In this newscast: In Juneau, University of Alaska Southeast students, faculty and alumni spent the week debating a proposal to merge the university with one of the other UA campuses to cut costs; Canada’s recent announcement that its ports will remain closed to large cruise ships through the end of October means nearly all of Alaska cruises will be cancelled; Juneau is about to become the first city in Alaska to get a permanent electric bus in its fleet; Researchers say they have detected elevated levels of tocins in Juneau area shellfish that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Pablo Arauz Peña, KTOO
Newscast — Thursday, June 4, 2020
In this newscast: State leaders say travelers to Alaska who take a test before or upon their arrival should take a second test seven to 14 days later; Governor Mike Dunleavy described the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis as “horrific” in a news briefing yesterday; Protesters returned to a busy Ketchikan intersection Wednesday in solidarity with the protests against racism and police brutality across the country; A proposal to absorb the University of Alaska Southeast into campuses in Fairbanks or Anchorage was not well-received during public testimony before the board of regents Tuesday night.
Newscast — Wednesday, June 3, 2020
In this newscast: Tlingit and Haida President Richard Peterson reminds citizens to respond in the 2020 census or the tribe could lose funding; A federal judge will decide on whether the U.S. Forest Service will need to start from scratch before resuming work on a massive timber sale in Southeast Alaska; A Monday night vigil in downtown Sitka for George Floyd was peaceful and mostly silent, although armed counter-protesters were not far away; Residents of Kotzebue gathered in the center of town Tuesday evening in solidarity with rallies worldwide.
Census undercount may lead to less funding for Tlingit and Haida and other tribes in Southeast Alaska
Southeast Alaska’s largest tribe is reminding citizens that it could see a loss in funding if they don’t report in the 2020 census.
Newscast — Tuesday, June 2, 2020
In this newscast: Tlingit and Haida President Richard Peterson reminds tribal citizens to report on the 2020 census or the tribe could see a severe cut in federal funding; Alaska Native organizations are proposing alternatives to the University of Alaska’s Board of Regents’ controversial option to merge UA Southeast with one of the other UA campuses; Residents in nursing homes and their families are coping with ongoing social distancing measures; Kodiak joined in the global Black Lives Matter protests with a small gathering of five community members.
Alaska Native leaders offer alternatives to proposed university merger
They say the proposed University of Alaska Southeast merger scenarios will not resolve the financial challenges facing the university system.