Anchorage news

• Newscast – Monday, April 17, 2017

  17-04-2017 22:45 via ktoo.org
  
  
  http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ktoo/2017/04/2017-04-17-newscast.mp3In this newscast:
  The Alaska House of Representatives passes legislation over the weekend to institute a state income tax,
  a fire in downtown Juneau shut down Seward Street on Saturday night and affected several businesses, and
  a gunman fires into the air and disrupts traffic on the Seward Highway near Anchorage.
   
  
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• BP halts oil and gas leaking from North Slope well

  17-04-2017 22:42 via ktoo.org
  
  Image from the incident location, taken during an overflight on April 14, 2017. Well 2 and the extent of crude misting is visible on the snow within the red-lined area. (Photo courtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation/BP Exploration (Alaska))
  BP announced Monday morning that an out-of-control release from a North Slope oil and gas production well has been stopped.
  BP first detected the leak on Friday morning. State regulators don’t yet have an estimate for how much oil
  
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• Annual Yup’ik spelling bee connects identity and culture in young spellers

  17-04-2017 22:34 via ktoo.org
  
  
  Competition was tough and quick during the Yup’ik Spelling Bee this weekend in Anchorage.
  Even with four schools from two school districts, competition quickly became a battle between the former champ Daniel Ayaginag Hunter from Nunam Iqua and contenders in Kotlik.
  https://cpa.ds.npr.org/kyuk/audio/2017/04/170417_yupik_spelling_bee_pkg.mp3For the second year in a row, Daniel Ayaginag Hunter from Nunam Iqua won the 2017 Yup’ik Spelling Bee in Anchorage on April 15, 2017. (Photo by Joh
  
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• Harvesting Alaska: Something’s hatching in Old Harbor

  17-04-2017 22:07
  
  Old Harbor hugs rugged mountains on the southeast side of Kodiak Island, home to about 200 people who think of themselves as farmers of the sea, not the land.
  But that’s about to change.
  The tribal government recently built a chicken coop on a hillside, which staffers regularly check for fresh eggs.
  “We’re getting about 40 eggs a day right now,” says Bobbi Barnowsky, the tribal administrator. “We’re looking to supplement our subsistence way of life.”
  Bar
  
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• Poll: Marijuana safer than opioids, but moms shouldn’t use

  17-04-2017 21:59
  
  A new national poll says Americans think it’s safer to use marijuana than opioids to relieve pain.
  The Yahoo/Marist poll out Monday says two-thirds of the respondents in the telephone survey said opioid drugs such as Vicodin or OxyContin are “riskier” to use than pot, even when the pain pills are prescribed by a doctor.
  Only one in five said marijuana was riskier than opioids. The rest weren’t sure.
  Those answering the poll overwhelmingly said pot should be legal for medi
  
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• Dunleavy still might play role in Alaska budget debate

  17-04-2017 21:51
  
  The Wasilla Republican who left the Alaska Senate’s majority caucus over concerns that not enough was being done to curb state spending still could play a role in how the budget ultimately looks.
  Sen. Mike Dunleavy’s departure from the Republican-led caucus left it with 14 members.
  That could become an issue if the constitutional budget reserve is needed to help cover state expenses. Such a move requires support of at least 15 of the Senate’s 20 members.
  Dunleavy voted with the
  
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• Troopers: Seward Highway reopens as suspect captured

  17-04-2017 21:41 via ktoo.org
  
  A man who fired shots near Girdwood and apparently fled the area Monday morning prompted Alaska State Troopers to close the Seward Highway from Girdwood to south of Portage.
  The closure occurred before 9 a.m. and ended a little before 11 a.m. when the suspect was taken into custody by state troopers.
  The man had “fired off shots,” a trooper statement said.
  Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters said she did not know yet whether the man had shot at someone or something.
  “No injuries
  
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• Troopers ID suspect in Seward Highway standoff

  17-04-2017 18:55
  
  Armored SWAT vehicle makes its way towards the scene of an armed man on the Seward Highway. (Nick Swann / KTVA) (Nick Swann / KTVA)
  Last updated at 4:40 p.m. on Monday, Apr. 17
  Alaska State Troopers have reopened the Seward Highway to traffic between Girdwood and Portage after responding to a man firing shots along the roadway.
  A man with a gun with a handgun and a hammer was reportedly threatening people along the roadway, and authorities say he eventually fired shots.
  One motorist held u
  
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• Seward Hwy reopened; armed suspect taken into custody

  17-04-2017 18:55
  
  Armored SWAT vehicle makes its way towards the scene of an armed man on the Seward Highway. (Nick Swann / KTVA) (Nick Swann / KTVA)
  Last updated at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Apr. 17
  Alaska State Troopers have reopened the Seward Highway to traffic between Girdwood and Portage after responding to a “developing investigation.”
  A man with a gun was apparently firing shots in the area, according to AST spokesperson Megan Peters.
  One motorist held up by the road block was told by police
  
