Environmental review delay threatens funding for Port of Alaska project

And: Alaska has a ‘first-rate’ earthquake monitoring system. The hard part is defending it against weather, bears and funding uncertainty ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Good afternoon. It’s Friday, May 10. In today's newsletter: - The Municipality of Anchorage is[trying to fix a funding problem]( that has threatened to halt progress on the huge modernization project underway at the Don Young Port of Alaska. - Alaska has a "first rate" seismic monitoring network composed of more than 250 stations across the state. The hard part is [defending the system]( against weather, bears and uncertain funding. - The Legislature’s budget conference committee [stripped out funding to make reduced-price meals]( free for low income Alaska students for the next school year. The onset of spring brings a flurry of activity in the natural world, and the same can be said of Anchorage when the weekend arrives. There's something for everyone this weekend, from live theater and the Anchorage Symphony Season Finale to the annual spring cleanup and a festival featuring beards, bacon and booze. Check out some of the highlights[here.]( Anchorage weather It's mostly cloudy today with a high near 48 degrees. We'll continue to see cloudy skies throughout most of the weekend, and there's a chance of precipitation early next week. Daytime temperatures will hover in the low- to mid-50s for the next few days. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Crews ready to work on huge Anchorage port project sit idle as critical environmental review is delayed →]( An unexpected delay with a critical environmental review has left the city burning through cash under a $97.5 million [construction contract]( as crews and equipment idle at the facility, with tens of millions of dollars in federal grant funds at risk. ADVERTISEMENT [Alaska has a ‘first-rate’ earthquake monitoring system. The hard part is defending it against weather, bears and funding uncertainty →]( Operating such a network isn’t simple. Scientists must maintain each of the sites, supplying power, connectivity and repairing damage done by Alaska’s ferocious weather and wildlife. It costs millions each year, money that has largely come from federal grants. [Free meals for low-income Alaska students removed from final budget →]( Funding was also included in the budget to keep the state’s gas line corporation open for another year. [Alaska Legislature poised to approve expanding access to birth control →]( The Legislature is slated to approve a bill that would allow women to get a year’s worth of prescription birth control at one time, something that s[upporters say would be particularly impactful for women in rural Alaska.]( [Bill to expand definition of ‘village’ qualifying for water funds passes Alaska House →]( What in Alaska counts as a village? When it comes to state money for drinking water improvements, the definition can be fraught. (via Alaska Beacon) ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Auroras could light up southern U.S. skies as unusually intense geomagnetic storm hits Earth →]( [Trying to snap a title drought, Service baseball is on a mission years in the making →]( [Alaska gardening myths busted →]( [UN assembly grants Palestine new rights and revives its membership bid →]( [Cruise ship drags dead whale into New York, prompting investigation →]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States