Articles by Becky Bohrer

Board to Ponder Rules for Marijuana Consumption at Alaska Stores

Marijuana regulators in Alaska plan to consider rules this week for consuming marijuana products at authorized retail pot stores, a first among states that have legalized the recreational use of pot. Late last year, the Marijuana Control Board voted to …

Suspension of Insurance Carrier Lifted in Alaska, Oregon

Insurance regulators in Alaska and Oregon announced that a company that had been suspended from offering health insurance policies in the states over concerns with its financial condition will be allowed to resume that business. The Alaska Division of Insurance …

Alaska’s M7.1 Quake Puts Focus on State’s Emergency Preparedness

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Alaska’s most populous region has renewed focus on the state’s readiness to deal with a natural disaster. And it’s not just earthquakes that pose a danger across the vast state but also wildfires, floods, landslides …

Alaska Fishermen Sue Over Sunken Vessel

Some Bristol Bay, Alaska fishermen have sued over the sinking last June and subsequent salvage of the Lone Star, which they say leaked fuel into the water and brought salmon fishing to an early halt. The fishermen, in a lawsuit …

Biologist: Tsunami Debris Overwhelming In Spots In Alaska

Debris that gathered this past summer on Alaska’s Kayak Island made walking on its beaches feel like walking through a natural disaster zone, a federal biologist said Thursday. Jacek Maselko, a biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in …

Agency Blames Lack Of Control For Alaska Mine Accident

A federal agency blames inadequate management policies, procedures and controls for a fatal accident at an Alaska mine last year. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday released its report on the September accident at the Kensington gold …

Alaska Law Meant To Ban Texting While Driving Challenged

Alaska’s intended ban on texting while driving is facing a legal challenge, with a magistrate in Kenai saying the Legislature should have been explicit if they truly meant to prohibit the activity. The decision this month by Magistrate Jennifer Wells …

Alaska Tour Operator Fined $1.5 Million for Not Having Workers’ Compensation

An Alaska tour operator has been fined $1.5 million for allegedly failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance, violating stop work orders and misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Ultimate Tours LLC and Godwin Glacier Tours LLC can appeal the Alaska Workers’ …

New Orleans Jury: Dell Liable for $12.8M in Crime Camera Suit

A jury in New Orleans has found Dell Inc. liable for $12.8 million in damages over unfair competition and conspiracy claims in a lawsuit involving the city’s problematic crime camera surveillance program. Southern Electronics Supply Inc. and Active Solutions LLC …

Economic Outlook for Coastal Mississippi, Alabama Brightens

The economic outlook should brighten in 2010-2011 for the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, but that’s not the case for the New Orleans area, an economist said this week at a regional economic forum. Lack of business investment within a still-untested …