President Obama has appointed Alaskan Larry Persily to be the new federal coordinator of an Alaska gas pipeline project. The Washington D-C based job coordinates the federal permits required for the project, and works as a liaison between the gas companies, the state, federal offices, and Canada in the planning stages. Libby Casey, APRN – [...] Full Story »
Alaska Communications Systems or ACS, will provide a computer back up support services for University of Alaska. The $6.8 million gift rolled out yesterday in Fairbanks, covers five years and includes high speed cable connectivity and equipment space at a new ACS facility in Hillsboro, Oregon. Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
The state will clear more stands of black spruce in the Fairbanks area to combat the spread of wildfire. Fairbanks area forester Marc Lee says the fuel mitigation projects are part of an ongoing community wildfire protection program. Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
More than 20,000 cookies, 200 pounds of fudge, cups of hot cider, and a brass band all greeted residents of Juneau at the governor’s mansion on Tuesday for the annual holiday open house. About 4,000 people stood in line to meet Governor Sean Parnell and the first family in an event that kicks off [...] Full Story »
Fairbanks venerable retailer of everything hardware is back in business. Samson’s re-opened last week at a new location almost year after closing the doors at its historic spot on the Chena River downtown to make way for a road project. Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
Photo By Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau Sealaska Natural Resource Planner Nathan Soboleff examines the old oil-fired boilers that heat Sealaska Plaza in downtown Juneau. They’ll be replaced with a wood-pellet burner next year. Sealaska is converting its Juneau headquarters building from oil to wood-pellet heat. The Southeast regional Native corporation says the change will save money. [...] Full Story »
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments this morning in the case of former Alaska state legislator Bruce Weyhrauch, a Republican from Juneau. The question is whether Weyhrauch violated what’s called the “honest services law” by asking oil field services company VECO for a job at the same time he was voting on legislation [...] Full Story »
In rural Alaska, a steady out migration is placing schools at risk of not having enough children enrolled to keep them open. The school in the Aleutian Islands community of Nikolski closed this year. Joe Beckford is the Superintendent for the Aleutian region. Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
One of the largest class action lawsuits ever filed against the federal government was settled today. After 13 years, the Eloise Cobell trust fund lawsuit was finalized today with $3.4 billion. Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
A federal judge has halted the Orion north timber sale on Revillagigedo Island. The four million-board foot sale was one of 25 timber sales offered on the Tongass this year. Deanna Garrison, KRBD – Ketchikan Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
Former Anchorage Representative Ralph Samuels on Tuesday joined the 2010 race for the governor’s office. Samuels, a Republican, says he wants to focus on the state’s economic future. Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
More North Pole wells are coming up positive for the chemical solvent sulfolane. Department of Environmental Conservation Contaminated Sites Project manager Ann Farris says the pollution from historic spills at the Flint Hills Refinery is more widespread than previously thought. Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
Individual news stories are posted in the Alaska News category and you can subscribe to APRN’s news feeds via email, podcast and RSS. Download Audio (MP3) High Court Hears Weyhrauch Case Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments this morning in the case of former Alaska state legislator Bruce Weyhrauch, a Republican from [...] Full Story »
The Obama administration is seeking to strengthen the government’s bargaining position at the Copenhagen climate treaty talks by issuing a long-awaited finding that Carbon Dioxide, Methane and other greenhouse gases are an endangerment to public health. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson says the rule is the next step in complying with a Supreme Court ruling [...] Full Story »
The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Tuesday in the case of former Alaska state legislator Bruce Weyhrauch. The Republican who represented Juneau is accused of asking oil field services company VECO for a job while working with VECO on a bill it favored. Weyhrauch faces federal mail fraud charges because he [...] Full Story »
The state Fish Board was willing to write a letter, but it backed away from recommending the state Legislature make the Kvichak and Nushagak river drainages into a salmon refuge. The letter to the state government will urge it to be aware of the peril an open pit copper mine such as the proposed [...] Full Story »
A massive storm rocked Unalaska on Friday night and toppled the 110-foot high APL cargo container crane. Winds started kicking up around 6 pm and by about 8 pm wind speeds ranged from 80 mph to about 125 mph. Some sources are saying they went even higher. Anne Hillman, KUCB – Unalaska Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
About 40 people have lost their jobs in Juneau and Ketchikan auto dealerships with the sudden closure of Skinner Sales and Service. An unstaffed Skinner used car store in Sitka also has closed. The problem appears to be undisclosed financial difficulties. Local employees say the poor economy is a small factor. The company apparently [...] Full Story »
The Iditarod sled dog is cutting prize money again and slashing staff salaries by 20 percent. Race director Stan Hooley says the organization has lost close to one million dollars in funding over the past year. That money was generated by two media partnerships and three sponsors, including Cabela’s. Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage Download Audio [...] Full Story »
The Coast Guard is considering a number of biomass heating projects in Southeast – using wood from local sources as fuel to heat facilities in Sitka and Ketchikan. The plans have been in the works, but were brought up again as part of a larger discussion on whether wood from the Tongass could be [...] Full Story »
There’s been another spill from a BP pipeline on the North Slope. The State Department of Environmental Conservation reports that more than 7,000 gallons of oily water was released from a 34-inch pipeline at Prudhoe Bay. The DEC report says most of the fluid was contained within a manifold building, but that about 2,000 [...] Full Story »
The US Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved reauthorizing the Indian Health Care Improvement Act on Thursday, sending the bill to the full Senate for consideration. The bill would permanently continue the Community Health Aid Program in Alaska. It would also reauthorize the dental health aid program and would expand long-term services like assisted living [...] Full Story »
Next week the Climate change conference gathering gets under way in Copenhagen. The state of Alaska will send Larry Hartig, the Commissioner for the Department of Environmental Conservation. He was invited to give a talk on how Alaska is adapting to Climate change by the US State Department. Libby Casey, APRN – Washington Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
Iditarod mushers are gearing up for next year’s race. Seventy five dog drivers have signed for the 2010 trek to Nome, each paying an entry fee $4,000. But one disgruntled Montana musher wants his money back and he has taken his case to the courts. Ellen Lockyer, APRN – Washington Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
Dog sledding champ Lance Mackey says training Jamaican musher Newton Marshall will not interfere with his own racing ambitions. A four- time Quest and three-time Iditarod winner, Mackey has his sights high for the upcoming season. Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks Download Audio (MP3) Full Story »
A tree is reflected in a rain puddle in the German city of Stuttgart. AFP/DDP/Sascha Schuermann
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