Rural Alaska

AFN: Begich touts bacon, launches rural website

Rural Alaska Hub, a web page that's already live, is a way to keep in better touch with the Bush, Mark Begich announced at the Alaska Federation of Natives annual convention Saturday.

The site, of course, touts his record on rural issues, such as avoiding post office closures and upgrades to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

There's also an Alaska map showing federal funds he's helped to secure in order to improve runways, water systems and other rural infrastructure, some of which came from the federal stimulus act.

"By working together, we have delivered nearly $2 billion -- the highest per capita of any state -- to communities all throughout Alaska through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," Begich said in a speech at AFN.

Use the new web feature to communicate with him, he told a big room of delegates, "about challenges you face and solutions you want to see enacted."

He recounted a trip to the village of New Stuyahok in Southwest Alaska -- he and others were there to celebrate a $100 million broadband project funded with stimulus dollars.

"They were driving s around town in the back of a police car -- which somehow we got locked into. Talk about having a captive audience."

Contact Alex DeMarban at alex(at)alaskadispatch.com

Alex DeMarban

Alex DeMarban is a longtime Alaska journalist who covers business, the oil and gas industries and general assignments. Reach him at 907-257-4317 or alex@adn.com.

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