KTOO News Update
756 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★ - 8 ratingsThe latest local, state, and regional news is compiled from reports from the KTOO newsroom in Juneau.
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Episodes
Newscast – Monday, June 14, 2021
June 15, 2021 01:11 - 9.32 MBIn this newscast: Former Juneau-area chiropractor accused of sexually abusing patients; Legislative compromise sets the PFD at $1,100; Supplemental unemployment insurance ends this week; A vigil in Fairbanks to mourn and raise awareness about historic abuse and neglect of Native children at residential schools
Newscast – Friday, June 11, 2021
June 12, 2021 01:15 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The Biden administration announced Friday intentions to reinstate protections for Tongass National Forest; Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve broke ground last week on a $6.5 million dollar project to connect the park to renewable hydroelectric power by the end of the year; For the first time in years, the Fort William H. Seward barracks building in Haines will be open to the community for a public auction, with some of the items dating back to the 1940s; This weekend ki...
Newscast – Thursday, June 10, 2021
June 11, 2021 01:10 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The City and Borough of Juneau announced two closures at a popular hiking spot next week to clear up rockslide debris in the area; A section of land along the Lemon Creek side of Thunder Mountain in Juneau has been identified as a potential landslide hazard; The National Park Service is planning two projects in the Skagway area; For the first time in nearly 15 months, Juneau's Chamber of Commerce met for lunch, in person.
Newscast – Wednesday, June 9, 2021
June 10, 2021 01:11 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy signed a bill into law protecting an Unangax cemetery in Funter Bay on Tuesday at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum; This weekend, Sitkans gathered in memory of the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were discovered last week on the grounds of a former residential school in Canada; During the drought in Southeast Alaska a few years ago, a small insect called a sawfly ate the needles off of about a half-million acres of hemlock trees in the Tonga...
Newscast – Tuesday, June 8, 2021
June 09, 2021 01:10 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska launched a community and behavioral health division this spring; As summer fishing seasons gear up and get started, Wrangell community groups gathered at the Wrangell Mariners’ Memorial to wish safety to anyone on the water, and remember those who have lost their lives at sea; Former President Donald Trump issued a statement Monday blaming Lisa Murkowski for the Biden administration’s decision to suspend ac...
Newscast – Monday, June 7, 2021
June 08, 2021 01:11 - 4.63 MBIn this newscast: There have been scattered reports and a few pictures of Juneau black bears recently popping up on social media; Alaska's tourism businesses were girding for another tough summer -- until the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine; A Florida lawsuit is challenging the Centers for Disease Control's pandemic rules for cruise ships, which may impact cruises to Alaska; Tom Fink, a former speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, has died. He was 92.
Newscast – Friday, June 4, 2021
June 05, 2021 01:07 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: State transportation officials are beginning a new study and winding down another for two prominent road projects in Juneau; A group of Juneau residents who want to limit cruise ship traffic in town didn't get enough signatures to advance their proposed ballot initiatives; Last Friday, Juneau had its first women and trans skate event at the Pipeline; A critical lifeline for the Southeast hamlet of Meyers Chuck is sinking.
Newscast – Thursday, June 3, 2021
June 04, 2021 01:07 - 4.77 MBIn this newscast: A Utah man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for killing his wife while on an Alaska cruise; For months, officials with the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska followed along as the Juneau Assembly developed new restrictions on the use and sale of fireworks; The University of Alaska is launching a system-wide program geared toward retaining more Alaska Native students at the school and increasing the number of Alaska Native staff members.
Newscast – Wednesday, June 2, 2021
June 03, 2021 01:08 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: A group of Juneau residents who want to limit cruise ship traffic in town didn't get enough signatures to advance their proposed ballot initiatives; Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Gustavus is poised for another lean year after half of its operating budget was erased by the pandemic's impact; For years, a small American flag was all that marked the grave of WWII soldier from Unalaska, George Fox; Authorities in Metlakatla reported the community's third COVID-19 rel...
Newscast – Tuesday, June 1, 2021
June 02, 2021 01:08 - 4.69 MBIn this newcast: Local rivers ran high and rainfall drenched Memorial Day cookout plans in Juneau over the long weekend; The Juneau Assembly got together in-person, mostly, for its regular meeting last week for the first time in over a year; 72-year-old Albert Kookesh was an Indigenous rights advocate, culture bearer, politician and basketball player; The Biden administration has suspended oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Newscast – Tuesday, May 28, 2021
May 29, 2021 01:07 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center will open to the public on Tuesday, June 1; Over the weekend Juneau Drag performers hosted their first live show in 15 minutes; Like other events in the pandemic era, the Wearable Arts Extravaganza was virtual but that didn't keep the artists involved from having fun in 2021; A tall, thin man wearing a hood and mask was caught on a security camera plastering Nazi stickers on a Jewish museum in Anchorage.
