Anchorage news

• Trump’s budget plan cuts funding for arts, humanities and public media

  16-03-2017 23:24 via ktoo.org
  
  President Donald Trump’s proposed budget calls for big cuts in a wide array of domestic programs — among them, agencies that fund the arts, humanities and public media.
  Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be cut to zero under the proposal, and the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated entirely, the first time any president has proposed such a measure.
  The spending outline is what White House Budget Dire
  
  Read more

• Judge Gorsuch’s writings signal he would be a conservative on social issues

  16-03-2017 22:32 via ktoo.org
  
  With the Senate Judiciary Committee set to open hearings on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, the game of confirmation cat and mouse is about to begin. Senators will try to get a fix on Gorsuch’s legal views — and the nominee will try to say as little as possible.
  Supreme Court scholars and practitioners on the right and left may disagree about whether they want to see Gorsuch confirmed, but in general there is little doubt about the nominee’s cons
  
  Read more

• Alaska Weather Forecast – March 16, 2017

  16-03-2017 22:32
  
  We’ll see partly sunny skies again today in Anchorage, with more sunshine by the afternoon.
  Winds will weaken through the day as well, and should stay generally light heading into the end of the week. Expect afternoon highs in the low 20s.
  Today we gain 5 minutes and 44 seconds of daylight, making our day 11 hours and 53 minutes long.
  Follow KTVA 11’s Weather Team on Facebook and Twitter. Got a weather-related photo or story idea? Email the team at [email protected].
  The post Alaska W
  
  Read more

• Alaska House changes its mind on cutting per diem

  16-03-2017 22:18
  
  The Alaska House’s Democrat-led majority has changed its mind about adjusting its own per diem rates this year. After hours of debate, the Alaska House voted 32 to five to slash funding in the budget for the payments.
  Currently, lawmakers receive a monthly allocation based on a federally set calculation to cover the costs of food and housing — which rose earlier this month from $213 to $275 a day.
  Last month, a proposal in the House Finance Committee would have cut the per diem amoun
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Newscast – Thursday, March 16, 2017

  16-03-2017 22:14 via ktoo.org
  
  
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/03/2017-03-16-newscast.mp3In this newscast:
  the Alaska Senate passes Senate Bill 26, its version of a plan to spend some Permanent Fund earnings on state operations, and
  the Juneau School Board only gets a few letters and a single testifier to weigh in on its proposal to lift the ban on middle school sports travel.
  
  Read more

• Tight finishes and ‘crazy’ speeds distinguish Iditarod’s top 20

  16-03-2017 22:07 via ktoo.org
  
  Teams have continued pouring into Nome, filling out the upper ranks of the 2017 Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
  Champion Mitch Seavey won his third title Tuesday in a record time of eight days, three hours, and 40 minutes, slashing more than seven hours off the previous record.
  Dallas Seavey and Nicolas Petit arrived in a tight race for second and third, respectively.
  Norwegian Joar Ulsom earned fourth place late Tuesday with his team of 8 dogs.
  The fifth place finisher had twice that number.
  Jessie Ro
  
  Read more

• Upper Lynn Canal left with one commuter airline after Wings shuts down

  16-03-2017 20:56 via ktoo.org
  
  
  SeaPort Airlines sold Wings of Alaska to Gustavus-based Fjord Flying Service in 2015. (Photo by BriYYZ/Flickr Creative Commons)
  One of just two commuter airlines connecting small towns in Northern Southeast Alaska to Juneau has shut down.
  In recent years, Wings of Alaska, which was founded in the 1980s, has changed hands and reduced its flight schedule.
  Now, it is ending operations. That leaves just one commuter airline serving Haines, Skagway, Gustavus and Hoonah.
  http://khns.org
  
  Read more

• Groomers work day, night to keep Anchorage trails ready for Nordic skiers

  16-03-2017 20:54
  
  Bill Brion usually gets his day started around the time that most of us are ending ours.
  “Generally there’s maybe one or two skiers left here about 9 o’clock,” Brion said. “There’s generally moose cruising around. Lights go out at 11 o’clock — there’s a timer. After that it’s generally just me and occasionally a moose. There’s an owl that’s been keeping me company out here too.”
  Brion is one of four full time groomers
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Levelock man serves 9 months for sexual abuse of teenage relative

  16-03-2017 20:27 via ktoo.org
  
  A Levelock man will likely be released from jail soon after being sentenced in the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl after a March 1 hearing.
  Judge Gregory Miller sentenced Eric Tallekpalek, 22, to 48 months in jail with 39 suspended, plus five years of probation, in the alleged abuse in the village last summer.
  Tallekpalek also will be required to register as a sex offender for the next 15 years.
  The sentence was handed down with the intent that Tallekpalek would be released from cus
  
