Nathaniel Herz, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage
As Arctic warming accelerates, permafrost thaw hits Red Dog mine with $20 million bill
The problems at Red Dog, one of the world’s largest zinc mines, show how climate change poses a challenge not just to residents of Arctic Alaska, but also to the economy of the region, which is warming at triple the rate of the global average.
U.S. investigates ‘unprofessional interactions’ after Russian military confronts Bering Sea fishermen
Vessels reported being buzzed by Russian aircraft and ordered out of the area on a specific heading. The incident has now drawn the attention of both of Alaska’s U.S. senators and an investigation by three federal agencies into what they’re calling “unprofessional behavior” by the Russian military.
‘Move out of the way’: Bering Sea fishing boats report close encounter with Russian military
Bering Sea pollock fishermen had a close encounter Wednesday with Russian military vessels conducting pre-planned exercises, according to industry officials and a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman. It happened in waters where fishing is reserved for American boats, but international vessels are not barred.
COVID-19 cases grow at North Slope oil fields, Anchorage Pioneer Home, as state confirms 86 positives
State and oil company officials have confirmed 13 cases of COVID-19 between two different North Slope oil fields, as Alaska reported 86 new cases of the virus Thursday.
Trump administration appeals ruling that blocked Izembek road
This is the second time the Trump administration’s land exchange has been challenged in federal court. An earlier version was also thrown out by a different federal judge last year.
Seafood companies kept COVID-19 from infecting Alaskans. Now they’re trying to keep the virus out of their plants.
At the start of the pandemic, fishing towns feared that seasonal workers could import the virus and infect locals. Now, as infection rates rise among residents, the dynamic has reversed: Seafood processing companies are trying to keep locals from infecting workers in their plants.
Outbreak at Seward salmon processing plant grows to 96, state says
The plant has about 260 workers, who are a mix of residents and nonresidents, according to Scott Meszaros, Seward's city manager. He said 90 employees have been tested so far, and that more positives are expected as the remainder of the workers are tested.
Alaska fishing communities feared COVID-19 contagion from industry. It hasn’t shown up.
As the Bristol Bay salmon season winds down, seafood company executives and public health authorities point to a remarkable fact: The industry has succeeded in keeping its seasonal workers and fishermen from infecting Alaska residents.
At White House event, Alaska Gov. Dunleavy lauds Trump deregulation as restoring “American dream”
Dunleavy used his two minutes at the podium to praise Trump for expanding elderly Americans’ access to telehealth through the Medicare program. And he touted the president’s efforts to scale back review of resource development projects.
Some object after Alaska Bar Association hires Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein’s attorney, to speak at convention
Alan Dershowitz defended O.J. Simpson, Mike Tyson and Jeffrey Epstein, and along the way he earned a reputation as an attorney who stood up for the rights of men accused of rape. Now he’s set to be the keynote speaker at the annual convention of the Alaska Bar Association.
California entrepreneurs launched a business to fly over L.A. traffic. Now, they will operate Ravn’s routes.
Float Shuttle was the brainchild of a pair of California entrepreneurs, Tom Hsieh and Arnel Guiang, and it is a wholly different enterprise than the Alaska airlines that face rugged terrain and foul-weather flying. It outbid a team of Alaskans that included Lynden chairman Jim Jansen.
RavnAir cancels auction for remaining planes, calling rural hub service into question
Four bidders participated in the auction: Anchorage-based Ryan Air; a Southern California-based company called Float Shuttle; Connecticut investment firm Wexford Capital; and a group of Alaskans represented by bankruptcy attorney Cabot Christianson.
Ravn sells off dozens of small planes to Alaska companies
The bankrupt RavnAir group sold off dozens of its small planes to three Alaska aviation companies in a Tuesday auction, but Ravn's largest planes and most valuable airline operating certificates won't be sold until Wednesday.
As law enforcement agencies diversify, Alaska State Troopers remain nearly 90% white
About 87% of troopers are white, compared to 65% of Alaska’s population. Alaska Natives and American Indians have the next-largest representation among troopers, at 5%, compared to some 20% of the population overall.
State reports 25 new COVID-19 cases Monday, including 1 in Nome-area village
Of the new resident cases, seven are from Anchorage, eight are from the Kenai Peninsula borough, three are from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, two are from the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and one is from the Nome region.
Federal fisheries agency to staff: Keep “COVID-19” and “pandemic” out of documents
A federal fisheries management agency has barred some of its employees from making formal references to the COVID-19 pandemic without preapproval from leadership, according to an internal agency document.
Trump wants to bail out Maine lobster fishermen. Alaska’s seafood industry calls it a “gut punch.”
President Trump this week announced an effort to alleviate the damage on the fishing industry caused by his trade war with China.
But Alaska fishing groups say they’re deeply displeased, because the relief is targeted solely at the lobster industry, which is centered in Maine.
3 new COVID-19 cases at Southeast Alaska seafood plant among 10 statewide Monday
The three cases are at a salmon processing plant in Excursion Inlet, a remote spot about 40 miles west of Juneau. The plant is owned by OBI Seafoods, the new company formed by a recent merger of Icicle Seafoods and Ocean Beauty Seafoods.
Helicopter removes ‘Into the Wild’ bus that lured Alaska travelers to their deaths
An Army National Guard Chinook helicopter carries a dilapidated Fairbanks bus away from its former resting place near the Teklanika River, close to Denali National Park. (Alaska National Guard)
Anchorage police, fire departments remain disproportionately white, despite diversity efforts
In Anchorage, leaders of the police and firefighters say they’ve tried to boost the ranks of minority employees. But both departments remain disproportionately white, according to data released by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s administration Wednesday.