Treadwell: Petition meets signature requirements
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell says an initiative that would establish a coastal management program in Alaska appears to have qualified for this year's ballot.

Oregon company to manage Ketchikan shipyard
An Oregon company will acquire Alaska Ship and Drydock.

Police release murder victim's name
Anchorage police have released the name of the 67-year-old woman killed in her midtown apartment.

Property managers admit not depositing rent checks
A couple that managed Airport Mini Mall and Apartments in Juneau has admitted failing to deposit rent checks.

Report: Oversight of tribal contracts lacking
A U.S. government report says agencies need to do a better job monitoring a program that gives Alaska Native corporations a special edge in obtaining federal contracts worth billions of dollars.

Committee hears support of education funding bill
The Senate Finance Committee heard overwhelming support Wednesday for a proposed increase in education funding.

Senate oil tax bill unveiled
The long-awaited Senate oil tax bill has been introduced, and as expected, there are no surprises.

Bill would require ultrasound before abortion
Women would be required to undergo an ultrasound before receiving an abortion under legislation proposed in the Alaska Senate.

APNewsBreak: Dems hit lax drilling oversight lax
A report by House Democrats finds lax and inconsistent federal oversight of oil and natural gas drilling on public lands.

Analyst: AK could see savings with pension deposit
A legislative fiscal analyst says the state could save $5.3 billion in payments to Alaska's troubled public employees' retirement system by putting $2 billion into a reserve fund.

FBI helps in search for abducted barista
Anchorage police are getting help from the FBI in the search for a young woman abducted from a coffee stand.

Senate slated to take up ethics bill
Alaska lawmakers could receive up to $250 in charitable gifts from lobbyists under a bill being considered in the Senate.

Lance Mackey leading Yukon Quest
Four-time Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race winner Lance Mackey reached the race checkpoint at Eagle first.

30 more airports will test lower-hassle screening
The head of the Transportation Security Administration says more travelers around the country will be eligible to enroll in a test program so that they can get through airport security with less hassle by the end of this year.

Judge denies requests to seal Stevens probe
A federal judge is denying requests to keep private the results of an investigation into prosecutorial misconduct in the case against the late Sen. Ted Stevens.

Sitka man dies in accidental shooting at gun range
A 50-year-old Sitka man has died in an accidental shooting at a gun range.

Trooper: Attempted extortion case involved threats
Court documents say a 36-year-old Alaska man accused of attempted extortion told state troopers he would shut down government and commercial entities and teach "crack heads" to make devices that could be used against police, unless the state cut a deal for him to receive $85,000 to pay his bills.

Next step in coastal zone effort unclear
Senate President Gary Stevens says he thinks the last coastal management bill passed by the Senate would be considered substantially similar to the program set out by a proposed ballot initiative.

Senate plans generic tax bill, at first
The Alaska Senate plans to unveil a generic oil tax bill this week, leaving to the committee process the job of working out the details.

Wasilla councilman faces recall election
A recall election Tuesday will decide whether Steve Menard will remain on the Wasilla City Council after trashing a motel room in Sitka last summer.

Redistricting board plans appeal
The Alaska Redistricting Board plans to appeal a judge's decision that they redraw two House districts.

Agencies pledge science-based Arctic decisions
The head of President Obama's working group on Alaska energy development says the federal government will bring a renewed effort to incorporating science in Arctic policy decisions.

DNR statement gets House committee hearing
A handful of lawmakers and conservation groups are concerned by proposed changes to the mission statement of the Department of Natural Resources. The House Natural Resources Finance Subcommittee planned to discuss it Tuesday.

Anchorage police investigate suspicious death
Anchorage police are investigating the suspicious death of a 67-year-old woman.

Former Murkowski aide to be sentenced Tuesday
A former fisheries aide for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is expected to be sentenced Tuesday.

Alaska group will lure moose off roads with food
State wildlife officials say they have issued a permit to the Alaska Moose Federation that allows the group to feed wild moose in southcentral Alaska.

Bill would require F-16s to stay at Eielson
Alaska's two U.S. senators have introduced a bill that would forbid the Air Force from transferring F-16s from Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks.

Police want to hear from public in abduction case
Anchorage police investigating the abduction of a barista are asking for the public's help.

Education Commissioner defends school intervention
Alaska's education commissioner has given his side of the story on state efforts to improve struggling school districts through a controversial intervention process.

Lawmakers to hear coastal management proposal
Lawmakers are set to hear a proposed ballot initiative that would revive Alaska's coastal management program.

House continues work on operating budget
House Majority Leader Alan Austerman says his GOP-led caucus has not set a goal for the overall size of the operating budget.

Barista's abduction remains a mystery
Five days after an armed man abducted a barista from an Anchorage coffee shack, police don't know if the abduction was random or the man targeted 18-year-old Samantha Koenig.

Mushers battling overflow
Mushers in the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race are battling overflow.

Teen stabbing victim volunteers for Ski for Women
An Alaska teen was one of the many volunteers who helped out this weekend with the Alaska Ski for Women to fight domestic violence.

2 men sentenced in Bethel beating death
Two men have been sentenced to life in prison in the beating death of a Hooper Bay man in Bethel.

Coastal management, gas projects on tap
While oil taxes are expected to dominate this week at the Legislature, there are other contentious issues on tap.

