Severe weather has impeded the salvage of a large drilling rig that ran aground on an uninhabited island in the Gulf of Alaska, highlighting conservationists' concerns about drilling in isolated and environmentally sensitive waters.
The Kulluk, a Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig, was being towed to Seattle for maintenance when it became separated from its towing vessel south of Kodiak Island and ran aground Monday night. Winds of up to 80 miles per hour and 50-foot waves hindered yesterday'... Read More
A Snowmass ski patroller was killed in an avalanche on Sunday while skiing alone in the closed Ship's Prow Glades. Aspen Skiing Co. officials said that Patsy Hileman, a 26-year Snowmass patroller, triggered a small slide that swept her over a cliff, where she was found dead 40 minutes later. The out-of-bounds area known as Hanging Valley Wall had a weak base covered by a slab of heavy snow, and it's unclear why Hileman was there alone. “At this point we have no knowledge of Patsy's inten... Read More
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives expressed consternation after the House failed to vote on a $60 billion Hurricane Sandy relief bill Tuesday night. Representatives from both parties were quick to voice criticism of Speaker John Boehner, who halted the vote. While the bill will be reintroduced when the new congress elected in November is sworn in, it will have to be considered and passed all over again, further delaying aid for New York and New Jersey residents whose homes were dest... Read More
A group of eight American sailors are suing Tokyo Electric Power Company over radiation exposure they received in 2011. The sailors, who were helping with relief efforts, claim that TEPCO lied about the radiation threat posed by leaks from the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. The false safety assurances, the sailors say, led them into areas that were unsafe and contained radiation. They are each seeking $10 million in compensatory damages, $30 million in punitive damages, and also want a $100 mi... Read More
What is blind, has four legs, is eight years old, and survived the Alaskan winter without heat, transportation, the ability to operate anything resembling transportation, or any semi-advanced cognitive capacities? A dog. Abby, a brown-and-white mixed-breed belonging to the Grapengeter family, to be exact. On December 13, she disappeared near Fairbanks. With temperatures dropping as low as -40 degrees Farenheit and considering the dog had lost her eyesight a year ago, the Grapengeters figured t... Read More
