Alaska News

Coast Guard rescues 4 from skiff adrift since Friday

The Coast Guard rescued four people from the village of Platinum on Sunday who had been drifting with an ice floe in Bristol Bay for days after their skiff ran out of gas.

Permanent Fund plans homes investment

The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. is considering buying homes in distressed housing markets outside the state for an investment of $400 million.

2 teens rescued after fall on mountain near Whittier

Two teenage hikers were rescued by an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter early Sunday after falling from a mountainside in Whittier.

18-year-old suffers shotgun blast to his leg

Police in Kenai say an 18-year-old man is recovering from a shotgun wound to his leg.

Anglers celebrate first kings on Ninilchik, Anchor

When Cody Wise caught a 30-inch king salmon just after midnight Saturday morning on the Ninilchik River, he tossed it back, perhaps thinking he could get something better. By the time 5 a.m. rolled around on Saturday, the Homer man felt differently.

Ketchikan police seize nearly 1 pound of heroin

Police and federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents seized nearly a pound of heroin from a Ketchikan home and arrested a resident.

Biologists predict low Yukon River king return

Yukon River king salmon fishermen hoping for a change from last year's dismal returns are getting bad news. State and federal biologists say the 2012 king salmon run may be worse.

Pedro Bay men charged with sex crimes

A grand jury last week indicted three men from an Iliamna Lake village for felony sex crimes against the same woman, according to Alaska State Troopers.

MAY 27, 2012

Alaska Ear

Alaska politics and political hijinks

The Dome's parking lot slated for makeover

The deeply rutted dirt parking lot at The Dome -- soggy and challenging to drive especially during breakup -- will be getting a makeover, thanks to the state Legislature.

Black bear causes stir in Anchorage visit

Police tracked a black bear in the Abbott Loop area of South Anchorage through residential and industrial areas Saturday. The small bear, which residents said they've seen in the neighborhood recently, scampered away unharmed after officers followed it for about 30 minutes.

Memorial Day closures

Holiday weekend closures

World War II veterans to be featured in Park Strip ceremony

Surviving World War II veterans will be honored as part of Memorial Day observances on Monday. The Staff Sgt. Archie Van Winkle Memorial Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association will host a service at 3 p.m. on the Park Strip at the Veterans Memorial, west of I Street between Ninth and 10th avenues.

Memorial Day closures

Shell's Arctic oil exploration stands to open new frontier

Shortly before Thanksgiving in 2010, the leaders of the commission President Barack Obama had appointed to investigate the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico sat down in the Oval Office to brief him.

Man in critical condition after motorcycle crash near Wasilla

A Fairbanks man was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after crashing his motorcycle in Wasilla, according to the Alaska State Troopers.

Coast Guard rescues 5 from fishing vessel

A Coast Guard helicopter team rescued the captain and four crew members of a fishing tender that lost steering in the Gulf of Alaska's 20-foot seas Friday night, the Coast Guard says.

Appeals court backs decision giving Shell OK to drill in Arctic

An appeals court has sided with the federal government in giving the go-ahead to Shell Oil Co. to move forward with drilling in the Alaska Arctic this year, according to a ruling issued Friday night.

Standout Kenyan runner rebuilds his life

For the first 28 years of his life, Marko Cheseto's feet carried him, from a small village in the mountains of western Kenya to America, where he won race after race, becoming one of the most accomplished runners in UAA history. Then came the suicide of a cousin -- really more like a brother -- from his village, someone Cheseto himself had recruited to UAA running.

Fund to help Cheseto cover debt

Photos: Marko Cheseto

Photos: The search for Marko Cheseto (11/8/11)

Kodiak remains in dark on double-homicide investigation

Officially, there are no suspects in last month's double homicide at the Coast Guard communication station in Kodiak. Unofficially, most everyone in Kodiak knows that a co-worker of the two dead men owns vehicles similar to those for which the FBI has sought information.

Keyes returns to court 2 days after apparent escape attempt

Wearing a new red jumpsuit and now labeled a dangerous prisoner after an apparent escape attempt, Israel Keyes, the man charged with abducting and killing 18-year-old Samantha Koenig, sat calmly through a federal court hearing Friday.

JULIA O'MALLEY

Army wife blogs about life with 2 sets of twins

There’s still a war going on. Even in a military town, we sometimes forget that. Bridget Rainey’s blog, Twinisms, brings the life of one local military wife into tight focus. She’ll crack you up and choke you up all at once.

Photos: Life with twins

O'Malley blog, previous columns