Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015

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Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via emailpodcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn.

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In bid to restore Voting Rights Act, Murkowski strays from party lines

Liz Ruskin, APRN – Washington D.C.

The settlement of the Native vote lawsuit comes on the same day as news that Sen. Lisa Murkowski has co-sponsored a bill to revive the Voting Rights Act. Murkowski is the first Republican to join more than 30 Democratic co-sponsors on an issue that has divided the two parties.

State to provide language assistance to Yup’ik, Gwich’in voters

Lisa Phu, KTOO – Juneau

In a historic settlement, the state has agreed to provide increased language assistance for voters who speak Yup’ik and Gwich’in.

Emperor goose harvest: More than a memory for Kodiak subsistence hunter

Kayla Desroches, KMXT – Kodiak

Subsistence hunters want to eat the foods traditional to Kodiak Island, and that includes one bird that’s been off-limits since 1987 due to low numbers: the emperor goose.

Denali Commission ekes back into the spotlight

Lori Townsend, APRN – Anchorage

After being on life support for the past few funding cycles, The Denali Commission is full of muscle again with an expanded mission to help rural Alaska. The Commission, created by the late Senator Ted Stevens to fund village energy projects saw yearly funding up to 150 million dollars at its peak. Currently the Commission’s budget is around 10 million, but a mandate by the White House to help combat the effects of climate change on remote communities may help it garner more federal dollars. Joel Niemeyer is the federal co-chair of the commission.

Donation illuminates Alaska Native civil rights history

Elizabeth Jenkins, KTOO- Juneau

A recently donated collection of letters, essays, photographs and newspapers is shedding new light on the history of Alaska Native civil rights. One particularly controversial figure in the documents spent half a century advancing Alaska Native causes. He’s the namesake of Sealaska Heritage Institute’s new archives.

Delivery service speeds produce to table

Ellen Lockyer, KSKA – Anchorage

Many restaurants around Alaska are on board with the public’s demand for locally – grown foods. But getting produce from farm to table quickly can pose a challenge for busy restaurant kitchens.

After amputation, the mobility of a sea kayak beckons

Lisa Phu, KTOO – Juneau

A spinal cord injury or amputation doesn’t have to stop someone from being active on the water. A few Juneau instructors now have the know-how to modify kayaking equipment for people of all abilities after a training that wrapped up Sept, 8.

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