Anchorage news

• Survey says Americans are getting stressed by the elections

  17-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  At some point everyone, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof, wants to bail from a presidential election. Okay, that’s a hunch, but it’s borne out, at least in part (caveats aplenty), in an online survey by the American Psychological Association.
  Fifty-two percent of American adults tell the pollsters that the 2016 election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress. The survey was conducted online among adults 18-year-olds and older living in the U.S. by Harris Po
  
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• Kenai borough residents voice opposition to new invocation policy

  17-10-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly passed a resolution on Oct. 11, revising its policy on the invocation that begins each meeting.
  The new policy places restrictions on who is allowed to give the invocation.
  Under the newly approved resolution, the borough clerk will maintain a list of qualifying religious organizations.
  Only people or associations on this list will be allowed to give the invocation that begins each Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting.
  The Assembly was deeply divided over
  
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• High wind hampers wildfire response south of Sutton

  17-10-2016 22:02 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — Strong overnight winds hampered firefighters containing a wildfire north of Palmer.
  The state Division of Forestry says the fire 12 miles north of Palmer and 5 miles south of Sutton is about 300 acres, or just less than one-half square mile.
  Winds in the area Sunday night blew steadily at 25 to 30 mph and gusts reached 40 mph.
  The fire just after 6 p.m. crossed a fire line. Helicopters with water buckets dropped water on the area. Managers shifted firefighters to keep the fire
  
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• Teacher of the Week: Michele Whaley

  17-10-2016 21:38
  
  Michele Whaley has impacted thousands of students of the course of her career. She’s been teaching language in Alaska for more than 30 years and is up for National Language Teacher of the Year from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. The Russian language has been her primary focus, but this year Whaley has taken on a new role at King Career Center in early childhood education.
  “I think it’s important for everyone to be able to know how to work with small
  
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• How do you say that? Utqiagvik

  17-10-2016 21:04 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Utqiagvik, the city formally know as Barrow, AK (File photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
  By a margin of six votes, residents of Barrow have voted to change the name of their city back to its Inupiaq name: Utqiagvik.
  City council member Qaiyaan Harcharek started the process this summer.
  There are still several steps that must be taken, including the city communicating with state officials, before the name change will come to fruition.
  Alaska Public Media’s Lori Townsend discussed the name ch
  
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• How do you say that? Utqiagvic, formerly known as Barrow

  17-10-2016 21:04 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Utqiagvik, the city formally know as Barrow, AK (File photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
  By a margin of six votes, residents of Barrow have voted to change the name of their city back to its Inupiaq name: Utqiagvik.
  City council member Qaiyaan Harcharek started the process this summer.
  Alaska Public Media’s Lori Townsend discussed the name change with Harcharek.http://media.aprn.org/2016/ann-20161014-01.mp3Here’s a video of Quyanaq Gabe Tegoseak pronouncing the new name:
  
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• Defamation trial over ‘Rolling Stone’ rape allegations story begins

  17-10-2016 21:00 via ktoo.org
  
  A defamation trial against Rolling Stone, based on a 2014 article about an alleged rape on the campus of the University of Virginia, got underway in federal court on Monday.
  The magazine retracted the story after scrutiny revealed inconsistencies. The trial beginning now involves a former dean at the school who has sued for $7.85 million over her portrayal in the piece.
  Jury selection in the case began early Monday at a federal court in Charlottesville, Va., The Associated Press reports.
  The 201
  
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• Young holds edge in available cash in US House race

  17-10-2016 19:56
  
  Democrat Steve Lindbeck raised more money during the latest fundraising period than Republican Rep. Don Young, though Young has more money in the bank heading into the last weeks of Alaska’s U.S. House race.
  Lindbeck reported raising about $300,000 between July 28 and Sept. 30, including $500 he chipped in himself.
  In his Federal Election Commission filing, Lindbeck also reported a roughly $1,600 debt for consultant travel expenses. He ended the period with just over $150,000 available.
  Yo
  
