KSKA Public Radio » Metro News

Anchorage enters Google’s ultra fast broadband competition

Kristin Spack — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:57:23 +0000

Yesterday Mayor Dan Sullivan announced Anchorage was entering the competition to be one of the communities where Google will test its new ultra-high speed, broadband networks.

GoogifiAK.com
Facebook: 1GB Anchorage
APRN: Juneau Might Get Google Bid (3 March 2010)

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Assembly sets Housing First location guidelines

Kristin Spack — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:44:03 +0000

After a divided and lengthy public hearing that occupied portions of two meetings, the Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance that sets guidelines for housing designed for homeless, chronic alcoholics.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Alaska Monitoring Tsunami Situation

pyack — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:46:26 +0000

The Associated Press – Anchorage

Officials at the Alaska emergency coordination center are monitoring the tsunami situation after the earthquake in Chile. Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs deputy commissioner McHugh Pierre says they will begin to notify communities if the wave develops later Saturday.

Bill Knight is the tsunami warning and science officer at the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer. He says based on early morning models of the tsunami, he didn’t expect this to escalate beyond advisory level for Alaska. He says the state has seen far more damaging tsunamis than this one probably will be. Projections of wave measurements include 1.3 feet at Sitka and Seward and 2.3 feet at Kodiak.

West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

KSKA also will continue monitoring the situation and updating reports for listeners.

Shishmaref and West students share schools and photography

Kristin Spack — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:45:34 +0000

What’s it like to attend a high school that’s three times larger than your entire village? That’s what a group of Shishmaref students found out this week…while some West High students began to learn about the village they’ll visit in April.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Three transportation topics dominate mayor’s press conference

Kristin Spack — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:32:13 +0000

The city’s buses, bikes and potholes occupied much of Anchorage Mayor’s Dan Sullivan’s weekly press briefing yesterday afternoon.

Anchorage Assembly: An Ordinance Amending Anchorage Municipal Code to Authorize Public Transit Vehicles to Utilize Traffic Preemption Devices (PDF)
Anchorage Assembly Agenda March 2, 2010 [See item 14F for info on Anchorage Bicycle Plan]

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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School board looks at student numbers and discipline actions

Kristin Spack — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:56:44 +0000

At this week’s Anchorage School Board meeting, the district released the results of two student tallies. One gave first semester enrollment figures and the other listed suspensions and expulsions.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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National Immigration Reform group Credits Immigrants With Boosting Alaska Economy

Kristin Spack — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:25:17 +0000

A national organization pushing for immigration reform has released figures indicating that Alaska’s economy is benefitting from an increase in foreign born residents.

Ellen Lockyer, APRN – Anchorage

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Housing First ordinance produces wide public response

Kristin Spack — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:54:00 +0000

The possibility of converting the current Red Roof Inn into a large, Housing First facility for homeless chronic alcoholics has produced a lot of discussion, especially in the hotel’s Fairview neighborhood. Because of a proposed ordinance, that debate is now before the Anchorage Assembly.

Wade sentenced; victims describe continuing grief

Kristin Spack — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 22:14:57 +0000

Yesterday morning Joshua Wade plead guilty to the murders of Mindy Schloss and Della Brown in Anchorage Superior Courtroom and in the afternoon he repeated a similar plea in federal court. Before receiving his sentences, Wade listened to the friends and family members of Brown and Schloss. KSKA’s Len Anderson attended both proceedings.

Assembly authorizes audit of Begich administration

Kristin Spack — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:33:32 +0000

Last night the Anchorage Assembly unanimously approved spending up to 50 thousand dollars to hire an independent forensic auditor. The auditor will review whether or not the Begich administration misled the assembly concerning the city’s financial health.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Federal prosecutors release Wade plea details

Kristin Spack — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:00:53 +0000

Joshua Wade has confessed to killing Mindy Schloss in 2007 and Della Brown in 2000. This morning federal prosecutors in Anchorage released the sentencing agreement that allows Wade to escape a possible death penalty.

RELATED STORIES:

Metro News: Decision on murder evidence two weeks away (15 Dec 2008)
Metro News: Joshua Wade faces a federal murder charge (18 April 2008)
Metro News: Federal Grand Jury quickly indicts Wade (12 Sept 2007)

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Registration complete for April municipal election

Kristin Spack — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:37:32 +0000

Five p.m. yesterday (Friday) was the deadline for candidates to register for Anchorage’s April Municipal election. Unless someone withdraws by next Tuesday, the spring ballot will have a total of 22 candidates battling for five assembly and two school board seats. KSKA’s Len Anderson has the final list.

