Tag Archives: AK News

Alaska News February 10, 2019

KTOO Public Media: Petersburg assembly waits on state budget, police job unfilled; Investors are backing Southeast’s largest oyster farms; Data suggests opioid-related overdose deaths in Alaska down and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Bethel City Audit Still Undecided and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Murkowski Language Preservation Bill Advances; Fuzzy Memories of Great Alaska Cold Snap and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks News Webcenter 11: 20th Annual Bard-a-thon kicks off and more ->
 
 
 
 
By Daybreak Staff: Head of the Class: Lorianne Mordini
 
 
 
 
By Dave Goldman: Local high school singers team up for music lesson, concert
 
 
 
 
By Hank Davis: Hundreds turn out at Jewel Lake for a community fishing event
 
 
 
 
Video by photojournalist Phil Walczak: Alaska Woodturners Assn. makes bowls for Bean’s Cafe’s Empty Bowl Project The Empty Bowl Project will take place on March 9 at the Dena’ina Center in Downtown Anchorage.

Alaska News February 09, 2019

By Associated Press: Man sentenced in Alaska mail theft case
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Federal prosecutors say a former supervisor with an Alaska commuter airline has been sentenced to six months in a halfway house for stealing mail, including computers that were destined for rural schools.

Breadoflife “Presley” Faiupu also was sentenced Friday to five years of probation in connection with thefts between March 2015 and April 2017.
 
 
 
 
By Daniella Rivera: Ex-Port of Alaska engineer to be on house arrest in attempted murder

After hearing from a state prosecutor who raised concerns about Todd’s parents serving as his third-party custodians while also posting the bail money, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Erin Marston agreed to the arrangement.

“The court doesn’t have a glass ball and can’t see what’s gonna happen in the future, but it does appear to me to — first of all I don’t think there’s a risk of flight here, that’s not a concern. The risk is whether the defendant may harm himself or others,” said Judge Marston. “This appears to be totally out of character and a result of mental illness at this point, but it sounds like he’s being treated for the mental illness and I do think that this bail proposal is sufficient to protect people.”

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESOURCES: If you are facing threatened or actual domestic violence, please discreetly call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or Abused Women’s Aid in Crisis in Anchorage at 1-907-272-0100.

SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES: If you are considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Stop Suicide Alaska at 1-877-266-HELP.
 
 
 
 
By Jill Burke: Former Mat-Su elementary school teacher faces 14 new charges of sex abuse
By Sean Maguire: New Administration Commissioner plans more stringent vetting of hires, efficiencies in government
 
 
 
 

By Chris Klint: King Kong toy mailed to Anchorage yields kilo of heroin in bust

A separate state reckless-driving case involving Sanders became a flashpoint in Palmer court last year, after he didn’t pass an urine analysis test but didn’t suffer any immediate consequences from the state Pretrial Enforcement Division.

Anchorage-based FBI spokeswoman Staci Feger-Pellessier said the Anchorage street price of heroin is about $1,500 per ounce, which works out to nearly $53 per gram – or about $53,400 for the seized shipment.

State officials say heroin can command high prices in Alaska, especially when supplies are limited. Those figures can reach $500 to $600 per gram in Alaska prisons, or $800 to $1,000 per gram in remote areas of the state.

A statewide inmate database showed Sanders in custody Friday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
 
 
 
 
By Beth Verge: Community lifts up Valley shooting victim’s mother with surprise in Anchorage
We were able to get you a new SUV,” Ferguson exclaimed. Swan was very obviously grateful, relieved, and surprised.

“This is amazing,” she said, after checking out her new vehicle. “I was really stressed about the car. I felt like I could manage some of the smaller, other things I needed to manage right now. The car just felt looming…

“And now that I’m starting to process things, I’m trying to figure out, how do I make my life really matter from here on out, you know?” she said.

For now, there is a little bit of relief, and one big task off a daunting list.

“To have someone, a bunch of other people come along, and to say, ‘Hey, we did this for you,’ that’s incredible,” Swan said. “I’m beyond grateful.”
 
