Alaska Newsreader

Beyond mosquitoes: Book celebrates aquatic bugs of Alaska

Three Juneau-area insect aficionados have published a 140-page guide to Alaska's aquatic insects, and in an interview with the Juneau Empire they offer tips for finding and photographing them.

Sausage powers British climbers to Denali summit

Two mountain climbers from northern England who recently summited "Mount Denali" wrote home from Talkeetna to share news of their achievement -- and credit the hometown saveloy and pies for building their climbing power.

CNN reports from Yakutat on arrival of tsunami debris

Beach cleanup volunteers in Alaska are worried they'll be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of wreckage believed to be headed toward the West Coast from Japan.

Young beluga found dead in Kenai tribe's setnet

A 10-foot beluga whale was found dead in early May in an educational gillnet set by the Kenaitze Indian Tribe at the mouth of the Kenai River. Tribal representatives told The Redoubt Reporter the whale might have already died before it got caught in the net.

Winter may have killed hundreds of St. Paul's reindeer

Residents of St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands are facing the possible loss of much reindeer meat and income from sales this summer. KUCB reports they fear the harsh winter has killed off as much as three-quarters of a herd that had more than 500 animals.

Unalaska police blotter: Restaurant critic seeks revenge on chef

"Assault – Victor T. Tamasoaalii, 54 yoa, of Oregon, was arrested for Assault IV after he stormed into the Harborview Bar kitchen, grabbed some culinary knives and threatened the cook for having failed to fulfill his food order."

Video: View from deck after ferry strikes Petersburg pier

A woman videotaping from the deck of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Matanuska as it arrived in Petersburg on May 7 dashed to the bow as the ferry struck a fish processor's dock.

Bristol Palin reality show to debut June 19

The Lifetime Channel says Bristol Palin's reality show, "Life's a Tripp," will debut June 19. From The Washington Post: "The reality series will chronicle the life of Sarah Palin's oldest daughter - whom Lifetime calls 'one of America's most famous young mothers' - as she moves from Wasilla, Alaska, to Los Angeles."

Haines makes progress clearing junk cars out of town

How many junk cars are hiding amid the woods and weeds of Haines, the Southeast Alaska port with a population of around 2,000? Hundreds, it turns out. A company that sponsored a free junker-disposal event in Haines had to suspend it -- hopefully temporarily -- when the offer proved too popular, reports the Chilkat Valley News (subscription required).

Talkeetna lakes known as X, Y, Z might get new names

Three popular lakes just southeast of Talkeetna known as X, Y and Z -- or collectively on maps as the Talkeetna Lakes -- may be getting less confusing names, for safety and other reasons, reports KTNA.

Is Sarah Palin's political clout underrated?

In the wake of Nebraska state Sen. Deb Fischer's surprise victory Tuesday in the state's GOP U.S. Senate primary, pundits are debating what effect a late endorsement by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had on the race. Politico downplayed Palin's role, pointing out Fischer was already surging in polls behind her campaign's attack ads on the leading opponent. But the far-right Breitbart site says Palin put Fischer over the top in the final week.

Bald eagles again on warpath in Unalaska

In Unalaska at this time of year, you probably won't get in trouble with the feds if you happen to make physical contact with the national bird. It's mating season, a time when bald eagles get territorial around their nests and regularly swoop down on passing humans, reports KUCB.

Whale drowns after baleen caught on boat's anchor line

A 60-foot fin whale drowned in Uyak Bay off Kodiak Island last month after attempts to free it from a fishing boat's anchor line failed. University of Alaska marine mammal specialist Kate Wynne told KMXT in Kodiak the incident was extremely unusual and could have just as easily ended with the crew in danger.

Studies point to trouble when hatchery and wild salmon mix

New studies published this week in a special issue of the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes present more evidence of potential trouble when hatchery salmon mingle with wild stocks. But hatcheries are important in preserving salmon fisheries, the guest editor of the edition tells The New York Times, and a balance needs to be found.

Moose bashes woman's memory and car, but she gets to work on time

A resident of the Canadian province of Newfoundland arrived at work one day last week dazed and sitting inside her nearly demolished car with her neck fractured and her face bruised. And was that a moose hoofprint on her forehead? CBC reports Michelle Higgins didn't know what exactly had happened to her, but her co-workers convinced her to get medical care. It was later determined that Higgins had driven 25 miles to work after a collision with a moose.

State plan for Parks Highway upgrade angers some in Wasilla

Four lanes with a median, or four lanes with an additional open center turn lane? That's the question being hotly debated in Wasilla as the state plans an upgrade to the Parks Highway in the fast-growing Mat-Su city. The Alaska Department of Transportation wants a median with access turn lanes every half-mile, while Mayor Verne Rupright and the owners of many businesses along the Parks want the open center turn lane, commonly known as a "suicide" lane. The arguments are getting personal, reports the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

Kikkan Randall shares workout secrets with the Wall St. Journal

The Wall Street Journal's "What's Your Workout" column goes hardcore this week with a look at World Cup-winning Anchorage nordic skier Kikkan Randall's off-season routines -- including gear choices, music playlist and naptimes. Warning: This isn't weekend warrior stuff.

Unalaska police blotter: $12,000 gone, hangover lingers

"Welfare Check: A woman asked officers to check on her sister, who was allegedly suicidal after having misplaced approximately $12,000 in cash. Officers found the sister asleep in her bed. The intoxicated sister assured officers she would not harm herself unless she failed to find her money, in which event she might change her mind."

ESPN: UAA runner whose frozen feet were amputated intended suicide

Marko Cheseto, the star UAA runner from rural Kenya who went missing in Anchorage for more than two days in November and eventually walked to safety on frozen feet, intentionally overdosed on painkillers and prescribed anti-anxiety medication before passing out along a trail, says ESPN. A lengthy ESPN magazine report on Cheseto tells of his journey to Alaska in 2008 on a running scholarship and the pressure he and his Kenyan teammates felt to do well academically and athletically, as well as hold down part-time jobs so they could send cash home to their families.

Alaska may have prime seat for Venus transit of sun

It will be 105 years before Venus again passes directly between Earth and the sun, and some scientists are choosing Alaska as the place to witness the last-in-a-lifetime astronomical event on June 6. Alaska and Hawaii are the only two U.S. states that will have a view of the entire seven-hour transit, reports Space.com. Coincidentally, there's a meeting of solar physicists in Anchorage the week after the Venus transit, so some of them are coming early.

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.

Spring whale hunt safe, successful so far

The Arctic Sounder rounds up statistics from the spring whale hunt on Alaska's Arctic coast: 10 bowheads landed in Barrow, two in Point Hope and one in Wainwright. The season isn't over yet.

New iPhone/iPad apps highlight Alaska Native languages

First there were Alutiiq and Dena'ina apps. Now come Inupiat and Gwich'in apps, reports the UAF Talking Alaska blog. The new Inupiat app, reviewed on the blog this week, encourages sharing via Facebook, Twitter and email.

University of Montana students line up for Alaska teaching posts

The College of Education at the University of Montana is proving to be a reliable source of young teachers for rural Alaska, reports KPAX-TV in Missoula, which is following a young local couple's attempt to land an Alaska job after finding Montana jobs tough to get.

Irreconcilable musical differences on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta?

Bethel-based public radio station KYUK may wish it had never asked its listeners about their favorite musical genres. The favorite of village residents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region -- gospel -- didn't even make the top 10 for residents of Bethel, the biggest city. Bethel favors oldies and classic rock. Now what? How about two stations.