Anchorage news

• AST: 2 identified in plane crash near Bethel

  19-12-2016 23:26
  
  Courtesy of Alaska State TroopersCourtesy of Alaska State Troopers Courtesy of Alaska State TroopersCourtesy of Alaska State Troopers
  Authorities have identified two people who died in a single engine airplane crash last week northeast of Bethel.
  In an online dispatch Monday, Alaska State Troopers identified the pilot as 62-year-old Mark Matter and 63-year-old Cecilia Matter, both of Aniak.
  The Piper PA-11 reportedly left Aniak, a small village upriver from Bethel, Thursday at around 2 p.m
  
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• Donald Trump secures Electoral College win, with few surprises

  19-12-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Donald J. Trump will be the next president of the United States.
  That’s been the case since Nov. 8, when Trump won 306 electoral votes, despite losing the national popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million.
  And on Monday, the result was ratified by Electoral College voters, who gathered in state capitols across the United States to formally vote for president.
  That voting continues, but Texas’ delegation is set to put Trump over the 270 needed. According to tallies maintain
  
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• Donald Trump poised to secure Electoral College win, with few surprises

  19-12-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Donald J. Trump will be the next president of the United States.
  That’s been the case since Nov. 8, when Trump won 306 electoral votes, despite losing the national popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million.
  And as of early evening Monday, Trump stood on the precipice of the result being ratified by Electoral College voters, who gathered in state capitols across the United States, to formally vote for president.
  That voting continues, but Texas’ delegation is set to put Trum
  
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• Bidder chosen for 855-acre Haines timber sale

  19-12-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The largest Haines State Forest timber sale in decades is moving forward.
  The State Division of Forestry selected a bidder for the 855-acre Baby Brown sale on Thursday.
  Astoria Forest Products of Oregon bid $274,000 for the 20 million board feet of Sitka spruce and western hemlock.
  It was the only bid. The minimum price was $250,000.
  The timber sale is located about 35 miles up the Haines Highway, between Porcupine and Jarvis Creeks.
  Astoria Forest Products is a subsidiary of Murphy Overseas USA
  
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• Alaska plane crash victims identified, bodies recovered

  19-12-2016 23:00 via ktoo.org
  
  ANCHORAGE — Alaska State Troopers say responders have recovered the bodies of two Aniak residents who were on board a small plane that crashed in the state’s interior.
  The pilot Mark Matter, 62, and passenger Cecilia Matter, 63, died in the crash of the Piper PA-11 at Marvel Dome, troopers said.
  The plane left Aniak Thursday afternoon, headed to the Marvel Creek area. Troopers were notified Friday after the plane failed to return to the village.
  The crash site was foun
  
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• Nulato man sentenced in attacks in Alaska’s Iditarod race

  19-12-2016 22:23
  
  Arnold Demoski appears in court - March 2016. (KTVA) Snowmachine cowling attached to Jeff King's sledDavid Poyzer / KTVA Jeff King's dog, Banjo, in NulatoDavid Poyzer / KTVA
  A 27-year-old man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to charges connected with a snowmobile attack on two mushers competing in Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in March.
  The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Arnold Demoski of Nulato was sentenced Monday to six months, most of which has already been served.
  
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• Man sentenced in attacks in Alaska’s Iditarod race

  19-12-2016 22:23
  
  A 27-year-old man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to charges connected with a snowmobile attack on two mushers competing in Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in March.
  The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports Arnold Demoski of Nulato was sentenced Monday to six months, most of which has already been served.
  The sentencing comes after Demoski pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of assault, reckless endangerment and driving under the influence.
  Demos
  
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• Alaska’s three electors vote for Trump with little incident

  19-12-2016 22:22 via ktoo.org
  
  Jacqueline Tupou, Sean Parnell and Carolyn Leman sign their Electoral College votes for Donald Trump during a ceremony on Monday Jan. 19, 2016, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/Alaska’s Energy Desk)
  Alaska’s three Electoral College members have cast their ballots for Donald Trump and Mike Pence for president and vice president of United States of America.
  In a packed room at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building in Juneau on Monday morning, the Republican electors
  
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• Truck drives through Christmas market crowd in Germany

  19-12-2016 22:15 via ktoo.org
  
  German police said at least nine people were dead and at least 50 people were injured after a truck barreled into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin.
  NPR’s Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reported the truck had Polish license plates and that dozens of ambulances and hundreds of rescue workers were on the scene.
  Soraya reported police said a suspect was in custody and asked residents to stay indoors and not spread rumors.
  The Berlin Police department tweeted the truck had been driven onto the side
  