 
 
 
By Scott Gross: Inside the Gates: Sullivan, Trump tout Alaska military spending
 
 
 
 
By Shannon Ballard: Palmer company creates unprecedented cleaning machine for Navy
 
 
 
 
By Dave Leval: Redington High tournament remembers late ‘team mom’
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Facebook removes fur hat posts by Alaska Native artist; With spring whaling around the corner, sinew thread makers are hard at work; Don’t count on oil to bail out Alaska’s budget soon, says unpublished state tax memo and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Calista Squabble Patched Up; The Kuskokwim Corporation Names Sam Boyle As Interim CEO and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Kuskokwim Tribes Fight Donlin Mine Permits; British Columbia Mega Mines in U.S.-Canada Transboundary Watersheds Are a Liability to West Coast Wild Salmon and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks News Webcenter 11: Celebrating Black History Month, FNSB School District and NAACP partner up; Fairbanks schools annual History Day competition comes to a close; Cushman Street was lined with community members, rallying for those with disabilities and more ->
 
 
 
 
Rasmuson Foundation: Help for Alaska artists seeking award

Alaska News February 08, 2019

By Heather Hintze: Remaining Grunwald murder suspects want trial moved to Fairbanks
 
 
 
 
By Daniella Rivera: Dunleavy AG to review some post-Schneider sexual assault pleas
 
 
 
 
By Heather Hintze: Sarah’s House offers Palmer women a second chance
 
 
 
 
By Joe Vigil: Alaska dive team ready to answer the call statewide
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Former Ketchikan teacher pleads guilty to sexual abuse of minor, gets six years; Harris Harbor resident found dead; How Alaska schools can help students dealing with trauma; Alaska GOP Gov. Dunleavy seeks to oust Democratic chair of oil and gas watchdog agency and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Sen. Hoffman Predicts A Long Legislative Session Since No House Speaker Elected; Finding A New Link In The Food Chain; Wind Change Pulls Curtain Back On A Future Bering Sea and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Don’t Get ‘Reeled In’ by Online Fishing Company; Seismic Exploration on Hold for Arctic Refuge; Polar Bears Breathe a Sigh of Relief and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks Webcenter 11: Fort Yukon man pleads not guilty to assaulting, kidnapping his girlfriend; Men accused of leading Troopers on a high speed chase plead not guilty; American Red Cross announces partnership with Bassett Army Community Hospital; Alaska leads nation in snow machine thefts; UAA education students will be allowed to graduate and more ->
 
 
 
 
By Kristen Durand: Alaska Aviation Museum archivists assessing more than 150 artifacts damaged in the earthquake
 
 
 
 
By Julia O’Malley: How Alaska eats: Matcha crème brûlée, Valentine’s jam burgers and a big ol’ chocolate cake
 
 
 
 
By Ariane Aramburo: Illusionist Landon Swank performs magic on the Morning Edition

Alaska News February 07, 2019

by Leroy Polk: UPDATE: Noodle World, not Yakitori Sushi, burns Thursday
 
 
 
 
By Sean Maguire: Dunleavy PFD plan means bigger dividends now, smaller dividends later
 
 
 
 
By Steve Quinn: State senators begin hearing Dunleavy crime bills
 
 
 
 
By Lauren Maxwell: PETA puts anti-Iditarod ads on People Mover buses
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Interior: No 3-D Seismic exploration in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter; State of the Union address gets warm reception from Alaska delegation; Education commissioner says it’s time to review school funding formula and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: What It Is At LKSD: Volleyball And Basketball and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Koniag Appoints Longtime Executive and Kodiak Island Native Anthony Drabek to Board of Directors and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks Webcenter 11: Military Report: Soldiers discuss how to thrive in arctic environment; Local power plant celebrates four years without lost time accidents; U-Haul Acquires Sears Building; FNSB School Board begins discussion on 2019-2020 budget and more ->

Alaska News February 06, 2019

By Angela Krenzien: Man charged with murder in fiery crash with taxi
“In total Mr. Ibarra’s driving history, as documented by the Alaska Public Safely Information Network, is rather abysmal and demonstrates a clear disregard for obeying any of the rules society places upon drivers,” prosecutors wrote.

