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Walker spells disaster if Legislature stalls on budget
Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau and Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
Governor Bill Walker’s administration has spelled out what it would mean if the Legislature doesn’t take action on his plan to fund state government. With no more money, in two years the state would slash services, jobs, and the support it gives to local schools and communities.
Walker draws criticism for oil tax credit vetoes
Rashah McChesney, KTOO – Juneau
Two former commissioners and several lawmakers are criticizing Gov. Bill Walker’s decision to veto more than $430 million from the state’s budget. The money would have gone to pay tax credits to oil companies.
Broken ice machine spells trouble for two fishing villages
Anna Rose MacArthur, KYUK – Bethel
A broken ice machine has stalled commercial fishing for two villages on the Lower Yukon River. The owner won’t fix the machine. The person who usually fixes the machine won’t. Fishermen have to travel 90 miles and back to get ice, and they’re calling for help. Meanwhile, the fish, and the opportunity for income, are swimming by.
Department of Agriculture grants thousands in funding to AK telemedicine programs
Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
Three telemedicine programs in Alaska are receiving $900 thousand in new funding from the US Department of Agriculture. Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the awards Thursday morning.
Chilkoot Tribe celebrates lands into trust ‘victory’
Emily Files, KHNS – Haines
A Haines tribe is calling a recent decision by a U.S. Court of Appeals a ‘historic victory.’ The Chilkoot Indian Association was among five plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging what is known as the ‘Alaska exception’ – which prohibited Alaska tribes from placing their lands into federal trust. After years of litigation, including an appeal from the state, the federal court sided with the tribes. Alaska tribes can now petition for sovereignty over their lands.
Firefighters slow Tok Cutoff fire by dropping retardant
Ellen Lockyer, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage
The spread of a wildfire near the Tok Cutoff has been slowed. Firefighters are dropping retardant on the Cutoff Fire, which has spread to about 40 acres and is burning a a little too close to the highway, according to fire information officer Tim Mowry.
Autopsies indicates Juneau adult siblings drowned
Associated Press
Juneau police say two adult siblings whose bodies were found this week both died of accidental drowning.
Puppy’s death sparks outrage, brings community together
Associated Press
The shooting death of a puppy in the Fairbanks area has ignited community outcry as residents who have had similar experiences with their animals question how the authorities respond to such incidents
In rough fiscal times, state museum exhibit highlights history of oil industry
Elizabeth Jenkins, KTOO – Juneau
The State Archives and Library Museum or SLAM opened recently in Juneau with a new display that includes a piece of the Trans Alaska Pipeline as part of an exhibit on the oil industry. But the drama of the state’s current fiscal crisis puts that history in a new light.
