LISTEN: Norwegian concept of frifluftsliv offers insight to coping with pandemic
Skiing on the Gasline Trail in Chugach State Park. (Paul Twardock)
There's a Norwegian term for deliberately embracing...
Consumer prices expected to rise as barge rates increase
Alaska Marine Lines, a subsidiary of global shipping giant Lynden, posted a notice to customers Tuesday saying prices would rise 5% on all its routes including Southeast Alaska, the Aleutian Islands and Prince William Sound.
Alaska News Nightly: Friday, November 20, 2020
Public records suggest an Alaska agency has been collaborating with the Pebble Mine on its permit application. And, hard-hit Anchorage restaurants prepare for more restrictions as case counts soar. Plus, Anchorage health officials say contact tracing has become too difficult.
Alaska’s geography poses unique challenge in getting COVID-19 vaccine, treatments to rural areas
Vaccines and a new antibody treatment hold promise in fighting COVID-19. But health-care providers face unique challenges in distributing those medicines across Alaska, with its hundreds of communities that lack road access and hospitals.
University eyes future gravel mine in Matanuska Greenbelt, drawing ire from trail users
Officials at the cash-strapped university say they need to know how much the land is worth, and whether excavating gravel could provide a stream of revenue.
Anchorage health officials plead for residents’ help in contact tracing
A 31% increase in cases in Anchorage over the last week combined with the noncooperation of some residents has significantly reduced the percentage of people contact tracers are able to reach.
Tlingit artist from Juneau designs stamp for US Postal Service
The artwork of a Tlingit artist from Juneau will be featured on a new postage stamp set for distribution next year.
Alaska agency says it’s neutral on Pebble Mine. Internal documents tell a different story.
Text messages and meeting notes suggest DNR is working to help the mine get a federal permit
Anchorage mayor says no new COVID-19 mandates this week
Despite rumors of an upcoming hospitality shutdown, Anchorage Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson said there will be no new mandates related to the coronavirus this week, but left the door open for new orders if virus cases continue to rise.
Why a majority Republican caucus isn’t certain in Alaska legislature, despite conservative wins
Newly elected Republicans have been talking about how they will organize as election results are finalized, but their narrow majorities in both houses and some stark policy disagreements mean a caucus is far from certain.
Norwegian Cruise Lines unveils initial design concepts for downtown Juneau property
Last year, Norwegian Cruise Lines outbid competitors when it agreed to pay the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority $20 million for a 3-acre parcel of waterfront land in downtown Juneau. Now, Norwegian is moving forward with its development plans for the lot.
After a summer of pandemic disruptions and poor salmon runs, Alaska fishermen await more federal relief money
Government relief money has helped fishermen, and the state is finalizing a plan for how to spend another $50 million in federal dollars for the industry.
Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer seeks initiative audit to calm election questions
Meyer said the only reason he’s seeking an audit is because “so many people think our Dominion machines are faulty, corrupt and easily manipulated, and I think a lot of this is misinformation that’s coming from the national level.”
Mat-Su schools to close for Thanksgiving week
The closure comes as the district struggles to keep up with increased contact tracing and staff shortages because of COVD-19.
NTSB: No obvious cause of fatal 2019 air ambulance crash
The recovery of the Guardian Flight’s voice recorder failed to capture the flight’s final moments that might have explained what caused the fatal crash about 22 miles west of Kake.
Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, November 19, 2020
What will it take to get a coronavirus vaccine to Alaska's rural and remote communities? And, a shipwrecked fisherman gets an unexpected rescue. Plus, college students join a Sitka program to take in-person classes.
Shipwrecked in storm, retired fisherman gets unexpected rescue in Southeast Alaska
70-year-old Kurt Broderson was floating in a survival suit in waves the size of houses when Coast Guard rescuers arrived to save him. He says the event changed his life.
Soldotna elder care facility gets hit with COVID-19
Nearly a third of residents at Heritage Place have tested positive for COVID-19, but the facility operator says that so far, no residents have been hospitalized.
‘Worked better than I expected’: Tok’s electric bus passes first cold-weather test.
The state's only electric powered school bus has in use since mid-October, and it was put to the test earlier this month, when it transported students without any problem after the temperature had dropped to 35 below.
ConocoPhillips Alaska plans to restart drilling on the North Slope this year
Tor the first time since its fields were brought online, Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk River and Alpine have no rigs running in them. But, the plan is to have rigs working on two of those fields by the end of 2021.