Alaska News Nightly: June 16, 2009

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Palin Picks Daniel Sullivan as Attorney General
Ben Stanton, KDLL – Kenai
Governor Sarah Palin has named a new State Attorney General: Daniel Sullivan. Palin was at a Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Luncheon for the announcement today.

AG Nominee Worked for Bush Administration
Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
In selecting Attorney General Designee Daniel Sullivan, Governor Palin picked someone who has not made headlines in the state.  Sullivan lived and worked in Anchorage before joining the Bush administration after the 9-11 attack.  However, the son-in-law of former Fairbanks legislator Hugh “Bud” Fate, Sullivan is still registered as a voter here in House District thirty one.

Documents Sought from US Forest Service
Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
A federal judge is requiring the US Forest Service swear by affidavit that it has released all of the documents related to the disciplinary action it took against a whistleblower employee on the Tongass. Marketa Ith asked for the documents about her late husband, Glen, under the Freedom of Information Act.

Company Mistakenly Drills on Federal Land
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
A company exploring for minerals on state land off the Denali Highway mistakenly drilled on federal land.  A drill crew working for Toronto based Pure Nickle strayed south across the highway onto Bureau of Land Management property June 10th.

Sleep Center Opens in Ketchikan
Deanna Garrison, KRBD – Ketchikan
Southern southeast residents relying on sleeping pills at night and coffee to make it through their days have a new tool at their disposal. Ketchikan general hospital is opening a new sleep center that will specialize in diagnosing sleep-related disorders.

Valley Girl Wins Top Spot in Homer Halibut Derby
Marcia Lynn, KBBI – Homer
Palmer residents Charles and Courtney Humphrey, along with their three kids, came to Homer on Sunday to try halibut fishing for the first time. Call it beginner’s luck perhaps, but six-year-old Tegan Humphrey ended in the top spot as Lady Angler in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby.  She caught a 138-pound halibut – with a little bit of help.

Kodiak Hopeful Shrimp Will Return
Erik Wander, KMXT – Kodiak
Once upon a time, there was a thriving shrimp fishery in Kodiak, but after a long decline, it disappeared altogether in the mid-1980s. And while the potential for the re-emergence of the fishery someday exists, predicting it is challenging.

Orphaned Bears Settled into New Home
Robert Woolsey, KCAW – Sitka
A pair of orphaned brown bear cubs captured two years ago has settled into their new home at an exhibit in Sitka called “Fortress of the Bear.”  With a steady year-round diet, the cubs have grown large for their age.

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