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• The high school graduation rate reaches a record high — again

  17-10-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The high school graduation rate in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 83 percent in the 2014-2015 school year, President Obama announced today, marking the fifth straight record-setting year.
  Achievement gaps have narrowed even as all boats have risen. Graduation rates range from 90 percent for students who identify as Asian/Pacific Islanders to 64 percent for students with disabilities.
  In remarks at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C., the president used the good-news
  
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• Thousands of customers in the Valley without power Monday

  17-10-2016 18:45
  
  Updated at 10:14 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 17
  It was a dark and stormy morning in the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys on Monday, as thousands of customers were without power and high winds continued.
  The Matanuska Electric Association’s online outage map showed that 6,305 customers were without power just before 8:30 a.m. Monday. The majority of those affected are in Wasilla.Julie Estey, director of public relations for MEA, said the company has been dealing with outages since Friday, all of whic
  
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• Elders and Youth conference kicks off today in Fairbanks

  17-10-2016 18:00 via ktoo.org
  
  More than a thousand Alaska Natives, young and old, from across the state are meeting today at the 33rd annual Elders and Youth conference.
  The event, hosted by the First Alaskans Institute, is usually an opportunity for 13- to 18-year-olds to learn about leadership, civic engagement and consensus building alongside their elders.
  Attendees are encouraged to talk seriously about issues facing their communities, and there are many afternoon workshops focused on language, culture, subsistence and p
  
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• Elders and Youth conference begins with blessing

  17-10-2016 18:00 via ktoo.org
  
  More than a thousand Alaska Natives, young and old, from across the state are meeting today at the 33rd annual Elders and Youth conference.
  The event, hosted by the First Alaskans Institute, is usually an opportunity for 13- to 18-year-olds to learn about leadership, civic engagement and consensus building alongside their elders.
  Attendees are encouraged to talk seriously about issues facing their communities, and there are many afternoon workshops focused on language, culture, subsistence and p
  
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• Bethel Fire Department seeks funds for new ambulance

  17-10-2016 17:00 via ktoo.org
  
  BETHEL — Bethel’s fire department has been relying on a pair of dilapidated ambulances as it deals with an increasing number of calls, but recent donations could help the department get a new emergency vehicle by the end of the year.
  KYUK-AM reports the fire department has raised over $170,000 since it began fundraising for a new ambulance this past summer. The goal is to raise $255,000.
  Fire Chief Bill Howell says the department’s two ambulances often break down, impacting res
  
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• The Latest: Police identify veteran officer who was shot

  17-10-2016 08:42 via ktoo.org
  
  The Fairbanks Police Department has identified the officer who was shot early Sunday as Sgt. Allen Brandt, an 11-year veteran of the force.
  The department says in a statement that shortly after midnight, police went to investigate a report of shots fired. Moments later, Brandt radioed police dispatch to report that he had been shot.
  The department says that after shooting Brandt, the suspect drove off in Brandt’s patrol car. The car was found a few blocks away.
  The suspect remains at large
  
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• Residents advised against burning amid dry conditions

  17-10-2016 08:30 via ktoo.org
  
  State forestry officials want residents to avoid burning in the Southcentral and Interior regions amid dry conditions.
  The Peninsula Clarion reports the Alaska Division of Forestry asked residents to keep from starting burn barrel or open debris fires until Tuesday.
  A division news release says high winds, no snow cover and dry weather have increased the danger of burning.
  The National Weather Service expects Kenai wind speeds to reach 20 to 25 miles per hour before Tuesday.
  Firefighters are bat
  
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• Video: Watch Cathy Muñoz and Justin Parish debate

