Alaska News Nightly: March 29, 2013

Individual news stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.

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Congressman Don Young Apologizes For Slur

Peter Granitz, APRN – Washington DC

Congressman Don Young has apologized for a derogatory term he used to describe Mexican migrant workers earlier this week in Ketchikan.

Alaska Senate Passes Operating Budget

Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau

On Thursday, the Alaska State Senate passed its operating budget, and it’s slightly smaller than the one proposed by Governor Sean Parnell. Parnell hopes to see more budgets like that in the future. He’s proposed a five-year commitment to keep state general fund spending at $6.8 billion. Combined with his oil tax plan, the proposal could mean a combination of belt-tightening measures and big withdrawals from Alaska’s savings accounts.

Fairbanks Assembly Axes CHIPS Ordinance

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

The Fairbanks North Star Borough assembly shot down an ordinance Thursday night that would have paid people $30 a day not to burn wood when air quality is poor.

European Company Bids On Mat-Su Ferry

Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

Authorities at the Matanuska Susitna Borough today opened a single bid for the ice breaking ferry, Susitna. Borough spokesperson Patty Sullivan says the bid came from Europe.

Adak Builds Case For Ferry Service

Stephanie Joyce, KUCB – Unalaska

The Aleutian community of Adak wants ferry service. In a resolution passed last month, the city council asked the state marine highway system to consider sending a ferry out to the community at least once a year.

McDonald’s Drops Fish McBites From Menu

Lauren Rosenthal, KUCB – Unalaska

McDonald’s bet on their new Fish McBites to help lift the company out of financial doldrums this winter. The gamble didn’t pay off: The new product didn’t sell very well, and it’s going to be pulled from the menu at the end of the month.

But as KUCB’s Lauren Rosenthal reports, the McBites experiment wasn’t a total flop — at least, not for Alaskan fishermen.

State Legislators Make Stand Against Genetically Engineered Salmon

Mike Mason, KDLG – Dillingham

The idea of allowing a genetically engineered salmon to be sold for human consumption has galvanized the Alaska Legislature to oppose the idea.

AK: Competitive Fishing

Ariel Van Cleave, KBBI – Homer

Each year, hundreds of fishermen brave the cold weather and sometimes choppy seas to compete in the Winter King Salmon Tournament in Homer. Pete Wedin has tried his hand at catching the heaviest fish for the last 16 years. And he was out on the water again last week in search of that sweet spot. KBBI’s Ariel Van Cleave hopped on the Early Dawn with Wedin and three other anglers and brought back this story.

300 Villages: Brevig Mission

This week we’re heading to the community of Brevig Mission, on the Bering Sea Coast north of Nome, Mike Olanna lives in Brevig Mission.

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