Southeast Alaska State Fair canceled due to COVID-19
It’s the “Live Free or Pie Hard” themed Southeast Alaska State Fair that wasn’t.
How did politics around reopening Anchorage get so heated?
The politics around reopening Alaska’s economy are getting contentious. But blame isn’t spread uniformly.
Coronavirus toll on Alaska oil industry grows by 300 as Doyon Drilling announces layoffs
The layoffs are expected to be permanent “until the crisis is over and the industry recovers.”
Haines filmmaker and former NBA star Mark McNamara dies at 60
He moved to Haines in 2005, where he spent time making films and sharing his knowledge of basketball.
UAF research vessel will be the first to leave port since the National Science Foundation halted sailings
All of the scientific staff members are currently quarantined in Fairbanks.
Juneau city manager says he expects service and personnel cuts
Local government is one of Juneau’s biggest employers. The city, which includes the school district, hospital and airport, budgets for about 1,800 full-time equivalent jobs a year.
Alaska dentists say mandating COVID-19 tests will be obstacle to appointments
State officials said they want to work with the dentists, but point to federal guidelines that dentists are at very high risk of being exposed to the virus.
Dunleavy wants the Legislature to quickly approve his plans for federal COVID-19 aid
But the Legislature’s nonpartisan legal and budget advisers have said they may need to reconvene to do that.
Sitka Food Co-op, Conservation Society team up to sail food into Pelican
For the Sitka Food Co-op, bringing lots of food into town is nothing new. But recently they did something different — ship hundreds of pounds of bulk goods out of Sitka.
On Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, businesses hit hard during last summer’s wildfires are facing another season of uncertainty
Now, as business owners look to this season for some sort of normalcy and a chance to recoup financial losses, they’re facing a new challenge: a global pandemic.
Alaska Airlines will require masks for passengers and employees
Passengers will be required to wear masks while in the airport and on planes.
Bristol Bay leaders express concern over Alaska’s commercial fishing health mandate
Thousands of commercial fishery workers coming to Bristol Bay will be operating under a strict set of guidelines this season, laid out in the new mandate released last week by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. But some local leaders say it’s not enough.
Gardentalk – Weed seed eradication and greenhouse materials
Master Gardener Ed Buyarski answers more listener questions in this week’s edition of Gardentalk.
Juneau opens safer, more accessible campground for people without homes
Juneau’s new, 20-tent campground isn’t for recreation. It replaces a campground with a checkered history that’s been one piece of the city’s efforts to give shelter to people without homes.
State Division of Forestry makes an exception for Southeast Alaska, allowing permitted burns
An exception is being made for Southeast Alaska because of the area’s wet conditions and types of fuels that are present.
State of Alaska receives $3M worth of PPE from China
The shipment included 160,000 face shields, 1.2 million pairs of gloves, 31,000 protective Tyvek suits, 100,000 disposable gowns, and 20,000 shoe covers and head caps, state emergency officials said.
ConocoPhillips to cut Alaska oil production by 100,000 barrels per day
ConocoPhillips says it will cut oil production in Alaska by about 100,000 barrels per day for the month of June. That’s about half of Conoco’s daily production in the state, and roughly a fifth of the crude that typically flows down the trans-Alaska pipeline.
As Alaska starts to reopen, it’s already too little, too late for some small businesses
New research suggests that a lot of small businesses across the country are financially fragile. Three-quarters of them said they only had enough cash on hand to cover two months of expenses.
With social distancing in mind, a Juneau food cart rigs up a drive-thru
As the state of Alaska ordered social distancing mandates, a Juneau drive-thru burger joint was born.
University of Alaska to furlough top leaders, including president, chancellors and deans
The University of Alaska says the furloughs, put in place by UA President Jim Johnsen, will impact 166 employees and are expected to save the university system $554,000.