Ibarra is being held at the Anchorage jail on $50,000 bail, the amount requested by the state. If he makes bail, he’ll be subject to Pretrial Enforcement Division monitoring and 24/7 house arrest.

Editor’s note: An inaccurate description of Jose Ibarra’s driving record has been corrected.
 
 
 
 
By Chris Klint: Sex offender arrested after picking up Anchorage child
Pettingill was arraigned Thursday, court records show, with his bail initially set at a total of $4,000. A statewide inmate database showed him still in custody Tuesday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
 
 
 
 
By Shannon Ballard: Palmer teen accused of killing friend has violent past
Flowers’ bail was set at $100,000 when he was previously arraigned on the manslaughter charge.

Although his defense attorney said Tuesday that the bail has been paid, he was not immediately released.

Prosecutors have requested a bail hearing, saying they are concerned, in part, with the teen’s juvenile record. In court Tuesday, they told a judge that in 2016 Flowers held a loaded gun to his mother’s head and threatened to pull the trigger.

The state wants to increase his bail and has requested at least $500,000 cash corporate and Pretrial Enforcement Division monitoring, with a search condition for firearms.
 
 
 
 
By Scott Gross: ‘A fundamental failure:’ Lawmakers grill UAA on accreditation
 
 
 
 
By Rebecca Palsha: A gelatinous colony of bacteria and yeast creates a growing business
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Credit rating agencies watch as Alaska pivots toward a new budget; Alaska Aerospace Corp. proposes launch facility on Hawaii’s Big Island and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Ravn Changes Baggage Policy To Only Allow One Free Checked Bag; The Kuskokwim Corporation CEO Retires; More Saline Water In Y-K Delta Is Bad News For Ducklings and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Sealaska Honors Tlingit Elder with Matching Gift for Native Studies Scholarship at UAS; Alaska Recognizes February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month; Fairbanks Rejects BLM’s Attempts to Stifle Public Participation in Arctic Refuge Hearings; our Year Sitka Herring Violation Case Ends in Plea Deal and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks Webcenter 11: Eielson Airman found dead in North Pole; Remembrance Ceremony honors 30th anniversary of Canadian plane crash; Fairbanks man pleads guilty to murder, trying to murder an accomplice; FNA Board of Directors appoints Anna Frank as Elder Advisor and more ->
 
 
 
 
Spotlight on youth: Karson Kolberg This week’s spotlight on youth features 13-year old competitive swimmer, Karson Kolberg of Palmer.
 
 
 
 
By Daybreak Staff: Head of the Class: Lorianne Mordini
 
 
 
 
By Marion Owen Lagniappe (LAN-yap) = A little bit extra: RAW vs JPEG: Why both formats are good
 
 
 
 
By Amy Carney: At Saxan Art Activity: Lovebird Cards
 
 
 
 
By Amy Carney: Sheldon Jackson Museum: February 2019 Artifact of the Month
 
 
 
 
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup (DBAC) is a service offered by DEC to assist communities conduct environmental site assessments and cleanups at eligible brownfield sites. Public, quasi-public, and non-profit entities, such as cities, boroughs, tribes, native corporations and community development organizations are eligible and encourage to apply. The applicant does not have to own the site to request an assessment, but access to the site must be assured. The applicant must own the site to request a cleanup. The applicant must have a reuse or redevelopment plan in place. Any brownfield site that is NOT a federally owned property is eligible for a DBAC. A brownfield site that is privately held may be considered if the project can be shown to offer significant public benefit.

We are less than one month from the DBAC application deadline. DBAC applications need to be submitted by 5 pm Friday March 1, 2019. More information on this service and the application can be found here: http://dec.alaska.gov/spar/csp/brownfields/assessment-cleanup.

