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Cause Of Downtown Juneau Fire Remains Unknown
Casey Kelly, KTOO – Juneau
Fire officials are still working to determine the cause of last night’s fire at an apartment building in downtown Juneau.
The four-story Gastineau Apartments will be written off as a total loss. But fire crews were able to keep the blaze from spreading to other buildings along South Franklin Street.
Meanwhile, the City and Borough of Juneau and the American Red Cross have set up an emergency shelter at Centennial Hall for residents displaced by the fire.
Taskforce Addresses Sex Trafficking In Alaska
Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage
The lure of the big city can be irresistible for a young person leaving home. But danger awaits many teens and young adults who are led into a life of drugs and prostitution by sex traffickers on city streets. The State of Alaska Task Force on the Crimes of Human Trafficking held its initial public hearing in Anchorage on Monday to hear from experts on sex crimes in an effort to determine how widespread sex trafficking is in the state.
North Slope Drilling Lease Winners To Be Announced Tomorrow
Peter Granitz, APRN – Juneau
There will be two lease sales in Anchorage on Wednesday. The state will announce the winning bids for its annual North Slope drilling lease sale in conjunction with a federal lease sale for drilling rights in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
The sales come three months after the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the land it’ll open for drilling in the NPR-A. The state of Alaska, North Slope Borough and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation are lashing out against the federal plan.
Voter Turnout Varies Around State
Daysha Eaton, KSKA – Anchorage
Workers with the Alaska Division of Elections called around the state this afternoon to get a sense of how voter turnout was going. Gail Fenumiai is the Director of the division of elections. She says turnout is varying across the state.
Effort Could Close Down Togiak Fishery For 3 Years
Mike Mason, KDLG – Dillingham
An effort is underway to close down the Togiak sac-roe herring fishery for the next three years.
Candlelight Vigil To Mark National Homelessness Awareness Month
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
A local organization marks National Homelessness Awareness Month with a candlelight vigil Wednesday night in Fairbanks. The annual downtown walk is put on by Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption’s Street Outreach and Advocacy Program or “SOAP.” SOAP supervisor Randy Lewis says the event is aimed at raising awareness of homeless youth.
Anthropologist Says Salmon Are State’s Long-Term Investment
Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau
Salmon are Alaska’s long-term investment.
That view was voiced by cultural anthropologist and writer Richard Nelson during the final day of Sitka’s WhaleFest. The event includes a symposium addressing trends and developments in marine and coastal science.
In his speech, Nelson compared salmon to other natural resources.
HooDoo Brewing Company Opens In Fairbanks
Emily Schwing, KUAC – Fairbanks
After two years of planning and 12 years of dreaming, the HooDoo Brewing Company is officially open to the public in Fairbanks. Twenty people gathered just after the doors opened last week as the first kegs were tapped. HooDoo is Alaska’s 23rd micro-brewery.
