Anchorage news

• Newscast – Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016

  22-12-2016 23:36 via ktoo.org
  
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2016/12/2016-12-22-newscast.mp3In this newscast:
  Alaska’s U.S. senators support an investigation of Russian meddling in the presidential election,
  the Bogoslof volcano in the eastern Aleutian Islands erupts, disrupting air travel,
  the Alaska Supreme Court receives an appeal on Anchorage Sen. Bill Wielechowski’s Permanent Fund dividend lawsuit, and
  three wolves are taken in a hunt on Douglas Island.
  
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• Murkowski, Sullivan support Russian election meddling probe

  22-12-2016 21:30 via ktoo.org
  
  FAIRBANKS — Alaska’s Republican U.S. senators support investigating Russian meddling in this year’s presidential election.
  Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner the Senate should investigate, citing a need for a thorough, transparent review.
  A spokesman for Sen. Dan Sullivan says Sullivan supports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s position that an inquiry can occur through the existing committee structure.
  Sullivan wants the Senate to review U.S.
  
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• Donating blood: Giving the gift of life this holiday season

  22-12-2016 21:22
  
  The Blood Bank of Alaska is encouraging people to potentially save a life this holiday season. Donating blood takes about an hour of someone’s day.
  “The need for blood is especially acute around the holiday season,” said CEO Robert Scanlon.
  He added that, despite the need, people can schedule donations on a regular basis at the start of the new year.
  This weekend, donors can even take home a $10 iTunes gift card or credit voucher. On Thursday, people donating blood at the
  
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• Wildlife officials say 3 wolves hunted, trapped on Douglas

  22-12-2016 21:00 via ktoo.org
  
  JUNEAU — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed wolf hunting and trapping on Douglas Island after three wolves were killed by harvesters.
  The Juneau Empire reports that the closure, which will be in place through Aug. 1, comes even though wolves are a rare sighting on the island. Fish and Game cameras have captured only five wolves, but biologist Stephanie Sell estimates there may be about 10 of the animals.
  She says Douglas didn’t start receiving wolf sighting reports unt
  
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• Messages of Love: Lullaby Project in Concert

  22-12-2016 20:51
  
  
   
  “These lullabies are more than song; they are threads that reconnect and warmth that heals.”
   
  KTVA first brought you the story of the Lullaby Project in September, when “Frontiers with Rhonda McBride” spent time with mothers from Hiland Mountain Correctional Center as they embarked on a personal journey to write and record a lullaby for their child. Professional musicians collaborated with the women to put the lyrics — some pulled from letters written t
  
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• Murkowski, Sullivan support Russian election meddling investigation

  22-12-2016 20:46
  
  Alaska’s Republican U.S. senators support investigating Russian meddling in this year’s presidential election.
  Sen. Lisa Murkowski told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner the Senate should investigate, citing a need for a thorough, transparent review.
  A spokesman for Sen. Dan Sullivan says Sullivan supports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s position that an inquiry can occur through the existing committee structure.
  Sullivan wants the Senate to review U.S. cyber defenses as
  
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• Volcano in Aleutian Islands erupts again

  22-12-2016 20:30 via ktoo.org
  
  A volcano in the eastern Aleutian Islands has erupted for the second time in two days prompting the Alaska Volcano Observatory to issue its highest alert level for aviation.
  Both eruptions threw ash about 35,000 feet into the air.
  Bogoslof volcano is on an uninhabited island, 60 miles from America’s largest fishing port, Unalaska.
  Alaska Volcano Observatory scientist Michelle Coombs says the area is very dynamic with Bogoslof erupting eight times since the 18th century.
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• Suspect in Hooper Bay break-in at Covenant Church caught on video

  22-12-2016 20:03 via ktoo.org
  
  Alaska State Troopers have identified a suspect in their investigation into a burglary that happened in Hooper Bay over the weekend.
  Troopers are not releasing the suspect’s name or information at this time, as the suspect has yet to be charged with a crime.
  On Saturday, a man acting alone was caught on video breaking into the Covenant Church and stole just one item, a large bottle of hand sanitizer.
  After reviewing the video, several people in Hooper Bay confirmed the identity of the tres
  
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• Parishioner arrested for November arson of black church in Mississippi