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• Seward Hwy closed near Girdwood as troopers respond to armed man firing shots

  17-04-2017 18:55
  
  (Nick Swann / KTVA)
  Last updated at 9:36 a.m. on Monday, Apr. 17
  Alaska State Troopers said all lanes of the Seward Highway are closed between Girdwood and Portage as they respond to a “developing investigation.”
  A man with a gun was apparently firing shots in the area, according to AST spokesperson Megan Peters.
  Few additional details were immediately provided.
  Troopers are asking motorists to avoid the area.
  It is unclear how long the highway will be closed.
  KTVA ha
  
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• Alaska capital city might close facilities to balance budget

  17-04-2017 17:40
  
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s capital city and borough are considering closing a museum, gym and educational facility to balance its 2018 budget.
  The Juneau Empire reported Friday that Juneau needs to find nearly $2 million to balance its budget.
  Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Mount Jumbo Gym, the Eagle Valley Center and more are in jeopardy of being closed.
  The city has a priority-driven budget process, which allows residents to rank various services in the area.
  According to the repo
  
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• Turkish leader hails ‘historic decision’ to give him far more power

  17-04-2017 16:09
  
  MGN.comISTANBUL — In Turkey, the government has declared victory in a referendum to change the constitution in ways that would give sweeping new powers to the president.
  The political opposition in the country — one of America’s NATO allies and a key partner in the fight against ISIS — has challenged the result, however, saying millions of votes should be recounted.
  Returns broadcast by state-run news agency Anadolu showed that with almost all the votes counted, the &ldq
  
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• Alaska capital city looks to expand borders

  17-04-2017 15:51
  
  JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The capital city of Alaska is looking to expand its borders.
  The Juneau Empire reported Sunday that the city and borough of Juneau have hopes of owning more of Admiralty Island, located south of the capital city, and a portion of land next to the Petersburg Borough.
  According to the report, Admiralty Island is famous for having the highest density of brown bears in North America.
  City officials are in the process of setting up a meeting with the Angoon City Council to
  
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• New Alaska D.O.C. program welcomes inmates to church, aims to reduce recidivism

  17-04-2017 03:55
  
  Regular worshipers at Eagle River’s Alliance Christian Fellowship (ACF) Church likely noticed many new faces at Easter Sunday services, but several stood out in particular. Seven inmates from Hiland Mountain Correctional Center attended the church for the first time. The Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) has started a pilot program to get prisoners nearing release involved in faith communities.
  “This is helping me, with being in for so long, transition out to being around real p
  
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• The DNA of a killer. Who killed Angie Dodge?

  17-04-2017 03:26
  
  Angie Dodge. (Credit: Carol Dodge)
  Correspondent: Anne-Marie Green; Producers: Judy Rybak, Elena DiFiore, Lindsey Schwartz and Chris O’Connell
  Nearly two decades after 18-year-old Angie Dodge was brutally murdered in her Idaho Falls, Idaho, apartment, police were still hunting for the killer who left his DNA at the crime scene, while a man who did not match the DNA was serving a 30-year sentence for participating in the crime.
  In 2014, police took a new and very controversial approach to
  
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• Facebook purges thousands of fake accounts

  17-04-2017 03:20
  
  (Credit: Facebook)
  Facebook announced Friday that it had begun to purge “a substantial number” of accounts that it says were fake or spam. The fake accounts, created largely in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and a handful of other countries, attempted to accumulate likes as part of a sophisticated campaign. They did so by “liking” publishers’ pages in order to target their followers with spam.
  Facebook issued a statement on Friday warning that as it began to c
  
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• Navy SEALs accused of profiteering, putting lives “in danger”

  17-04-2017 03:16
  
  As Navy SEALs talk publicly to CBS News about drug abuse in the ranks for the first time, some members of the elite force say drugs aren’t the only problem.
  According to interviews, e-mails and text messages from nine current and former SEALs, “…there’s been a corruption within the teams,” one of them wrote. “The death of our quiet professionalism continues to erode at our ethos, and endangers our teammates overseas, not to mention our families at home.&rdquo
  
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• Prostitution ring busted thanks to condom-clogged drainpipe

  17-04-2017 03:11
  
  The Jade Massage Therapy parlor is seen in Austin, Texas. Police say the business owners were operating a prostitution ring out of the parlor.(Credit: KEYE-TV)
  Police say they cracked an Austin prostitution ring after they were led to by a drainage pipe clogged with condoms.
  A police affidavit filed Tuesday said investigators learned that a massage parlor was operating in a shopping strip in northwestern Austin after the realty company that had just taken control of the property grew suspicious
  
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• Navy SEAL exposed as porn star who appeared in 29 films