Newscast – Friday, May 28, 2021
May 29, 2021 01:07 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center will open to the public on Tuesday, June 1; Over the weekend Juneau Drag performers hosted their first live show in 15 minutes; Like other events in the pandemic era, the Wearable Arts Extravaganza was virtual but that didn't keep the artists involved from having fun in 2021; A tall, thin man wearing a hood and mask was caught on a security camera plastering Nazi stickers on a Jewish museum in Anchorage.
Newscast – Thursday, May 27, 2021
May 28, 2021 01:10 - 14 MBIn this newscast: Independent travelers are showing up in force in Southcentral and local tour operators say those are the visitors they’re focusing on this year; Police and the FBI are investigating stickers that display swastikas and a threatening message that were put on windows and doors of an Anchorage gay bar and a Jewish history museum this week; The University of Alaska Anchorage is reopening its campuses this fall, including the Homer and Soldotna campuses of Kenai Peninsula College.
Newscast – Wednesday, May 26, 2021
May 27, 2021 01:17 - 13.8 MBIn this newscast: A bill protecting the graves of Unangax̂ people forced to live in internment camps in Funter Bay passed the Alaska Legislature on May 17 and now awaits Gov. Dunleavy’s signature; Three years ago, Alaska lawmakers passed a bill that established the maximum amount that could be sustainably spent from the Permanent Fund each year, now a new debate pits short-term needs against residents’ long-term interests; The Southeast Alaska community of Metlakatla is facing its worst COVI...
Newscast – Tuesday, May 25, 2021
May 26, 2021 01:28 - 13.8 MBIn this newscast: Why some Juneau kids chose to get vaccinated against COVID-19; President Biden signed a bill Monday that will allow cruise ships to return to Southeast Alaska this summer; Alaska lawmakers sprinted to try to finish their work before the regular session’s constitutional deadline last week. But they failed to pass the budget by then, and now, their momentum seems to have stalled.
Newscast – Monday, May 24, 2021
May 25, 2021 01:11 - 4.64 MBIn this newscast: President Biden today signed a bill that will allow cruise ships to return to Southeast Alaska this summer; The leaders of Sealaska, the Native corporation for Southeast Alaska, are asking its shareholders to approve the creation of a type of tax shelter called a trust; After considering raising, then lowering the local property tax rate, the Juneau Assembly decided to keep it the same.
Newscast – Friday, May 21, 2021
May 22, 2021 01:21 - 4.99 MBIn this newscast: A family member of the missing Geraldine "Gerry" Nelson says the 78-year-old woman has been found, the special legislative session begins in Juneau, about 1 in every 10 Alaskans were in a household that applied for a massive pandemic rent relief program, the Rasmuson Foundation names Juneau writer Ernestine Hayes its 2021 Distinguished Artist, and YouTuber NuttyNu gains a following showing the grittier side of Anchorage.
Newscast – Thursday, May 20, 2021
May 21, 2021 01:07 - 4.65 MBIn this newscast: After five days, there's been no let up in the search for Geraldine Nelson; The City of Gustavus is getting a multi-million dollar airport upgrade; Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has said his administration won't require vaccine passports.
Newscast – Wednesday, May 19, 2021
May 20, 2021 02:05 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: Juneau's high school seniors are finally graduating this weekend after facing the unprecedented challenge of finishing high school during a global pandemic; An Alaska Native Corporation shareholder has won a partial victory on appeal in his fight with state financial regulators over critical social media posts; Alaska lawmakers passed a bill to Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday that boosters say would ensure better long-term planning for the state-run ferry system.
Newscast – Tuesday, May 18, 2021
May 19, 2021 01:09 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: A Juneau resident has asked the state for a permit to build a gravel trail in the Montana Creek area; Each year, the American Red Cross of Alaska awards people around the state for acts of heroism in their community; Friends, family, law enforcement and search and rescue teams are still looking for an elderly Juneau woman who disappeared Sunday in the Lemon Creek area.
