News of the North

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Officials are aiming to make the first wave of dividend payments to Alaska residents the week of Oct. 11. In an interview with News of the North, Genevieve Wojtusik at the Alaska Department of Revenue explained when Alaskans can expect their dividend payments.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services reported 41 new cases of COVID individuals in Juneau Wednesday, Sept. 22.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A Canadian mining company is looking for precious metals on Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The CBJ Docks and Harbors Board of Directors has a subcommittee working on future funding of the independent authority in view of lost funding with a lack of cruise ship traffic last year and this season.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The CBJ Docks and Harbors Board of Directors will be presented an idea for renaming the Archipelago Lot, the newly remodeled area between the downtown library and the Mt. Roberts Tram.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Officials are aiming to make the first wave of dividend payments to Alaska residents the week of Oct. 11.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kale tennis team, a mix of Juneau and Thunder Mountain students, is hosting their Region V tournament at the Alaska Club Juneau Valley, beginning today at 5 p.m., continuing on Thursday and Friday at 1 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s largest city will allow drivers to use studded tires early this year because of early snowfall.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Department of Public Safety has published the 2020 Crime in Alaska report, the annual report on instances of crime in Alaska reported a decrease in Alaska's overall crime rate by 18.5%.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau continues to struggle to keep up with testing as state public health is still backlogged in processing testing results.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Tlingit & Haida Central Council has plans to improve broadband in southeast Alaska, a representative spoke on the tribe's Tribal Broadband Initiative during the southeast conference last week.

SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP) — Soldotna Montessori Charter School has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2021.

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials are facing pressure to increase COVID-19 testing for travelers.

(AP) - The Justice Department is suing to stop American Airlines and JetBlue from coordinating their flights in the Northeast.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Kotzebue man has been sentenced to 99 years in prison in the 2018 death of 10-year-old Ashley Johnson-Barr.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The President of Alaska's University System said the new online courses they provided on a learning platform that began last year have caught the attention of thousands of students from around the world.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - 46 new cases of COVID individuals in Juneau were reported Tuesday, 861 new cases were reported statewide.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The CBJ Public Works and Facilities Committee took up and passed on to the full assembly a proposal for $150,000 to dispose of contaminated soil that was discovered on Capital Avenue during a reconstruction project over the summer.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Ballots for Juneau's second by mail election when out last week. CBJ Clerk Beth McEwen doesn't have exact numbers yet, but is optimistic with what she has seen come in so far.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - 95 New cases of COVID-19 and one death was reported in Juneau over the weekend and Monday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Police reports that the individual involved in the altercation Sunday afternoon at Lena Loop has not been located, they are asking the public to reach out to the department for information on the unknown male involved in the incident.

Juneau, AK (KINY) - Juneau's delayed and limited cruise ship season started out rough when the small cruise ship American Constellation reported a COVID-19 outbreak. The company had hired crew who were unvaccinated.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Kyle Scholl is waging a write in campaign for Juneau School Board.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Bartlett Regional Hospital's Rose Lawhorne resigned as CEO Saturday, she began her tenure as CEO in April.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute gave insight into the economic status of Alaskan fish that are commercially harvested in Alaska during the southeast conference annual meeting.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska State Department of Commerce has announced that the statewide AK-ARPA Business Relief Program’s month long application period opened Friday, and will be open until mid-October.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata spoke on a plan for electric ferries during the Southeast Conference's annual meeting.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski unveiled a new bill she will be introducing this week to permanently exempt Alaska cruise ships carrying more than 1000 passengers from the Passenger Vessel Services Act, or PVSA.

