Interior

Finnish skier dies in 2,000-foot fall high on Mount McKinley

A mountaineer trying to ski down Mount McKinley died Wednesday after tumbling about 2,000 feet through rocks and ice high on the mountain.

Fairbanks militia's '241' killing plan was secretly recorded

The threats by Fairbanks militia members to the lives of law enforcement officials and their families came under sharp focus in a federal courtroom Tuesday when secretly recorded conversations revealed the origins of the infamous "241" plan for murder.

Photos: Federal evidence in militia case

More coverage of the militiamen's trial

Climber who died on Mount McKinley was from Germany

National park officials say a climber who died in a fatal fall on Mount McKinley was from Germany.

1,100-foot fall causes first death of season on McKinley

State's active duty military members, dependents get a day at the park

On Armed Services Day, Saturday, the National Park Service will begin issuing an annual pass offering free entrance to all 397 national parks for active duty military members and their dependents.

Denali bear missing half of leg seems healthy

A three-pawed grizzly bear -- nicknamed "Tripawed" -- that turned up in Denali National Park last summer with a bloody stump for a right front leg is back, just in time for the start of the tourist season.

Reader photos: Bear sightings

Post your 2012 bear-sighting photos

End of the trail for a pair of old-timers in Eagle

Two stubborn, hardy and colorful old-time residents of Eagle died over the winter, a significant loss in the remote Yukon River village of just over a hundred residents near the Canadian border. Anchorage writer Louise Freeman, a former full-time Eagle resident, pays loving and respectful tribute to Dave and Vicki this week in a lengthy remembrance for the Anchorage Press.

Meeting considers role for Alaska Native language council

Should a semester of Alaska Native language studies be required in high school? Should every school have a Native language teacher? Those were among suggestions Monday at a meeting called in response to passage of a bill creating a state Native language council.

State seeks public comment on Parks Highway scenic byway plan

Alaska officials are seeking public comments on a draft for the George Parks Highway scenic byway plan, which serves as a framework for decision making in development and maintenance of interpretive sites and service.

Drilling river ice pays off nicely for Nenana Ice Classic winner

And the Nenana Ice Classic winner is: a man who drills his own holes in the frozen Tanana River to study the conditions for hitting the jackpot in Alaska's biggest annual guessing game. The ice drilling paid off handsomely -- a record jackpot of $350,000 -- for Tommy Lee Waters.

Floodwater recedes at Manley Hot Springs

Residents of Manley Hot Springs say floodwaters have receded and they now face the job of mopping up.

Tanana River ice jam floods Manley Hot Springs

Five homes have been flooded in the interior Alaska community of Manley Hot Springs and high water is threatening 20 more.

Nenana Ice Classic jackpot reaches a record $350,000

The winners haven't been determined yet, but this year's jackpot in Alaska's Nenana Ice Classic is worth a record $350,000.

Wait is on for announcement of Nenana Ice Classic winners

In this age of multimillion-dollar lottery jackpots and online betting on anything and everything, wagers take on a slower place in Alaska -- and the payout is a lot smaller. It's not exactly betting on when paint will dry, but it's close.

Tanana River tripod falls in Nenana Ice Classic betting game

A spokeswoman for Alaska's annual ice breakup betting game says the tripod set up on the Tanana River ice tipped and stopped the official clock at 7:39 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on Monday.

Salcha floods as breakup ice jams Tanana River in Interior

Salcha floods as breakup ice jams Tanana River in Interior

An ice jam has again sent floodwaters spilling over the Old Richardson Highway in Salcha, 40 miles southeast of Fairbanks. It appears the flooding is a little worse this year than in the past few years.

Holy Cross officials block effort to recall entire City Council

Officials in a tiny Native village in Alaska's Interior have shot down a local group's effort to recall the entire City Council over alleged mishandling of multiple duties, including failure to file mandatory financial disclosures, provide workers' compensation insurance for city employees, hold regular meetings or follow through with scheduled elections.

Tanana Chiefs boost reward for information in 1997 killing

The Tanana Chiefs Conference has increased its reward for information about the 1997 killing of John Hartman.

