Author: Horace Hines

Heavy snow throughout Southcentral Alaska created dangerous conditions on many of the major roadways across the region, prompting some closures that had been lifted by Thursday afternoon. The Seward Highway was closed for much of Thursday from near Summit Lake through Moose Pass to Crown Point because heavy snow was making it impassable in places from Seward to the Hope Cutoff, the Alaska Department of Transportation said. Deep snow covered the road and disabled vehicles added to the hazardous conditions, Alaska State Troopers said. Snow ranged from 7 to 22 inches across the region, they said. By Thursday afternoon, after…

If critters with lots of legs make your skin crawl, the video that Lake Clark National Park and Preserve posted to their Facebook page on Halloween probably looked like a nightmare come alive. In the 45-second clip, a silent camper shines their light around the interior of their tent; through the translucent fabric, you can see hundreds of spider-like creatures crawling across the exterior and gathering in huge clumps. In the comments, the park’s followers debated what they would do if they woke up to a similar midnight surprise; answers included “die of a heart attack,” throw the tent away,”…

A camper in an Alaskan national park awoke with a fright when an invasion of what looked like spiders crawled and clustered on the roof of their tent. The Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska shared the footage from the camper to Facebook on Halloween with the eerie caption: “In the remote depths of Lake Clark’s vast, wild landscape, a weary backpacker settles in for a night at camp after a long day of exploring. “Little do they know, creatures of the night lurk in the woods, waiting for the opportune moment to strike fear. “Snuggled into their…

The Pacific Marine Expo kicked off its second day with an educational session, “Alaska Fisheries: Separating fact from fiction.” The panel was moderated by Kate Naughten, Director of Communications at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Panelists included Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator at NOAA, Robert Foy, Ph.D., Director of AK Fisheries Science Center (NOAA), and Jon Kurland, Alaska Regional Administrator (NOAA). Naughten addressed the crowd, “We’re going to start on the present state of Alaska fisheries, the future of the stocks that are in flux, management responses to the changes of climate and markets, how climate change has impacted…

In its attempts to make more land available for housing, Premier Doug Ford’s government is threatening the viability of land where hundreds of thousands of people work, the Toronto Region Board of Trade says in a new report. The report, entitled The Race For Space, looks at what are called “employment lands” – areas exclusively zoned for factories, warehouses, offices, big institutional employers and commercial buildings. The Board of Trade says the availability of employment land is “already under intense pressure” and it’s concerned some of the government’s new land-use reforms will drive down supply and drive up price, putting…

An off-duty pilot has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, after he allegedly tried to crash a passenger jet during a flight on Sunday night. The suspect was sitting in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight behind the captain and the first-officer, according to an airline statement. A police booking document named the suspect as Joseph David Emerson, 44. The flight was on its way from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, with 80 passengers aboard. It was diverted to Portland, Oregon, and the suspect was subdued without incident, officials said. In a statement, Alaska Airlines said…

As the ongoing Israel-Hamas war becomes a global concern, there has been firing at two Jewish schools in Montreal, Canada has already underlined the international ramifications of the conflict. According to the local police, bullet holes were found in the doors of the schools. These holes were discovered by the school staff when they arrived at the school on Thursday morning (November 9). “I know emotions are high, and people are scared. But attacking each other is not who we are as Canadians,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “If anywhere in the world is going to start building the kinds…

FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska – Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 1-52 General Support Aviation Battalion, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, performed an aeromedical evacuation of three teenaged civilians from Chalkyitsik, Alaska on October 31, 2023. The teens sustained injuries in a snowmachine accident near the remote village on Halloween evening. Due to the severity of their injuries and the community being located off the road system, assistance was requested through the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. The aeromedical evacuation unit, known as Arctic Dustoff, was participating in a training flight when they received the notification at 9:38 p.m. They returned to Ladd Army…

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed on what you need to know today. Trudeau to talk trade, migration in Washington. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the U.S. capital today to represent Canada at the inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity summit. The White House meeting, hosted by President Joe Biden, marks the first official gathering of all 12 countries in the hemispheric trade framework. The partnership, known as APEP, marks the earliest beginnings of a north-south trade corridor meant to foster economic growth and strengthen supply chains. The…

Hundreds of Canadians remain trapped in Gaza as foreign nationals from other countries have been able to cross into Egypt. No Canadian was on the latest list published by Gaza border authorities of those approved to leave on Friday. One family said they received a call from Canadian officials to be ready at a moment’s notice, but have not yet been informed on when they could leave. Canada has registered about 450 of its citizens who want to leave Gaza. So far, dozens of Americans have been able to leave in the last three days. People from other countries, including…