News of the North

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department is canceling oil and gas lease sales from public lands through June amid an ongoing review of how the program contributes to climate change.

Juneau's top cop offered reaction to the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chavin for the murder of George Floyd.

Juneau, Alaska (AP) - Alaska lawmakers want a say in how the state spends more than $1 billion from a new federal aid package, a year after largely ceding decision-making on a prior pandemic-related relief package to Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Education Development Center and SRI International announced the release of their new research and found that children who had access to resources of the Alaska-based show Molly of Denali had improved ability to use informational text to solve problems.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Airlines announced its commitment and roadmap to reduce the company's carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040, and commitments across carbon, waste, and water impacts by 2025.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans, departed Mayport Monday, for deployment to participate in HMS Queen Elizabeth Strike Group.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Police announce the arrest of a local doctor on multiple sexual assault charges and a charge of harassment.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center report two new COVID 19 cases Tuesday that are associated with Thunder Mountain High School.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau School Board acted on one matter at its meeting Tuesday and introduced another topic

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Members of Protect Juneau's Future, formed in the wake of the effort to place three charter amendments on the local election ballot this October to limit cruise ship visits, stated their case on Action Line.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has decided to have the state join the lawsuit filed by the State of Florida against the Centers for Disease Control to force it to lift restrictions on cruise ship voyages.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Assembly will take public testimony on the budget documents submitted by CBJ Manager Rorie Watt during a special meeting Wednesday evening.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Railroad has reported that ridership fell by about 94% between 2019 and 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau School Board is meeting Tuesday evening.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - An all-terrain vehicle accident in Gustavus has claimed the life of 33-year-old Juneau resident Theodore Kennedy.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - An Idaho Senate committee has approved legislation allowing the state to hire private contractors to kill about 90% of the wolves roaming Idaho.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Sealaska has announced that on Earth Day, they will be hosting a zoom conversation with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, a group Sealaska has worked with previously to build a traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau had 13 new resident cases of COVID-19 over the period of April 17 through 19.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Online learning will continue at Thunder Mountain High School for Tuesday, April 20, after three positive cases connected to the school were identified over the weekend.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska Senate voted 17-1 in favor of a Committee on Committees report that removed Senator Lora Reinbold, Republican of Eagle River, from her position as chair of the Judiciary committee.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Two crewmembers of the Matanuska ferry tested positive for COVID-19 this past weekend, according to a release from the City and Borough of Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Protect Juneau's Future has formed to oppose the proposed charter amendments that would limit cruise visitors coming to the city.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau's avalanche risk metric is rated as high today, April 19.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s highest COVID-19 vaccination rates have been in some of its remotest, hardest-to-access communities.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska will allow prison visitations for all inmates who have been fully vaccinated.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska State Troopers will have an increased presence on Alaska roadways on April 20th as they look for drivers impaired by intoxicating substances, including marijuana.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Over the weekend Juneau has broken two records in temperatures for the days of Saturday and Sunday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is expanding testing for gamma radiation in Alaska seafood through funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Washington (AP) - The Supreme Court seems inclined to say that hundreds of millions of dollars in coronavirus relief money should benefit Alaska Natives, rather than be spread more broadly among Native American tribes around the U.S.

WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. (AP) — A backcountry guide has died after he was mauled by a large grizzly bear just outside of Yellowstone National Park in Montana.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - A small passenger plane in Alaska has been damaged after it hit ice and frozen gravel when it was landing last Friday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Admiral Matthew T. Bell, Junior, the commanding officer of the 17th Coast Guard District in Alaska retires following a change of command ceremony this coming Friday after 36 years of service.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau School District has been notified that at least three people at Thunder Mountain High School have tested positive for COVID-19.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Southeast Conference has been trying to figure out for years a more economical way for communities to get rid of their trash.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department has announced a two-year delay of several orders issued by the Trump administration that looked to open 28 million acres of land in Alaska for mineral development.

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced on Friday that, after June 1, travelers to Alaska will have the option of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine--regardless of their residency status or whether they intend to work in the state.