Woman dies, man injured, in Minto house fire

A cabin fire in the village of Minto Saturday evening killed a woman and seriously burned a man, Alaska State Troopers said Sunday.

Lawyer in river arrest by park service files federal appeal

The lawyer for the 72-year-old Interior Alaska man caught up in a legal feud with the National Park Service is arguing in a federal appeals court that park rangers did not have the authority to stop the man on the Yukon River because he wasn't involved in a subsistence activity.

Alaska gets nearly $12 million in highway flooding reimbursement

Alaska has been reimbursed nearly $12 million for flood damage to the Taylor Highway.

Weather flip-flop: March colder than February in Fairbanks

Fairbanks is experiencing topsy-turvy weather. March was colder than February in the city.

State proposes causeway for popular lakefront

A 230-foot causeway would be built into a popular Interior Alaska lake under a proposal advanced by state park officials.

Squatter accused of burning health trust cabin near Healy

A man with a history of illegal hunting and squatting in cabins in the Healy area has been arrested and charged with burning down a cabin owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

Drinking bout ends with one stabbed, one in jail

Two friends drinking together at a home in Tazlina began arguing, then one stabbed the other in the head, Alaska State Troopers said Sunday. One man now is in custody and the other is recovering from knife wounds.

Japanese tourists share cultural ideas in Tanana

It would have been easy for the 16 Japanese tourists to stop in Fairbanks and call their Alaska trip complete. They wanted more, though. They wanted to see the Alaska that lies far beyond the cities.

Alaskan treks on Yukon for suicide prevention

A Native man whose son committed suicide is continuing his suicide prevention walk on the frozen Yukon River in Interior Alaska.

House committee moves school intervention bill

The House Education Committee has advanced a bill that would change the way the state intervenes in struggling school districts.

Athabascan elder Catherine Attla dies

Catherine Attla, an Athabascan elder, author and tradition bearer, has died at her home in Huslia. She was born in 1927.

Tanana Chiefs hold 50th annual convention in Fairbanks

Randy Mayo, first chief of Stevens Village Tribal Council, says the convention being held in Fairbanks is a milestone and an outgrowth of the traditional form of governance.

Shooting of grizzlies at bait stations gets OK

In 4-3 vote, the Alaska Board of Game has approved the shooting of grizzly bears by hunters at bait stations intended only for black bears. The change applies only to three game units in Interior Alaska.

Tanana school shut down in white-powder scare

The Tanana school was shut down Tuesday after an envelope containing a white powder was opened in a school office.

Tripod goes up for Nenana Ice Classic

Officials in Nenana on Sunday erected a tripod on the Tanana River ice in preparation for the annual Nenana Ice Classic guessing game.

Tanana man plans walk to support suicide prevention efforts

A 55-year-old Tanana man plans to leave Thursday for a walk of at least 175 miles to Galena in support of healthy lifestyles.

4.3 earthquake hits 8 miles northwest of Glennallen

Seismologists say a light earthquake struck Alaska's east-central region and was felt in several communities.

Rural Alaska air travel subsidies survive budget cuts

Subsidies for rural Alaska air travel survived the cost cutting talk as Congress passed a four-year funding bill for the Federal Aviation Administration on Monday after years of dispute.

FAA bill speeds switch to GPS for airliners

Body found in burned Copper Center cabin

Alaska State Troopers say a body was located after a cabin fire in Copper Center.

GRAPHIC

Alaska Interior weathers a cold weekend

Interior Alaska endured severely cold temperatures over the weekend, with records broken in Galena ( - 63 Saturday and - 65 Sunday) and Bettles ( - 60 Saturday and Sunday).

Fish sold as king salmon turn out to be chums; seller convicted

It was a fish tale of epic proportions. And it ended with a felony conviction in federal court. A Fairbanks jury on Friday convicted Willis Scott Maxon, 52, for lying about the type of salmon he was selling at events in Alaska and to out-of-state buyers.

Bush dweller fights to reclaim his 22 cats after seizure

It was summer when Jim Hershberger packed up his 22 cats at his remote Alaska homestead, hauled them down a mountain on a sled and loaded them into a raft. After a short river trip, he drove 250 miles to Anchorage. But the city broke his heart.