MOA: 2010 Candidates for Office

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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School district looking for new budget approach

Kristin Spack — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:05:33 +0000

When the Anchorage School Board recently adopted its 2010-2011 district budget, it added a last minute amendment. Although brief and currently unfunded, the unanimously backed addition could have big implications for future school district budgets.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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City seeks to woo voter approval for bonds with smaller cost total

Kristin Spack — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:43:59 +0000

Until this Friday’s 5 p.m. registration deadline, all the candidates running in Anchorage’s April 6th municipal election remain unknown. But that’s not true for the bond packages. They’ve already received approval for the ballot.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Weidner Investment Services Faces Legal Challenge

pyack — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:36:14 +0000

The state’s largest landlord is facing a lawsuit from an angry former tenant who wants to enlarge his own deposit battle to a class action suit.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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District’s tight budget receives some federal relief

Kristin Spack — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:55:34 +0000

Last night the Anchorage School Board restored several teaching positions to next year’s financial plan, but as KSKA’s Len Anderson reports, the 2010-2011 budget still cuts over two dozen current teaching positions and deeply reduces the summer school program.

Anchorage School District Budget 2010 – 2011

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Indigenous film festival starts with youth productions

Kristin Spack — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:15:54 +0000

This weekend the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage hosts its annual Indigenous World Film Festival. Beginning Friday evening, audiences can see films from New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, the Pacific Islands and the U-S, including Alaska. But this year, a new event takes place on Thursday evening featuring films created by Canadian and Alaska Native youth.

Alaska Native Heritage Center: Indigenous World Film Festival

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Begich audit delayed, but debate continues

Kristin Spack — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:00:50 +0000

Last night the Anchorage Assembly postponed formal consideration of a proposed independent audit of the financial information supplied by the administration of former Mayor Mark Begich. However, as has happened in the past, even the postponement was followed by assembly sparring.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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KSKA to feature AEDC’s keynote speaker in special broadcast

Kristin Spack — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:07:21 +0000

This year’s recent Anchorage Economic Development Corporation’s annual job forecast luncheon set a noon-time record. Nearly 14 hundred attended the Dena’ina Convention and Civic Center event. Besides the somewhat doleful predictions for 2010, a major draw was the keynote speaker – Stephen Dubner, co-author of the international best seller, Freakonomics.

Listen to Stephen Dubner on KSKA’s Addressing Alaskans Thursday (Feb. 4) at 2:00 pm, repeating Wednesday (Feb. 10) at 9:00 pm on FM 91.1

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Labor department predicts most Anchorage economic sectors will drop jobs

Kristin Spack — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:47:19 +0000

The total number of jobs in Anchorage will continue to fall throughout 2010. That was the assessment of state labor economist, Neal Fried, at his annual luncheon presentation to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce today.

Metro News: Development Corporation predicts local job losses will continue into 2010 (28 Jan 2010)

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Police Investigating Child Abuduction Incidents

pyack — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:37:26 +0000

Anchorage Police announced on Friday they are investigating three attempted child abductions occurring over the last two weeks. The latest one happened Friday morning.

According to APD’s Public Information Officer, Marlene Lammers, all three incidents occurred on Anchorage’s greater east side.

The latest incident took place at about 7:45 Friday morning. An 11-year old girl was walking to the bus stop to her home on the 53-hundred block iof Taku Drive. Lammers says Friday’s incident was similar to one reported Thursday morning involving a 10 year old girl walking to Ptarmigan Elementary School.

Lammers says these two recent abduction attempts closely resemble another incident occurring 8:30 in the morning on January 14 and involving a 10 year-old girl walking to Creekside Elementary School.

The public information officer says in all three cases, the suspect’s description and his vehicle was similar.

Lammers says the girls are “doing all right.” She knows the first two were taken to the hospital to check for injuries. She was uncertain about this morning’s intended victim.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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School Board Balances Classroom Support Against Classroom Size

pyack — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:47:04 +0000

Thursday night in a special meeting, the Anchorage School Board held the first of two public readings and votes on next year’s nearly $790-million budget.

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Development Corporation predicts local job losses will continue into 2010

Kristin Spack — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:35:09 +0000

Source: AEDC 2010 Economic Forecast, Alaska DOL and Workforce Development McDowell Group estimates.

Yesterday the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation released its annual Economic Forecast for 2010.

2010 AEDC Economic Forecast (PDF)
AEDC: Business Confidence Index Survey (PDF)

Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage

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Web Extra: AEDC 2010 Economic Forecast, Bill Popp

Kristin Spack — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:34:25 +0000

The main report given at Wednesday Anchorage Economic Development Corporation’s annual January luncheon was delivered by AEDC President and CEO, Bill Popp.

A Closer Look: Extended interview with Bill Popp, Economic Forecast 2010 (12 Jan 2010)
Metro News: Anchorage economy fairly stable in the midst of national recessio n (29 Dec 2009)

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Web Extra: AEDC 2010 Economic Forecast, Governor Sean Parnell

Kristin Spack — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:33:39 +0000

Before Bill Popp gave his reports at the AEDC 2010 Economic Forecast luncheon, Governor Sean Parnell spoke followed by Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan.

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