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Governor Mike Dunleavy announced his proposal for the one billion dollars Alaska is set to receive from the American Rescue Plan while at a press briefing on Friday.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a case that will determine who is eligible for more than $530 million in federal virus relief funding set aside for tribes last year.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young has advocated for Puerto Rico statehood, a decision that defies fellow party members across the country and state.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Spike Cohen, who was the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential candidate for the 2020 election, is in Alaska this weekend.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - One new resident in Juneau was identified with COVID-19 Friday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - According to Sam Dapcevich with the Department of Transportation, The Avalanche Hazard Reduction mission Thursday went really well.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska's employment in March was down 6.9 percent from March of 2020, a loss of 21,900 jobs.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Volcano Observatory reports a volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain has been emitting ash, prompting officials to raise the alert level.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - One of the suspected arsonists in the case of a vehicle that was torched at Skater's Cabin last August is behind bars.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Sitka Police Department has reopened a cold case from 2012 into the disappearance of Lael Grant.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Officials with the state Department of Administration say the department does not plan to move ahead with proposals to close six Division of Motor Vehicles offices.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Nine new COVID cases were reported in Juneau Thursday by the CBJ Emergency Operations Center.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A coronavirus vaccine dose mistakenly administered to an underaged person at an Anchorage clinic has prompted a site review and altered some practices for the healthcare company tasked with operating the facilities.

WASHINGTON (KINY) - Alaska's Congressional delegation has introduced the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act in both the US House and Senate.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - Court documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Alaska wrongly denied benefits to same-sex spouses for years by claiming their unions were not recognized even after courts struck down gay marriage bans.

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state’s health officials say a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations suggest Washington is entering into a 4th wave of the pandemic.

Washington (AP) - The White House is naming a former Obama administration official to be deputy secretary at the Interior Department after dropping plans for a more liberal nominee who faced key Senate opposition.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - No one is immune from the scam calls that have been generated in Juneau recently.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A group of advocates began the process of petitioning to bring ballot initiatives to the October municipal election that would change the Charter in relation to cruise ships in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Avalanche activity occurred in Juneau Tuesday night.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Thane Road is scheduled to be closed from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 for avalanche hazard mitigation work, weather permitting. If debris reaches the road, the closure may be extended.

SEATTLE (KINY) - Alaska Airlines has announced a commitment to advancing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) development.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Six new individuals were identified with COVID-19 for Wednesday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau's state House Representative, Sara Hannan, said she is "very pleased" about Alaska's lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers.

Olympia, Washington (AP) - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a measure that starts the process of honoring the late Billy Frank Jr. with a statue at the U.S. Capitol.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Planning Commission took several actions at its meeting Tuesday evening

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Eaglecrest Ski Area has reached its second-highest level of snow accumulation and has extended their operation into Saturday and Sunday.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Anchorage Assembly has extended into June a local COVID-19 emergency declaration.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau's Electric Vehicle owners will be celebrating Earth Day activities with a COVID free Road Rally event Saturday, and organizer Duff Mitchell said the rally was inspired by a national campaign "Drive Electric Earth Day."

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Despite the pandemic and the loss of over 20,000 jobs, Alaskans' personal income went up in 2020.

Washington (KINY) - U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and other lawmakers have introduced the Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements Act, which would revoke the CDC's current “Conditional Sailing Order” on cruises.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Reaction is coming into the proposed charter amendments seeking to reign in cruise ship visits to Juneau.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Sixteen states, including Alaska, are backing Alabama’s challenge to a new method the Census Bureau is using in an effort to protect the privacy of people who participated in the headcount.

Washington (AP) - The U.S. recommendation to “pause” use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine set off a chain reaction worldwide and dealt a setback to the global vaccine campaign.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state health department says upcoming appointments for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Alaska are being canceled or delayed after federal agencies recommended a “pause” to review reports of rare but potentially dangerous blood clots.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board sheds little light on the cause of the Alaska helicopter crash that killed five people last month just north of Anchorage.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Juneau Police Department received a report of a robbery Friday evening in the 430 block of Willoughby Ave where a 39-year-old man was assaulted by an unknown man and woman in his apartment.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - An 11-person group of advocates has filed affidavits for three ballot initiatives that would amend the city's charter in relation to cruise ships in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center is reporting one new resident identified with COVID-19 in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Five cases of COVID-19 were reported in Juneau over the weekend.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage will lift all limits on outdoor gatherings in a new coronavirus emergency order set to take effect on Friday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The annual Southeast Region V Music Festival drew hundreds of student musicians for an event held online this year because of COVID-19 concerns.