Alaska News February 05, 2019

By Chris Klint: Woman found dead in Cordova Street homicide
Anyone with information or surveillance video from the area is asked to call APD at 911, or contact Anchorage Crime Stoppers anonymously at 907-561-STOP or through its website.
 
 
 
 
By Joe Vigil: Alaskans weigh self-defense options amid rising crime rates
“Somebody will get shot in the arm and they’ll give up. Win. There’s no need to continue filling this person with bullets. They’re done. It’s over. So are we,” he said. “So the goal is not to kill. The goal is to stop the threat. If death is a byproduct of that so be it.”
 
 
 
 
By Chris Klint: Board of Education OKs plan to address UAA accreditation issues
 
 
 
 
By Elizabeth Rothman: Murkowski reintroduces bill expanding funding to tribal language programs
 
 
 
 
By Lauren Maxwell: APU offers new degrees in health care
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Inspectors fault practices at Alaska Psychiatric Institute; Maw’s dividend fraud, theft trial delayed again as judge considers indictments; Southeast students explore careers to meet Alaska’s behavioral health needs; Interior Dept. kicks off new round of meetings on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Teenager Arrested For Allegedly Attempting To Hijack Yute Commuter Service Plane; Amazon Refunds Local Sales Taxes To Non-Profits and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Fairbanks Rejects BLM’s Attempts to Stifle Public Participation in Arctic Refuge Hearings; Kodiak Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Felon Firearm Possession while Drug Trafficking and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks News Webcenter 11: State House deadlock continues, 20-20 vote for Talerico as speaker; Guardian Flight resumes service after missing plane; Fairbanks City Council holds second set of workshops on equal rights law and more ->

Alaska News February 04, 2019

By Elizabeth Roman: AST: Kasigluk man arrested after exchanging nude photos with minor on Facebook
A warrant for Twitchell’s arrest was issued on Feb. 2, 2019. He was arrested that same say around 2:47 p.m. in Kasigluk.

Twitchell was transported to Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center in Bethel. Troopers say he was remanded and held on a $2,000 bail.
 
 
 
 
By Elizabeth Roman: Kwethluk man arrested for sexually abusing minor
 
 
 
 
By Elizabeth Roman: AST: 2 law enforcement officials arrested in separate child sex abuse cases
 
 
 
 
By Daniella Rivera: Edie Grunwald says she will bring victim’s perspective to Parole Board
 
 
 
 
By Dave Leval: Ski for Women raises money for sexual assault, domestic violence victims
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence, you can call STAR’s statewide crisis number for support at (800) 478-8999 or AWAIC’s 24-hour crisis and support hotline at (907) 272-0100.
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Young Sitkans aim to establish local teen center and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Shutdown Cripples, But Doesn’t Sink Ocean Science and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Seward Man on Meth Jailed on Weapons Charges; Kasigluk Man Indicted/Arrested on Multiple Sex Crime Charges and more->

Alaska News February 03, 2019

By Dave Leval: Anchorage STEM event empowers girls to see themselves in ‘the careers of the future’
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Calls for ‘vigilance’ on Russian military buildup in Arctic and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks News Webcenter 11: FNSB School District provides public with movie screening, panel discussion on childhood trauma documentary; Troopers relocating Bureau of Highway Patrol to Wasilla; Man who allegedly climbed through dog door pleads not guilty and more ->
 
 
 
 
By KTVA Web Staff: Black History Month 2019 begins in Alaska

Alaska News February 02, 2019

By Dave Goldman: APD officer bitten twice by dog while serving warrant
 
 
 
 
By Daniella Rivera: Dunleavy’s effort to force out-of-state sex offenders to register excludes juvenile crimes
One of Dunleavy’s four crime bills includes a provision that would require most sex offenders who have to register in other states to also register in Alaska. Attorney General Kevin Clarkson said the measure is designed to, “fill the hole that exists in Alaska law that encourages sex offenders to come to Alaska.”

