Anchorage news

• Mic Check in the Morning: Bobby Tomberlin

  03-03-2017 23:49
  
  Country artist Bobby Tomberlin has been nominated for a Grammy, a Country Music Award and an Academy of Country Music Award. Tomberlin has been in the music industry since he was 11-years-old. According to his website, he was a disc jockey in his hometown of Luverne, Alabama. He’s also appeared on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, which is the name of a song on his album “End of Road.”
  Tomberlin will play at Eddie’s Sports Bar in Anchorage Friday, March 3. The day after,
  
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• Hopes for King Cove road renewed with new Interior secretary

  03-03-2017 23:48 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rode a National Park Service horse named Tonto about a mile, posing along the National Mall for photos. The Park Service, the Mall and the horse are within Interior’s domain. (Interior Department photo)
  Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, a former Montana congressman, rode a horse to his first day of work in Washington, D.C., today.
  The Secretary of the Interior is an important position for Alaska, where more than 60 percent of the land is owned by
  
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• Murkowski joins several Democrats in challenging proposed pot enforcements

  03-03-2017 23:35 via ktoo.org
  
  
  U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, wants to slow the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. (Photo by Liz Ruskin/APRN)
  A group of U.S. senators – including one Alaskan – is asking the Justice Department to keep existing guidance on marijuana laws.
  http://media.aprn.org/2017/ann-20170302-05.mp3The request came in a letter signed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Elizabeth Warren, D-Ma., and nine other senators. They asked U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to continue upholding the Cole Memo &mda
  
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• Alaska’s U.S. senators diverge on Attorney General Jeff Sessions

  03-03-2017 23:29 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Then-senator Jeff Sessions at a Trump campaign event last year. (Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr/Creative Commons)
  U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday, March 2, he will not involve himself in any investigation of foreign interference in last year’s election.
  http://media.aprn.org/2017/ann-20170302-04.mp3“I have now decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matter related in any way to the campaigns for president of the United States,&
  
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• Kodiak Girl Scout to receive recognition for life-saving effort

  03-03-2017 23:15 via ktoo.org
  
  A young Kodiak resident will receive a Girl Scouts Medal of Honor this weekend in recognition for her life-saving efforts.
  Only 30 Girl Scouts earned the prize nationwide last year.
  The Girl Scouts will recognize her for her courage Saturday at an event that will include hands-on activities and workshops with those in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, fields.
  The presentation of the Medal of Honor will begin shortly after noon.
  A Gir
  
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• APD: Foot patrols, undercover officers are signs of shift from reactive to proactive policing

  03-03-2017 22:19
  
  In a time of budget cuts across the board for state and local agencies in Alaska, the Anchorage Police Department has been spared. Mayor Ethan Berkowitz plans to add 56 officers in the 2017 fiscal year.
  Thursday night, Berkowitz, joined by APD Lt. Jack Carson, held a town hall meeting in Spenard to let the community know where things are at, and to listen to any concerns.
  Since taking office Berkowitz has pushed to beef up the police force. Carson says they’re finally starting to
  
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• The basics: A few things to know before Iditarod begins

  03-03-2017 19:32
  
  Mitch Seavey arrives in White MountainMegan Edge / KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA Megan Edge/ KTVA
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The world’s most famous sled dog race has its ceremonial start Saturday in Anchorage.
  Dallas Seavey is the defending Iditarod champion and has won four out of the last five races. He joins five other mushers chasing the elusive fifth title.
  The man with
  
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• The Tour of Anchorage is back, this time with more snow

  03-03-2017 19:15
  
  The first weekend of March is a busy one in Anchorage. Fur Rondy, the Iditarod ceremonial start, and the Tour of Anchorage are all happening in one weekend.
  The Tour of Anchorage is an annual tradition dating back to 1988 and is held every year on the first Sunday of March. Skiers from around the state, the Lower 48 and other countries will participate in 50K, 40K, and 25K races Sunday.
  The 50K and 40K races start near Service High School, cross over Tudor Road to Alaska Pacific University
  
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• Lawsuit questions state’s use of kids’ social security cash

