Anchorage news

• Anchorage police shut down section of Northern Lights to stop car theft

  18-01-2017 23:45
  
  Rick Rysso / KTVA Rick Rysso / KTVA
  Police shut down a section of Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage as officers tried to stop a stolen vehicle.
  On Wednesday morning, the Anchorage Police Department sent a text message alert stating that traffic was stopped on Northern Lights between Nichols and Bragaw Streets. According to an officer on scene, the stolen vehicle was heading east when it was stopped at Bragaw Street by APD. The driver then put the truck in reverse and drove away, ramming in
  
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• Workforce Wednesday: Millwrights

  18-01-2017 23:18
  
  Millwrights are precision industrial mechanics that work on compressors, turbines and other heavy equipment. This field includes high paying jobs servicing equipment that keeps Alaska’s major industries, like fishing and mining, afloat.
  Interested? The only place in Alaska to get trained is the Prince William Sound College in Valdez. The nationally accredited program is comprised of five modules as well as an internship and occupation endorsement certificate, according to faculty member Sh
  
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• Coastal lawmakers consider ferry system’s future

  18-01-2017 22:51 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The fast ferry Fairweather docks in Petersburg Aug. 20, 2013, after a trip from Juneau. Budget cuts eliminated that route and reduced Fairweather sailings. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)
  The Alaska Marine Highway has seen deep funding and service cuts as the state deals with a massive budget deficit.
  With the money running low, what are the system’s prospects during this year’s legislative session?http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/01/13FerryLeg-L.mp3Coastal lawma
  
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• Former West High football star Fa’amasino heads to New Mexico State

  18-01-2017 22:14
  
  Lui Fa’amasino knew the odds. Yet, he went against them and won.
  Nationally, only 2.5 percent of high schoolers who play football make it to the Division I level.
  The former West Anchorage High School star graduated two years ago. He moved on to Los Angeles Harbor Junior College. As a linebacker there, his play generated interest from Division I schools. Interest turned into offers, and one of those, came to fruition.
  On Tuesday, just one day before starting classes, Fa’amasino
  
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• 2016 was the hottest year yet, scientists declare

  18-01-2017 22:03 via ktoo.org
  
  Chunks of Arctic sea ice, melt ponds and open water are all seen in this image captured by NASA’s Digital Mapping System instrument during an Operation IceBridge flight over the Chukchi Sea in July 2016. Last year was particularly bad for Arctic sea ice. (Photo by NASA/Goddard/Operation IceBridge)
  Last year, global warming reached record high temperatures — and if that news feels like déjà vu, you’re not going crazy.
  The planet has now had three consecutive years
  
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• Telling Tales with Ms G – 1-17-17

  18-01-2017 21:54 via ktoo.org
  
  
  broadcast on Tuesday, January 2017
  “Eskimo School” by Richard LanePOEM
  “Super Heroes” by Poetess Elitess
  –The future is up to ALL of us to make it better than the generation before.
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/01/011717.mp3
  
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• Tom Price, HHS nominee, faces tough questions on stock deals and Obamacare

  18-01-2017 21:51 via ktoo.org
  
  President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services defended stock transactions he made as a member of Congress as “above board,” while vowing he would not pull the rug from under any American with health care as result of replacing the Affordable Care Act.
  Rep. Tom Price, a Republican from Georgia, faced the first of two hearings he’ll have as the nominee for HHS secretary. Wednesday’s was before the Senate Committee on Health,
  
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• For third straight time, Earth sets hottest year record

  18-01-2017 17:08
  
  Government scientists say the Earth sizzled to a third straight heat record last year.
  They mostly blame man-made global warming with help from a natural El Nino, which has since disappeared.
  The figures announced Wednesday come from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which measure global temperatures in slightly different ways. They said last year passed 2015 as the hottest year on record.
  NOAA calculated that the average global temperature last year was 58.69 degrees
  
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• CBS Poll: More Americans disapprove than approve Trump’s handling of transition

