Muslim exchange students in Juneau report warm welcome, shrug off Trump rhetoric
The Kennedy-Lugar YES Program was was created in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to bridge religious and cultural barriers. A pair of Muslim YES exchange students report a warm welcome in Juneau as the federally funded program enters its seventh year — despite uncertainty over its fate under the Trump administration.
In Tyonek, celebration as a coal mining company backs down
Last week, PacRim Coal told state and federal regulatory agencies that it would no longer pursue permitting for the Chuitna coal mine.
Schlepping bronze, a Ketchikan artist retraces Seward’s route
On the anniversary of the treaty with Russia to buy Alaska, a Ketchikan artist went on a mission in Washington, D.C., to find the spot where William Seward signed the Treaty of Cession, exactly 150 years prior.
Anchorage voters opt for bonds, more liberal Assembly
In Anchorage’s municipal elections Tuesday, liberals gained an edge in the Assembly, and residents supported all but one bond measure put forward passed. Voters also opted to shake up the taxi industry.
No pre-trial office in Douglas, says Department of Corrections, which also clears up misconceptions
Geri Fox from Alaska’s Department of Corrections attended a special meeting of the Douglas Island Neighborhood Association Tuesday evening to assuage fears and offer clarification about a rumored “pre-trial facility.”
Your Favorite Sisters’ guide to Folk Fest
Your Favorite Sisters have, collectively, been to some 20 Alaska Folks Festivals, and they wrote us this guide:
Forest Service mishandled timber sales, environmental group says
A Washington, D.C., environmental group is accusing the Tongass National Forest of breaking its own timber-sale rules.
State confident less than 10 gallons of crude leaked into Cook Inlet, but investigation continues
The state is fairly confident the final estimate for the oil spill in Cook Inlet won’t exceed 10 gallons, but pinning down exactly how much oil escaped won’t be easy.
Git Hayetsk uses dance to revise indigenous history
University of Alaska assistant professor Mique’l Dangeli tells a very different version of the founding of Metlakatla, a community in the Annette Islands Reserve, Alaska’s only reservation.
Oil company fined $10 million for illegally transporting a drill rig to Alaska
Settlement comes after Furie Alaska violated the Jones Act in 2011.
Unalaska terminates new fire chief charged with sexual assault in Illinois
The man hired to serve as Unalaska’s new fire chief has been fired after he was charged with sexual assault in Illinois. David “D.J.” Dunn was scheduled to arrive Monday in Anchorage before starting work on the island next week.
Listen to Playboy Spaceman’s George Kuhar cover Juneau filmmaker Lisle Hebert
Songwriter George Kuhar will perform Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. at the Alaska Folk Festival Tuesday
Juneau approves another $100,000 for cruise ship lawsuit
Monday’s appropriation adds to the more than $250,000 the city has already spent to date defending itself in a lawsuit brought by the cruise ship industry.
Senate committee seeks to cut per-student school funding
The state Senate’s budget plan drops the Base Student Allocation by $300 per student, from the current level of $5,930.
Cook Inlet leaks draw more scrutiny for Hilcorp and its aging infrastructure
The state doesn’t have its own estimate for how much oil was released into Cook Inlet or knowledge of what caused the leak. It’s latest in a string of incidents for Hilcorp, facing a wave of scrutiny from regulators and environmental groups.
Elders study their history at Smithsonian collection
Elders from around Southeast Alaska examined hundreds of Tlingit artifacts in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection, providing context for their research.
Ketchikan’s first pot shop set to open
The Stoney Moose will open this week as Ketchikan’s first retail marijuana shop, if an inspection goes well. Owners also hope to open a cannabis café.
Regulations liberalized in the Craig spawn-on-kelp fishery
It could be a good year for herring near Craig. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good year for commercial fishermen in the spawn-on-kelp pound fishery.
Unalaska teen: If you like sushi, take care of the environment
Becoming an Arctic Youth Ambassador was a stretch for Unalaskan Cade Terada. But he’s already become an effective advocate for the oceans.
Hilcorp reports another leak in Cook Inlet; this time it’s oil
After impact, workers on Hilcorp platform discover spill from an underwater pipeline in Cook Inlet.