  22-12-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Nearly two months after a black church in Greenville, Miss., was torched and painted with pro-Trump graffiti, a member of the church has been arrested and charged with the crime.
  Andrew McClinton, of Leland, Miss., was arrested by the Greenville Police Department on Wednesday in connection with a church burning on Nov. 1. (Photo Mississippi Department of Public Safety)
  “The Mississippi Department of Public Safety says 45-year-old Andrew McClinton is charged with arson of a place of worship
  
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• Outdoor rec area at Goose Creek might violate constitutional rights

  22-12-2016 20:00 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The outdoor recreation area for the Special Management Unit at Goose Creek Correctional Center in Wasilla in October. (Photo by Anne Hillman/Alaska Public Media)
  In many correctional facilities in Alaska, an enclosed room with an opening that lets in fresh air is considered outdoor space.
  For inmates held in protective custody at Goose Creek Correctional Center in Wasilla, that’s their only access to outdoor recreation, which the American Civil Liberties Union and inmates said could b
  
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• What we know about Anis Amri, suspect in Berlin market attack

  22-12-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  With a manhunt and a $100,000 reward aimed at his capture, more details are emerging about Anis Amri, the chief suspect in Monday’s attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. Revelations that the authorities had monitored Amri — and marked him for deportation — are also fueling anger in Germany.
  “We can report today that we have new information that the suspect is with high probability really the perpetrator,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters during
  
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• Kellyanne Conway, trusted Trump adviser, named counselor to the president

  22-12-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  President-elect Donald Trump has named his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, to a senior White House job as counselor to the president.
  Conway has been a trusted adviser and frequent spokesperson for the president-elect. She was the third and final manager of the successful Trump campaign, and credited with bringing some much-needed discipline to both the campaign’s message and the candidate himself.
  “She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on
  
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• Federal water protection rule angers coal mining operator

  22-12-2016 19:00 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The operator of Alaska’s only coal mine is speaking out against a new Obama administration water protection rule for the industry.
  Healy-based Usibelli coal mine saw the Stream Protection Rule as an attack on the industry.
  http://media.aprn.org/2016/ann-20161221-07.mp3The Stream Protection Rule issued by the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement updates more than 30-year-old regulations for mining near water, but Usibelli Coal Mine spokeswoman Lorali Simon maint
  
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• Pence didn’t call Michelle Obama ‘vulgar’

  22-12-2016 18:40
  
  A widely shared story that claims Vice President-elect Mike Pence called Michelle Obama “the most vulgar first lady we’ve ever had” is untrue.The story was posted by a Newslo site in October and versions of it have received tens of thousands of reactions, comments and shares on Facebook.
  Like other Newslo stories, it contains a single paragraph rooted in fact followed by several paragraphs of fabricated quotes.
  In this case, the story alludes to Pence’s comments to CBS on
  
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• Wildlife officials say 3 wolves hunted, trapped on Douglas Island

  22-12-2016 18:07
  
  The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed wolf hunting and trapping on Douglas Island after three wolves were killed by harvesters.
  The Juneau Empire reports that the closure, which will be in place through Aug. 1, comes even though wolves are a rare sighting on the island. Fish and Game cameras have captured only five wolves, but biologist Stephanie Sell estimates there may be about 10 of the animals.
  She says Douglas didn’t start receiving wolf sighting reports until 2012.
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• Ikea to pay $50 million over 3 toddler deaths from dresser tip-overs

  22-12-2016 18:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Ikea has reached a $50 million settlement with the families of three toddlers who died after unsecured Ikea dressers tipped over, according to lawyers for the families. The furniture giant confirms a settlement has been reached, but describes it as “tentative.”
  The money will be divided evenly between the families, the lawyers say. The settlement also calls for Ikea to meet voluntary safety standards for dressers, donate $150,000 to children’s hospitals and $100,000 to a childr
  
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• Melanoma skin cancer diagnoses, deaths steadily climbing

  22-12-2016 08:48
  
  The average American’s chances of developing the most serious form of skin cancer have been steadily rising over the last seven years — and more Americans are dying from the disease.
  New data from 2016 shows one in 54 people will be diagnosed with invasive melanoma, compared with one in 58 in 2009, according to researchers who investigated melanoma incidence rates and deaths.
  “We wanted to provide an update on the incidence and lifetime risk of developing melanoma so docto
  
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• 30th homicide makes 2016 Anchorage’s deadliest year on record

