Author: Nicole Thompson

The US Army deployed to Alaska last week due to anticipated increased Russian and Chinese military movements. The US Army deployed personnel to Shemya Island, Alaska, for a force security operation. During this, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) identified Russian military aircraft near Alaska on four occasions. The deployment of these aircraft prompted the US Army’s strategic positioning in Alaska, signifying an elevated intensity of military activities, despite their non-intrusion into Canadian or American airspace. On September 12, the Army deployed units from the 11th Airborne Division, known as the Arctic Angels, to Shemya Island. The division, typically…

The U.S. Transportation Department announced on Tuesday that it authorized the $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines by Alaska Airlines. The department granted both airlines the authority to maintain key Hawaiian routes and implement consumer protections as part of the Alaska and Hawaiian airline merger. The Justice Department decided not to reject the transaction in August after it was first made public in December. As a result, the airlines anticipate closing the agreement in the following days. The Department of Transportation (DOT) reports that Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines have pledged to uphold the value of frequent flier awards and continue…

A plane had to return to Honolulu after four flight attendants on a trip from Hawaii to Seattle reported feeling unwell due to an Alaska Airlines odor incident in the cabin. As a precaution, Thursday night’s Boeing 737-890 aircraft AS810 was redirected shortly after departure from Lihue, Kauai. According to an Alaska Airlines spokesman, the flight attendants were unwell after inhaling the stink, even though none of the customers or pilots displayed any symptoms. When the four flight attendants touched down in Honolulu, they were sent to the hospital for assessment. According to local news channel KHNL, the Honolulu Emergency…

Alaska State Troopers reported that two individuals perished on Friday, in a Kenai Peninsula plane crash. The casualties were 58-year-old Keith Presley of Ninilchik, the lone passenger, and 70-year-old Danny Presley of Happy Valley, the pilot. Both men were found dead following the single-engine Champion 7GCBC aircraft accident close to Tustumena Lake. At about 11:30 a.m., Alaska Troopers got the alert following the deployment of a team by the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center to the crash scene. The chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Alaska, Clint Johnson, stated the jet crashed over 20 miles east of Ninilchik,…

Public health specialists announced that all Alaskans who choose vaccination will soon have access to the new COVID-19 vaccine. The recently developed 2024–2025 vaccine targets the most recent virus strains and works best for those who have completed all booster doses or are getting immunized for the first time. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its most recent guidelines on Thursday, stating that everyone six months and older should get the new vaccine. The updated recommendations aim to build defenses against recently identified virus strains and increase immunity. Immunizations are on their way to Alaska, where…

On September 12, NORAD detected two Russian aircraft near Alaskan airspace. The military immediately deployed fighter jets to monitor the situation, although the planes stayed in international airspace and did not violate Canadian or American sovereignty. These meetings are becoming more frequent as the U.S.-Russian tensions build, especially in the Arctic, where both countries have significant strategic interests. The reaction from NORAD serves as a reminder of the continual military readiness required to defend US airspace and maintain national security. Officials recognized the planes as part of Russia’s long-range fleet, which frequently flies near North American airspace. However, these activities…

A judge’s decision has permitted Eric Hafner’s candidacy, presently serving a 20-year jail sentence, to continue running for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat in the general election. The Alaska Democratic Party submitted the removal request, citing Hafner’s 2022 guilty plea for threats against New Jersey judges and police officers. In this closely watched race, U.S. Representative Mary Peltola is up against Republican nominee Nick Begich and Democratic opponent Hafner, who has no ties to Alaska. Alaska Democratic Party attorneys alleged that state election authorities made a mistake by including Hafner on the ballot. They said that Hafner was ineligible to…

People gathered at the University of Alaska Anchorage to discuss strategies to stop the ongoing Alaska population out migration. According to Dan Robinson, Chief of Research for the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, people have been departing Alaska during the last twelve years. He said that no population drop of this size had ever lasted for so long. Robinson claims that while few people are leaving Alaska, the real issue is that fewer people are going there. Alaska has always had the highest rate of population increase among young people in their 20s and 30s. These age groups were…

A man from Louisiana lost his life in an Alaskan helicopter crash on Saturday near King Salmon, according to Alaska State Troopers. Moreover, Clint Johnson, the chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Alaska, confirmed that the aircraft took off from the King Salmon Airfield carrying five individuals. The helicopter crashed into the Naknek River about 0.5 miles south of the airport. Egli Air Haul operated the Bell 206B helicopter, also known as a Jet Ranger. At the time of the accident, it was transporting four fishermen to a fishing location. Based on preliminary NTSB findings, the National…

Dunleavy vetoed a warehouse worker protection bill sponsored by Rep. George Rauscher, R-Sutton. The bill would have safeguarded laborers by requiring written work quotas and reasonable breaks. It would have applied to significant warehouses with 100 or more employees. The Alaska Legislature enacted it earlier this year with bipartisan support, suggesting a pervasive concern for the welfare of laborers. Rauscher, who had previously worked in a warehouse, contended that the measure facilitated employee transparency and impartiality. He believed HB 88 was necessary to prevent employers from imposing excessively high quotas that could prevent workers from taking essential breaks, such as…

In the middle of a week filled with significant progress toward the rights to reproductive freedom, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy struck down a bill meant to make birth control more widely accessible. At the same time, an Alaskan court overturned a long-standing prohibition on who could perform abortions, highlighting changing trends in reproductive health rights in Alaska. Dunleavy’s rejection of the measure surprised supporters because it had passed the state House and Senate with overwhelming support. The law would have required insurance companies to pay for up to a year’s supply of birth control, which is necessary in Alaska’s rural…

Bethel, Alaska, on the map, can just be noted as a small town. Still, this town is a whole of people with a rich culture, beautiful history, and a wonderful sense of community. Bethel is known today as a melting pot of cultures in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. However, most of its population is comprised of Yup’ikYup’ik native people. Most of the cultures of Bethel can, therefore, be attributed to these Indigenous people, and at the core of this culture are the cultures of the local artists. Local artisans from Bethel are not just artists but historians, cultural custodians, and architects…