This week Gov. Dunleavy rejected calls to condemn Pebble and stop his administration’s work on it.
Government
Special FCC licenses could help Southeast tribes close digital divide
Tlingit & Haida Tribal Vice President Will Micklin called broadband “an inherent right for our tribal citizens” — and said COVID-19 had made the digital divide even more apparent.
U.S. Senate challenger Al Gross rakes in $9M
U.S. Senate candidate Al Gross raised a record $9.1 million since July 1 — more than he or incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan raised during the first half of the year.
Alaska candidates promise painless budget cuts, but experts say not so fast
Veterans of state budget battles say that after years of spending cuts, it’s unlikely that further reductions can fill much of the deficit without major impacts to services.
Juneau sees best voter turnout in 20 years with first by mail election
The turnout will be even higher once mailed ballots finish arriving at the Anchorage Vote Center. The election won’t be officially certified until Oct. 20.
Juneau’s seasonal campground for people without homes to close next week
It will close on Oct. 15, and the city wants everyone to have their belongings and food out by noon.
Federal funds add 24 public safety officer positions to Y-K Delta
The Justice Department committed millions of dollars to improve public safety in rural Alaska after a trip U.S. Attorney General William Barr made to the region in May 2019.
State offers extension for mine lease payments until September 2021
Miners unable to travel to their leases and claims because of COVID-19 can apply for a one-year extension to pay the state.
Sen. Sullivan says Pebble can’t shake his opposition to mine; pledges to ‘continue to monitor’
U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan says his newly proclaimed opposition to the Pebble Mine will endure, no matter how the company plans to compensate for the environmental damage the project would cause.
Election officials hope for higher voter turnout in Juneau’s first by-mail election
Ballot processing will happen Friday in Anchorage after city staff arrive with all of the remaining ballots. Initial results are expected that afternoon.