  22-12-2016 07:24
  
  There’s a new record for Anchorage and not one to be proud of — a murder Tuesday night has pushed the city’s yearly homicide rate to an all-time high. The Anchorage Police Department says 2016 has had 30 homicides so far, surpassing a record set in 1995 when that year ended with 29.
  The latest homicide occurred in an East Anchorage neighborhood off of Boniface Parkway, and police are calling it a case of domestic violence.
  A woman who said her husband was holding a gun to her h
  
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• Governor seeks new approach on domestic violence, sexual assault in Alaska

  22-12-2016 07:05
  
  The Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) is seeking new leadership after Gov. Bill Walker and Department of Public Safety commissioner Walt Monegan asked its long-time director, Lauree Morton, to step down last month.
  “[It’s] nothing against Lauree,” Monegan said. “Because she is absolutely untouchable in regards to her expertise and her experience, but what we were looking for is a faster, deeper, more energetic effort to combine not only w
  
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• Arctic Slope Regional Corp: Obama acts in our name, ignores our needs

  22-12-2016 06:22 via ktoo.org
  
  The Arctic Slope Regional Corp. building in midtown Anchorage in September 2007. (Creative Commons photo by chuck t)
  President Obama cited subsistence and the needs of Alaska Natives yesterday as part of the reason he decided to block future oil and gas lease sales in Arctic waters. Some Alaskan Natives welcome the resource protection. But the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. said the president didn’t consult with its members and is ignoring the real needs of the Inupiat people.
  To see how offs
  
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• Salvation Army’s red kettle donations down across Alaska

  22-12-2016 05:09
  
  At grocery stores and malls across the state, you’ll find Salvation Army bell ringers. The Red Kettle Campaign is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser in the year.
  All the money collected in the 49th state goes to help Alaskans in need.
  Volunteer bell ringer Jessica Stow spent Wednesday afternoon jingling away. She’s provided the soundtrack for holiday shoppers coming in and out of the Abbott Loop Fred Meyer.
  “I love just saying, ‘Merry Christmas!’ to every
  
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• Second eruption detected on Bogoslof Island

  22-12-2016 04:44
  
  Bogoslof's ash cloud, as seen from satellite imagesCourtesy Alaska Volcano Observatory Bogoslof Island in 1994Keith, T. E. C., Courtesy Alaska Volcano Observatory The forecasted area of ashfall from the second eruptionCourtesy Alaska Volcano Observatory
  The Alaska Volcano Observatory says a second eruption at Bogoslof Island was detected Wednesday afternoon.
  The second eruption started around 4:10 p.m. and was seen in satellite imagery, according to AVO’s alert. Seismic data on neighborin
  
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• New scam uses Fairbanks detective’s name to demand money

  22-12-2016 03:00
  
  The Fairbanks Police Department issued a warning on Facebook Wednesday about a scam involving someone who claims they are detective Avery Thompson.
  Two Fairbanks residents have called FPD about receiving a call from Thompson, police stated.
  “In this scam ‘Detective Thompson’ advises the caller a complaint has been made against them and he ultimately asks for payment to help resolve the complaint in lieu of a criminal investigation,” police explained on Facebook. “Th
  
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• Alaska, British Columbia detail transboundary mine pact

  22-12-2016 02:51 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott opens the first teleconferenced meeting of a bilateral working group on transboundary mines Dec. 16. Shown are, from the left, Meghan Topkok, First Alaskans Institute; Barbara Blake, senior advisor to Mallott; Mallott; and David Rogers and Jackie Timothy, Department of Fish and Game. (Photo courtesy Governor’s Office.)
  Alaska and British Columbia are working out details of how they will handle transboundary mine concerns. They’re figuring out how to coordinate
  
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• Is the forest service supplying enough Tongass timber?

  22-12-2016 02:38 via ktoo.org
  
  
   
  A Lincoln Log cabin. (Creative commons sketch by Lloyd Wright John)
  The U.S. Forest Service wears a lot of hats. The agency oversees federal lands, repairs salmon streams, and auctions off trees. In Alaska, timber sales are intended to stimulate the local economy, but industry groups say that through the years the forest service hasn’t made enough logs available to keep the industry alive. Now, with changes to federal regulations, even less old growth is slated for market.
  
