Alaska News Nightly: February 26, 2010

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Game Board Assessing Roaming Wolves
Dan Bross – KUAC, Fairbanks
The State Game Board is taking up the contentious issue of Denali wolves that roam outside park boundaries and are vulnerable to hunting and trapping.   The board convened a 10 day meeting in Fairbanks Friday on a range of interior issues, including the Denali wolf buffer. The board is considering proposals to increase, shrink or eliminate the protective buffer.

Young Wants More from Interior on Bristol Bay
Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC
Alaska Congressman Don Young, has signed on to a letter with other House Republicans demanding more information about a leaked Interior Department report.  The draft internal report came to light last week.  It lists places in the nation potentially worthy of federal protection, and includes two Alaska locations: Bristol Bay and Teshekpuk Lake in the western Arctic.

Senate Crafting Bill to Redo State’s Natural Gas Tax
Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
The Senate Finance Committee is drafting legislation that would re-write the structure of the state’s tax on natural gas.

Childcare Hard to Find in Juneau
Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau
When Juneau’s Valley Youth Club closed late last month, it left more than 60 families looking for new after school options for their kids. It also exposed what many Juneau parents have long known: Childcare is hard to come by in the Capital City.

Coming to SE Alaska: Not On Murkowski’s Calendar
Ed Ronco, KCAW – Sitka
A spokesman for Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) says there’s not much chance the senator will make it to Southeast Alaska in the near future to hear public testimony on a controversial land selection bill. And the chance of an official field hearing in the next few weeks is equally as slim.

Athabascan Leaders Passes Away
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
Athabascan linguist and tradition bearer Katherine Peter has died at age 92 at her Fairbanks home. Peter was an expert in Athabascan language and culture and the author of a number of books and translations  She began working with the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks when it started in 1972 and went on to teach the Gwich’in language at the university.

West and Shismareft Swap Students
Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
What’s it like to attend a high school that’s three times larger than you’re entire village? That’s what a group of Shishmaref students found out this week, while some West High students began to learn about the village they’ll visit in April.

Curling: The Olympic Sport Few Appreciated
Michelle Theriault, APRN – Anchorage
As the Olympic Games draw to a close, athletes will be taking to the ice this weekend to compete for medals in curling, a sport that some find baffling. But curlers here in Anchorage say the sport is a lifestyle — and a good excuse to enjoy a cold beer.

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