By Tyler Thompson, KDLG – Dillingham Fishing boat going out to sea. (Photo: Gruscana/ Oscar’s Dock and Boats of Kodiak/flickr) Alaska’s fishing industry was allocated $50 million in CARES Act funding in early May to ease financial losses tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial and sport fishing businesses that incur more than 35% in losses will be eligible for aid. NOAA …
Read More »As the University of Alaska grapples with budget cuts, its leader may leave
By Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen. (Courtesy University of Alaska) The head of Alaska’s public university system is potentially leaving the state to take over the helm of the University of Wisconsin System. The UW system announced Tuesday that Johnsen is the sole finalist to become its president. Johnsen will go through multiple interviews next …
Read More »Your questions about unemployment insurance, answered
By Lex Treinen, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage Like the rest of the country, Alaska has had record levels of unemployment claims over the past few months. To put it in perspective, during the first eight weeks of the pandemic, more than 95,000 people filed new claims for unemployment insurance. Back in 2019, the number was about 8,000 for the same …
Read More »86 crew members on American Seafoods trawler test positive for COVID-19
By Hope McKenney, KUCB – Unalaska American Seafoods is based in Seattle and Dutch Harbor and maintains a fleet of six vessels that fish for pollock, hake, and sole out of both the North Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea. Credit Courtesy of American Seafoods Eighty-six crew members of an American Seafoods trawler have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a …
Read More »Icicle, Ocean Beauty, two of Kodiak’s largest processors, merge salmon operations
By Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska – Juneau The Petersburg Fisheries seafood plant, owned by Icicle Seafoods is and where the company got its start in 1965. (KFSK file photo) Two of Alaska’s largest seafood companies are merging their salmon processing businesses. Icicle Seafoods and Ocean Beauty Seafoods will be combining forces to create OBI Seafoods. Talks of a potential merger have …
Read More »Alaska reports 6 new coronavirus cases following prior day’s spike
by Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage Screenshot from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 dashboard, showing this week’s cases, taken on May 29, 2020. (Data from https://coronavirus-response-alaska-dhss.hub.arcgis.com/) There are six new coronavirus cases in Alaska from Thursday, following a spike in positive tests the day before, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. The latest …
Read More »Canada extends cruise ship ban through October, leaving little hope for Alaska’s delayed cruise ship season
A Princess cruise ship in Juneau. (Photo by Heather Bryant/KTOO) by Adelyn Baxter, KTOO Canada has extended its ban on cruise ships until at least the end of October due to the global pandemic. “Cruise ships with overnight accommodation and a capacity of more than 100 persons — that includes passengers and crew — will be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until …
Read More »Ravn is fighting to keep flying, but a French bank is pushing to sell off the company’s planes
By Nathaniel Herz, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage Alaska’s largest rural airline is scrambling to find a buyer that can keep the company intact as it emerges from bankruptcy, rather than seeing its planes sold off piecemeal through a liquidation process. RavnAir Group flew to more than 100 Alaska communities before shutting down and filing for bankruptcy last month amid …
Read More »State reports 13 new coronavirus cases
By Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media & KTOO – Juneau Screenshot from the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services COVID-19 dashboard, taken on May 28, 2020, showing a spike in confirmed cases in Alaska on May 27. (Data from https://coronavirus-response-alaska-dhss.hub.arcgis.com/) There were 13 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Alaska on Wednesday. That’s the most new cases for one …
Read More »As the state reopens, health care and labor leaders express concern about worker safety
By Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media & KTOO – Juneau Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, D-Bethel, speaks during a House floor session in the Capitol in Juneau on March 16. Zulkosky said on Wednesday that she’s seen Alaskans have a false sense of security as the state eases health mandates. She spoke during a joint meeting of the House State Affairs and …
Read More »