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Idaho firm that already runs the Alcan port wins its $48,169 snow removal order
An Idaho firm won a $48,169 federal task order to plow the Alcan border port near Tok. The same company already holds a $1.16 million contract to run operations and maintenance at the port and the Fairbanks Federal Building.

Katmai superintendent reports more bear cubs at Brooks Camp than in years
Katmai's superintendent says there are more bear cubs at Brooks Camp than in years, an observation with no published count behind it.

Crews dig out buried hotspot near Tok home as Mukluk Fire hits 70% containment
Weeks after the Mukluk Fire, crews dug a still-smoldering log out of the ground near a Tok home, and fire managers expect more buried heat.

Fairbanks committee takes up Fairbanks Street rezone that could allow 51 units on 13 lots
Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Committee discusses rezoning 13 Fairbanks Street lots to allow up to 51 housing units instead of 25, driven by a vacant former bed and breakfast.

Fairbanks ordinance would shift board appointments from Assembly to borough mayor
Mayor Hopkins would gain power to appoint most borough board members now split between the Assembly and Fairbanks and North Pole, under an ordinance the Assembly takes up Wednesday.

Troopers say stolen truck hit dump truck head-on in North Pole
A truck troopers say was stolen hit a dump truck head-on in North Pole. The driver was arrested on theft and DUI charges, which are not findings of guilt.

Cantwell's volunteer EMS model is straining, Denali Borough officials say
Cantwell's volunteer EMS model is straining as recruiting falters, and Denali Borough officials are weighing whether taxes could fund year-round coverage.

North Pole council advances 3% pay raise for city employees
North Pole advanced a 3 percent raise for city employees Tuesday after rejecting a push to delay it and hearing that employee trust in the council is low.

Fairbanks weighs broader authority to take ownership of abused animals
Fairbanks animal control lacks a direct forfeiture process for abused or neglected animals. A proposed borough rule would add one.

The refuge at the top of the Alaska Highway is getting exhibits built for blind visitors
The first wildlife refuge most people see driving into Alaska is getting exhibits built for visitors who cannot see them. Taxidermy included.

Wrangell-St. Elias weighs 10 more days of subsistence moose hunting
Rural subsistence hunters in the Wrangell-St. Elias area could get 10 more days to take a moose this fall, with the park set to decide Monday.

Wind topples two dozen trees onto Tok's power lines, stalling fire recovery
Winds knocked more than two dozen trees onto Tok's power lines Wednesday, some outside the burn scar, cutting power and stalling the Mukluk Fire recovery.

Fairbanks would require union labor agreements on big borough projects
Fairbanks wants union-negotiated labor agreements on borough projects over $3.5 million, using an ordinance copied almost word for word from Anchorage.

A $16 million award would restructure primary care across the Interior
The biggest award in Alaska's rural health program is $16 million to change how primary care gets delivered and paid for across the Interior.

Flooding closes state vocational rehabilitation office in downtown Fairbanks
Flooding closed the state Department of Labor office in downtown Fairbanks on Friday, Sept. 11, halting walk-in service for vocational rehabilitation and disability employment support.

Draft permit would let Fairbanks discharge 11.2 million gallons a day into the Tanana
Fairbanks could keep discharging up to 11.2 million gallons of treated sewage a day into the Tanana River under a draft state permit.

Two Fairbanks rezones could take 32 lots to 99 dwelling units total
Fairbanks is being asked to upzone two residential corridors in five days. Together they would take 32 lots from 34 units up to as many as 99.

Fiber easement for four Koyukuk River villages grows to 96 acres, and comments close Oct. 12
Tanana Chiefs Conference expanded a fiber optic easement to 96 acres to bring high-speed internet to four Koyukuk River villages, with public comments due Oct. 12.

Delta Junction inventor wins design patent for sports bra with built-in neck guard
A woman in Delta Junction, population 918 at the last census, owns the look of a sports bra with a built-in neck guard for the next 15 years.