Newscast – Monday, May 17, 2021
May 18, 2021 02:41 - 4.65 MBIn this newscast: After a year unlike any other, teachers, students and parents across the country are hoping for a less surprising school year this fall; Alaska will join at least 12 other states in opting out of extra federal benefits for unemployed workers, citing workforce shortages; Legislators and others in the Capitol are no longer required to wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Newscast – Friday, May 14, 2021
May 15, 2021 01:10 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: New guidelines for masking in Juneau are a breath of fresh air for vaccinated people; In 2020, Bartlett Regional Hospital braced for a surge of COVID-19 patients -- instead, it got a surge of mental health crises; Wrangell's middle and high school music groups recently held their first performance in almost a year and a half.
Newscast – Thursday, May 13, 2021
May 14, 2021 01:10 - 4.67 MBIn this newscast: Some Ketchikan businesses have shut their doors and community events have been canceled after emergency officials raised the community's pandemic risk level to its highest level; Across Alaska, internet users are being offered $75-per-month discounts as pandemic relief; Guardian Flight has settled a wrongful death lawsuit over a 2019 air ambulance crash in Southeast Alaska that killed three people; Former Republican Governor Sean Parnell will be the new leader of the Univers...
Newscast – Wednesday, May 12, 2021
May 13, 2021 01:13 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: The small cruise ship season has started in Juneau and the visitor industry is gearing up for it -- though it's not clear how many people are coming; The Admiralty Island village of Angoon has received nearly $2 million in federal funding to build a visitor center; The proposal to tamp down on the sale and use of fireworks in Juneau is headed to a public hearing and final vote; Authorities in Ketchikan have for the first time raised the community's pandemic risk level to its...
Newscast – Tuesday, May 11, 2021
May 12, 2021 01:30 - 4.65 MBIn this newscast: Nearly two weeks after a cyberattack, the Alaska Court System's email came back online today; Two born and raised Skagwegians have developed an e-commerce website for Alaska businesses to help their parents stay afloat during the pandemic; The Alaska House passed the operating budget bill yesterday.
Newscast – Monday, May 10, 2021
May 11, 2021 01:13 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: Many Instagram users reported that content they shared about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Day had disappeared; The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says its latest guidance for cruise ship operators could allow passenger voyages to resume by midsummer; Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy's administration has granted the governor's former chief of staff a waiver from state ethics laws in his new job at ConocoPhillips.
Newscast – Friday, May 7, 2021
May 08, 2021 01:11 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: An invasive fungus is threatening Alaska's frogs, toads, newts and salamanders; Tiny homes have gained traction in recent years as an affordable housing alternative, but building them legally poses a challenge in many communities; About half of Alaskans who responded to an online survey say they had not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine yet; The chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court says the court system did not receive a ransom demand or any direct message from those involved i...
Newscast – Thursday, May 6, 2021
May 07, 2021 01:14 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: Alaska Fashion Week kicks off Thursday night in Juneau and event organizers hope it's just the first in an annual tradition; New details are emerging about a COVID-19 outbreak associated with a regional high school sports tournament held in Ketchikan; The Biden administration issued a conversation report and it's the centerpiece of a goal conservating 30 percent of the nation's lands and waters by 2030; Alaska Native veterans of the Vietnam War era would be able to receive s...
Newscast – Wednesday, May 5, 2021
May 06, 2021 01:12 - 4.65 MBIn this newscast: More than 2,300 Juneau residents weighed-in on the city's COVID-19 vaccine survey; The council that manages Alaska's federal fisheries has tightened its public comment policies because of profanity; Ketchikan emergency officials are sounding the alarm about growing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the community; The Anchorage mayoral runoff election is next Tuesday and candidates are collecting last-minute campaign donations.
Newscast – Tuesday, May 4, 2021
May 05, 2021 00:59 - 4.66 MBIn this newscast: Norweigan Cruise Line Holdings announced today that it's donating $10 million across six Alaska port towns, including Juneau; The locals who want to limit cruise ship traffic in Juneau can begin collecting signatures to get their three proposals on to the next municipal election ballot; A World War II-era tug boat that had gone from a familiar landmark in Juneau's Gastineau Channel to a derelict nuisance is sitting on the ocean floor; Organizers have rescheduled a Native You...
Newscast – Monday, May 3, 2021
May 04, 2021 01:12 - 4.65 MBIn this newscast: An international human rights body has agreed to hear from Southeast Alaska tribes concerned about cross-border pollution; A 12-year-old Juneau student has been crowned the Alaska State Spelling Bee champion; A national environmental justice group is joining local voices in the call for the state to halt a multi-million dollar construction project at the Gustavus airport; Former Alaska Tommy Beaudreau is on his way to becoming the second-in-command at the U.S. Interior Depar...
