http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ak-news/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:09:30 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418313/posts A state senator says Alaska oil refineries have been gouging Alaskans at the gas pump for more than a year, reaping profit margins unparalleled to ones in the Lower 48, and he is once again calling for government to step in. The state's oil refineries are making far more profit on their gasoline as the national average, according to the report released Wednesday by Sen. Bill Wielechowski and authored by the nonpartisan Legislative Research Services Division. But not everyone -- including the refineries and at least one legislator -- agrees with Wielechowski's conclusions, calling them an oversimplification of complicated market... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418313/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:09:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417087/posts Alaska, Dec. 29, 2009 Palin Custody Battle To Be Open Judge Refuses To Close Hearing In Dispute Between Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston (AP) Bristol Palin, Sarah Palin's oldest daughter, appears to have lost her bid to keep a bitter legal dispute with her 1-year-old son's father confidential. An Alaska judge last week denied Bristol Palin's request to keep the legal proceedings of her custody dispute with Levi Johnston closed. Palin, 18, filed a petition in early November seeking sole custody of her son, Tripp, and child support payments. She had argued that the scrutiny the case could attract would... cbsnews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417087/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:49:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416905/posts "Johnston fought to allow the custody matter to unfold in public, saying in a sworn statement that doing so would help put everyone on best behavior. He noted that Van Flein also represents Sarah Palin. "I know that public scrutiny will simplify this matter and act as a check against anyone's need to be overly vindictive, aggressive or malicious, not that Bristol would ever be that way, nor that I would. But her mother is powerful, politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive," Johnston said in his affidavit. "So, I think a public case might go a... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416905/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:12:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416491/posts Volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background level AVO.REDOUBT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416491/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:29:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416216/posts Strong signals over the last few hours on it's summit webicorder. If I remember correctly those marking indicate at some level magma is on the move. Alaska.edu http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416216/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:58:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416172/posts A lawyer for BP last week urged a judge to dismiss much of the state's lawsuit against the company seeking $1 billion or more in damages for the 2006 pipeline spills in the Prudhoe Bay oil field. Jeff Feldman, a private Anchorage attorney representing BP, argued in a hearing before state Superior Court Judge Peter Michalski that the state is improperly pushing tort claims for damages. He also said some of the case should be deferred for now to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which has expertise on the subject of waste in production of the state's oil... Petroleum News via Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416172/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:24:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415772/posts The declining flow of oil from Alaska's North Slope is creating anxiety among executives who run the trans-Alaska pipeline. Within a matter of years, they say, they will need to take costly steps to preserve the life of the 800-mile-long line. If they aren't successful, ice and wax could become a serious problem for the pipeline, increasing the risk of corrosion and spills. Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.'s sense of urgency isn't because the North Slope is running out of oil. The Slope's producing oil fields still contain enough oil to supply the pipeline for at least several more decades. Many... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415772/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:51:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414962/posts FAIRBANKS - A Fairbanks lawmaker has proposed the Alaska Firearms Freedom Act, which seeks to stop the federal regulation of guns and ammunition made and sold within Alaska. Republican Rep. Mike Kelly said federal rules should only apply to firearms sold across state borders, where the U.S. government has constitutional authority to regulate interstate commerce. The bill easily passed the state House of Representatives in April after picking up 11 co-sponsors. It now sits before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Its chairman, Sen. Hollis French, D-Anchorage, said he will schedule a committee hearing this winter. The bill could place Alaska into... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414962/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:41:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414778/posts She kept it secret for seven months and now she's finally speaking out. On Thursday, Governor Sarah Palin sat down to answer questions about the new addition to her family. You Tube http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414778/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:21:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414196/posts ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Hundreds stood in line Tuesday for the opportunity to slip a signed copy of "Going Rogue" under the Christmas tree. Sarah Palin headed home for the holidays after a nationwide book tour, but before taking a break she decided to hold a book signing in Wasilla. Palin's father Chuck Heath said it was his favorite book signing. Hundreds showed up, but unlike other stops, a lot of these fans were also familiar faces. It might be too late to send a signed copy of Palin's book and have it show up by Christmas, but that didn't stop... KTUU http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414196/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:07:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413961/posts Alaska’s two U.S. senators are offering conflicting views on the merits of the health care bill under consideration by the U.S. Senate this week. SNIP: The bill reauthorizes the Indian Health Care Improvement Act for the first time in 21 years- a major accomplishment pushed for by Begich and eight other senators. It also protects Alaska Natives from penalties for not acquiring insurance and expands coverage to other public programs. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413961/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:46:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413781/posts Excepting her bang-up performance at the Gridiron Dinner this month, Sarah Palin has an infamously fraught relationship with the media. On the one hand, frenzied coverage of her memoir ginned up sales. On the other hand, non-stop scrutiny of her clothing choices allegedly ruined a family vacation. There are costs to being constantly in the spotlight. Now she's taken some measures to control the message. Three Alaska bloggers who crossed Palin while she was governor have found themselves banned from attending her book signings. Jesse Gryphen, Dennis Zaki, and Shannyn Moore--plus an unknown fourth--are blacklisted at Palin events. Gryphen tells... The Atlantic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413781/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:10:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413503/posts WASILLA -- Sarah Palin got treated like a homecoming queen when she brought her national book tour to Wasilla today. About 1,000 people flocked to the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Palin's hometown to get the former governor and Republican vice presidential candidate's autograph on her best-selling memoir. Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413503/posts#comment Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:18:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412167/posts An explosion and fire at a natural gas plant operated by Fairbanks Natural Gas LLC levelled a maintenance building in Point MacKenzie, Alaska, according to an official. "Trucks weren't damaged nor was the plant itself, according to a worker who was there," said Dennis Brodigan, emergency services director of the Matanuska Susitna Borough. "All gas to and from the plant has been secured." The cause of the fire was unknown, he said. The blaze in the maintenance building was being allowed to burn itself out. The explosion may have been caused by oil drums stored near the maintenance building being... Calgary Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412167/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:42:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412147/posts As cleanup continues on one of the biggest oil spills ever on Alaska's North Slope, criminal and civil investigations are under way into the circumstances of the pipeline's rupture. The criminal investigatory arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined with the FBI and others to examine what led the pipeline to split open in late November, officials said. An estimated 46,000 gallons of crude oil and water poured from a 2-foot-long gash onto the snowy tundra, cleanup officials say. "The (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division is continuing to work in concert with our federal and state partners, and British Petroleum,... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412147/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:18:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411963/posts The sea level in Juneau is actually falling very rapidly: "JUNEAU, Alaska — Global warming conjures images of rising seas that threaten coastal areas. But in Juneau, as almost nowhere else in the world, climate change is having the opposite effect: As the glaciers here melt, the land is rising, causing the sea to retreat. ___ Relative to the sea, land here has risen as much as 10 feet in little more than 200 years, according to the 2007 report. As global warming accelerates, the land will continue to rise, perhaps 3 more feet by 2100, scientists say." New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411963/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:59:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411698/posts WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says he understands why Sarah Palin blacked out his name on a McCain campaign visor so she could avoid recognition while on vacation in Hawaii. The Arizona Republican made the comments about his 2008 running mate on "Fox News Sunday." AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411698/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:12:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411252/posts 18 states allow for recall votes on US Senators. The 18 states allowing for recall are as follows: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. The Senate oath of office is: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well... Vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411252/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:02:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410820/posts Mat-Su Valley and Alaska residents will finally have an opportunity to get their “Going Rogue” books signed. Former Gov. Sarah Palin will be at the Curtis C. Menard Memorial Sports Center Turf Court on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to autograph copies of her best-selling memoir. According to a release issued early today, books will not be available for purchase at this event. The Curtis C. Menard Memorial Sports Center is at 1001 South Mack Drive in Wasilla. Mat-Su Vally Frontiersman http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410820/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:02:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410700/posts Over the past few days, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been in Copenhagen making the bizarre claim to anyone who will listen that his job destroying environmental regulations are somehow good for the economy. He also made the even more off the wall assertion that America's economy would be stronger if only the entire country followed California's lead in this area, and that Governor Palin's common sense skepticism to the man-made global warming religion was somehow wrong. All of these musings by the Governator were forthcoming despite the fact that foisting his regulations on California's economy have chased businesses and the jobs... Conservatives4Palin http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410700/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:45:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410684/posts Go ahead, grumble about the snowstorm that socked the Anchorage area this week. Depending on your side of town, and not counting the Hillside, the official tally is between 5.5 and 20 inches. Now, put your ear to your freshly shoveled driveway, and you'll hear Valdez residents laughing. "My God, our people don't even get out of bed for that, and I'm not kiddin' ya," said longtime resident Tom McAlister. Snow started falling in Valdez early Monday morning and continued to fall like crazy. At one point on Tuesday, 4.8 inches fell in an hour. By Wednesday, 68.2 inches had... Anchorage Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410684/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:19:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410051/posts Leadership: Alaska's ex-governor asks a question we'd like answered: Why is California's current governor pushing the same policies in Copenhagen that helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment? The movie series that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a household name involved cyborgs traveling through time to alternately try to destroy or save one John Connor, who would grow up to be the leader of the resistance against a race of machines that ruled the planet. Prominent in the series was his tough cookie of a mom, Sarah Connor. Another Sarah has taken the lead in another resistance against another group... Investors.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410051/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:37:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410045/posts ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) A contractor hired for a major construction project on Elmendorf Air Force Base broke both state and federal law. At issue: the illegal immigrants that were granted access to the base to help construct the Air Force's new F-22 hangers. This summer the Air Force started a multi-million dollar effort to build new F-22 hangers on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The contractor hired for the steel work was Steel System Erectors out of California. An investigation has reviled the company employed undocumented workers and allowed them access to a national security site. A "critical infrastructure... CBS 11 News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410045/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:32:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409929/posts BEAVER -- The Beaver County Sheriff's Office has arrested three men suspected in a series of burglaries. According to the Spectrum, deputies said Luis M. Lopez, Andy F. Lopez, and Oren T. Hounchell admitted to varying levels of involvement in a series of break-ins at homes, stores and the Beaver City Library. They were also found in possession of an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. All three face multiple burglary and drug charges. Deputies discovered a set of footprints left in the snow after one of the home burglaries. They followed those footprints to the Hounchell's home. The... ksl.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409929/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:44:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409768/posts As if she didn't have enough adversaries, Sarah Palin has decided to mix it up with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ostensibly, the issue was global warming. Actually, it's about the future face of the Republican Party -- whose it will be, and the ideology that person brings to the table. The exchange of criticisms between the ex-governor of Alaska and the current California governor was provoked by comments Schwarzenegger made about Palin at the international summit on climate change in Copenhagen – a conference Palin not only avoided, but called on President Obama to boycott. With that, the gauntlet was thrown for... Politics Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409768/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:53:45 GMT