  03-03-2017 18:33
  
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A lawsuit is challenging Alaska’s practice of using some foster kids’ social security benefits to pay for care without notifying the child.
  Alaska Public Media reported Thursday  that during oral arguments made in superior court, attorneys representing children questioned if the state can legally use children’s benefits without notice.
  About 160 foster children in Alaska are entitled to social security benefits because they have a disability
  
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• Daybreak Adopt-A-Pet: March 3, 2017

  03-03-2017 13:00
  From Anchorage Animal Care and Control:
  This week, the AACC wants to highlight some unique house pets:
  A total of six mice
  Two rabbits, including Patches, who was previously featured in Adopt-A-Pet
  A pair of Parakeets
  Three guinea pigs, two of which are a pair
  A pot bellied pig
  Anchorage Care and Control has more than just cats and dogs. These critters need homes as well.
  Check with the municipality’s website for updates on which pets are still available.
  The post Daybreak Adopt-
  
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• Here’s the official starting order for Iditarod 45

  03-03-2017 08:50
  
  Megan Edge/ KTVA
  Seemingly endless chatter filled the inside of the Downtown Dena’ina Center only minutes after the musher banquet began. Fans were eager to meet notable mushers and mushers were eager to take on Iditarod.
  Iditarod champions, fan favorites and veterans smiled for picture-after-picture with their dedicated supporters. Some asked for autographs, others were happy with a handshake. But the annual banquet is about more than meet and greets.
  All 72 mushers would know the o
  
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• Budget tensions rise as legislative session hits halfway mark

  03-03-2017 07:38
  
  Thursday marked the halfway point for lawmakers in Juneau — day 45 of the 90-day legislative session.
  Both legislative bodies appear to be hitting targets they’ve set for themselves on the state’s budget. But there are widening divides on how big it should be, and how to pay for it, that could easily push them beyond 90 day deadline.
  Thursday morning, a winter storm was brewing in Juneau, but the real flurry was falling inside the Capitol building — where the sense o
  
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• Mitch Seavey prepares to take on his toughest Iditarod competitor: his son

  03-03-2017 07:20
  
  If dogs are man’s best friends, then Mitch Seavey is a popular guy.
  His dog lot in sterling is home to about 140 Alaskan huskies. Of those, Seavey must choose just 16 to accompany him on this year’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
  “The cuts that are going to be hard are the younger ones,” Seavey said. “There are some of the three-year-olds that have just done everything we’ve asked them to do and they’re flawless, and they’re just so happy. And they&
  
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• Zinke’s confirmation brings optimism to King Cove residents

  03-03-2017 06:03
  
  With the confirmation of Ryan Zinke as the new Secretary of the Interior, people in King Cove have new hope for a road to nearby Cold Bay.
  The community has called the proposed one lane, 11-mile stretch of road life saving. It would connect the community to the airstrip at Cold Bay, giving those suffering a medical emergency a reliable way out during bad weather. They’ve been trying to build it for 30 years.
  “It’s looking good that this could very well happen,” King Cove
  
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• Excess of icicles might mean it’s time to weatherize your home

  03-03-2017 05:33
  
  An excess of icicles hanging from your roof could be a sign you need to weatherize your home.
  Jimmy Ord, information manager with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, explained that ice buildup means heat from your house is likely leaking into your attic. The warm air melts the snow and the water can freeze and clog gutters, causing massive icicles to form.
  The ice buildup can also make ice dams and cause water to leak back under the shingles on your roof.
  Ord said there are a few things home
  
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• Buildup of icicles might mean it’s time to weatherize your home

  03-03-2017 05:33
  
  An excess of icicles hanging from your roof could be a sign you need to weatherize your home.
  Jimmy Ord, information manager with the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, explained that ice buildup means heat from your house is likely leaking into your attic. The warm air melts the snow and the water can freeze and clog gutters, causing massive icicles to form.
  The ice buildup can also make ice dams and cause water to leak back under the shingles on your roof.
  Ord said there are a few things home
  
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• New House minority Republicans vent, claim they’re sidelined in budget process