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• At least 12 dead after truck driven into Berlin Christmas market, police say

  19-12-2016 22:15 via ktoo.org
  
  Update | 5:26 p.m.
  German police said at least 12 people were killed and at least 48 people were injured after a truck barreled into a packed Christmas market in Berlin.
  The truck was driven into the crowd on a sidewalk, bringing down Christmas lights and smashing stalls at the festive market near the Gedaechtniskirche, or Memorial Church, in western Berlin.
  The black truck had Polish license plates. Dozens of ambulances and hundreds of rescue workers were on the scene, NPR’s Soraya Sarhad
  
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• North Carolina’s Legislature poised to repeal ‘bathroom bill’

  19-12-2016 22:00 via ktoo.org
  
  North Carolina’s Legislature is poised to repeal the controversial “bathroom bill,” after the Charlotte City Council unanimously voted to repeal its local anti-discrimination measure.
  The state law, called House Bill 2 or HB2, was passed in March as a direct response to that Charlotte measure — over the course of 12 hours, in the state’s first special legislative session in 35 years.
  Now the law might be rolled back in another special session, again following a deci
  
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• Teacher of the Week: Randy Harrison

  19-12-2016 21:40
  
  As a student, Randy Harrison struggled through high school. He says he knows how difficult the experience can be without the right support.
  “High school’s tough,” said Harrison. “It’s not easy walking the halls for these kiddos, so they need someone in their corner. They need someone to go to bat for them.”
  Harrison, KTVA 11’s Teacher of the Week, is that someone at Dimond High School. He’s taught science there for two years.
  “He li
  
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• Better Business Bureau warns of ‘porch pirates’ stealing packages across Alaska

  19-12-2016 21:17 via ktoo.org
  
  With the holidays approaching, reports of mail theft in Alaska are on the rise.
  Michelle Tabler, the Alaska Regional Manager for the Better Business Bureau, has received numerous reports of so-called “porch pirates” across Alaska this month.
  “There are people that are following UPS and FedEx trucks, as well as driving through neighborhoods, looking to see if there are packages on people’s porches and then running up and stealing them,” Tabler said.
  Tabler
  
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• Alaska protesters speak out ahead of electoral college vote

  19-12-2016 21:06
  
  Photo by Rik Pruett Photo by Rik Pruett Photo by Rik Pruett
  Several women who gathered in front of the state Capitol to protest Monday’s electoral college vote say they stand as voices of inclusion.
  Sue Gill, of Juneau, says that when you physically put yourself somewhere, you feel more involved than if you just write letters or complain to your friends. Barbara Learmonth, of Juneau, says the first step in change is showing up.
  Kathy Miller, of Juneau, says some of the things that Preside
  
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• New squirrels on the block? Not so fast, researchers say

  19-12-2016 21:00 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Arctic ground squirrel photographed on Chirikof Island in July 2013. (Photo courtesy of Patrick Saltonstall)
  In recent decades, researchers around the world have become increasingly concerned about the introduction of invasive species to islands.
  Some species, like cattle and foxes, were intentionally introduced to Gulf of Alaska islands and have wreaked havoc on ecosystems.
  Biologists assumed that settlers also brought Arctic ground squirrels to Gulf of Alaska Islands around the turn of th
  
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• More US women using pot during pregnancy

  19-12-2016 20:40
  
  CHICAGO — U.S. women are increasingly using marijuana during pregnancy, sometimes to treat morning sickness, new reports suggest. Though the actual numbers are small, the trend raises concerns because of evidence linking the drug with low birth weights and other problems.
  In 2014, almost 4 percent of pregnant women said they’d recently used marijuana, up from 2.4 percent in 2002, according to an analysis of annual drug use surveys.
  Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute
  
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• Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov shot dead in Ankara

  19-12-2016 20:28
  
  Last Updated Dec 19, 2016 1:53 PM EST
  ANKARA – Russia’s ambassador to Turkey was shot by an attacker shouting about Syria’s civil war in the capital of Ankara on Monday, according to witnesses and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
  Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Andrei Karlov, 62, was later pronounced dead from his injuries, calling the shooting a terrorist act.
  Private NTV news channel reports Turkish police fatally shot the gunman.
  Russian ambassado
  
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• To rehabilitate Democratic Party, Obama plans to ‘coach’ young talent