  18-01-2017 16:55
  
  It has been 10 weeks since Donald Trump was elected president, and more Americans disapprove (48 percent) than approve (37 percent) of the way he has handled his presidential transition.  They are split on his cabinet picks. Views divide heavily along party lines.
  Just days before his inauguration, Donald Trump’s favorable rating (32 percent) is the lowest of any president-elect in CBS News polling going back to Ronald Reagan in 1981, when CBS News began taking this measure.
  However,
  
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• Idaho company sees record silver production at Alaska mine

  18-01-2017 16:35
  
  A metal mine in southeast Alaska has reached its highest level of silver production since an Idaho-based company took full ownership of the property in 2008.
  The Alaska Journal of Commerce reports that Hecla Mining Co. released its 2016 results last week for the Greens Creek mine west of Juneau.
  The mine produced 9.3 million ounces of silver last year, an increase of about 10 percent from 2015.
  CEO Phil Baker attributes the growth to better grade and resource recovery.
  While silver production is
  
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• Police chief: Crime bill flaws and budget cuts fueling local burglaries

  18-01-2017 13:02 via ktoo.org
  
  Downtown restaurateur Fritz Moser asks Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson a question about crime. The police department held a public meeting on the topic at City Hall for residents Tuesday. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)
  Property crime is up across the board in Juneau, but according to Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson, the biggest increases are in burglaries.
  “So in 2015 we saw a significant increase in burglaries. We have seen that continue,” he said. “So during 2016 up until N
  
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• New Alaska Legislature starts session with fresh faces, old problems

  18-01-2017 06:16
  
  A new Legislature met in Juneau Tuesday to start work on closing the state’s yawning fiscal gap.
  The first day of a legislative session in the Alaska State Capitol feels a lot like the first day of school. Some of last year’s members have graduated and moved on, while a new class of freshman lawmakers is learning its way around the hall – a freshman class that makes up a quarter of the 60-member 30th Alaska State Legislature.New #akleg House is sworn into office by Lt. Gov. Byr
  
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• KTVA Weather Lab: Ravenwood Elementary School

  18-01-2017 05:44
  
  In this week’s KTVA Weather Lab, I visited Ravenwood Elementary School, where the third-graders are learning all about meteorology.
  I also answered the KTVA Weather Lab Question of the Week: What is the most snow Alaska has ever had?
  Next week I’ll answer a weather question from Chester Valley Elementary School.
  Every Tuesday, Melissa Frey will take the KTVA Weather Lab to a classroom in our community. If you have a weather question for Melissa or would like her to visit yo
  
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• Winter enthusiasts happy to have more snow this year

  18-01-2017 05:39
  
  The storm may be over, but the snow is still fresh and conditions are looking good for all types of winter enthusiasts.
  On Monday, 5.3 inches of snow was officially recorded at the National Weather Service office near the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. That set a new record for Jan. 16, beating out the old record by over an inch and a half.
  Anchorage is still about a foot below average for the season, but the snow depth is the highest we’ve seen in three years and people
  
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• Anchorage Fire Department seeks new firefighters

  18-01-2017 05:14
  
  The Anchorage Fire Department is hoping to hire between 18 and 25 new firefighters. The department said it wants to hire a diverse group of individuals who have a passion for helping their neighbors.
  “The best part about the job, I would say, would be working with a body of people who genuinely care about others,” said Mia Carson, AFD’s training administrator.
  The training process begins with a five-week-long fire academy, followed by a 450-day training period in the field. Rec
  
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• New House majority takes over on first day of session

  18-01-2017 04:56 via ktoo.org
  
  Rep. Bryce Edgmon was in his office shortly before being sworn in as the first Alaska House speaker of Alaska Native heritage. (Photo by Andrew Kitchenman/KTOO and APRN)
  The 30th Alaska State Legislature was sworn into office today. It faces a fiscal crisis that’s grown over the past four years, as oil revenue declined.
  For the first time in 24 years, there will be a new House majority. A coalition of 17 Democrats, three Republicans and two independents took over from the longtime Republic
  