  Read more

• Howard Farley details how the Iditarod came to end in Nome

  16-03-2017 20:12
  
  “I came to Alaska as a butcher, the old guys who used to cut meat,” Howard Farley told a captivated audience at the Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum in Nome. “Dog mushers liked butchers in those days because butchers always had lots of meat scraps.”
  As he told his tales from the trail, it didn’t take long for people listening to realize Farley is a great storyteller, sharing his adventure of the first Iditarod in 1973 when it took him nine hours to make it to the fi
  
  Read more

• Sea-to-table movement takes root with Alaska’s growing kelp industry

  16-03-2017 19:28 via ktoo.org
  
  (Matt Kern harvests wild bull kelp. Photo courtesy of Matt Kern and Lia Heifetz.)
  In February of last year, Governor Walker signed an administrative order to help jumpstart mariculture, or sea farming, in the state. One Juneau couple is whipping up a recipe to make local kelp an enticing business and snack. They’re part of a growing number of startups that see Alaska seaweed as a marketable food.
  There’s an aquatic plant that’s become a big part of Matt Kern and Lia Heifetz&rsq
  
  Read more

• Proposal to lift middle school sports travel ban receives little public input

  16-03-2017 18:42 via ktoo.org
  
  The Juneau Jumpers ran into Gov. Bill Walker at Juneau International Airport on Friday, March 10, on their way to jump rope competition in Fairbanks. The travel ban didn’t apply to the middle schoolers in the group in this case because it wasn’t for a school-sponsored sport. (Photo courtesy Lori Klein)
  At the Juneau School Board meeting Tuesday, only one person weighed in during public testimony on a proposal to lift the ban on out-of-town travel for middle school athletic events.
  Su
  
  Read more

• Trump’s first budget boosts military, cuts domestic programs

  16-03-2017 18:27
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) – The Latest on President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year (all times local):
  12:55 p.m.
  The top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee is slamming proposed budget cuts to the IRS, an agency that is down more than 17,000 employees since 2010.
  Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts says: “We have seen in recent years that when IRS funding goes down, call wait times rise for taxpayers.”
  He adds that: “Congressional Republic
  
  Read more

• Director of Anchorage animal rescue organization fined for sanitation violation

  16-03-2017 18:00
  
  The executive director of a local dog rescue is once again facing a fine from Anchorage Animal Care and Control.
  Animal control received a complaint, which raised the concern that dogs were being kept at a warehouse on Mike Street, according to spokesperson Laura Atwood.
  Atwood said when officers went to investigate, they learned Beverly Ausick, executive director of Alaska Animal Rescue Friends (AARF) was using the space for the rescue. Officers didn’t see dogs living at the facility, but
  
  Read more

• Iditarod 45 Race Blog: Mushers continue the trek to Nome

  16-03-2017 17:00
  
  View the 2017 Iditarod Trail Map
   The post Iditarod 45 Race Blog: Mushers continue the trek to Nome appeared first on KTVA 11.
  
  Read more

• In rare finish, Jessie Royer completes Iditarod with all 16 dogs

  16-03-2017 16:58
  
  Jessie Royer was a dog musher before she even knew what mushing was.
  “I had goats for 4H so I used to hook up my border collie with my billy goat and that was my first dog team when I was ten years old,” Royer said. “I’d never even heard of the Iditarod before.”
  Flash forward 30 years and she’s now a top contender in the Last Great Race on Earth. Royer said she didn’t go into the race with a strategy, she just wanted to take the best care of her team.
  &l
  
  Read more

• Senate panel cuts public broadcasting

  16-03-2017 06:52 via ktoo.org
  
  KFSK in Petersburg is among Alaska public radio stations that could end local programming under proposed budget cuts. (Photo by Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska News)
  A state Senate panel wants to eliminate funding for most public broadcasting in Alaska. That puts it in conflict with the House and the governor, who want to keep the finances flat.
  Gov. Bill Walker’s fiscal year 2018 budget proposes spending about $3.6 million for public broadcasting. It includes radio, TV and ARCS, a rural sa
  
  Read more

• Trump admin halts Obama-era rule on fracking on public land

  16-03-2017 05:43
  
  The Trump administration says it is rolling back an Obama administration rule requiring companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking.
  The administration said in court papers filed Wednesday that it is withdrawing from a lawsuit challenging the Obama-era rule and will begin a new rule-making process later this year.
  The Interior Department issued the rule in March 2015, the first major federal regulation
  
