THE 1967 FAIRBANKS FLOOD A Celebrating State Holds Its Breath Photo courtesy USGS

June Allen Column: THE 1967 FAIRBANKS FLOOD; A Celebrating State Holds Its Breath - It was raining in Fairbanks. Ordinarily the broad valleys and mountains of Interior Alaska enjoy long hours of sunshine during the too-short summer season. In August, the daylight hours shorten noticeably and the white birch copses glow golden against a deepening blue sky, hinting at the end of the seasonal cycle. Sometimes a few wet summer weeks will come along, nothing alarming. But in early August of 1967 the sky was dismally gray, the rain drizzled down - and the level of the Chena River was slowly rising. In July of 1967 Fairbanks had received 3.34 inches of rain instead of the normal 1.84 inches. Modern Fairbanks had seen high water before and while there had been a minor flood in 1948 and another back in 1937, no one was terribly worried. It was nothing like the stories of the early years of the 20th century when the insignificant Chena caused big problems. - Click here to read more...
Thursday - August 07, 2003 - 12:50 am

Alaska: State Endorses Federal Land Conveyance Proposals; Will Facilitate Conveyance of Land to State and Natives - The state director of the Division of Mining, Land and Water Wednesday morning told a Senate hearing in Anchorage that Alaska strongly supports three bills now pending in the U.S. Senate that are aimed at largely completing, by 2009, the transfer of lands selected by the state and Native Corporations. The year 2009 will be the 50th anniversary of Alaska Statehood. - Click here to read more...
Thursday - August 07, 2003 - 12:50 am

Alaska: Gov. Murkowski Signs Credit Scoring Bill, 2 Others - Governor Frank Murkowski on Wednesday signed into law SB 13, by Anchorage Senator John Cowdery and Juneau Senator Kim Elton, which prohibits the use of credit ratings by insurance companies to determine premiums or deny coverage unless the scoring models are filed with the Division of Insurance. - Click here to read more...
Thursday - August 07, 2003 - 12:50 am

Alaska: Campaign Finance and Election Initiatives Filed; Ballot initiatives filed to restore campaign finance laws... and to fill U.S. Senate vacancy by election, not appointment - The Alaska Democrats announced on Wednesday that two initiative petitions were submitted to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to restore and protect the integrity of Alaska's elections. The first initiative restores the campaign finance limits and lobbyist reporting requirements eroded by recent legislative action, according to the Alaska Democrats. The second initiative requires that a vacancy in the U.S. Senate be filled by special election, as is currently the law for vacancies in the U.S. House of Representatives. The initiative petitions were submitted by Representatives Harry Crawford, Eric Croft, David Guttenberg, and Les Gara. - Click here to read more...
Thursday - August 07, 2003 - 12:50 am  

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