In this newscast:
- The Hecla Greens Creek mine near Juneau wants to explore the land it leases on Admiralty Island for new mineral deposits that could be mined in the future. The plans come just a month after the U.S. Forest officially permitted an expansion project that will extend mine operations for up to 18 years.
- Gov. Mike Dunleavy released his proposal for the state budget on Thursday. It’s the first draft of a spending plan for the next fiscal year, which starts in July. Over the next several months, there’ll be lots of back-and-forth with lawmakers as the state Legislature examines the budget in detail before they pass their own version.
- A Kodiak grand jury has indicted a 16-year-old in connection with an explosion last month at a popular beach that injured nearly a dozen teenagers.
- Last year the outdoor recreation industry accounted for 4.6% of Alaska’s economy, according to a report released last month by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
