Plows cleared away slushy snow Saturday morning. But icy conditions persisted because state workers wanted to avoid using too much overtime. Budget cuts to the Alaska Department of Transportation will affect drivers for another winter.
Environment
Two plead guilty to violations during Haines moose hunt
Two Alaska residents recently pleaded guilty to hunting violations during this year’s Haines moose hunt.
Bear unfazed by rubber bullets near Indian River in Sitka
A caller on Andrew P Hope Street requested an escort to a visitor’s car. After helping the woman safely to her vehicle, the responding officer located the bear nearby and shot at it with rubber bullets.
Bitter cold expected to stick around in Southeast, meteorologist says
After a mild start to December, it’s gotten bitter cold in Haines and Skagway, with temperatures dropping into the teens and single digits. With temperatures far below freezing, snowfall from the weekend is not likely to go anywhere soon.
Alaska National Guard rescues two men stranded near Nome
Two men were rescued Saturday, Dec. 3, near Nome after being reported overdue from ATV travel out of the community of White Mountain.
Charting new courses: student mariners prepare to navigate a warmer Arctic
As temperatures rise, Arctic ice is retreating, making trips through the Northwest passage – from Alaska to Maine – a new summer reality. But until now, mariners navigating Arctic ice have had limited formal training. A professor at Maine Maritime Academy is working to change that.
Standing Rock leader asks those who are not Sioux to leave pipeline protest area
A day after the Army Corps of Engineers blocked the proposed route for the Dakota Access Pipeline, the tribal leader said “nothing will happen” until the Trump administration begins.
Mysterious beak deformities may be caused by virus, researchers say
The birds, whose beaks grow at twice the normal rate, often die from starvation because they can’t feed themselves. Researchers now believe a virus may be causing the beak deformities.
Man medivaced after ammonia leak, current health status unknown
An ammonia leak at a cold storage facility in Unalaska has left one person with “serious injuries.” According to a statement from the Department of Public Safety, a seven-person hazmat team and 13 emergency responders arrived at the Kloosterboer building Saturday at 12:45 p.m. after a freezer line began leaking ammonia.
State commission approves Dillingham, Manokotak annexations with ammendments
A state commission approved to petitions for Dillingham and Manokotak to annex land in the Nushagak commercial fishing district against their staff’s recommendations. The annexations will allow the two city’s to tax salmon harvested in the district.