  17-10-2016 08:16 via ktoo.org
  
  Juneau Votes, KTOO and the Juneau Empire hosted a debate between the local candidates for Alaska House districts 33 and 34 last week at the University of Alaska Southeast.
  The debate focused on incumbent Republican Rep. Cathy Muñoz and Democratic challenger Justin Parish. Uncontested incumbent Democrat Sam Kito III also had opportunities to weigh in. KTOO’s Matt Miller and the Empire’s James Brooks moderated the debate.KTOO is also broadcasting the debate at 7 p.m. T
  
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• Juneau beats Fairbanks to first snowfall for first time in 70+ years

  17-10-2016 08:16 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Snow covers Mount Juneau, Sunday, Oct. 16. (Photo by Tripp Crouse/KTOO)http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/10/16NWS.mp3National Weather Service meteorologist Edward Liske said this season is the first-time Juneau has seen measurable snowfall before Fairbanks since about 1940.
  The National Weather Service reported Sunday that Juneau is one of the first communities in the state to see measurable snowfall this year.
  “Fairbanks has not seen any snow yet so far this season, neither
  
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• Alaska High School Football: Saturday’s big games

  17-10-2016 05:15
  
  Small Schools
  Ben Eielson High School/Houston High School
  Eileson won its third-straight state title with the 40-18 win over Houston
  Medium Schools
  Soldotna High School/Palmer High School
  Brenner Furlong, 11, had five touchdowns to lead the Soldotna Stars to their fifth-straight medium schools championship with the 49-13 win.
  Large Schools
  East Anchorage High School/Service High School
  Four players scored touchdowns to power East over Service, 27-7, in Saturday night’s large schools semifi
  
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• Poll: Women propel Hillary Clinton into battleground lead over Donald Trump

  17-10-2016 05:08
  
  A big swing in the women’s vote has propelled Hillary Clinton into a six-point lead across the battleground states, as seven in ten women feel Donald Trump does not respect them.
  Last month the women’s vote in these key states was five points more for Clinton; today it is 15 points in Clinton’s favor – accounting for most of the swing, overall – and it even outweighs partisanship. Trump was at 84 percent among Republican women then, and has dropped to 77 percent tod
  
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• First snow of the season falls in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska

  17-10-2016 04:58
  
  Thompson Pass cameraCourtesy Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Glacier Highway cameraCourtesy Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Klondike cameraCourtesy Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Pederson Hill, Juneau cameraCourtesy Federal Aviation Administration Richardson Highway cameraCourtesy Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Seward turnout cameraCourtesy Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Fac
  
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• Group pushes for expanded trail system for safer city

  17-10-2016 04:39
  
  To many, Anchorage’s expansive trail system is one of the city’s best attributes. But recent homicides and other crimes have tarnished its reputation, leading some to steer clear of the trails altogether. Now, one group is trying to make the paths safer by including smaller “social” trails in the larger system.
  “The more people that use these trails, the less criminal activity you see overall,” said Christina Grande, who is leading the effort to expand the tra
  
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• Dillingham drug dealer brought down by ‘whizzinator’

  17-10-2016 04:30
  
  At his 2015 sentencing, Folsom sobbed, screamed, and threatened the adult probation officer trying to take his fingerprints as requiredKDLG
  James Lawrence Folsom, 30, was arraigned Saturday morning at the Dillingham courthouse, facing a revocation of his probation and a host of new felony charges relating to drug dealing and weapons possession.
  His arrest followed a failed urinalysis Friday morning in Dillingham. “During the UA process the defendant was observed to have a “whizzinat
  
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• High winds take down historic Iditarod headquarters sign

  17-10-2016 03:51
  
  The destroyed Iditarod Trail Committee headquarters signCourtesy Chris Blankenship The Iditarod sign as seen before it was destroyedGoogle Maps
  The welcome sign for the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) headquarters was destroyed Sunday by high winds in the Valley.
  ITC CEO Stan Hooley said the sign was erected around the time the headquarters was established in the late 1980s.
  “Mother Nature and the high winds we had here in the last bit took it’s toll on the sign, so it wasn&
  
