Alaska News Nightly: June 9, 2010

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APD Officer Shot, Will Recover
Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
An Anchorage police officer was shot early this morning while making a traffic stop on the city’s east side.   It’s the second attempted killing of an APD officer this year. 

Kotzebue Library to Close Doors
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
The Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly in Kotzebue voted yesterday to discontinue $125,000 in funds for the public library that will force it to close. This leaves the region with no access to a public library. The library is a consortium with the University of Alaska Chukchi campus.

Lieutenant Governor Candidates Debate Hot Topics
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
Four candidates running to be Alaska’s next Lieutenant Governor squared off in a Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce sponsored forum Tuesday.  The candidates: Republicans Jay Ramras, Mead Treadwell, and Eddie Burke, and Democrat Diane Benson took questions on a range of topics, including two initiatives that will be on the August 24 primary ballot.

Break in Weather Assists Fire Crews
Tim Ellis, KUAC – Fairbanks
Nearly 600 firefighters are hustling to take advantage of a break in the weather to get control of a complex of wildfires in the Delta Junction area.

Lower Yukon Village to Decide Alcohol Future
Shane Iverson, KYUK – Bethel
A village on the Lower Yukon will go the polls this summer to decide its alcohol future.

Chickaloon Tribe Plans Protest Against Coal Exploration
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
The Chickaloon Tribe plans a demonstration Thursday against coal exploration in the tribe’s traditional use area.

Angela Wade is the environmental program director for the Chickaloon Tribe. She says Usibelli Coal is in the initial stages of building an access road to coal deposits in the vicinity.

Petersburg Smoking Ban Ordinance Put on Ballot
Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
Petersburg voters will decide this fall whether to ban smoking in most workplaces and public spaces. In a five-to-two vote Monday, the city council gave its final approval for a city-wide smoking ordinance to go on the ballot.

Anchorage Author Investigates “The Fate of Nature”
Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage
Its a story Alaskans know well. Natives lived here for centuries, respecting the environment. Then the Russians showed up with a very different philosophy and quickly wiped out Alaska’s resources. For Anchorage author Charles Wohlforth, the familiar tale highlights the conflicted relationship humans have with the planet. He takes a look at that relationship in his new book, “The Fate of Nature- Rediscovering Our Ability to Rescue the Earth.”

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