Alaska Railroad

by Ted Land Tuesday, March 23, 2010 JUNEAU, Alaska -- The state House of Representatives will soon vote on an in-state gas pipeline bill. The House Finance Committee wrapped up hearings on Speaker Mike Chenault's bill Tuesday afternoon and it will move on to the Rules Committee. The bill aims to speed up the process of building a line by combining a pair of state projects with the Department of Transportation and the Alaska Railroad. Chenault set a deadline of July 1, 2011 to begin construction with the goal of having gas moving down the line by 2015.

The Anchorage Museum will honor the late Alfred Hanisch for his generous planned gift by having a free general admission day along with a community reception on Jan. 31. According to the Anchorage museum, Hanisch had a lifelong passion for history and for museums that bring history to life. Hanisch served in the 651 st Field Artillery Battalion in Germany during World War II and was among the first to drive the Alaska Highway when he moved to the state in 1946. He later worked for the Alaska Railroad and Standard Oil of California and retired from Chevron USA in 1986.

by The Associated Press Tuesday, May 4, 2010 FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- At least three people correctly guessed when the ice would go out on the Tanana River and will the split the $279,030 jackpot. Nenana Ice Classic officials have yet to release the names on the winning tickets. The Tanana River ice in Nenana officially went out at 9:06 a.m. on Thursday when a tripod on the ice floated downstream and the clock in Alaska's richest guessing game stopped. Each year, thousands of people pay $2.50 a ticket to guess the precise moment when the ice will move.

A major economic development project for the Mat-Su Borough is picking up steam. The Federal Surface Transportation Board has recommended a route for the Port MacKenzie Rail Extension.  The board also released the final environmental impact statement for the route, which the borough says is a huge milestone.   The federal board has oversight of all rail line construction in the United States.    "This is a project that's already started in the Port District, but we're now ready to move forward," said Borough Mayor Larry DeVilbiss.

by Maria Downey Tuesday, January 05, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An Anchorage driver was hurt Tuesday after colliding with a train in Spenard. According to APD, shortly after 11 Tuesday morning 89-year-old Sven Persson of Anchorage received minor injuries when his Honda CRV was hit by a northbound train at Lois Drive and Tudor Road. Witnesses tell APD that Persson initially slowed down when approaching the lowering crossing arms with warning bells and lights flashing, and then, for some reason, sped up and passed under the barrier.

Location and Climate Seward is situated on Resurrection Bay on the east coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 125 highway miles south of Anchorage. It lies at the foot of Mount Marathon, and is the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. Bear Creek and Lowell Point are adjacent to Seward. The community lies at approximately 60.104170° North Latitude and -149.442220° West Longitude.  (Sec. 10, T001S, R001W, Seward Meridian.)   Seward is located in the Seward Recording District.

The nation's top transportation official is in Alaska this week. Tuesday morning, Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood heard from community leaders in Girdwood on what to do about one of the deadliest roads in the state: the Seward Highway. The Girdwood Community Center was just one of the stops LaHood made on his tour around Alaska learning about the state's unique transportation needs. The vast majority of people who participated in the roundtable said the Seward Highway needs to be expanded to four lanes, and even turned into a highway with lanes separated by a barrier.

The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Alaska Railroad can begin to spray herbicides along its tracks, starting as soon as Saturday. The court sided with the railroad and the state Department of Environmental Conservation over a plan to use chemicals to kill weeds along 30 miles of track south of Anchorage. Railroad officials say overgrown weeds are dangerous but environmental groups sued to stop the plan, claiming that the chemicals could cause harmful health effects. Kristin Ryan, director of the DEC's Division of Environmental Health, says Friday's ruling shows the agency was justified in issuing a spraying permit to the railroad.

President Barack Obama's visit to Alaska last week got us to thinking about previous presidential visits. There have been several over the years, most of them stopovers to refuel on the way to Asia. In tonight's Assignment Alaska, reporter Ted Land and photographer Kyle Stalder take a look back. There are certain tapes at Channel 2 we rarely use anymore, and we're lucky to find a machine that will play them. But with just the right touch -- you're there. President Ronald Reagan visited Alaska in November 1983, and reflected on what it was like to set foot in the Last Frontier for the first time.

by Ted Land Tuesday, May 25, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An unexpected result of the economic turnaround is hitting the Ted Stevens International Airport. More cargo jets are landing in Anchorage these days, which is a welcome sign for the airport, which depends on revenue from landing fees. But now there's a jet fuel shortage. "The global recession, the lack of purchasing in the Lower 48 decreased the manufacturing in China and decreased the amount of goods that needed to be shipped," said airport manager John Parrott.