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• Weekend Brings ‘Worst Day Yet’ For Aleppo Hospitals, And No Syria Deal In Sight

  17-10-2016 03:25 via ktoo.org
  
  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, at Lancaster House in London on Sunday.
  Justin Tallis/AP
  The United States and Britain say they are considering imposing economic sanctions on both Syria and Russia, according to The Associated Press.
  The announcement by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Britain’s foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, came at the end of a weekend of talks about the wars in Syria and Yemen.
  After calling for a ceasefire in Yemen, Kerry and Johnson told reporters on Sunda
  
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• Storm Leaves Thousands Without Power In Pacific Northwest

  17-10-2016 03:25 via ktoo.org
  
  Waves batter a seawall on Friday in Seattle. The remnants of a typhoon brought rain and wind to the Pacific Northwest on Friday and Saturday.
  Elaine Thompson/AP
  A pair of storms brought strong winds and heavy rain to parts of Washington state and Oregon this weekend.
  The National Weather Service reported the remnants of a typhoon caused wind gusts around 50 mph on Saturday evening in Washington state, and heavy rain flooded some roads. More than 25,000 people lost power.
  The weather service pred
  
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• Iraqi Prime Minister: Pivotal Offensive On Mosul Has Begun

  17-10-2016 03:25 via ktoo.org
  A military convoy passes through the Mahmour district as it heads toward eastern Mosul on Saturday.
  Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
  Iraq’s military has launched an offensive aimed at wresting control of Mosul from Islamic State militants, according to the country’s prime minister, Haider al-Abadi. In a televised speech, Abadi said he would keep an earlier promise to defeat ISIS by 2016 — and declared that soon the Iraqi flag would be raised in Mosul.
  The battle for control of the c
  
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• Vigil held in Fairbanks for John Hartman, 19 years after his murder

  17-10-2016 02:49 via ktoo.org
  
  John Hartman’s obituary photo (Photo of the Fairbanks Newsminer)
  Fairbanks residents gathered Thursday to remember John Hartman. The 15-year-old was beaten to death in downtown Fairbanks 19 years ago this week, a murder that resulted in the long questioned convictions of four local men, who were freed last year under a deal with the state.
  Shirley Lee, an Episcopal Priest and chair of Tanana Chiefs Conference Justice Task Force, led the group in a prayer and vigil for the unsolved murder o
  
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• The state plans to clean oil contamination from Alaska Native land

  17-10-2016 02:49 via ktoo.org
  
  White Mountain’s oil drum storage area is one contaminated site out of 338 sites on ANCSA land that is still in the clean-up process. (Photo by Laura Kraegel/KNOM)
  The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) is coordinating the clean-up process of contaminated lands throughout the region and all over the State.
  White Mountain’s oil drum storage area is one of nearly 1 thousand sites transferred from federal entities to Alaska Native Corporations under ANCSA. The B
  
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• Haines waterfront trail project takes community input

  17-10-2016 02:49 via ktoo.org
  
  Leslie Ross ranks potential uses for the waterfront trail. (Photo by Emily Files/KHNS)
  On Wednesday, the waterfront aesthetics committee met for the first time in months. The meeting was a conglomeration of different things. It included an update on the waterfront trail project and a workshop to gauge opinion on harbor uplands development.
  Public process is a point of contention for the Haines small boat harbor expansion. Residents have repeatedly said they feel the project moved forward without
  
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• Nigerian parents reunite with 21 girls freed by Boko Haram

  17-10-2016 01:04
  
  ABUJA, Nigeria — The long wait is over for a number of families in Nigeria.
  Joy, jubilation and dancing erupted Sunday when a group of parents were reunited with 21 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram 2 ½ years ago and freed in the first negotiated release organized by the government and the Islamic extremist group.
  The freed Chibok girls, courtesy the Federal Republic of Nigeria
  The girls were hugged and embraced by their parents when they were presented by the government, accordi
  
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