Clarise Larson

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.

In this newscast: The head of the agency that manages the Alaska Permanent Fund is getting a raise. The Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation’s Board of Trustees approved a 10% pay increase for CEO Deven Mitchell on Tuesday, bringing his total salary to more than $420,000 a year; A massive sea lion will no longer be terrorizing people and pets in Petersburg’s South Harbor. It was killed this weekend — but not by law enforcement. Instead, they collaborated with two Tlingit brothers who plan to use the hide and whiskers for traditional regalia; A Sugt’stun language game is quickly gaining recognition since its release in 2023. KBBI’s Jamie Diep has more on the game’s development that teaches children around the world about Sugpiaq culture; A federal judge in Oregon and a Washington state court judge both issued rulings Tuesday temporarily blocking the proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, halting fears of numerous Alaska store closures.