Newscast – Friday, April 30, 2021
May 01, 2021 01:29 - 5.42 MBIn this newscast: Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs a COVID-19 disaster declaration bill then ends the disaster, House lawmakers tee up the operating budget bill for floor debate and vote, the Juneau Assembly gives first round approval for budgets to keep a proactive medical service going and childcare subsidies, the Sitka Assembly votes to accept a $1 million donation from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Alaska's earthquake monitoring system is much more robust at the end of a national research...
Newscast – Thursday, April 29, 2021
April 30, 2021 01:23 - 11.2 MBIn this newscast: The U.S. Senate blocks quick consideration of a wavier that could have salvaged some of Alaska's cruise ship season, a Juneau group opposed to ballot initiatives to limit cruise ship traffic present their case, Alaska lawmakers retroactively extend the state's COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration, a bill requiring the state recognize Alaska tribes is bound for a House vote, a new study shows cancer rates have gone up among Alaska Native people over the last half cent...
Newscast – Wednesday, April 28, 2021
April 29, 2021 03:31 - 9.38 MBIn this newscast: A new study shows that cancer rates among Alaska Native people have gone up over the last 50 years; a variation on a national phone scam has been hitting Alaskans; Alaska's Department of Corrections is getting rid of its requirement for inmates to be vaccinated in order to receive visitors; and Juneau has 13 active COVID-19 cases and half of the population of Juneau is fully vaccinated
Newscast – Tuesday, April 27, 2021
April 28, 2021 01:26 - 5.25 MBIn this newscast: The Juneau Assembly relaxes COVID-19 community restrictions and travel mandates, the CDC now recommends pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine, the state agrees to pay a former Arts Council employee $85,000 who lost her job for making negative comments about the governor on social media, an Alaskan wins an EPA grant to develop an idea to turn plastic ocean debris into lumber, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings offers $1 million to the City and Borough of Sitka with no str...
Newscast – Monday, April 26, 2021
April 27, 2021 01:20 - 5.63 MBIn this newscast: Juneau officials log three more COVID-19 cases, demand for the COVID-19 vaccine falls off in Juneau, the ferry Matanuska gets held up in Ketchikan after an engine issue and more crew test positive for COVID-19, state officials plan to use federal pandemic relief money to keep the Alaska Marine Highway System going, the U.S. Census Bureau releases the total count of Alaskans, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill banning the use of Native American names, symbols ...
Newscast — Friday, April 23, 2021
April 24, 2021 01:13 - 9.26 MBIn this newscast: Mayor Beth Weldon announced today that she's running for mayor for a second term; The coronavirus pandemic took a heavy toll on tourism and consequently the aviation industry; KTOO'S Jeremy Hsieh speaks to a reporter in Key West, Florida about the parallels in local activists' efforts to reduce cruise ship traffic; The Alaska House has passed a bill to prevent teachers from being laid off over the next two years.
Newscast — Thursday, April 22, 2021
April 23, 2021 01:11 - 9.31 MBIn this newscast: The National Marine Fisheries Service Wednesday published a final rule designating critical habitat for three populations of humpback whales including some areas in Alaska; In the past year, as Alaskans changed their habits in response to the pandemic, social media became a lifeline for businesses seeing less foot traffic; As the summer approaches, Alaska’s travel industry is preparing for another uncertain season because of the pandemic.
Newscast — Wednesday, April 21, 2021
April 22, 2021 01:15 - 9.3 MBIn this newscast: Over the next several years, the City and Borough of Juneau has a lot of promises to keep with environmental regulators after racking up dozens of pollution violations at its two mains sewage treatment plants; More than 130 inmates at Lemon Creek Correctional Center in Juneau have received COVID-19 vaccines; Juneau city leaders are putting together next year's budget and they want the public to weigh-in. Officials have expressed concern about flooding along some parts of the...
Newscast — Tuesday, April 20, 2021
April 21, 2021 01:33 - 9.32 MBIn this newscast: The sudden switch to warmer spring weather broke temperature records throughout Southeast Alaska; Most of Juneau relies on the Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment PLant to process sewage; Alaska will join Florida in a federal lawsuit challenging the current cruise ship regulations in the U.S.; The Alaska Industrial and Export Authority has reached an agreement with regional Native corporation Doyon to conduct survey and feasibility studies on the corporation’s lands.
