Newscasts

In this newscast: The shuttered Gross Alaska Theater building in downtown Juneau is poised to get new life — as home to 22 new apartments; Mendenhall Valley homeowners are divided on the city’s plan to hold back glacial outbursts; Tongass Voices: Dr. Paul Weiden on 20 years of cancer care in Southeast Alaska

In this newscast: Two bowhead whales were harvested in the same afternoon near St. Lawrence Island, A recent state report found that the Alaska Office of Children’s Services failed to offer enough support for a foster child with aggressive behaviors, Hospitals across the country are reeling from the collapse of a staffing agency for emergency…

In this newscast: The Hecla Greens Creek mine near Juneau wants to explore the land it leases on Admiralty Island for new mineral deposits that could be mined in the future. The plans come just a month after the U.S. Forest officially permitted an expansion project that will extend mine operations for up to 18 years; Gov. Mike Dunleavy released his proposal for the state budget on Thursday. It’s the first draft of a spending plan for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Over the next several months, there’ll be lots of back-and-forth with lawmakers as the state Legislature examines the budget in detail before they pass their own version; A Kodiak grand jury has indicted a 16-year-old in connection with an explosion last month at a popular beach that injured nearly a dozen teenagers; Last year the outdoor recreation industry accounted for 4.6% of Alaska’s economy, according to a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In this newscast: The head of the agency that manages the Alaska Permanent Fund is getting a raise. The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation’s Board of Trustees approved a 10% pay increase for CEO Deven Mitchell on Tuesday, bringing his total salary to more than $420,000 a year; A massive sea lion will no longer be terrorizing people and pets in Petersburg’s South Harbor. It was killed this weekend — but not by law enforcement. Instead, they collaborated with two Tlingit brothers who plan to use the hide and whiskers for traditional regalia; A Sugt’stun language game is quickly gaining recognition since its release in 2023. KBBI’s Jamie Diep has more on the game’s development that teaches children around the world about Sugpiaq culture; A federal judge in Oregon and a Washington state court judge both issued rulings Tuesday temporarily blocking the proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, halting fears of numerous Alaska store closures.

In this newscast: The criminal case against a former Juneau chiropractor accursed of sexual assault is on track to go to trial in February; The 5 a.m. Alaska Airlines flight from Juneau to Seattle won’t be an option this winter; For Tongass Voices, Dak júus Rob Yates teaches the language on teaching the Haida people,  X̱aad Kíl.

In this newscast: The loss of five lives aboard the Wind Walker earlier this month was the latest in a string of tragedies that has shaken the Sitka community this year. In a two-hour vigil at the University of Alaska Southeast boat ramp on Saturday, more than 80 Sitkans and visitors gathered to share stories of loss, sing hymns, and toss flowers into the channel; Election officials finished recounting the results of Ballot Measure 2 yesterday, and the outcome remains unchanged; Dak júus Rob Yates teaches the language of the Haida people, X̱aad Kíl. According to the most recent statewide report, there is only one person alive who has spoken X̱aad Kíl since birth. There are two other highly proficient speakers. Yates says he isn’t one of them yet, but he’s still working to breathe life into the language; The Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska – one of the world’s largest producers of lead and zinc- is set to run out of ore in just eight years. But Teck, the Canadian company that operates the mine, wants to explore nearby deposits that could extend the mine’s life for decades.

In this newscast: The way tourism companies in Juneau can take advantage of city-owned trails and parks is getting an update.A new city analysis recommends changes that, if approved, would allow companies to operate on some popular trails they haven’t been able to before — while others would stay off limits; As Kenai Peninsula school board members mull the best way to restrict student cellphone use, three schools offered reflections on the policies they’ve already implemented; Republicans in the Alaska House have formed a 19-member minority caucus, and elected Anchorage Representative-elect Mia Costello as their leader. The outgoing House speaker, Wasilla Republican Cathy Tilton, will serve as minority whip.

In this newscast: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski occupies a rare place among her 99 colleagues. She doesn’t necessarily stick to what party leaders would want her to do and her propensity to cross the aisle could stand between Trump and his agenda. Alaska Public Media Washington Correspondent Liz Ruskin reports on Murkowski’s spot in the dynamics of the Senate as it switches to Republican control; Just in the last five years the State of Alaska has declared nearly three dozen weather or climate related disasters-  nearly double the five years before. As Alaskans grapple with a rapidly changing climate, what changes can we expect to the environment? As KNOM’s Ben Townsend shares, a new report attempts to answer that question; Tribal members from the Wrangell Cooperative Association were introduced on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building this week for the Christmas Tree lighting. They blessed the tree and the people at the ceremony with traditional songs.

In this newscast: The U.S. Coast Guard has released the names of the five fishermen lost in the boat sinking near Hoonah on Sunday; Alaska is turning down millions in federal funding earmarked to replace water infrastructure that contains lead — because the state doesn’t have any; Eaglecrest Ski Area has just enough snow to partially open to skiers on Saturday — its scheduled opening day. It marks the kick-off of the winter ski season in Juneau; Ketchikan’s new city-sponsored Mobile Integrated Healthcare program launched in June, but recently one of the programs two paramedics was fired – a week after he criticized the city; The Northwest Arctic community of Kiana has been without running water for several days

In this newscast: Six Republicans in the state Senate have announced that they’re planning to form a minority caucus, which would be enough to guarantee conservative seats on the legislative committees; A recount is underway in Juneau on the closely contested ballot measure that would have repealed Alaska’s open primaries and ranked choice voting; There are expected to be a lot fewer people in Southeast Alaska by 2050, according to a recent report; Coast Guard Base Kodiak’s child development center has faced major staffing issues this year that nearly led to the daycare’s closure