Petersburg is close to passing a new fee for passengers on cruise ships visiting the borough. It’s based on a similar charge for cruise passengers in Juneau, which has prompted a lawsuit from the industry.
Economy
Alaska Permanent Fund reports strong returns, value of $64B
The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. has reported strong returns and a total value of $64 billion in the first half of the 2018 fiscal year.
Alaska’s only tribal college now offering bachelor’s degree in business
The college’s President hopes the bachelor’s program will give local students the qualifications they need to fill positions that might otherwise go to applicants from elsewhere.
NTSB looks at disabled signals, locked switch in latest deadly Amtrak crash
Safety advocates and federal investigators have railed against a “lax safety culture” within Amtrak in recent years, but investigators warn against attributing four recent crashes to a systemic issue.
Lt. Gov. Mallot and Sen. Sullivan talk transboundary mining with Canadian officials
Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallot and U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan met with Canadian officials to press for more U.S. input on transboundary mines.
Washington state terminates lease for Atlantic salmon farm in Puget Sound
Over the weekend, Washington state tightened the screws again on an Atlantic salmon farming operation. On Saturday, the state Department of Natural Resources terminated the lease for Cooke Aquaculture’s Cypress Island fish farm near Anacortes.
Juneau Assembly to intervene over AEL&P purchase
The City and Borough of Juneau will petition state regulators for a seat at the table as it reviews Alaska Electric Light & Power’s acquisition by Hydro One of Canada. The Juneau Assembly unanimously approved $75,000 in legal fees to make its case to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
Borough mayor on new potential development coming to the North Slope
On ANWR and the new offshore plan, the mayor says that communication with the federal government will be key.
Crude spill at Valdez Terminal under investigation
According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which operates the terminal, under 200 gallons of oil leaked from two arms used to load crude onto tankers.
After years shut, a rural tannery re-opens for business
After being closed down for several years, the tannery re-opened last fall. It’s set to now be a seasonal operation, getting underway in October amid the fall seal hunt, and running to early January. This year there were seven employees, and Sinook is pleased with the run.