RSS Feed AvailableToday's News
Getting a lease for oil drilling just the start of the process
HOUSTON -- The national debate over opening more offshore areas to oil and gas exploration has begged the question: Just what are the companies doing with the tens of millions of acres they're already leasing from the federal government?
Kenai fishing guide has court date over monster king
KENAI -- A fishing guide has admitted that he lied about where his client caught a monster king.
Rural Alaskans find it hard to kick soda pop habit
ANCHORAGE -- A survey by the state Health Department finds that residents of rural Alaska are having a tough time kicking the soda habit.
Fairbanks housing market holds steady
Home sales around Fairbanks stuck close to normal this spring, according to numbers reported Wednesday by the Greater Fairbanks Board of Realtors.
ANWR debate continues in Washington
Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined her Republican colleagues last week in denouncing Democrats’ efforts to block proposals to allow oil and natural gas drilling in areas now off limits.
Rep. Don Young opens Fairbanks campaign office
Alaska’s lone U.S. House Representative spoke with conviction as he asked for continued backing from longtime supporters and family friends during a Fairbanks campaign office opening Saturday.
As Fairbanks energy woes grow, so does list of home weatherization tips
FAIRBANKS — Home-heating fuel costs $4.69 per gallon, two dollars more than September of last year.
With winter creeping closer, building and energy professionals are busy trying to get Fairbanks energy healthy, and some residents are taking matters into their own hands by attacking energy inefficiencies at home.
Husband, sons lay mother killed in Iraq to rest
FAIRBANKS — Of Lavada Napier’s four children, Carletta Davis was the bravest.
“She enjoyed jumping out of helicopters,” Napier recalled Saturday as she stood near her daughter’s open grave at the Northern Lights Memorial Park.
Eclipse 92 girls complete USA Cup sweep
The Eclipse 92 completed a most amazing sweep at the USA Cup youth soccer tournaments on Saturday.
Tanner, Callahan ramble to Golden Mile victories
Teenagers led the way as more than 140 runners competed in Saturday's Golden Mile, to kick off the Golden Days Parade.
It's all about family at WEIO
Athletes often refer to each other as "family," and with the amount of hugs and other displays of affection, the event is more like a reunion than a competition.
Teacher tops student to snare high kick title at WEIO
Manuel Tumulak showed his student Andrew Walker he still had a thing or two to learn about the one-foot high kick.
UAF students find unexpected treasures in woodworking class
Knowledge passed through the ages has suggested treasures can come in many forms: Books, knowledge, memories, family, peace. Local woodworkers John Manthei and Phil Marshall recently set out to prove treasures can also come in the form of a piece of wood.
June was a cool, wet month for most Alaskans
During June 2008, cooler and wetter than normal conditions prevailed for much of the state.
Time magazine anthology reaffirms the printed word
Those of us who traffic in words for a living feel somewhat under siege these days, like a Donkey Kong machine sitting forlornly in the corner of a ramshackle pizza parlor while teenagers on the sidewalk outside play Grand Theft Auto on their handhelds.
Knowing various seed types is key to successful storage
Last week I talked about the first two steps to follow if you want to save the seeds produced by your garden this year. Now it is time to figure out what qualities of the plant you are trying to replicate.
Family dinners help both parents and children
Researchers have fingered the family dinner as a powerful force. Children who eat with their parents have higher grades in school; lower rates of drinking, smoking and drug use; fewer eating disorders; lower rates of depression and fewer suicidal thoughts; higher self-esteem and higher sociability.
Remembering the ‘greatest story’ of man and permafrost
In 1973, Elden Johnson was a young engineer working on one of the most ambitious and uncertain projects in the world — an 800-mile steel pipeline that carried warm oil over frozen ground. Thirty-five years later, Johnson looked back at what he called “the greatest story ever told of man’s interaction with permafrost.”
Diaper dilemmas can be daunting for a single dad
Note to the ladies of the world: I am more than happy to join your crusade to fight for equality in the workplace if you will join my crusade to fight for equality in the rest room.
Be nice to tourists on the road — treat them like they’re customers, too
FAIRBANKS — We typically associate customer service with restaurants, hotels, gift shops, parks or other places where we expect to be treated with respect and dignity.
Investment firm marks five years in Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS — The public is invited to celebrate Vonna Husby and Associates’ fifth anniversary at an open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at its 610 Cushman St. office.
Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital re-accredited
FAIRBANKS — Mt. McKinley Animal Hospital has again received accreditation following a comprehensive evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association.
Alaskans eligible for emergency benefits
FAIRBANKS — Workers who don’t qualify for regular extended unemployment may be eligible for Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which went into effect July 6.
Denali – The Alaska Gas Pipeline names CFO
FAIRBANKS — Denali – The Alaska Gas Pipeline appointed Mehmet Muftuoglu as chief financial officer.
STEP applications due in August
FAIRBANKS — Grant applications are due Aug. 8 for more than $4 million available for worker training and employment projects through the State Training and Employment Program.
Open Market gives entrepreneurs, crafters a place to sell their wares in Fairbanks
Woodworker John Megyesi knows people are more apt to buy his hand-made products when they see the details up close — designs that flow with the shape of the wood, finishes that showcase natural grain, shelf edges congruent with the white spruce bark.
Palin’s silence
Public Safety commissioner’s ouster needs explaining
The best thing Gov. Sarah Palin can do for herself right now is to explain exactly why she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan on July 11. A nasty account of why she supposedly fired the commissioner was posted last week on the Web site of a Republican political rival, and the governor has strongly denied the accusation.
Letters to the Editor
Energy costs
Lately I have listened to complaints by residents of this borough with regard to the cost of energy. I have been almost amused at how this population of supposed free ...
Bag tax
How about a borough-wide tax of 25 cents for each paper or plastic bag received from stores and restaurants in the borough? The tax proceeds can be applied to property ...
Fresh perspective
The status quo in state politics isn’t working in protecting the interests and rights of Alaskans. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I can’t even get a lip-service response to queries ...
Refinery failure
Does anyone remember when Flint Hills — wholly owned by David & Charles Koch — came to town, promising “100 to 200 million in upgrades” to the refinery?
Thanks to what you read here, Golden Days Parade weather gets positive spin
I wrote in this space Saturday morning about how rotten the weather was going to be for the parade, and you see what happened.