Alaska News Nightly: September 18, 2008

Ted Stevens federal trial is set to begin on Monday with jury selection. Plus, Sean Parnell concedes the Republican primary to Don Young, avoiding a recount.   And the Anchorage Assembly votes to rethink Knik Arm bridge. Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly, broadcast statewide on APRN stations.

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Ted Stevens trial set to begin
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage & Libby Casey, APRN – Washington, DC
Lawyers in the case against Senator Ted Stevens had what is expected to be their last hearing this morning before the trial starts next week.  Jury selection will begin Monday in the federal case.  Stevens is charged with seven counts of lying on his financial disclosure statements about gifts he received.

Don Young wins Republican primary, as Sean Parnell concedes

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage & Libby Casey, APRN – Washington, DC
It’s official. Congressman Don Young has won the Republican primary for Alaska’s lone US House seat.  His opponent, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell conceded today.  The division of elections also certified the primary results today.

UA Regents begin budget examination
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Board of regents is getting its first look at the budget proposed for next year. UA spokeswoman Kate Ripley says regents, meeting in Anchorage, are reviewing the nearly billion-dollar spending plan.

Developing local renewable energy sources
Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage
Municipal leaders from across rural Alaska met in Girdwood this week for a conference on developing local, renewable energy resources. The meeting was sponsored by the Alaska Energy Authority and the University of Alaska. It was designed to give communities concrete answers on bringing down the increasingly unaffordable price of energy.

Fairbanks Northstar Borough looks to revamp bus system
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The Fairbanks North Star Borough is looking for input, and funding, to improve its public bus system.  Borough Transportation Manager David Leone says more people than ever are taking the bus

A ambiguous report card on Glacier Bay National Park

John Ryan, KTOO – Jueau
With its huge expanses of untouched habitat, and the full complement of animal species that were present before Europeans arrived, Glacier Bay National Park is one of the nation’s healthiest, ecologically speaking. But the park’s cultural resources aren’t doing as well as its natural resources.

Yukon Whitefish market back for third year

Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel
Whitefish is arguably the lightest, sweetest white meat fish in Alaska waters. Now there’s a commercial fishery targeting the fish on the Lower Yukon River. It’s the third year that there’s been a market for the small white-meat fish

Anchorage Assembly votes to rethink Knik Arm bridge

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
The Knik Arm Bridge project will undergo a new feasibility review as well as at least another round of public hearings.  Tuesday night the Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to reexamine the bridge’s priority status in the 2025 Long Range Transportation Plan.

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