Rescued animals overload shelter; supplies needed

Harsh Alaska winter leads to fuel shortages in some villages

Living in Alaska's outer reaches is challenging enough, given the isolation and weather extremes, but at least three remote communities also have experienced weather-related late deliveries of fuel crucial to their survival during an especially bitter winter.

Ex-village council leader stole funds

The former president of an Interior Alaska village council admits to stealing nearly $25,000 from the council in 2007, according to a signed plea agreement set to be entered in federal court next month.

Subject of controversial arrest on Yukon River fined

A minor arrest that bloomed into protests, rallies and a line in a bill in Congress about federal policing powers in national parks came to a quiet end Friday with a fine.

Gold, cash offered for tips in moose kill case

Alaska State Troopers say an ounce of gold and a $500 reward are being offered in the case of a bull moose illegally killed and left as wanton waste in Alaska's Interior.

Denali National Park entry fee structure changes for 2012

The National Park Service is changing the way it charges visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve. Visitors now will be charged per head, not per vehicle.

DEC: Little environmental cleanup after explosion, fire

A state official says there will be little environmental clean-up required by an explosion and fire at a gas station in Cantwell.

Tanacross man dies after snowmachine crash

Alaska State Troopers say a 42-year-old Tanacross man has died in a snowmachine accident.

Troopers say student peddled pot at school

A student at Tok High School has been arrested after allegedly selling marijuana at school.

Alaska guide accused of helping smuggle mammoth tusk

A longtime Alaska river guide faces charges that she helped a client smuggle a 10,000-year-old, federally protected mammoth tusk out of the state in 2007, according to a Dec. 16 indictment.

Usibelli anticipates record-breaking coal year

It could be a record-breaking year for Usibelli Coal Mine. Aurora Energy Services, a subsidiary of Usibelli, said it expects to exceed 1 million metric tons of coal exports this year.

Alaska militia co-defendant released, returned to Fairbanks

An Alaska man picked up by FBI agents with a material witness warrant earlier this month has been released and returned to Fairbanks.

Man arrested on material witness warrant in militia case

Delegation's measure would bar NPS from stopping boaters

Language inserted into a federal spending bill would bar the National Park Service from stopping boaters in the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.

Troopers name 5 injured in Cantwell gas station explosion

Alaska State Troopers have identified the five people injured in a Sunday night explosion inside a gas station in Cantwell.

3 injured as fire destroys store at gas station in Cantwell

3 injured as fire destroys store at gas station in Cantwell

A fire destroyed a gas station convenience store in Cantwell near Denali National Park on Sunday evening, Alaska State Troopers said. At least three people went to hospitals with injuries.

Car collision kills Delta woman

A 28-year-old Delta Junction woman has been killed in a two-car accident on the Richardson Highway, a mile north of the main gate to Fort Greely.

Dogs eating Yukon salmon show higher mercury levels

Sled dogs eating wild salmon from the Yukon River have higher levels of mercury than those eating commercial diets, according to a study conducted by an environmental group. But it doesn't recommend changing the dogs' diet.

Fortymile caribou hunt begins Thursday

Caribou hunting in the Fortymile River region east of Fairbanks will open Thursday with restrictions.

Doyon gives a million for new health center

The Alaska Native regional corporation for Interior Alaska will make a $1 million contribution in support of a health center.

Weather warming up a bit in the Interior

After six straight days of minus 35 degrees or lower temperatures, cloud cover is giving Interior Alaskans a little break.

Spell of unseasonable cold keeps icy grip on Fairbanks

Troopers rescue hypothermic man from cabin near Healy

A Healy man who said another man poisoned him and stole his cold weather gear and then left him to freeze to death was rescued by Alaska State Troopers after walking an estimated 35 miles in temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees below zero.

Continuing Interior deep-freeze sets November records

Six straight days of minus 35 or worse in Fairbanks has easily broken a record for November, which previously saw only two straight days that cold. Tok suffered through a morning low of minus 47 on Sunday.