Oil taxes expected to highlight busy week
All eyes this week are expected on the Alaska Senate, which plans to begin work on an oil tax bill.

Father of missing Alaska barista asks for return
The father of an 18-year-old Alaska woman who police say was abducted is pleading for her safe return.

Icebreaker Healy returns to Seattle after 254 days
The Coast Guard cutter Healy is back in Seattle after a 254-day patrol that included clearing a path for a crucial fuel delivery to ice-bound Nome, Alaska.

AP Interview: Shell hopeful for Arctic drilling
The vice president of Shell Alaska says he's optimistic the oil giant will be able to drill in Arctic waters off Alaska shores this year.

State library, archives project nearly ready to go
The architect for the new state Library, Archives and Museum building says they'll be ready to build in July.

Man being held after 2 children beaten in Barrow
Two children from Barrow have been hospitalized after a man allegedly beat them.

Boat will be salvaged once officials sign off
A salvage plan for a fishing vessel that ran aground west of Kodiak Island nearly two weeks ago is awaiting approval.

Legal dilemma if school intervention repealed
The state is walking a narrow line if the Legislature repeals the state intervention process in struggling schools, as House Education Chair Rep. Alan Dick suggests in HB256. That is the warning Neil Slotnick, a state attorney, gave the House Education Committee Friday.

State offices close early because of snowstorm
State workers are being let out early Friday in Anchorage and Kenai because of deteriorating weather conditions.

DOT urges Anchorage residents to stay home
State transportation officials are urging people in the Anchorage bowl to stay home this weekend if possible.

Legislature pushes military education credit
Veterans living in Alaska would receive vocational or college credit for their service and military training under similar bills passed by the House and Senate. Spouses of soldiers stationed in Alaska would also be eligible for temporary professional licenses if accredited elsewhere.

Senate committee advances health care exchange
The Senate Finance Committee has advanced legislation that would establish a health care exchange in Alaska.

Stevens' portrait to be unveiled at state museum
A portrait of the late-U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens is expected to be unveiled at the Alaska State Museum Friday evening.

Barista missing from coffee stand
An 18-year-old woman who worked as a barista at a coffee stand in Anchorage is missing.

Sheldon Jackson archives given to state
The archives of a now-closed college have been turned over to the state of Alaska.

AK: missing Bethel cabbie found dead in vehicle
Alaska State Troopers say a missing Bethel cabbie has been found dead in her vehicle in suspicious circumstances at a village about 15 miles from her southwest Alaska home town.

Snowmachine driver overdue into Toksook Bay
Officials say a man driving a snowmachine is missing in western Alaska after getting separated from another snowmachine.

Fed. subsistence board goes to review process
The state's federal subsistence board has discarded seven years of work to determine which rural federal lands in Alaska are eligible for subsistence hunting.

Avalanche closes Juneau road
An avalanche off Mount Roberts has blocked traffic on Thane Road in Juneau.

Poor weather delays state ferry's trip to Yakutat
Poor weather is forcing state transportation officials to hold the state ferry Kennicott in Prince William Sound.

Avalanche closes Seward Highway
An avalanche has forced the closure of the Seward Highway in both directions.

Committee introduces pension bill
Another bill aimed at addressing Alaska's pension problem has been introduced, this time by the Senate Finance Committee.

Millett, Johansen want coastal zone talks
At least two state House members want early, substantive debate on the coastal management issue.

Body found in burned Copper Center cabin
Alaska State Troopers say a body was located at a cabin fire in Copper Center.

Parnell defends DNR change in mission statement
Gov. Sean Parnell says he had a role in the Department of Natural Resources proposing a new mission statement.

Parnell makes supplemental budget request
Gov. Sean Parnell is proposing a $97 million supplemental budget to cover what he says were unanticipated increases in delivering state services and programs for the current year.

Gov't recommends less prison time for Fuglvog
The government is recommending five months in prison for a former fisheries aide to Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

AltaGas to buy Alaska natural gas utility
AltaGas Ltd. has agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion for natural gas businesses in Alaska and Michigan, which it says are a good fit with its own assets and part of a strategy of becoming a top North American energy infrastructure company.

Gov not inclined to equity infusion for pension
Gov. Sean Parnell says he's not inclined toward an infusion of equity, perhaps in the billions of dollars, to address Alaska's unfunded pension liabilities.

2 slides cause brief closures of Seward Highway
Two small avalanches have caused short-term blockage of one lane of traffic on the Seward Highway.

Rural educators out of step with state regulators
Educators from a western Alaska school district described to the House Education Committee Wednesday morning a relationship with state regulators they say is plagued by a lack of dialogue and inconsistent priorities.

2nd man faces assault charges in fatal stabbing
Another man has been arrested following a fatal Anchorage stabbing.

Democrats introduce campaign finance resolution
Alaska Democratic lawmakers are proposing a move toward amending the U.S. Constitution to ban unlimited third-party spending in campaigns.

Bill would help fund low-income legal services
Senators are considering legislation intended to fund civil legal services for low-income Alaskans.

Man sets himself on fire
A former martial arts fighter set himself on fire after vowing not to go back to jail.

Seal rarely seen in Puget Sound is in good shape
An Arctic ribbon seal rarely seen in Puget Sound had its southerly sojourn interrupted Tuesday for a medical checkup.

Anchorage man dies after weekend stabbing
The victim in a weekend stabbing in Anchorage has died.