Sorted by date Results 651 - 675 of 763
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency improperly withdrew proposed restrictions on mining activity in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by critics of the proposed Pebble Mine. The lawsuit is the latest development in the ongoing fight over plans to develop a copper and gold deposit in southwest Alaska. Opponents of the Pebble Mine worry about the impact it could have on the region known for its salmon habitat, including a prominent sockeye salmon fishery. The Pebble Limited Par... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Tlingit clan hat was welcomed back to southeast Alaska with ceremony and dance after spending more than a century away. A ceremony Sept. 25 included both an original sculpin hat that was taken in 1884 from Sitka and became part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection, and a newer replacement hat, which was given to the Kiks.adi clan. “It’s like seeing an old friend come around the corner when you thought you’d never see them again,’’ said clan leader Ray Wilson in an interview with the Juneau Empire. During part o... Full story
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s northern fur seal population for three decades has been classified as depleted, but the marine mammals are showing up in growing numbers at an unlikely location: a tiny island that forms the tip of an active undersea volcano. Vents on Bogoslof Island continue to spew mud, steam and sulfurous gases two years after an eruption sent ash clouds into the path of jetliners passing over the Bering Sea. Still, northern fur seal moms find the remote island’s rocky beaches perfect for giving birth and mothering pups.... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The number of moon jellyfish floating in Alaska waters has increased and residents should be prepared, scientists said. Warm ocean temperatures and plentiful food in the form of zooplankton have contributed to the increased sightings, the Juneau Empire reported Friday. The moon jellyfish, also known as Aurelia aurita, released sperm and eggs freely into the water during spring spawning season, said Sherry Tamone, a professor of marine biology at the University of Alaska Southeast. The jellyfish fertilized independent of t...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska had its highest violent crime rate in five years in 2018, with rises in rapes and aggravated assault helping drive the increase. But the state’s overall crime rate dropped, with property crimes down. The Alaska Department of Public Safety’s annual report on crime is based on information supplied by law enforcement agencies representing 99.5% of the state’s population. It was made public Monday, as was the FBI’s national report on crime that uses the same information, the Anchorage Daily News reported . The Alask...
This year, during the fishery's 2nd largest harvest on record, Bristol Bay commercial fishermen hit another historic number: the 2 billionth sockeye salmon caught by commercial fishermen since record-keeping began in the late 1800s. "It wasn't supposed to happen this fast, but the last couple of seasons had huge returns," said Nushagak/Togiak Area Management biologist Timothy Sands. 2019 was the fifth consecutive year that more than 50 million sockeye salmon returned to Bristol Bay. In 2018,...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Nearly every Alaska resident will be $1,606 richer next week when they get their share of the state’s oil wealth. The Alaska Department of Revenue announced the amount of this year’s check in a release Friday. It said nearly 631,000 Alaskans will receive the check, starting with disbursements Thursday. The total amount of the payout is just over $1 billion. The announcement used to come with great fanfare, with the governor and revenue commissioner announcing the amount of the check — written on a giant fake check ...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed an administrative order he says is needed to protect free speech rights of state employees and whether they want to associate with unions. The order calls for new procedures to allow employees to opt in or out of paying dues and fees. The administration argues these steps are needed to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision. This follows a lawsuit initiated by the state that seeks a court order allowing it to stop deducting dues or fees from an employee’s check when the employee no lon...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A major oil company will drill seven new exploratory wells in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. ConocoPhillips is planning the work for this winter, the Alaska Journal of Commerce reported . The wells will be focused on the prospective Harpoon area southwest of the company’s existing projects in the reserve, ConocoPhillips Alaska Vice President Scott Jepsen said during a presentation last week to the Alaska Support Industry Alliance. The wells will better delineate the large Willow prospect. “We want to get more... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge in Alaska has halted a timber sale planned within the country’s largest national forest while the merits of the case are argued. In a written order, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason said conservation groups had raised questions about the adequacy of a review underlying the planned sale on Prince of Wales Island. Gleason barred the U.S. Forest Service from activities implementing the sale, including opening any bids or awarding any contracts, until further order from the court. She acknowledged age... Full story
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A coastal Alaska fishing town will soon be cut off from vehicles with the closure of its ferry service because of state budget cuts, officials said. The Alaska Marine Highway System will temporarily end service to Cordova following funding cuts by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Alaska’s Energy Desk reported Monday. The budget cuts approved by the state Legislature are expected to end winter trips to Cordova by the ferry service beginning Friday. There are no roads to the community about 150 miles (237 kilometers) sou...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An industry trade group predicts the number of Alaska cruise ship passengers will break records in 2020 for the fifth consecutive year. CoastAlaska reports the outlook comes from Cruise Lines International Association Alaska. The projections were announced Wednesday at the annual meeting of Southeast Conference, taking place in Sitka. According to the association’s data, at least 1.44 million cruise ship passengers are expected in Alaska next year. That’s a 6 % increase. Cruise ship traffic increased by about 200,0...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Most boats from a southeast Alaska tour company that were inspected this week in Juneau and Sitka have been taken out of service for corrective action. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended seven of 10 boats operated by Allen Marine Tours, Alaska’s Energy Desk reported. The company provides scenic and wildlife-viewing tours in and around Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. The company’s fleet of more than 50 vessels includes 37 stationed in Juneau or Sitka during the time of the inspections on Wednesday, spokesman Zakary Kirkp...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska city officials have organized the rollout of a single-use plastic bag ban in an effort to reduce litter and waste, officials said. The ban is scheduled to take effect Sunday in Anchorage, The Anchorage Daily News reported . The Anchorage Assembly approved the ordinance in August 2018 banning commercial businesses including restaurants from legally handing out disposable plastic bags, officials said. The hope is that people will change their habits and carry reusable bags, said Ira Slomski-Pritz, a special a... Full story