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• Alaskan attending Trump inauguration shares hopes for new administration

  18-01-2017 04:43
  
  On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump will take on a new title as the 45th President of the United States. Julie Tisdale, the treasurer of the Alaska Republican Party, is going to be in Washington, D.C. to watch it happen.
  “I wanted to be a part of history,” Tisdale said.
  She began booking her trip the day after Trump was elected. She described Election Day as a “pleasant surprise.”
  “The week before, I was preparing myself that Trump was going to lose and Hil
  
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• Cold snap could zap your car battery

  18-01-2017 04:16
  
  There’s nothing quite like the feeling of walking out into a cold parking lot to start your car and when you turn the key—nothing.
  Many Alaskans could face vehicle problems during the coming cold snap.
  AAA reports that when temperatures near zero, your car battery loses about 60 percent of its strength. That means a strong battery becomes weak and a weak battery essentially ends up dead.
  Courtesy: Batteries Plus Bulbs
  Staff at Battery Plus Bulbs are preparing for a boo
  
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• Watch Gov. Bill Walker’s State of the State address live at 7 p.m. Wednesday

  18-01-2017 03:39 via ktoo.org
  
  Alaska Gov. Bill Walker exits House Chambers after delivering his annual State of the State address to the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 21, 2016. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  Gov. Bill Walker delivers his annual State of the State address from the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
  Come back to this post at 7 p.m. for a live stream of Gavel Alaska coverage. Or watch on 360 North television, which is available in Juneau over the air on channel 3.3, or on cable
  
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• Watch Gov. Bill Walker’s State of the State address live at 7 p.m. today

  18-01-2017 03:39 via ktoo.org
  
  Alaska Gov. Bill Walker exits House Chambers after delivering his annual State of the State address to the Alaska Legislature on Jan. 21, 2016. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  Gov. Bill Walker delivers his annual State of the State address from the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.
  Come back to this post at 7 p.m. for a live stream of Gavel Alaska coverage. Or watch on 360 North television, which is available in Juneau over the air on channel 3.3, or
  
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• Watch Gov. Bill Walker’s State of the State address

  18-01-2017 03:39 via ktoo.org
  
  Gov. Bill Walker delivers his annual State of the State address from the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18.
  Come back to this post at 7 p.m. for a live stream of Gavel Alaska coverage. Or watch on 360 North television, which is available in Juneau over the air on channel 3.3, or on cable and satellite.
  You can also listen to coverage here on KTOO and over the air.
  Gov. Bill Walker practices his State of the State address Tuesday at the Alas
  
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• Alaska delegation plans to attend Trump inauguration

  18-01-2017 03:36 via ktoo.org
  
  Alaska’s two Republican U.S. senators plan to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Friday despite having previously called for him to quit the ticket.Representatives for Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan confirmed attendance plans Tuesday to The Associated Press.
  In October, both called for Trump to step aside as their party’s nominee after a 2005 video surfaced in which Trump made lewd comments about women.
  But Murkowski’s spokeswoman Karina Petersen sa
  
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• Indictment: Grunwald case suspect allegedly recorded sexual assault of a minor

  18-01-2017 03:09
  
  Devin Peterson
  A grand jury handed down an indictment on Jan. 12 that connects a suspect in the David Grunwald homicide case to the alleged sexual assault of a minor that was filmed in the Valley in July 2016.
  The jury indicted 22-year-old Jordan Santistevan on two charges for the July incident — second-degree sexual assault and second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Devin Peterson, 18, was also listed on the indictment, facing a charge of unlawful exploitation of a minor.
  Accor
  
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• Kindness well-wishers encourage Alaska lawmakers on 1st day