On Friday, a spokesperson for the governor said the new laws won’t make a difference when it comes to sex offenders who committed their crimes as juveniles. In an email, press secretary Matt Shuckerow wrote, “The short answer is that the bill does not require an individual convicted as a juvenile to register.”

If passed, the bill as written would adjust the statutes in response to an Alaska Supreme Court ruling that makes it difficult for the state to force people with out-of-state convictions for sex crimes to register.

The legislation still won’t affect offenders like Abrahamson who are able to escape the registry and fly under the radar in Alaska.
 
 
 
 
By Jill Burke: Sex offenders on social media highlight flaws in enforcement
 
 
 
 
By Mike Ross: Sen. Sullivan on shutdown talks, border security
 
 
By Scott Gross: Sullivan: ‘Bureaucratic issues’ nearly cost Alaska federal quake funds
 
 
 
 
By Kristen Durand: Ten vignettes of African American Trailblazers unveiled at Black History Month kickoff event
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: ‘Molly of Denali’ creators work to make show authentic to Alaska Native experiences; Forest Service reschedules meeting on Southeast Alaska timber sales; ‘Life is going to spring back to us’: the sun returns to Utqiaġvik and more ->
 
 
 
 
By KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: State Elections Division Puts Inactive Voters On Notice and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fairbanks News Webcenter 11: Local Service Organization Makes Significant Donation to Interior Fire Chiefs; Alaska Psychiatric Institute under microscope, how it effects Fairbanks; LIVE: Guardian flight holds vigil for lost crew and more ->
 
 
 
 
By Heather Hintze: Palmer welcomes new kombuchery
In October 2017, Boortz left his job as a nuclear engineer in California and found a home in Palmer, making kombucha in his dry cabin.
 
 
 
 
By Daybreak Staff: Mic Check in the Morning: Mipso
 
 
 
 
By Emily Carlson: Local Writer Has Work Published For The First Time

Alaska News February 01, 2019

By KTVA Web Staff: Palmer teen now charged with murder, manslaughter
Judge Craig Condie set Flowers’ bail at $100,000.
 
 
 
 
By Associated Press: Alaska State Troopers arrest coach suspected of smoking pot
 
 
 
 
By Leroy Polk: Pounds of meth mailed from Washington to Alaska, stuffed in a cookie tin
 
 
 
 
By Victoria Taylor: YMCA faces thousands in earthquake damages, closes Lake Otis gym
The non-profit didn’t have earthquake insurance; Parker said even if it had, the deductible would have been more than $2 million.
 
 
 
 
By Daniella Rivera: Wife of rock slide victim calls for action, DOT says fix slated for 2020
 
 
 
 
By Grant Robinson: Sex trafficking victim advocates see benefits of recent laws, urge continued diligence
 
 
 
 
By Scott Gross: Eielson F-35s drive rise in Alaska military construction
 
 
 
 
KTOO Public Media: Search suspended for missing plane near Kake; After scathing audit, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority says fixes are underway; Crafting a story of romance and resiliency with Tongass bowls and more ->
 
 
 
 
KYUK Public Media for Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: State To Hold Public Hearings In Y-K Delta For Proposed Pipeline Right Of Way; Calista Corporation Mailing 1099 Forms To Shareholders; Stay Off Initial River Trail Plowed From Bethel To Aniak and more ->
 
 
 
 
Alaska Native News: Governor Dunleavy Welcomes Presidential Disaster Declaration Governor Dunleavy Welcomes Presidential Disaster Declaration; Alaska Congressional Delegation Applauds Presidential Declaration for Earthquake Recovery and more ->
 
 
 
 
Webcenter 11 Fairbanks News: Local celebrities ready to roast former Gov. Bill Walker; Alaska’s Eskimo Ninja visits Interior schools; Man accused of strangling mother, living with dead body pleads not guilty; Community members learn at ‘Youth Mental Health First Aid Training’ and more->
 
 
 
 
By Angela Krenzien: Alaska Zoo’s polar bear couple gets first-time face time