KTOO News Update

In this newscast: Temperatures in Juneau are expected to climb to highs near 80 this Friday with a heat wave that will extend into the weekend. Alaska’s early wildfire season is much lower than last year’s record-setting burn. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is testing out a new drone to help survey fish populations…

In this newscast: A new report explores options to prepare for Cook Inlet’s looming natural gas shortage, which could bring higher prices for rate payers. A representative from the FBI shares strategies for Alaskans to prevent cybercrime. New data shows that Alaska is making progress on the state’s massive food stamps backlog.

In this newscast: Juneau Public Libraries hosted its first youth Pride poetry contest this month; A phone sat at the bottom of the Kenai River for four days last week, until it was reeled in by an unsuspecting angler; The use of the opioid reversal drug Narcan is increasing in Alaska, but public health officials worry that people often aren't calling 911 after; Sen. Lisa Murkowski was in Lithuania and Norway last week, and says her visit has strengthened her resolve to continue US aid for Ukraine

In this newscast: Two new citizen science programs will shed light on how salmon are handling climate change; Petersburg's Ministerial Association gave a blessing of the fishing fleet; Alaska State Troopers say the body of an Alaska Native woman was found on the Yukon River; State regulators are proposing a $900,000 fine to punish ConocoPhillips for a gas leak last year at its Alpine drill site on the North Slope

In this newscast: Skagway's railroad workers are voting on whether to authorize a strike; Tens of thousands of walruses gather along Alaska's beaches in the summer, and one area is a traditional Yup'ik hunting site

In this newscast: The Juneau Assembly has authorized city staff to advocate for a new city hall; Cases of Department of Corrections staff members facing charges for bringing opioid addiction recovery medication into correctional facilities may be related to gaps in treatment programs in Alaska prisons; NOAA released an update on the population estimates for Beluga whales in Cook Inlet, and it looks optimistic; The union representing Alaska's longshore workers reached a tentative agreement Friday after 18 months of negotiations

In this newscast: In 2021, a powerful windstorm swept across Juneau, leaving some fallen trees that a Curious Juneau listener wanted to know about; Southeast Alaska trollers will now have a summer season for king salmon after all; Some Alaska lawmakers are holding out hope for a groundswell of support to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy's line-item budget veto on public school funding

In this newscast: Two members of Juneau’s legislative delegation discuss the school funding veto and budget wins at a town hall meeting Staff and shelter users share their experience at Ketchikan’s only 24/7 emergency shelter Petersburg prepares for the arrival of the Hōkūle‘a

In this newscast: The 50-year-old state ferry Columbia is out of service for at least a week due to maintenance issues A quarter of Petersburg’s Dungeness crabbing fleet is skipping the season because they expect low prices Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed funding for research on the chinook and chum salmon crisis in Western Alaska…

In this newscast: Last week, two Ukrainian refugees arrived in Juneau -- the third family to be sponsored by a group of local residents who have raised money and opened their homes to refugees; A podcast on Wrangell history has won a national award for its series on one of Alaska's deadliest shipwrecks; Miscommunication and an out-of-date navigational chart were both found to be factors when a Royal Caribbean cruise ship slammed into the dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal last summer