Two southeast Alaska hunters have been cited for shooting swimming deer.
  Alaska Wildlife Troopers on Saturday seized six deer from the fishing vessel Sumner near Washington Bay on Kuiu Island.
  Troopers say 49-year-old Robert Martin of Petersburg and a 15-year-old juvenile shot the deer as the animals swam near Mist Cove.
  Troopers seized two rifles.
  Martin was cited for taking big game from a boat and taking swimming big game.
  On Tuesday, the juvenile was issued a s
  
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• AGDC board asks president tough questions about gasline’s future

  14-10-2016 00:30 via ktoo.org
  
  AGDC president Keith Meyer (photo courtesy AGDC).
  The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation met today in Kenai for an update on the state’s progress taking over the gas line project. AGDC president Keith Meyer said the transition should wrap up by the end of the year.
  But at the meeting, Meyer fielded some tough questions from the board of directors, including this one from Vice Chairman Hugh Short.
  “What do you say to someone who says AGDC, State of Alaska should just hang it
  
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