Alaska News

Mayor Sullivan vetoes Assembly vote on debt payoff

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan on Friday vetoed an Assembly action from Tuesday that he says would hurt his efforts to ease his difficulty of balancing the city budget in a time of tight revenue. The issue centered on $12 million in city debt due next year and $10 million due the following year. Sullivan's budget for 2010 proposes to take on new debt to make those payments. The new debt would carry a much smaller payment-due in 2010 and 2011 than the $22 million currently due, although the full amount would have to be paid eventually.

Craig man pleads guilty to sea otter hide sales

A Craig man who conspired to sell the hides of sea otters illegally killed in Southeast Alaska has pleaded guilty in federal court to two felony violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the U.S. attorney said Friday.

Sherry Johnston, Levi's mother, is sentenced to 3 years

Sherry Johnston was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for dealing the prescription painkiller OxyContin. Johnston is the mother of Levi Johnston, who is the father of former Gov. Sarah Palin's grandchild, Tripp.

Postal Service retreats on Santa letters ruling

North Pole elves have good reason to celebrate again, thanks to a decision by the U.S. Postal Service to resume a Santa Claus letter program that's thrilled children from around the world for decades.

North Pole volunteers push to keep Santa mail service

Palin book tour to stop at scene of shooting rampage

Sarah Palin's tour to promote her new memoir will include a stop at Fort Hood in December, during which proceeds from book sales will benefit the victims of the shooting rampage and their families.

Army to limit Palin coverage at Fort Bragg

Palin race sponsorship disclosure OK, says APOC

APOC drops some charges in clean-water ballot fight

Election regulators this week dismissed all charges against an Anchorage political consultant and two others accused of violating state law when they raised money for last year's proposal to tighten state mining law. But the heart of the case has not yet been resolved.

Settlement near in sex abuse lawsuit, Fairbanks diocese says

The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks says it's near a financial settlement with a committee representing almost 300 alleged victims of clergy sex abuse.

Claman: Assembly got details of budget from Begich

Municipal Attorney Dennis Wheeler said reasonable people might disagree with some of his conclusions faulting Mayor Mark Begich's financial reporting to the Assembly last year. It appears he was right.

PDF: Begich responses to Wheeler questions

PDF: Begich reaction to the report

PDF: The Wheeler Report

All passengers safe after air taxi's emergency landing

Quila Dock Jr. of Kipnuk said the forced landing on the tundra of a Yute Air Cessna 207 in which he and his family were passengers Wednesday was so smooth his twin baby daughters slept through it.

Anchorage woman charged with 6 more counts of fraud

A former Rhodes and Fulbright scholar already charged with student-loan fraud was indicted Thursday on six more counts of fraud by a grand jury in Anchorage.

North Slope worker dies in accident at Prudhoe Bay

A North Slope worker was killed Wednesday when a pickup pinned him against a section of pipe. He is the second man crushed by a vehicle in Prudhoe Bay in roughly three weeks.

Alaska's high court hears predator control case

Opponents of Alaska's predator control program in which hundreds of wolves and bears have been killed are arguing their case today before Alaska's highest court.

North Pole volunteers push to keep Santa mail service

Volunteer Santa Claus "elves" in Alaska's frigid Interior are determined to save a popular holiday letter service featuring the North Pole's most beloved icon.

Dad charged in girl's slapping death

A 15-month-old girl who died of traumatic brain injury more than a year ago died at the hands of her father, who slapped her head into a highchair repeatedly because she wouldn't stop throwing food on the floor, according to court documents.

Alaska gets money for green jobs

Pacific Northwest states are getting more than $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage green jobs.

Jobs down in Alaska for sixth straight month

Alaska's unemployment rate jumped to 8.9 percent last month as the state recorded its sixth straight month of job losses.

Car hits duo crossing Parks; 1 killed, 1 injured

A woman is dead and a man is in the hospital after they were hit by a car Wednesday night while trying to cross the Parks Highway near the intersection with Pittman Road, troopers say.

Palin race sponsorship disclosure OK, says APOC

Members of the Alaska Public Offices Commission unanimously ruled Thursday that Sarah Palin has sufficiently disclosed the Arctic Cat sponsorship her husband, Todd, received for the Iron Dog snowmachine race.

Old murder reopened; police seek public's help

Police say new information has prompted them to reopen a 9-year-old unsolved murder case.

Geriatric black bear dies at Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo officials say Pete, an 18-year-old black bear who loved to lounge in a tractor tire, has been euthanized because of his age and debilitating arthritis.

Child burned in bizarre 'redneck flamethrower' incident

Two Anchorage men who told investigators they were horsing around with a "redneck flamethrower" set a 5-year-old boy's head on fire and have been charged with felony assault and reckless endangerment, according to police and court records.