(AP) - Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) — Military leaders on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have declared a public health emergency and encouraged all personnel to avoid places that do not require masks or social distancing in response to increasing COVID-19 cases in Alaska, officials said.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — As the spread of the delta variant continues unabated in much of the U.S., public health leaders have approved health care rationing in Idaho and parts of Alaska and Montana.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Huskies continue to find ways to impress the football world on high school Saturdays as they overcame another powerful rival on the road in a 27-14 display of pigskin dominance over the Bartlett Golden Bears in Anchorage.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Three committees of the Juneau Assembly are scheduled to meet Monday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé tennis team, a combination of Thunder Mountain and JDHS players, is hosting a tournament this weekend at the Alaska Club Juneau Valley location.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Today, the third Friday of September, is Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau School Board President Elizabeth Siddon was on Action Line Friday to talk about her reelection campaign.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Assembly District 2 Incumbent Michelle Bonnet Hale is seeking re-election. She explained on Action Line why she wants to continue to serve.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau assembly voted in favor of repealing a legally unenforceable ordinance regarding coastal protection regulations, which heavily relied on a repealed state law called the Alaska Costal Management Act.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska's top health experts spoke Thursday about the efforts the community of Juneau has put towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's state epidemiologist says Alaska is experiencing "one of the sharpest surges” in COVID-19 in the country.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The State Redistricting Board has approved two draft maps for new House and Senate districts in Juneau and the Mendenhall Valley, however, Juneau Representative Andi Story, who resides in Auke Bay, would no longer be able to serve as the representative for her current district in the proposal.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Authorities say, Miguel Baez Guevara, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico who claimed ties to the Sinaloa cartel faces a 17-count indictment related to a drug trafficking operation between Mexico and Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The cyberattack against the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services earlier in the year may have compromised some Alaskan's personal and health information to the attackers.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Senator Lisa Murkowski spoke on the new infrastruture bill during the Southeast Conference's annual meeting in Haines. During discussions around the bill in D.C . and the country, Murkowski says she included a provision that is Alaska specific, a provision for essential ferry systems.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY)- 61 new positive COVID-19 cases in Juneau were reported by the Alaska department of health and social services Wednesday, Sep. 15. 58 of those cases were residents and 3 were nonresidents. The DHSS says two of the non-resident cases were related to tourism while the third is under investigation.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau School Board candidates continue to be interviewed on special editions of Action Line.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Assembly District Two candidate Kelly Fishler talked about her candidacy while a guest on Action Line and spoke of her decision to throw her hat into the ring.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A man who describes himself as a proud black, gay Alaskan and a husband of a U. S. immigrant is seeking a seat on the Juneau Assembly.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Another candidate was featured on a special edition of Action Line Wednesday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - 14 new individuals in Juneau were identified with COVID-19 Tuesday, the state reported one death in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska State Senate has approved a $1,100 permanent fund dividend Tuesday on the final day of the third special legislative session, Governor Mike Dunleavy announced he has no intention to veto what he called a "partial PFD."

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's largest hospital is implementing crisis standards of care, or prioritizing resources and treatments to those patients who have the potential to benefit the most.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Paul Kelly is looking to serve on the Assembly after serving three years on the Juneau School Board.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau School Board Candidate Tom Buzard said on Acton Line that if elected he wants to be involved in any committee that works on industrial arts and trades and skills.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska House canceled its floor session for the last day of the special session, leaving the Senate with what amounted to a take-it-or-leave-it decision on the roughly $1,100 the House passed last month.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The $700,000 proposal to fund the remodeling of the CBJ owned than warehouse into an elections ballot processing center, as well as acquiring the equiptment, passed the body unanimously.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - 40 new individuals in Juneau were identified with COVID-19 over the weekend and Monday with 37 residents and 3 nonresidents.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau representative Sara Hannan has formally apologized for remarks she made pointing to the use of Nazi hypothermia experiments by an Alaskan doctor during a House floor session.

(AP) - A task force of outside experts has found no evidence of political interference in the 2020 census numbers used for divvying up congressional seats among the U.S. states.

(AP) - Connecticut and a handful of other states have recently decided to mandate students be taught about Native American culture and history.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A bill that would set a dividend for residents this year sat another day in a key Senate committee on Monday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Dozens of Afghan refugees will be resettled in Alaska over the next six months.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Huskies had their most balanced football game of the season on Saturday and coach Rich Sjoroos said it was caused by the Service Cougars coaching staff's own great game plan.

Juneau, Alaska (JPD) - Over the next couple of months, the Juneau Police Department will once again be participating in a National campaign called The Cure Starts Now, to raise money for pediatric brain cancer research.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The candidates for Juneau School Board will be featured over the next few days on special editions of Action Line.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Assembly District One candidate Barbara Blake explained while a guest on Action Line why she decided to seek a seat on the local governing body.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - An SOS was sent to troopers via satellite communication Saturday Evening that a man was shot near the census area of Chicken, a community in interior Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Troopers in Fairbanks received a report Sunday Afternoon of a motor vehicle collision involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck on the Steese Highway, the crash resulted in the death of the motorcyclist.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers are under pressure to agree on a dividend payout to residents this year, with the special session set to expire Tuesday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska State House debated the bill that was introduced to help address staffing concerns at medical facilities following the house health committee vote to revert it to as it was originally written from the governor, but sent the measure to another committee.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska House received the bill over the weekend that Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced to help address staffing concerns at medical facilities, and after the senate added vaccine related provisions, a committee in the state house moved to reverse those changes.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé girls cross-country team topped 18 schools to win the George Plumley Invite at Palmer on Saturday with sophomore Rayna Tuckwood leading the Crimson Bears runners by placing seventh in 20 minutes 1.41 seconds.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Thunder Mountain senior Sydney Strong totaled 22 kills and 45 digs, junior Mallory Welling 16 kills, and junior Talita Toutaiolepo 43 passing attempts as the Falcons swept the Ketchikan Kings on the road by match scores of 3-0 Friday and 3-1 Saturday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - An ordinance up for action at Monday evening's regular Assembly meeting appropriates $700,000 to fund a ballot processing center to support the CBJ's decision to conduct by mail elections.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Senate has passed legislation intended to help address staffing concerns at medical facilities.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said President Joe Biden’s effort to require millions of U.S. workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is “ill conceived, divisive, and un-American.”

