Alaska News Nightly: May 21, 2014

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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Investigators Find No Cover-up at Alaska National Guard

Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington DC

An Army Inspector General found leaders of the Alaska National Guard did not cover up any reports of sexual assault and harassment.  At least, that’s how the Inspector General’s office for the Defense Department explained it in a letter Wednesday to Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Funny River Fire Takes 20,000 Acres, More Firefighters On The Way

Shaylon Cochran, KDLL – Kenai

The fire that’s been burning on the Kenai Peninsula since Monday has now burned more than 20,000 acres. The fire is still contained on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. More than 200 firefighters and several aircraft are using water from nearby Tustumena Lake to control the blaze.

Tyonek Fire Grows To 1,500 Acres

Josh Edge, APRN – Anchorage

A fire near the village of Tyonek has grown to approximately 1,500 acres.

Anchorage Scientist Studies Ancient Cancer For Clues To Modern Disease

Annie Feidt, APRN – Anchorage

Cancer is often described as a modern disease. But the skeletal remains of our ancient ancestors are marked by the ravages of cancer. And an Anchorage scientist- who’s a cancer survivor, thinks those prehistoric bones could hold clues to understanding how the disease works today. It’s an emerging field though, that has some critics.

Kuskokwim Working Group Grapples With Fishwheels, Threatened Weirs, And Confusion

Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel

On the day that the summer’s king salmon restrictions began, the Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group met to hash out the details of this summer fishing plans.  Managing a precarious king salmon run along 700 miles of river will be anything but simple.

Cannabis Entrepreneurs Preparing For Potential Legalization

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

Alaska’s marijuana ballot initiative has some Fairbanks entrepreneurs organizing in hopes of being able to grow and sell the drug. Proposition 2 would have the state regulate marijuana like alcohol.

Assembly Passes Special Zoning For Eklutna Village

Anne Hillman, KSKA – Anchorage

The village of Eklutna is now protected as a special area within the city of Anchorage. The Anchorage Assembly unanimously voted on Tuesday to create a district to protect the 800 acres that are considered to be the oldest continually inhabited Athabascan site in the region.

British Kayakers Take On Aleutian Chain

Lauren Rosenthal, KUCB – Unalaska

For the past three years, a British woman has been trying to travel around the globe using only her own strength. Sarah Outen has biked through China and rowed the Pacific Ocean.

Now, she’s in the Aleutian Islands, tackling some of the world’s wildest seas in a kayak — and learning plenty along the way.

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