Abigail Echo-Hawk, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute, recalled a Native mother in her 30s who started having memory loss and other dementia-like symptoms. The woman had suffered multiple blows to her head and falls at the hands of her husband over the years. He had wanted to disable her, to make it more […]
Posted inCommentary
On rivers and in courtrooms, Alaska battles for land inside national parks and preserves
LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE — The two floatplanes circled beneath low clouds before landing on an alpine lake, deep in the mountains west of Anchorage.They carried employees of the state of Alaska — footsoldiers in a long-running turf war with the federal government. It was early August, but the high peaks above the […]
Posted inHealth, News
UAA taps veteran Alaska medical professional as new College of Health dean
An Alaska and Arctic health veteran has been selected to head the College of Health at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Dr. Jay Butler, who is a nationally recognized expert in infectious diseases, will start his UAA position on Dec. 28, the university announced on Friday. Butler has experience in state, federal and tribal governments. Most recently, […]
Posted inNews, Courts
Alaska Supreme Court contemplates the limits of tax exemptions for religious camps
The five members of Alaska’s highest court heard arguments last Thursday in a long-running dispute between the operators of a Christian camp and the Fairbanks North Star Borough about whether or not the camp qualifies for an exemption from local property taxes. Though the dispute involves only a single camp in Fairbanks, the justices’ ruling […]
Posted inBlotter
Police Blotter June 8 – Oct. 18
Sunday, June 8 A welfare check was requested. An officer responded. Monday, June 9 A caller reported a boat on a trailer blocking the roadway in Fort Seward. An officer responded. Tuesday, June 10 A caller on View Point Road reported a suspicious call about their property being listed for sale. The caller said they […]
Posted inLocal News, Public Safety
Alaska declares disaster over federal food aid failure, diverts $10 million for temporary help
Following a request by state legislators and similar action by other states, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Monday declared a 30-day state of disaster that allows the state to temporarily fund federal food-aid programs used by tens of thousands of Alaskans. The state of Alaska will spend up to $10 million for direct financial assistance to Alaskans who use […]
Posted inCommentary
Carbon credits could be a winner for Haines State Forest
Carbon credits are a game changing tool for modern forestry in Alaska. They make money from what forests already do: accumulate carbon molecules in wood. They can offer a management strategy for generating revenue in areas where timber harvests could put high-value fish and wildlife habitat at risk. The coastal forests of Southeast Alaska are particularly […]
Posted inNews, Government & Elections
DHS Wants States to Hand Over Driver’s License Data for Citizenship Checks
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published. This article is co-published with The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan local newsroom that informs and engages with Texans. Sign up for The Brief Weekly to get up to speed on their essential coverage of Texas issues. […]
Posted inNews
Native communities scramble to provide food with SNAP, WIC cutoffs looming
WASHINGTON — The near-certain freeze on key federal nutrition programs will put particular pressure on tribal communities, according to advocates and U.S. senators of both parties. American Indian and Alaska Native communities are scrambling to fill anticipated gaps in food security and assistance created by the lack of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, […]
Posted inNews, Economy
Trump administration to pay about half of November SNAP benefits amid shutdown
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay about half of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, though benefits could take months to flow to recipients, the department said Monday in a brief to a federal court in Rhode Island. A four-page report from the USDA answered U.S. District Chief Judge John […]