Economy

Even with low oil prices causing problems for Alaska’s budget, the cost of gas has been slow to drop in some Bristol Bay communities, especially Dillingham.

The state is liable for paying tens of millions of dollars in leave time to state employees if a government shutdown occurs next month. The largest union of state employees isn’t negotiating for its members to keep their leave.

Eventually, when there’s a better understanding of how smolt features correlate with the number of salmon swimming back, information on smolt could be used to help with run forecasts.

The restaurant provides the first Thai offerings in Bethel. They plan on opening later this month.

The tailings dam system for mine waste management is facing a lot of criticism after a dam at the Mount Polley Mine in central B.C. collapsed last summer. It spilled millions of gallons of waste into Canadian waterways.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Sunday evening to lower caps on halibut bycatch in the Bering Sea by 21 percent.

The Columbia was loading in Bellingham on Friday when ferry workers discovered the problem.

The Red Chris copper and gold mine in the Stikine River watershed has been operating on a temporary environmental permit since February.

Last year, big fleets in the Bering Sea caught more halibut, by accident, than local fishermen caught on purpose. The big ships throw out that halibut; the local fishermen make their living from it.