  17-04-2017 03:07
  
  CORONADO, Calif. — The Navy is investigating a decorated SEAL who moonlights as a porn actor.
  The Naval Special Warfare Command wants to know whether Chief Special Warfare Officer Joseph Schmidt III properly obtained permission from his commanders for outside work and whether they condoned his acting career, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Friday.
  “There are very clear regulations which govern outside employment as well as prohibitions on behavior that is discrediting to the ser
  
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• Spunky little girl insists on poop-themed birthday

  17-04-2017 02:36
  
  3-year-old Audrey poses next to the trappings of her poop-themed birthday party. (Credit: Rebecca Marose)This Missouri native may only be three, but she is already quite the character. And now, little Audrey is capturing the national spotlight for her unique choice of a birthday party theme: Poop.
  “For months, any time we would talk about her party, she said she wanted ‘poop balloons and poop cake,’” Audrey’s mother, Rebecca, tells CBS News.
  Audrey’s parents
  
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• Mom shares shocking X-ray of grape stuck in 5-year-old boy’s throat

  17-04-2017 02:28
  
  A mom shared a shocking X-ray image of a large grape lodged in a 5-year-old boy’s throat to send a reminder to parents — not all kids chew their food.
  Angela Henderson, author of “Finlee and Me,” a popular parenting blog in Australia, shared the photo on her Facebook page earlier this month and it went viral with more than 26,000 shares.
  “Do you know what this X-ray is of? A grape!” she wrote, reminding parents to cut their young children’s food into sma
  
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• Workers relieve pressure on leaking North Slope oil well

  17-04-2017 02:10
  
  The site of the spillCourtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation The site of the spillCourtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation The site of the spillCourtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation The site of the spillCourtesy Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Site of the crude oil spill (Photo: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Officials say federal and state workers have reduced the amount of pres
  
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• Delta to offer up to $10,000 to flyers who give up seats

  17-04-2017 02:04
  
  ATLANTA – Delta Air Lines is giving airport employees permission to offer passengers up to almost $10,000 per person in compensation to give up their seats on overbooked flights.
  Delta’s move comes as United Airlines struggles to recover from images of a passenger’s forced removal from a sold-out flight. Of course, Delta suffered its own public relations disaster last week when storms forced it to cancel 4,000 flights, prompting anger about its preparations for disruptions.
  In
  
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• Former NFL player accidentally kills daughter, 3

  17-04-2017 01:40
  
  Todd Heap. (Credit: Keith Allison via Creative Commons)
  PHOENIX — Condolences poured in for retired NFL player Todd Heap and his family on Saturday, one day after police say the former Pro Bowl tight end accidentally ran over his 3-year-old daughter with a truck, killing her.
  Heap was moving the truck at his home in Mesa, a Phoenix suburb, on Friday when he struck the girl, police said. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.
  The Baltimore Ravens, Heap’s longtime former team, called t
  
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• Virginia Tech marks decade since shooting that killed 32

  17-04-2017 01:26
  
  BLACKSBURG, Va. — Ten years after a mentally ill student fatally shot 32 people at Virginia Tech, survivors and families of the slain are returning to campus to honor the lives that were lost that day.
  Virginia Tech is holding a series of events Sunday to mark the anniversary of the deadly campus shooting on April 16, 2007. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine will be among the 10,000 to 20,000 people expected at the Blacksburg campus for the solemn occasion.
  Kaine, who wa
  
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• Explorers plan descent to the Titanic before it’s too late

  17-04-2017 01:16
  
  One hundred and five years ago Friday night, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic on its maiden voyage. Hours later, the so-called “unsinkable” ship descended to the bottom of the ocean and more than 1,500 people died. It took scientists more than 70 years to find the wreckage and now explorers are preparing to return for the first time in more than a decade and before the wreck disappears forever.
  The Titanic’s fateful voyage inspired more than a dozen films and a new
  
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• Pence says North Korea ‘provocation’ reminder of risks to military

  17-04-2017 01:08
  
  SEOUL, South Korea — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that North Korea’s “provocation” underscored the risks faced by American and South Korean service members, hours after the North conducted a failed missile launch shortly before Pence’s arrival.
  Pence landed in South Korea at the start of a 10-day trip to Asia and was quickly confronted with the stakes facing the United States as Pyongyang seeks to flex its muscles around the birth anniversary of the co
  
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• Police: Man showed slaying live on Facebook

  17-04-2017 00:56
  
  An undated mugshot shows suspect Steve Stephens who is wanted by Cleveland police. (Cleveland PD via CBS News)
  CLEVELAND — Cleveland police say they are searching for a homicide suspect who broadcast the fatal shooting of another man live on Facebook.
  The suspect broadcast the killing on Facebook Live, police said, and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are yet to be verified.
  Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia (chahch) tells cleveland.com that police haven’t verified an
  
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