  03-03-2017 04:45 via ktoo.org
  
  Rep. Lance Pruitt, R-Anchorage, during a discussion about HB 115 in the House Finance Committee on Feb. 13. He opposes a change that would reduce the House minority’s budget influence. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  For years, the minority caucus in the Alaska House has had a say in the state’s budget. But that may not happen this year, as the majority caucus looks to tap Permanent Fund earnings to close the budget gap.
  House minority members say they’re being cut out of t
  
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• More budget cuts could be on the way for University of Alaska

  03-03-2017 04:39
  
  More budget cuts may be on the way for the University of Alaska system. On Thursday, members of the Board of Regents met in Anchorage to discuss proposed budget cuts by state legislators.
  Gov. Bill Walker has proposed a budget for the university with the same amount of funding as last year — $325 million. That’s less than the board’s request of $341 million.
  Members of the Senate Finance Committee are talking about a 5 percent cut to the budget, which University
  
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• Residents displaced by Royal Suite fire receive donation from Anchorage Home Builders Association

  03-03-2017 04:30
  
  It’s been two weeks since the deadly fire at the Royal Suite Lodge apartment building, and those who lost their homes are still unable to return.
  Many say they have no other choice but to temporarily stay with family or in motels. But a gift given by a group of total strangers on Thursday may have been just be what some folks needed to start moving forward.
  Looking at the remains of the Royal Suite Lodge, former resident Bernard Walker says he feels fortunate.
  He escaped the fire unha
  
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• Reality Check w/ John Tracy: It’s time for transparency on health care costs

  03-03-2017 03:07
  
  I used to work as a salesman for a big name music store in Seattle. It’s the kind of job you take between gigs as a semi-working musician.
  If you came in to buy a guitar or a drum set from me, we were instructed not to give you the sticker price, but rather, find out how much you were willing to spend.
  It was a music store run as a used car lot, and I thought it was sleazy even then.
  My practice was to give customers the retail price, and if I could offer a discount I would tell them up fr
  
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• Tug grounds in Sumner Strait; five rescued uninjured

  03-03-2017 02:55 via ktoo.org
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/03/DOD_104126704-640x480-922k.mp4
  In this video provided by Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, an Air Station MH-60T Jayhawk crew rescues five crew members from a barge attached to the tug Ocean Eagle after it ran aground on the Mariposa Reef on the south side of Strait Island in Sumner Strait, Alaska, March 2, 2017. The five evacuated the tug and transferred to the barge. (Video courtesy Petty Officer 1st Class William Colclough/U.S. Coast Guard)
  Five pe
  
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• It’s final: Haines is losing its state trooper

  03-03-2017 02:28 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The question has been looming since December: will Haines lose its only Alaska State Trooper?
  The final answer is yes.
  The division chief said amid a shrinking budget, Haines’ level of crime isn’t great enough to maintain the local trooper post.
  Instead, funding for the Haines position will be moved to the Violent Offenders Unit in Bethel.http://khns.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/01TrooperwINTRO.mp3“It is final,” said Col. James Cockrell, director of the Alaska Stat
  
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• Juneau Afternoon – 3-3-17

  03-03-2017 02:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Today at 3 on A Juneau Afternoon, Andy Kline hosts.We’ll talk with Marissa Amor about her First Friday exhibit at the Downtown Heritage;
  Kelly Manning will be here with an update on REACH Artists First Friday.
  We’ll get a preview of the First Friday Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Lecture, about Black Carbon on White Glaciers;
  And we’ll find out more about the Motown and Gospel performances this weekend;
  At 4, tune in to KTOO for All Things Considered, followed at 6 by Alaska
  
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• Mic Check in the Morning: Dylan Scott

  03-03-2017 01:40
  
  Country artist Dylan Scott will be touring across Alaska beginning March 2 as part of the Northern Lights Country Series. Scott is joined by Grammy and Country Music Award nominated singer and songwriter Bobby Tomberlin.
  Thursday evening, Scott will be in Palmer playing at Klondike Mike’s. The Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m. Friday, he’ll be in Anchorage at Eddie’s Sports Bar. That concert starts at 8 p.m.
  Tickets for all three concerts can be purchased at
  
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• Grant Aviation dismisses pilot in Unalaska plane accident; NTSB still investigating

  03-03-2017 01:05 via ktoo.org
  
  A mechanical problem wasn’t at fault for forcing down one of Grant Aviation’s planes, causing it to belly flop at the Unalaska Airport last month, the regional airline said.
  Beyond that, airline officials are keeping quiet about the accident’s cause — at least for now.
  “We’ve all got our theories,” Grant CFO Rob Kelly said. “But if we say something and the investigation concludes differently, that’s not a good position for us to be in.”
  