Newscast — Monday, April 19, 2021
April 20, 2021 01:13 - 9.32 MBIn this newscast: Concerned residents in the Southeast Alaska town of Gustavus pushed state agencies to do more testing for contaminants before major construction at the city’s airport; An intensive search over the weekend of an area near Sitka’s ferry terminal turned up no new evidence in a missing person cold case; Ten years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, environmental regulators say they’re expanding radiation testing of commercially harvested Alaska seafood to include crab; Officia...
Newscast — Friday, April 16, 2021
April 17, 2021 01:09 - 9.36 MBIn this newscast: The very first Tlingit Opera in production is about the Tlingit-Russian Wars at the start of the 19th century; How Muslims in Anchorage are celebrating the start of the holy month of Ramadan; SpaceX is considering building key parts of a satellite network in Alaska, including in Ketchikan, Nome and Fairbanks.
Newscast — Thursday, April 15, 2021
April 16, 2021 01:11 - 9.37 MBIn this newscast: Juneau residents reported hearing avalanches off of Mount Juneau on Tuesday night; Capital Transit riders in Juneau will notice something brand new and very cool this week -- one of the first electric public transit buses in Alaska; The arrival of the Trumpeter Swans is a signal that spring is here, whether or not the weather agrees; The Dunleavy administration is no longer seeking private vendors to replace six state-run DMV offices.
Newscast — Wednesday, April 14, 2021
April 15, 2021 01:06 - 9.3 MBIn this newscast: Genomic sequencing has confirmed the first positive case of COVID-19 in Juneau that was caused by a more contagious variant of the virus; The City and Borough of Juneau has agreed to pay $64,000 in fines to state environmental regulators for repeatedly discharging dirty water from its two main sewage treatment plants; Alaska’s congressional delegation is trying to salvage this year’s cruise-ship season by proceeding on two fronts: Getting the CDC to loosen up, and solving th...
Newscast — Tuesday, April 13, 2021
April 14, 2021 01:10 - 9.34 MBIn this newscast: State health officials are asking Alaska vaccine providers to follow federal recommendations to pause use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines while researchers figure out the clotting risk; Southeast Alaska leaders and residents last week testified for restoration of state funding cuts and in some cases additional state money to make up for a loss of federal funding; Some activists in Juneau filed paperwork on Monday that could lead to local ballot questions in the fa...
Newscast — Monday, April 12, 2021
April 13, 2021 01:07 - 9.46 MBIn this newscast: It's budget season again and Juneau city leaders are projecting another year of spending more than it brings in; Employers in Alaska face a dilemma as a big chunk of the population is wary of getting vaccinated; The state's COVID-19 vaccination effort continued in the tiny Southeast community of Hyder.
Newscast — Wednesday, April 7, 2021
April 08, 2021 01:14 - 9.27 MBIn this newscast: The Alaska Supreme Court rules unconstitutional a 2005 law that diminished or impaired state employees' retirement benefits; In the roughly 100-person town of Tenakee Springs, the storm in December destroyed a bridge that provides vital access for a handful of residents; Members of the public who are barred from the state Capitol complex due to pandemic safety rules attended a social gathering with legislators in a complex building last week; Preliminary results show Assembl...
Newscast — Tuesday, April 6, 2021
April 07, 2021 01:09 - 9.31 MBIn this newscast: Federal public health authorities have taken a step towards allowing cruises to resume in U.S. waters but there’s still no clear timeline for cruises to resume in Alaska; How Alaska’s tribes spent their CARES Act funds last year and what about the mountain of new cash that’s coming at them soon; If you’re in Juneau and undecided about getting vaccinated against COVID-19, there’s now a cash incentive to get the jab.
Newscast — Monday, April 5, 2021
April 06, 2021 01:08 - 9.3 MBIn this newscast: A tribe in the Southeast community of Wrangell has been working to recycle electronics to reduce e-waste; The state of Alaska should be spending more on building maintenance for its K-12 schools, according to a recent study from the Institute of Social and Economic Research; Fan favorite snowmachine racer Mike Morgan of Anchorage added to his collection of wins this past weekend with his victory on the Archie Ferguson/Willie Goodwin memorial snowmachine race.
Newscast — Friday, April 2, 2021
April 03, 2021 01:10 - 9.5 MBIn this newscast: Some Juneau elementary school students are returning to a nearly normal school schedule starting on Monday; Contractors plan to break ground on a multimillion-dollar airport project in Gustavus this month but toxic chemicals discovered at the site make the project more complicated; House Bill 123 would amend state law to officially recognize Tribes that the federal government already recognizes.