  19-12-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  President Obama sees a role for himself in rebuilding the Democratic Party after he leaves office — coach.
  “What I am interested in is just developing a whole new generation of talent,” Obama told NPR’s Steve Inskeep in an interview on Morning Edition.
  “There are such incredible young people who not only worked on my campaign, but I’ve seen in advocacy groups,” Obama said. “I’ve seen passionate about issues like climate change, or conservatio
  
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• Anchorage man with bladder cancer sees long-term remission after experimental treatment

  19-12-2016 19:50
  
  David Wight spends most weekends coaching his daughter’s soccer team at The Dome, Anchorage’s indoor recreation center. At 75 years old, he doesn’t miss a beat, calling the shots and keeping up with 11-year-old Isabella and her teammates.
  Isabella’s goals, tricks and major game plays — they’re milestones Wight doesn’t have to miss, something once threatened by his bladder cancer diagnosis.
  Since doctors first found the tumor more than six years
  
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• Russia’s ambassador to turkey shot and killed in Ankara, Russian Official Says

  19-12-2016 19:01 via ktoo.org
  
  Russia’s ambassador to Turkey has died after he was shot Monday evening at an art exhibition in the capital, Ankara, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in comments broadcast on Russian state television.
  Ambassador Andrei Karlov was shot “multiple times” by an armed assailant as he was “delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibit,” Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
  Special forces “neutralized”
  
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• Soldotna moves forward with plans for annexation proposal

  19-12-2016 18:52
  
  The city of Soldotna has approved $50,000 to gather public input on the potential annexation of land surrounding the city.
  The Peninsula Clarion reports that the City Council voted Wednesday to appropriate the funds, which will go toward hiring a consultant who will speak with residents about their thoughts on the annexation proposal. The appropriation had been cut down from the initially proposed total of $100,000.
  The city is considering annexing any of nine identified areas outside the t
  
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• Juneau homeless shelter seeks $59,000 to keep doors open

  19-12-2016 18:12
  
  The Glory Hole, Juneau’s homeless shelter and soup kitchen, is facing closure as it remains short of its $180,000 fundraising goal this year.
  The Juneau Empire reports that Alaska Native organizations are holding the 2nd Annual Glory Hole Fundraiser on Tuesday to help bring in the needed funds. Last year’s event raised more than $30,000.
  Executive Director Mariya Lovishchuk says the 40-bed facility needs $59,000 to keep the doors open. The shelter relies on the community to contribut
  
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• 11th hour funding saves UAF-TMHS marine bio class

  19-12-2016 11:17 via ktoo.org
  
  Thursday in a lab at UAF’s Lena Point facility, the new DEMBONES class is shown part of the carcass of a baby orca that they will harvest bones from. (Photo by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)
  Shannon Atkinson is in a lab showing a Thunder Mountain High School class part of the body of a baby orca, also known as a killer whale.
  “This animal happened to be a neonate – meaning it was just born. Its teeth hadn’t even erupted,” she said.
  Atkinson is a University of Alaska Fairban
  
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• Alaskans plunge into 32-degree water in annual event

  19-12-2016 11:11 via ktoo.org
  
  More than a thousand people in Alaska on Saturday dressed up as elves or in other elaborate costumes while some stripped down to barely anything to take part in a polar plunge.
  The fundraiser for Special Olympics Alaska took place at Goose Lake in Anchorage, where ice had been cut out of a large portion of the lake to allow the plungers room to do their favorite dive, like a cannonball. Other more timid plungers stepped into the 32-degree water, and others got a helping hand from fellow jumpers.
  
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• Indicted man arrested in Woronzof deaths

  19-12-2016 11:10 via ktoo.org
  
  A man indicted nearly a week ago in the January deaths of two people is in custody.
  KTVA-TV reports police arrested 21-year-old Jamal Hall early Saturday.
  A prosecutor says Hall shot 19-year-old Selena Mullenax and 20-year-old Foriegnne Aubert-Morissette.
  Mullenax was found dead at Point Woronzof Jan. 28.
  Aubert-Morrissette was located nearby and died at a hospital.
  Hall faces murder, assault and robbery charges.
  The Anchorage Police Department said authorities charged two others suspected of tr
  
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• Southeast’s Dungeness harvests lower than expected

  19-12-2016 11:07 via ktoo.org
  
  Dungeness crab at Pike Place Market in Seattle, October 2011. (Creative Commons photo by jpellgen)
  Commercial Dungeness crab fishing in Southeast Alaska this fall turned out to be below average in both harvest and participation and below what managers expected for the season.
  Fishing closed in most areas of Southeast on November 30.
  The fall harvest was approximately 403,000 pounds. That’s about 150,000 pounds less than last year.
  Kellii Wood is a Crab Biologist with the Alaska Department
  