  18-01-2017 02:38
  
  Representative Justin V. Parish addressed the Encouraging Crowd as part of Juneau's Year of KindnessCourtesy Keith Hermann Snova Parish and David Parish kindly welcomed the Legislature to Juneau with words of encouragementCourtesy Keith Hermann Kris Sell-Gullufsen and Cindee Brown-Mills shared kindness and encouragement with legislators on the steps of the capitolCourtesy Keith Hermann
  A small group of well-wishers gathered in front of the state Capitol during the noon hour to encourage Alaska
  
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• Interior pick firmly against fed land transfer, with wiggle room for Alaska

  18-01-2017 02:20 via ktoo.org
  
  Rep. Ryan Zinke, the nominee for Interior Secretary, greets well-wishers during a break in his Senate hearing. (Photo by Liz Ruskin/Alaska Public Media)
  President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Interior Department sat for a confirmation hearing today, chaired by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
  She used the opportunity to condemn the Obama administration for its many resource protections in Alaska.
  Murkowski said the actions amount to trying to safeguard the state from Alaskans.
  “
  
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• Juneau Afternoon – 1-18-17

  18-01-2017 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Wednesday at 3 on A Juneau Afternoon,Andy Kline will be here to talk about AK Beer Week;
  We’ll talk with Ben Huff about Alaska Positive, on exhibit at the Alaska State Museum;
  That, Writer’s Almanac, Bird Note, music and more, today on A Juneau Afternoon, live at 3 on KTOO-News, repeated at 4 on KRNN, and available on demand on-line at ktoo.org
  At 4, tune in to KTOO for All Things Considered, followed at 6 by Alaska News Nightly. At 6:30, it’s Marketplace. Governor Bill Walker
  
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• Eagle River post office shut down following vandalism

  18-01-2017 01:39
  
  The Eagle River post office Heather Hintze/KTVA The Eagle River post officeThe U.S. Postal Service building in Eagle River was closed to the public Tuesday after employees discovered strewn mail products and blood in the main lobby area, according to postal inspector Alan Damron.
  Damron said the mess was reported to his office around 7 a.m. shortly after it was discovered at the post office, which is located at 11471 Business Blvd.
  Free USPS boxes and papers left out for the public had bee
  
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• Appeals court rejects application to review convicted Juneau murderer’s sentence

  18-01-2017 01:05 via ktoo.org
  
  In an opinion issued Friday, the Alaska Court of Appeals said a convicted Juneau murderer won’t get a review of his 101-year prison sentence as post-conviction relief.
  Jason Coday, now 38 years old, was convicted of killing Simone Kim in August 2006. Kim, a 26-year-old painter from Anchorage, was working on a Fred Meyer expansion project in Juneau when Coday shot him at point-blank range behind the store. Coday was ordered to serve a combined sentence of 101 years in pr
  
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• Centennial Hall to host annual legislative reception

  18-01-2017 00:52 via ktoo.org
  
  Alaska Gov. Bill Walker will deliver his third State of the State address at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The annual speech to the Alaska Legislature and public will outline his administration’s priorities for the year.
  But for residents of Juneau, the speech also means the public can meet elected officials, legislative staff and community leaders in an informal setting.
  The 32nd annual Legislative Welcome Reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Centennial Hall. The event is free and The P
  
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• Obama cuts short Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence

  18-01-2017 00:41
  
  President Barack Obama is commuting the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked classified documents.
  The White House says Manning is one of 209 inmates whose sentences Obama is shortening.
  Manning is more than six years into a 35-year sentence for leaking classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.In five more months, you will be free. Thank you for what you did for ever
  
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• Alaska Aces recharging their batteries, gearing up for second half

  18-01-2017 00:39
  
  The Alaska Aces are at the all-star break, but it doesn’t mean they’re taking one.
  This time last year they’d have taken a win, any win, any way they could get it.
  But a year later has provided great change for the better. At the season midpoint, the Aces find themselves with seven more victories than this time last year. Armed with extra wins, stronger goaltending and a 34-year-old all-star in Peter Sivak playing more like he’s 24, they’re in position to break
  
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