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• Supreme Court to decide on dividend amount after appeal

  22-12-2016 02:11 via ktoo.org
  
  Sen. Bill Wielechowski fields a question from a reporter during a Senate Minority press availability in 2015. Wielechowski appealed a Superior Court judge’s ruling against him and two former lawmakers affecting Permanent Fund dividends’ amount. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  The state Supreme Court will decide if Alaskans’ Permanent Fund dividends this year were the right amount.That’s after Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, and two former lawmakers filed an
  
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• Panel OKs moving policy changes ahead of legislative session

  22-12-2016 02:04 via ktoo.org
  
  JUNEAU — The state will only pay for lawmakers to bring one vehicle with them for the coming legislative session under a policy change approved by a legislative committee.
  The policy previously allowed transportation costs to be covered for up to two vehicles.
  Legislative Affairs Agency finance manager Jessica Geary told the Legislative Council, which weighed in on the issue Tuesday, that during recent sessions, only a few legislators brought more than one vehicle.
  Lawmakers can still brin
  
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• Juneau Afternoon-12-22-16

  22-12-2016 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Selected Shorts Holiday Show
  Selected Shorts: “Christmas Guests” – PRIGuest host Robert Sean Leonard celebrates the season with three holiday stories. First, Truman Capote’s “One Christmas” is a companion piece to his well-loved essay “A Christmas Memory.” In this story, he’s plucked from his rural Alabama home to spend the holidays in New Orleans with the father he barely knows. The reader is John Shea.
  Grace Paley is best known for her semi
  
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• Timeline extended for state takeover of Alaska LNG project

  22-12-2016 01:52 via ktoo.org
  
   
  Alaska Gasline Development Corporation President Keith Meyer, Alaska Gov. Bill Walker and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Andy Mack discuss meetings with potential buyers of Alaska’s LNG during a press conference on Sept. 30, 2016 in Anchorage. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/Alaska’s Energy Desk)
  The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is still trying to broker a deal to take over the Alaska LNG project, but it will not happen by its self-imposed end-of-the-year de
  
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• 2 Southeast Alaska men sentenced in separate child pornography cases

  22-12-2016 01:49
  
  In separate cases, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess sentenced two men from Southeast Alaska for child pornography, the Alaska U.S. Attorney’s office announced Wednesday.
  Both men were sentenced in federal court Tuesday, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Anchorage.
  Burgess sentenced 55-year-old Juneau resident Steven Foster to 78 months in prison for distributing child pornography. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, authorities fo
  
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• Anchorage Assembly approves 100-plus new cab permits

  22-12-2016 01:44
  
  Big changes are coming to the taxicab industry. The Anchorage Assembly passed an ordinance Tuesday night that will increase the number of permits in the city and make it much cheaper to get one.
  Members of the industry aren’t happy, as evidenced by hours of testimony on this ordinance — at the Assembly meeting two weeks ago and again Tuesday night. Permit-holders and drivers say they’re not making enough money now and that adding permits threatens their livelihood.
  One man pass
  
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• SB 91’s reforms off to shaky start, retiring judge says

  22-12-2016 01:00 via ktoo.org
  
  The overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system, known as Senate Bill 91, has been in effect since the summer.
  State Sen. John Coghill, R-Fairbanks, backed the reform bill, which incorporated recommendations from the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission.
  Gov. Bill Walker signs Senate Bill 91, a criminal justice reform bill, on July 11, 2016, at Haven House transitional housing in Juneau. (Photo courtesy Alaska Governor’s Office)
  The underlying goal of the reforms is to re
  
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• Anchorage senator challenges Walker’s PFD cut in Alaska Supreme Court

  22-12-2016 00:11
  
  Sen. Bill Wielechowski is taking his lawsuit over Gov. Bill Walker’s reduction to this year’s Permanent Fund dividend checks to the Alaska Supreme Court.
  Wielechowski filed the appeal Tuesday, along with former legislators Rick Halford and Clem Tillion, after a superior court judge ruled against the three last month.
  Read the full appeal
  The Anchorage Democrat argues the money Walker vetoed from the dividend program in June — which reduced checks from $2,022 to $1,022
  
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• After Berlin attack, fears rise in Europe over strikes on soft targets

  22-12-2016 00:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Tourists browse a Christmas market in Madrid’s medieval square, the Plaza Mayor, on Dec. 15. As the Islamic State loses territory in Iraq and Syria, Western intelligence agencies believe it may refocus on attacking soft targets in Europe instead. (Photo by Lauren Frayer for NPR)
  Carola Garcia-Calvo spends her days poring over Islamic State propaganda. It’s part of her job as a global terrorism analyst at Madrid’s Elcano Royal Institute, a think tank.
  Recently, she’s notic
  
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