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The University of Alaska Board of Regents has voted to consider both single- and multiple-university accreditation models, a report said. New language was added during a board meeting in Anchorage on Friday enabling two options for accrediting the state’s universities, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Saturday. University President Jim Johnsen has proposed a plan that would consolidate the three separately accredited universities in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau into a single-accredited institution. The consoli...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Despite a large transfer of funds to the state treasury, the Alaska Permanent Fund has grown by $1.4 billion, a report said. The fund earned enough from investments to grow by 2% in the fiscal year that ended June 30, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday. The Permanent Fund Corporation's board of trustees said during a meeting that the fund stood at $66.3 billion, up from $64.9 billion on the same date in 2018. The fund earned 6.32% on its investments and...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A new Alaska group hopes to overhaul the state’s oil and gas tax credit system through a ballot initiative called the Fair Share Act. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Tuesday that the group hopes to enact the proposal into law in 2020. The group includes former Democratic state Sen. Joe Paskvan, who previously served as Senate Resources Committee chair. Group steering committee member Robin Brena says the initiative would only apply to three of the state’s large oil fields. Brena says Prudhoe Bay, Alpine and K...
Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - A Petersburg man received 21 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release for a methamphetamine case. Assistant US Attorney Jack Schmidt said Randal Long, 55, pled guilty to drug charges at a hearing in Anchorage Friday. Long was arrested in 2017 by Petersburg Police after they found 126 grams of methamphetamines inside a trailer he was renovating. Authorities also seized $5,000 in suspected drug cash and various items of drug paraphernalia. The...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) - An Alaska ferry system has released a new schedule that stops service to and from Kodiak Island in the winter, officials said. The Alaska Marine Highway System announced the schedule Thursday, but it does not list ferry operations between Jan. 11 to April 24, The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Thursday. Each year, transportation stops for a period of time for vessel examination and mechanical maintenance. But this year the ferries are in overhaul simultaneously because of a...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A race judge at an Alaska high school swim meet disqualified a state champion swimmer after concluding that that her team-issued swimsuit did not meet modesty requirements. The decision outraged a competing coach and the Anchorage School District announced it will review the decision that disqualified the 17-year-old Dimond High School swimmer from a heat victory at a meet Friday, Anchorage television station KTUU reported . “If we find that this was an error in judgment by an official, we are going to definitely ens...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Supporters of an effort to recall Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy submitted signatures to a state elections office Thursday, an early step in their push. The Recall Dunleavy group said it collected 49,006 signatures since launching Aug. 1, more than the 28,501 needed as part of the initial phase of the recall effort. The group has said it gathered additional signatures, in part, to compensate for any that might be disqualified. Supporters gathered in Anchorage in the parking lot...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Sarah Palin’s husband, commonly referred to as “Alaska’s first dude” when she was governor, appears to be seeking a divorce from his wife of 31 years. Paperwork believed to be from Todd Palin cited “incompatibility of temperament” in seeking to end his marriage to the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. The filing Friday in Anchorage Superior Court only identified the couple by initials. The initials, birthdates and wedding date match the Palins, as does the initials given for their only young child. The do...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A small Alaska apparel company is clashing with Starbucks over a trademark term the Seattle-based coffee giant says is too closely linked to its own branding. Starbucks wants the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reject an application by Wasilla-based Mountains & Mermaids, the Anchorage Daily News reported . The Alaska company late last year applied to trademark the term “Siren’s Brew” for its products. It has branded its apparel with the image of a siren or mermaid holding a cup of coffee, and recently began using t...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska hunter is recovering from a mauling by a grizzly. Alaska State Troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain says the injured hunter was with a partner Friday in the Eureka area when they surprised a sow with two cubs. Eureka is about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of Anchorage. The sow attacked and seriously injured one hunter. The second hunter shot and killed the bear. The hunters made it on their own to a cabin. A Lifemed Alaska helicopter flew to the cabin and transported the injured man to an Anchorage h...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers and a Native corporation have joined the dispute over a Canadian company’s potential investment in a large copper and gold mining project. The Anchorage Daily News reported Monday that Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy wrote a July letter supporting investment in the Pebble Mine by Wheaton Precious Metals. Dunleavy’s letter came after groups opposed to Pebble wrote to Wheaton President Randy Smallwood discouraging its involvement. A group of 20 state lawmakers sent a letter Monday telling Smallwood that...