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska’s top-ranked high school football team hung another mauling on their victory wall Saturday as the Juneau Huskies used every position but a taxidermist in a 49-12 win over the Service Cougars, scoring on offense and defense.

The Glacier Valley Rotary Club's ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of 911 began with Alyssa Fischer singing our national anthem.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The featured article in the September edition of Alaska Economic Trends deals with the state's rental market. The survey is a collaborative effort between the department's Research and Analysis Unit and the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska state lawmaker has requested to be absent from the state Senate until mid-January, citing the challenges of traveling to Juneau after she was suspended from flying on Alaska Airlines earlier this year.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The board tasked with rewriting Alaska’s legislative boundaries based on the latest census have adopted two draft maps for comment.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Huskies, the top ranked team in the state of Alaska, will play at 2 p.m. Saturday in Anchorage against the Service Cougars and 107.9 The Hawk will be broadcasting the game live.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Thunder Mountain Falcons volleyball senior outside hitter Sydney Strong was chosen by MaxPreps, an online high school sports website, as their Alaska Volleyball Player of the Week for her performance on the court from Aug. 30 - Sept. 5.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Capital City Fire Rescue responded to a residential structure fire at the 2000 block of Kevin Court in the Mendenhall Valley Wednesday afternoon after a fire started in a plastic garbage can in the garage of a residence.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A groundbreaking ceremony for the River View Senior Living center kicked-off Wednesday morning.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - During the Juneau Chamber of Commerce's weekly luncheon Thursday, Juneau Board of Education candidates were asked about recovering and rebounding students going forward, following online learning last year.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Candidates spoke about their motivations to run during the Juneau League of Women Voter's candidate forum which had moderators from KTOO and the Juneau Empire.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Governor Mike Dunleavy held a press conference Thursday to respond to recent federal moves to reevaluate plans on opening additional acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas leasing, The EPA restarting a process that could restrict mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, as well as the roadless rule decision.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to curb the surging COVID-19 delta variant.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it will seek to restart a process that could restrict mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region, which is renowned for its salmon runs.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Representative Andi Story sees a need for a fourth special legislative session when the current session ends on Tuesday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A video depicting five individuals being escorted off an Alaska Airlines flight made rounds on social media this week, Alaska State Troopers report that the five were not following a flight attendant's instructions on mask wearing, as well as using foul language mid-flight.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Governor Mike Dunleavy has named Ryan Anderson as the new state transportation department commissioner as his pick to lead the department following his predecessor John MacKinnon's retirement Friday.

COPPER CENTER, Alaska (AP) — Park officials in Alaska say a 39-year-old hunter was attacked by a grizzly bear Wednesday in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is expected to reevaluate a Trump-era environmental review that provided a basis for plans to open an additional roughly 6.8 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas leasing.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Interior Department has postponed Secretary Deb Haaland’s planned visit to Alaska until later this year.

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Unable to travel to the state basketball tournament over COVID-19 concerns, the Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears are hustling to play at a tournament in California as a club team this weekend. 

The Mt. Edgecumbe High School Braves topped the Sitka Wolves in the final game of their best two-out-of-three Region V 3A basketball tournament series championship.

JUNEAU, ALASKA (KINY) - The Mt. Edgecumbe High School Lady Braves beat the Sitka Lady Wolves with a last-second shot on Wednesday night inside the B.J. McGillis Field House.

JUNEAU, ALASKA (KINY) - The 2021 Region V Virtual Cheer Champions were announced on Tuesday.

The House voted 32-7 to send to the senate fast track legislation that provides 24 million for the marine highway system to keep running and 45 million for medicaid.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A federal study says more shrubs growing on Arctic tundra likely will have little effect on the abundance of most bird species until the vegetation grows tall.