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• 42rd Annual Alaska Folk Festival – Program 2 of 4

  03-03-2017 00:44 via ktoo.org
  
  Tune in to KRNN-FM Saturday Afternoon at 2 for the fourth in a series of highlights from the 42nd Annual Alaska Folk Festival, recorded live between April 4th through the 10th.
  Featured are MC Squared, The Surrepitious Songbirds, Taylor Videc, Rumblefish, SWAT, Clark Country, Grant Dermody, Aloha Bluegrass, Norris-Bowers Band, the Sugar Shack, The Carper Family Band, Ken Waldman, Eli West & Forest Gibson, Naked Mabel, The Mendenhall Quartet, and Caitlyn Warbelow.
  Program 4 of 4
  
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• Weather service forecasts 6-10 inches of snow accumulation

  03-03-2017 00:33 via ktoo.org
  
  Victoria Schoenheit chats with a friend during her lunch break Thursday at the State Office Building during a snowstorm in Juneau. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)
  Six to 10 inches of snow are now forecast to accumulate in Juneau during this storm.
  The National Weather Service’s winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday for an area that includes Juneau, Hoonah, Tenakee Springs, Pelican and Elfin Cove. The service warns that travel will be hazardous.
  As of noon Thursday, a Ju
  
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• Update: Weather service forecasts 8-16 inches of snow accumulation

  03-03-2017 00:33 via ktoo.org
  
  Update | 4:22 p.m.
  The National Weather Service has extended its winter storm warning and increased its snow accumulation estimates. The warning is now in effect until 6 a.m. Friday and snow accumulation is now expected at 8 to 16 inches.
  Original story | 2:33 p.m.
  Victoria Schoenheit chats with a friend during her lunch break Thursday at the State Office Building during a snowstorm in Juneau. (Photo by Jeremy Hsieh/KTOO)
  Six to 10 inches of snow are now forecast to accumulate in Juneau during t
  
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• Kenai Peninsula invocation lawsuit has roots in New York case

  03-03-2017 00:28 via ktoo.org
  
  
  For the past six months, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly has debated whether it should restrict who gives the opening prayer at each Assembly meeting.
  They’re not alone; similar disputes are taking place across the country.
  Several years ago, a lawsuit over prayer in public meetings consumed a town in upstate New York, eventually making its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kbbi/audio/2017/03/170302_greece_pkg.mp3Linda Stephens and Susan Galloway sued the town of Gr
  
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• 42nd Annual Alaska Folk Festival, Program 4 of Four

  03-03-2017 00:19 via ktoo.org
  
  Tune in to KRNN-FM Saturday Afternoon at 2 for the fourth in a series of highlights from the 42nd Annual Alaska Folk Festival, recorded live between April 4th through the 10th.
  Featured are MC Squared, The Surrepitious Songbirds, Taylor Videc, Rumblefish, SWAT, Clark Country, Grant Dermody, Aloha Bluegrass, Norris-Bowers Band, the Sugar Shack, The Carper Family Band, Ken Waldman, Eli West & Forest Gibson, Naked Mabel, The Mendenhall Quartet, and Caitlyn Warbelow.
  
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• Newscast – Thursday, March 2, 2017

  03-03-2017 00:08 via ktoo.org
  
  
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/03/2017-03-02-newscast.mp3In this newscast:
  House lawmakers hear public testimony largely opposed to a new oil and gas tax overhaul,
  the National Weather Service expects 6 to 10 inches of snow to accumulate in the area, and
  many of Ketchikan’s wastewater systems aren’t meeting federal water quality standards.
  
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