Pilot in fatal Yute plane crash began training with the airline the month before, NTSB report says
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the accident says that pilot Tony Matthews began training with the airline on Jan. 7, 2020, a month before the crash.
Several cruise ships cancel Kodiak visits as companies shuffle ships because of coronavirus in Asia
The spread of the coronavirus in Southeast Asia is causing a trickle-down effect in many areas of the world, including Kodiak. Several cruise ships scheduled to visit this summer will not be coming after all due in part to the outbreak.
Cruise ships dumped more than 3 million pounds of trash in Juneau last year
During the 2019 summer tourism season, cruise ship companies dumped more than 3 million pounds of trash at Juneau’s private landfill.
Citing ‘escalation of violence,’ Noorvik pleads with local, state officials for law enforcement
Residents of the Northwest Arctic village of Noorvik, where there is no village public safety officer, say their town is feeling increasingly unsafe. Describing a “dangerous escalation of violence,” villagers have drafted a letter to local, state and federal officials asking for permanent law enforcement.
Feds nab 82 illegal guns after months of investigating traffickers
Federal officials say an investigation into drug and weapons traffickers has led to charges against more than a dozen individuals in the Anchorage area.
Lawmakers, Alaska Permanent Fund trustees differ on how to protect reserve
Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. trustees and executives discuss the future of the fund’s earnings reserve account at a board meeting on...
21-year-old Unalaska snowmachiner dies in avalanche
Trey Henning was buried in the avalanche and later recovered from the site near the quarry on Overland Drive. In a statement, the Department of Public Safety said life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
Pebble is proposing to offset its impacts to wetlands through sewer repairs
Offsetting a project’s potential impacts to wetlands usually means restoring or protecting wetlands that serve the same purpose as those being altered or destroyed by development. But Pebble is proposing to do something different.
Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020
The University of Alaska Anchorage proposes widespread eliminations or suspensions of academic programs. Plus: Communities along the stalled marine highway struggle to pump their septic systems without pump trucks. And, how computer modeling of the weather is struggling with the "polar vortex."
With no ferries to haul waste, SE Alaska’s septic tank problem could get messy
Not all rural communities have normal sanitation systems like city sewer and water treatment plants, instead they rely on septic systems that need to get pumped periodically. And while the Alaska Marine Highway is shut down, pump trucks cannot get to some small towns that rely on them.
A second ‘blob’ marine heatwave disappeared but warming trend will continue, scientists say
The first blob decimated fisheries, caused a mass seabird die-off, and spurred toxic algal blooms up and down the coast. As Alaska braced for the second heat wave, it disappeared — at least for now.
Mold, water damage plague Wrangell’s city services building, with no solution in sight
In Wrangell, the local police department, fire department, courthouse, DMV and U.S. customs — are sheltered under one roof. And that roof is — literally — falling apart. The city is working to patch together a solution before it’s too late.
Alaska state rep wants to name new icebreaker ‘Polar Bear’
An Alaska state representative wants the federal government to name one of its new polar icebreakers the Polar Bear.
‘None of us wants to do this’: UAA leaders recommend eliminating degree programs to shrink budget gap
UAA is proposing to cut degree programs to save money and shrink budget gaps.
Alaska News Nightly: Monday, Feb. 24, 2020
BP's pending sale to Hilcorp could change the nature of philanthropy in the state. Plus: U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski discusses federal issues impacting Alaskans. And, another take on an almost century-old sled dog tale, from Nenana to Nome.
To protect local brick and mortar, Haines to consider remote seller tax
On Tuesday the assembly will vote to adopt the state’s Remote Sellers tax code and start collecting sales tax from almost all online sales. The aim is to level the playing field between online retailers and local brick and mortar stores
Dramatic ocean changes are coming ‘a couple decades too early,’ scientists say
Arctic ocean temperatures are rising at rates faster than previously thought by the scientific community. That’s the finding of a new study from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which shows warming waters having an effect on everything from sea ice growth to marine ecosystems.
Gas leak empties Juneau grocery store
Capital City Fire/Rescue evacuated Foodland IGA Monday morning in response to a possible carbon monoxide leak.
After last year’s loss, Anchorage alcohol tax boosters bring in Mark Begich’s firm for this year’s campaign
After losing at the polls last year, supporters of a 5 percent alcohol tax in Anchorage say a better public opinion campaign could make the difference when the measure goes before voters again in April. So they've hired Mark Begich's company to help.
Anxiety creeps into oil-dependent Alaska as banks step back from Arctic investment
An aggressive advocacy campaign against banks' involvement in Arctic oil means that Alaska companies are facing more obstacles to raise the cash they need. They've responded by tailoring their pitches to financial institutions, as Alaska lawmakers fight back.