Elusive Kenai coyotes make most of what life has to offer (Peninsula Clarion): As the sun sets and the cold and still winter night begins, it is not uncommon to hear a long, high-pitched howl from off in the distance. It may be from a kennel of sled dogs, or possibly a pack of wolves, but it is just as likely to be the song of the coyote. See also:
Coyotes hit Anchorage ski slopes (Anchorage Daily News)
Beloved dog lost to beaver trap during skijoring run (Bristol Bay Times): Tanner darted out about a foot from the road to stick his head in a small culvert. He quickly backed out with a muffled whine, and I at first thought he had an angry mink biting down on the end of his nose. In reality, it was a Conibear 330 trap completely enclosing his head.
New TV show is unfair to bears, some experts growl (MSNBC): Grizzly bears tear down a tent in the Alaska wilderness. Another bear sinks its huge fangs into a mannequin dressed like a camper and drags it away. Black bears rip up an empty van. But scenes from Discovery's new series "Bear Feeding Frenzy" are sending wildlife experts and some viewers into a frenzy of their own. With video
Digital smackdown over Troopergate (Anchorage Press): State Rep. Mike Doogan (D-Anchorage) ended up in a maelstrom of pissy e-mails when supporters of a local political action committee, Alaskans for Truth, petitioned him to address Troopergate in the legislative session that begins later this month.
Begich's son gets Obama's attention in D.C. (KTUU): Monday was a good day to be the young son of Sen.-elect Mark Begich: 6-year-old Jacob had a chance meeting with President-elect Barack Obama. With video.
Unalaska's police blotter a cure for common crime (Dutch Harbor Fisherman): For a town of roughly 4,000, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor gets its share of media exposure. In addition to crab fishing celebrities and other high-seas drama, one element of Unalaska life has steadily gained attention - the Unalaska police report. Meet the woman who fills the police blotter. See also:
Unalaska police report (Unalaska Advertiser)
How to make pickled beluga (Keeping It Real at 66 Degrees North blog, Kotzebue): I had some beluga in the freezer so I thought I would make some. ... Start out by boiling your pieces of muktuk. With photos.
45 below? Too bad, kid -- your school bus is still waiting (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner): It was nothing but bad news for Fairbanks students returning to school today. It was about 45 below zero this morning, and the school district does not close for cold weather -- though the school bus operator will notify radio and TV stations if buses are running late. See also:
Juneau grapples with snow, cold (Juneau Empire)
Meteor photographed against aurora over Alaska (Mainichi Daily News, Japan): A Tokyo company has photographed the Quadrantid meteor shower occurring at the same time as an aurora over Alaska.
New poll shows Palin would trail Murkowski big in a Senate race (KTUU): A new poll shows Gov. Sarah Palin would have a tough time if she decides to take on Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Murkowski garnered 57 percent to Palin's 33 percent in the Dittman poll.
‘NASCAR of sled-dogging' canceled due to snow (WDAY, Fargo): A big Minnesota sled dog race has been canceled because there's too much powdery, drifting snow. "We can't pack it," race organizer Eddy Streeper said. "We had to speak up on behalf of the dogs."
How the Palin family chooses those names (The Daily Beast): Originality and personal meaning are qualities a lot of modern parents say they're going for in a baby name but rarely achieve, mostly because people want other people not only to like, but admire, the name they choose. Sarah Palin doesn't have that problem. As a baby namer, she's a real maverick.
Catholics celebrate 230th anniversary of first Alaska Mass (Catholic Anchor): By 1779, the race to explore and claim rights to the far north had reached Alaska. The Spanish arrived on a two-fold mission: to claim territory for their Catholic king and to spread the faith.
Ketchikan supported statehood - eventually (Stories in the News, Ketchikan): The battle for statehood in Ketchikan was also a battle - to the death, eventually - between Ketchikan's two newspapers, the Daily News and the Chronicle.
Return to Alaska Newsreader through the day for new links.
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT NEWSREADERS:
‘Deadliest Catch' crew sets out to make Kodiak proud (Kodiak Daily Mirror)
Native beauty in hands of book holders (The Cordova Times)
Barrow dancers step into Obama inaugural parade (The Arctic Sounder)
Souped-up snowmachines (Wired)
Solar meets polar as winter curbs clean energy (The New York Times)
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