  Read more

• Pick.Click.Give. seeing fewer, but larger donations this year

  16-03-2017 05:41
  
  While fewer people are giving to nonprofits and charities through Pick.Click.Give., manager Sofia Fouquet explains that those who are have given larger amounts this year.
  “We actually hit $2 million over the weekend, so that was a great thing to celebrate,” she said, and acknowledged that last year, the organization received $3.1 million. “While we’re a little bit behind from the 2016 numbers, we’re closing that gap and do expect we’ll finish around $2.5 to $2
  
  Read more

• Federal judge in Hawaii puts Trump’s revised travel ban on hold

  16-03-2017 05:09
  
  A federal judge in Hawaii has put President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on hold.
  U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson granted a temporary restraining order against key parts of Mr. Trump’s executive order on immigration, CBS News’ Paula Reid reports. He blocked enforcement of sections related to travel and refugees, and effectively gutted the order, which seeks to impose a 90-day ban on the issuance of new visas to people from six predominantly Muslim nations and suspend th
  
  Read more

• Alaska Senate passes bill to use permanent fund’s earnings for state budget

  16-03-2017 04:35
  
  For the second year in a row, the Alaska Senate has passed a measure to use the Alaska permanent fund as an endowment for state services, drawing an amount from earnings that is based on a percentage of the fund’s market value.
  The Senate approved a modified version of Gov. Bill Walker’s Senate Bill 26 with a vote of 12 to 8 Wednesday afternoon after hours of lengthy debate.Opposition came from Democrats and Republicans alike, with Senators Mike Dunleavy, R-Wasilla; Shelley Hugh
  
  Read more

• Workers at Bean’s Cafe say spice never went away

  16-03-2017 04:14
  
  Two years ago, the drug Anchorage residents heard the most about was spice; now it’s heroin. But it turns out spice never went away.Bean’s Cafe assistant director Kim Kovol said they’ve seen a recent rise in its use.
  “It’s rampant and we don’t see it going away any time soon,” Kovol said.
  In the fall of 2015, Anchorage had a record year for spice overdoses. It seemed like paramedics could barely keep up. Assistant Fire Chief Erich Scheunemann said they w
  
  Read more

• A citywide vote could force Alaska’s first pot shop to close

  16-03-2017 03:53
  
  Alaska’s first pot shop could soon be forced to close its doors.
  Herbal Outfitters in Valdez opened back in October. Manager Derek Morris says since day one, business has been strong, but the store’s future all comes down to a vote.
  A group of concerned Valdez citizens submitted enough signatures to city hall to get an initiative on the upcoming May 2 municipal election ballot. A yes vote on proposition 1 would ban all marijuana businesses within city limits. A no vote
  
  Read more

• State hopes environmental monitoring will clear up unknowns about Cook Inlet gas leak

  16-03-2017 02:13 via ktoo.org
  
  Location of a natural gas leak taking place from a pipeline owned by Hilcorp in Cook Inlet. (Image courtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation/NASA)
  State regulators have given preliminary approval to Hilcorp’s plan to monitor the environmental impacts of the gas leak in Cook Inlet.
  Hilcorp, the biggest oil and gas producer in the Inlet, owns a gas line that’s now leaking as much as 215,000 cubic feet per day. The leak is coming from an underwater pipeline that fuels off
  
  Read more

• Senate passes bill drawing from Permanent Fund

  16-03-2017 02:05 via ktoo.org
  
  Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Anchorage, on the Senate Floor during debate about a bill that would draw money from the Permanent Fund. (Photo by Skip Gray/360 North)
  The state Senate passed a bill Wednesday that would draw money from the Alaska Permanent Fund to pay for the state government’s budget. The bill also would limit Permanent Fund dividends, as well as overall amount the state can spend.
  Thirteen senators voted for Senate Bill 26, while seven voted against the measure, introduced by Gov
  
  Read more

• Iditarod 45: Breakdown of official prize money

  16-03-2017 02:00
  
  Mitch Seavey on the winner's podium in Nome. (Megan Edge / KTVA) Mitch Seavey coming into Nulato Megan Edge/KTVA
  A large portion of this year’s mushers have yet to pull under the Burled Arch in Nome. No matter the place they finish, almost every musher will offer a similar sentiment: they’re not in the sport for the money. Mushing dogs is what they do year-round. Their entire livelihood revolves around their dogs.
  For being this year’s winner, 57-year-old Mitch Seavey earned h
  
  Read more

• Steller Watch lets anyone with internet access play wildlife biologist

  16-03-2017 01:38 via ktoo.org
  
  Do you see the marked sea lion? Scientists are asking citizens to comb through photos like this to help understand the species decline. (Photo courtesy NOAA Fisheries, NMFS EPA/MMPA Permit #: 18528 & IUCN # A/NW2013-2)
  In an effort to figure out what’s behind the mysterious decline of Steller sea lions, scientists are trying out crowdsourcing for the first time. The project is called Steller Watch. The idea is to convince the public to comb through pictures looking for sea lions.
  Scien
  
