Alaska News Nightly: June 15, 2010

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Senators Unveil Plans to Help Spill Victims
Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC
As President Obama lays out the ongoing federal response to the B-P oil spill blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska’s senators are unveiling their own plans to help victims.

Senator Lisa Murkowski wants to see an office established to deal with claims quickly and says attorneys should be capped at 5 percent of what victims are paid. 

Senator Mark Begich supports the President’s push to see an escrow account set-up.  Begich says he wants to make sure it’s not just voluntary, but has some teeth. 

Parnell to Sign Two Energy Bills
Dave Donaldson, APRN – Juneau
Governor Parnell will sign into law two bills on Wednesday that were written to set the state on a course of meeting its own energy needs.  Although, the state has a long way to go to reach its potential, the plans still give targets.

Man Survives Grizzly Attack
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
A man survived a grizzly attack in Anchorage early Tuesday morning.  Sean Berkey was riding a bike to work around 5:30 am when he was charged by a sow with a cub.  The attack occurred in the same area as did two grizzly attacks a year ago … the Rover’s Run trail of the popular Campbell Creek recreational area.

Berkey was on his way to the Alaska Native Medical Center, where he works.  After the attack, he continued on to the hospital, not far away from the attack site,  where his injuries were attended to.

Health Officials Look to Curb Gonorrhea Epidemic
Shane Iverson, KYUK – Bethel
Health officials across the nation are turning their attention to the YK Delta in hopes of curbing a silent epidemic.

Air, Soil and Water Contaminants to be Identified in Bering Strait Region
Laureli Kinneen, KNOM – Nome
Folks in the Bering Strait region will have a chance to find out what contaminants might be in the water, air or soil where they live. The class is a partnership between an organization based in Anchorage and the Northwest Campus in Nome.

NOAA Completing Tidal Current Survey Along Aleutians
Alexandra Gutierrez, KUCB – Unalaska
Tides and currents are controlled by the regular movement of the moon, but accurately predicting them isn’t always a straightforward task. Mariners rely on official tide tables and current maps to help them navigate tight passages and straights. In an effort to make these documents more accurate, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is completing a tidal current survey along the Aleutian chain – something that hasn’t been done in over half a century. 

Lower 48 Canines Need Blood for Transfusions
Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage
Just like humans, sick and injured dogs need blood transfusions. But the supply in the Lower 48 is limited. Now a small businessman from Texas is hoping to recruit Alaskan sled dogs to help fill some of the need.

Sitka Principal is Educational Leader
Ed Ronco, KCAW – Sitka
The new principal at Sitka High School didn’t always dream of being an education leader. But that’s how it worked out after a fateful turn of events at the end of her own high school career.

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