Sitka, Alaska (KINY) - Sitka Police Department received a 911 call Friday afternoon that two males had been pulled from the water near the Starrigavan Boat Launch while other calls came in saying a skiff was spinning in uncontrolled circles in the area of the boat launch, but when the two males operating the craft were recovered 41-year-old Theodosy Merculief was found to be unresponsive.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The White House released fact sheets Monday of each state to highlight the need for investments proposed by President Biden in the American Jobs Plan, a plan that aims to create millions of jobs and rebuild the country’s infrastructure.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Forecast Office has issued a winter weather advisory for the Juneau area Monday.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Highlighting Monday night's Assembly Committee of the Whole meeting is an ordinance that would regulate fireworks.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Some Alaska agencies that work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault are expecting large budget cuts that may be going into effect when the fiscal year begins on July 1st.

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - The University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Search Committee has forwarded eight candidates in the final phase of its search for the next UAA Chancellor.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - The acting mayor of Anchorage has asked the Assembly to extend an emergency proclamation for another three months through mid-July in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - A proposal by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration to allow off-road vehicles on Alaska roads has raised safety concerns and enforcement questions.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Juneau Post investigated Cole Taylor, 39 of Juneau, regarding his residency status in Alaska and found that he hunted before he was considered a resident.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - In a press event on Friday, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the state was launching a nationwide advertising campaign to entice tourists to come to Alaska and signaled his intent to work towards a 2021 cruise ship season.

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - On Friday, an unsealing of a federal grand jury indictment revealed 10 people were charged, five of which are Alaskans, in a large-scale drug-trafficking operation that was investigated for almost three years.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The State House of Representatives Friday voted to add about 250 acres to Funter Bay Marine Park near Juneau. It was approved 31 to 8.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center reported two new COVID-19 cases Friday.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Four dead gray whales have washed onto San Francisco Bay Area beaches in the last nine days.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Federal regulators have ordered Hilcorp Alaska to replace a 7-mile undersea pipeline after a helicopter pilot spotted a natural gas leak bubbling to the surface last week.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Conservative Super Political Action Committee "Senate Leadership Fund," which was set up by allies of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, has endorsed Senator Lisa Murkowski for reelection.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has sent a report to the White House outlining the impact of a lost cruise ship season on his state.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A moderate earthquake Thursday was widely felt throughout the central portion of Alaska, including the state’s largest city, nearly 200 miles away from the epicenter.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations Center reports five new residents identified with COVID-19 in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Supreme Court has sided with Gov. Mike Dunleavy in ruling that the state constitution requires legislators to decide on gubernatorial appointments in a joint session.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Capital Transit unveiled its new all-electric bus at a small celebration on Thursday, April 8. The event was called "Running on Rain," a nod to Juneau's hydropower electric generation.

Seattle, Washington (AP) - The Biden administration has reversed a decision by its predecessor to sell the federal archives building in Seattle, following months of opposition from people across the Pacific Northwest and a lawsuit by the Washington Attorney General's Office.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Community Foundation has news on the latest round of Juneau Hope Endowment Fund and City and Borough of Juneau Social Service Grant Program awards.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Low forecasted returns may result in a mid-season closure of the Stikine River Federal Subsistence Sockeye Salmon Fishery, and lower preseason forecasts for Chinook have caused the Wrangell Ranger District to close the Chinook Salmon fishery.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Assembly Finance Committee started its budget work on Wednesday

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska judge has ruled attorneys must be allowed visits with clients in state Department of Corrections facilities, regardless of the inmates’ vaccination status.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - It is many days beyond the start of Spring, but the weather gods are not cooperating in Juneau.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Forrest Dunbar and David Bronson have the early lead in the race to become the next mayor of Anchorage.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Health officials have reported a case of a coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa in south-central Alaska.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - They throw hard and hit hard, but they also have a softer side. The Juneau-Douglas High School softball team spent the Saturday before Easter working on their delivery, not from the mound, but from the Easter basket.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Goldbelt Tram has announced plans to open for the 2021 summer season on May 15 but will be operating on a limited schedule after a yearlong closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The City and Borough of Juneau Emergency Operations is reporting 14 new individuals identified with COVID-19 in Juneau.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - It is not an Autobot or a Decepticon, but the Coast Guard mobile communications vehicle, or MCV, can transform into a community life-saving communications portal.

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James E. Cockrell issued an emergency order extending the statutory deadline to remove studded tires from vehicles operating on Alaska roadways.

  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.