  Read more

• GOP health bill won’t cure what ails Alaska market, two industry pros say

  16-03-2017 01:16 via ktoo.org
  
  
  The bill to replace the Affordable Care Act is on shaky ground in Congress, drawing criticism from left, right and center in the U.S. House. Guests on “Talk of Alaska” Tuesday said the bill would do more harm than good.http://media.aprn.org/2017/ann-20170314-04.mp3“One of the criticisms of the original Affordable Care Act is that it addressed coverage but it didn’t address cost,” said Becky Hultberg, CEO of the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association
  
  Read more

• Juneau Afternoon – 3-16

  16-03-2017 01:00 via ktoo.org
  
  Thursday on A Juneau Afternoon, Joan Pardes will host,We’ll learn about the UAS Alumni Spring Dinner & Auction scholarship fundraiser;
  3:15We’ll get a preview of the JSO Symphony Showcase performances coming up on Saturday and Sunday, March 18 and 19.Heather Mitchell will be here to highlight the Juneau Cabaret/Great American Songbook concert;
  And Nancy DeCherney will be here with art news during Arts Up.
  That, Writers Almanac, Bird Note, music and more, Thursday on A Juneau Afte
  
  Read more

• Some Haines residents speak against ‘bicycle friendly’ community idea

  16-03-2017 00:59 via ktoo.org
  
  
  A solo rider crests the summit during the 2016 Kluane-Chilkat International Bike Relay. (Photo by Jillian Rogers/KHNS)
  Controversy from a recent Haines Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meeting carried into the committee’s most recent gathering as well.
  But this time, the topic of debate was whether Haines should pursue a “bicycle friendly community” designation. Questions were once against raised about conflicts of interest on advisory committees.
  http://khns.org/wp-cont
  
  Read more

• 3-year-old Iditarod dog collapses, dies outside Unalakleet checkpoint

  16-03-2017 00:31
  
  Full moon and a frosty sunset in Unalakleet. (David Poyzer / KTVA) Unknown dog team pulls into Unalakleet checkpoint. (David Poyzer / KTVA) Sun shines behind the clouds at the Unalakleet checkpoint. (David Poyzer / KTVA) Dog sleds parked in Unalakleet. (David Poyzer / KTVA)
  A three-year-old dog named Shilling from Roger Lee’s team collapsed and died on the trail late Wednesday morning, according to Iditarod race marshal Mark Nordman.
  Shilling died around 10:30 a.m. about ten miles be
  
  Read more

• Trump travel ban blocked nationwide by Hawaii judge

  16-03-2017 00:26 via ktoo.org
  Updated at 7:10 p.m. ETU.S. District Court Judge Derrick K. Watson has issued a nationwide temporary restraining order, preventing President Trump’s revised travel ban from taking effect tonight at midnight. Trump’s executive order would have temporarily halted the U.S. refugee program and travel from six Muslim-majority countries.
  Department of Justice attorneys argued that the ban was necessary to protect the nation’s security, and that it had been revised to address legal co
  
  Read more

• House Intelligence chair says he doesn’t believe Trump Tower was wiretapped

  16-03-2017 00:22 via ktoo.org
  
  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes says he doesn’t believe “there was an actual tap of Trump Tower,” contrary to claims made by President Trump.
  And the top Democrat on the House committee, Adam Schiff, told NPR’s All Things Considered “there’s no evidence” to support Trump’s claim.
  Trump alleged that his predecessor, President Barack Obama, tapped his phone at Trump Tower in a pair of tweets earlier this month.
  Trump has not produce
  
  Read more

• What would the US look like without the EPA?

  16-03-2017 00:13
  
  Acid rain devouring New England forests. Homes built on toxic sites. Unswimmable rivers and cities cloaked in smog. The United States looked very different before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arrived, but a recent Congressional bill calls for the agency’s abolition. So Americans may wonder: What would life be like without the EPA?
  In its 47 years of operation, the EPA has achieved dramatic improvements in the cleanliness of the nation’s air and water, among oth
  
  Read more

• Long winter is making for cranky moose, Fish and Game warns

  16-03-2017 00:10 via ktoo.org
  
  (Photo by KDLG)
  As this winter continues, longer and snowier than those in the recent past, moose are getting cantankerous warns the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in a Monday news release.
  Neil Barten, Fish and Game wildlife biologist in Dillingham, said that no aggressive moose have been reported in the area, but that potential is there, so it’s important not to pester them.
  “This winter’s been getting kind of long, and in places where the snow has pil
  
  Read more

Follow @AnchorageNewsUS on Twitter!