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• Juneau residents hold vigil asking electors to dump Trump

  19-12-2016 10:57 via ktoo.org
  
  A few participants mill in front of the state Capitol building on Sunday, after a vigil asking Alaska’s electors not to vote for Donald Trump. (Photo by Quinton Chandler/KTOO)
  It was cold and dark in Juneau when protesters met on the slippery pavement in front of the empty state capitol Sunday to ask this year’s Electoral College not to vote for Donald Trump.
  The U.S. Constitution does not require members of the Electoral College to vote the way their state did, but Alaska
  
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• Zsa Zsa Gabor, An Icon Of Camp, Glitz And Glam, Dies At 99

  19-12-2016 08:04 via ktoo.org
  
  Updated at 11:41 p.m. ET
  Zsa Zsa Gabor — the woman who probably inspired the term “famous for being famous” — died on Sunday, according to multiple media outlets. She was 99 years old, just two months shy of her 100th birthday.
  NPR confirmed Gabor’s death with her publicist, Edward Lozzi, who issued the following statement:Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1954. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
  “Zsa Zsa Gabor has died. I am pleased that she is finally out of her misery. For the pa
  
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• Evacuation Buses Arrive In East Aleppo — But Departure Is Put On Hold

  19-12-2016 08:04 via ktoo.org
  
  Syrians walk in the old city of Aleppo Saturday, as pro-government forces worked to re-open previously barricaded roads. Civilians and rebel fighters are trying to leave the city’s eastern half. Youssef Karwashan/AFP/Getty Images
  At least 25 buses entered besieged neighborhoods to evacuate rebel fighters and civilians from eastern Aleppo Sunday, Syria’s official news agency says — but that was before an attack on buses elsewhere put all movement on hold.
  The setback comes after
  
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• Dr. Heimlich, The Man Behind The Life-Saving Maneuver, Dies

  19-12-2016 07:53 via ktoo.org
  
  Dr. Henry Heimlich has died in Ohio at age 96. He’s seen here in 2014, holding a copy of his memoir at his home in Cincinnati.
  Al Behrman/AP
  He’s credited with saving thousands of people from choking to death, thanks to the method he popularized in 1974. Now comes word that Dr. Henry Heimlich has died at age 96.
  Heimlich died early Saturday at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to Bryan Reynolds, spokesman for Episcopal Retirement Services, which operates the retirement h
  
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• Caught on camera: Alleged thief steals FedEx package from homeowner’s doorstep

  19-12-2016 03:46
  
  For many, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, including thieves looking to steal packages.
  Anchorage resident Mike Hartmann installed a Nest Cam security camera at his home Friday.  The camera starts recording when it senses motion, such as the FedEx driver dropping off a package at his house Saturday.
  What he didn’t expect to see was the red four-door car that boldly pulled into his driveway minutes later. In the video, a man gets out of the pass
  
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• Jet-setting Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor dies at age 99

  19-12-2016 01:58
  
  Publicity photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor in 1959. (Wikipedia)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) – Zsa Zsa Gabor, the jet-setting Hungarian actress who made a career out of multiple marriages, conspicuous wealth and jaded wisdom about the glamorous life, has died. She was 99.
  Her husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, says Gabor, who suffered numerous medical issues after breaking her right hip in July 2010, died Sunday of a heart attack at her home.
  Gabor appeared in films ranging from “Moulin Rouge” in
  
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• Helicopter reportedly goes down in Hatcher Pass; injuries unknown

  19-12-2016 01:37
  
  Authorities with the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified around 11:30 a.m. Sunday that a helicopter had reportedly gone down somewhere in the Hatcher Pass area, according to NTSB spokesperson Clint Johnson.
  The Robinson R22 helicopter was reported to have two people on board.
  In an email, AST spokesperson Megan Peters said there were no fatalities or serious injuries reported and that the two were &ld
  
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• Helicopter crashes in Hatcher Pass during training flight

  19-12-2016 01:37
  
  Last Updated at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18
  Authorities with the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Wildlife Troopers and the State Park Rangers responded to the report of a downed helicopter Sunday in the Hatcher Pass area.
  Crews were notified of the incident around shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday, according to a release from troopers.
  The Robinson R22 helicopter was reported to have two people on board when it crashed in the area of Arkos Ridge. The two on board were conducting a training
  
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