Subsistence salmon fishing reopens on the Tanana and Yukon after closures
Subsistence salmon fishing is reopening on the Tanana and Yukon rivers after a summer of closures, as the runs recover — though the long decline isn't over.

Troopers say Minto man, 18, died in accidental rifle discharge
Troopers say Minto man, 18, died in accidental rifle discharge

No license covers driving a concrete mixer, so this Alaska company teaches it
No license covers driving a concrete mixer, so a North Pole company supplying Fairbanks concrete since the 1950s teaches the whole craft in-house.

The University of Alaska owns the look of a Fairbanks man's pliers
A Fairbanks man designed a pair of pliers and the university owns how they look for 15 years. If it passes on selling them, he gets them back.

A Fairbanks entrance is closed while crews build a year-round bike path
An entrance to South University Avenue is closed through Monday while Fairbanks builds a 1.8-mile bike and pedestrian path designed for year-round use.

Troopers find drugs on an inmate at the Fairbanks jail
Troopers found drugs on an inmate being booked into the Fairbanks jail Wednesday, the third such investigation there this year.

A Fox placer miner asked to move Treasure Creek. The state's public notice says equipment and an operator.
A miner near Fox wants to move part of Treasure Creek, but the state's public notice describes the request in eight words and never mentions the creek.

Troopers seek red Subaru driver in Fairbanks hit-and-run at Farmers Loop
Alaska State Troopers are looking for the driver of a red Subaru after a hit-and-run at Farmers Loop and Tanana in Fairbanks on the morning of Sept. 5.

Gusts to 40 mph are coming across the Interior Tuesday into Wednesday
The Interior is in for gusts of 30 to 40 mph from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday night, and as high as 50 mph up in the hills and the passes.

Haines donation drive collects wood stoves and building supplies for Tok fire rebuilding
Haines residents are collecting wood stoves, refrigerators, and building supplies for Tok-area households rebuilding after the Mukluk Fire destroyed 50 homes in August.

Two EMS providers assaulted on Parks Highway in Nenana, troopers say
A man assaulted two EMS providers on the Parks Highway in Nenana early Monday and was arrested on two counts of assault in the fourth degree.

Fairbanks gets new flood maps in January, and most homes in the zone are uninsured
Fairbanks gets new federal flood maps in January, its first update since 1992. Three of every four homes already in the flood zone carry no insurance.

The roads torn up fighting the Tok fire have been graded back
The roads firefighters tore up while saving Tok have been graded back into shape. Residents need them to reach what is left of their property.

Most of what the Tok fire burned was outbuildings. Aid may not cover them.
Two-thirds of what the Mukluk Fire destroyed near Tok were outbuildings, and the only aid program for those families generally does not cover them.

Atmospheric river pushes small Interior streams toward bankfull
An atmospheric river soaked Interior Alaska this weekend, and forecasters warned small streams could rise to the tops of their banks.

Tanana Chiefs say up to 45% of dementia may be prevented or delayed
Tanana Chiefs Conference says 45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 risk factors, from hearing loss to exercise and vaccines.

One machinegun, 14 grams of cocaine, and a mandatory 30 years
Mason Lanon, 23, of Fairbanks sold an agent a converted machinegun and 14 grams of cocaine. That single count carried a mandatory 30 years.

Volunteers are replanting a mining-scarred creek, and last year's willows lived
Volunteers replanted a mining-scarred creek near Fairbanks last year and the willows took. They are going back Sept. 26 to plant more for the grayling.

Fairbanks' utility is writing down when it would start turning off your power
Fairbanks' electric co-op is writing rules for when it would start rotating outages. It has run short on reserve power 236 of the last 250 days.

Denali's new bridge is finished, and buses still cannot cross it until 2027
Denali's Pretty Rocks bridge is finished, years later than promised. Buses still will not reach Wonder Lake or Kantishna until the 2027 season.

NWS forecasts up to 1.5 inches of rain in the Chena River basin
Up to 1.5 inches of rain will drench the Chena River basin over the next 48 hours, pushing rivers higher, though NWS Fairbanks says flooding is not expected unless the heaviest rain shifts east.
