Economy

With oil prices tumbling to their lowest level in over a decade, some people in rural Alaska are wondering if that will mean lower electric bills. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, or AVEC, says that it bought its fuel far in advance, which means that the savings will be small.

This article originally appeared on Alaska Public Media. 

Congress allocated $8 billion for tribes in its $2.2 trillion coronavirus response bill. Alaska’s Congressional delegation says the CARES Act clearly says Alaska Native Corporations are eligible for that money, too.

A deadline for tribes to apply for federal funding is coming up at the end of the week, and Calista Corporation worries that tribal leaders don’t have enough time or internet bandwidth to meet it.

The Bethel Community Service Foundation has eight $2,000 grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund to help nonprofits and businesses that are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The article originally appeared on Alaska Public Media. 

According to documents filed in federal court, Alaska’s largest rural airline is $90 million in debt and could be forced to sell its assets and shut down permanently. This would put rural travel and supply lines in peril unless the government or new investors come to the aid of the bankrupt company.

The Orutsararmiut Native Council in Bethel has chosen a new executive director: longtime Bethel resident, and current city council member, Mark Springer. Springer is not Alaska Native, but he doesn’t think that’s a problem. He says that his experience in politics and nonprofits will help the tribe continue its goals to provide for its members.

Small businesses in the Y-K Delta that are struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic should apply for forgivable loans paid for by the $2.2 trillion CARES Act. It may be confusing how much money is available, how you can apply, and when you would receive those funds. 

Quinhagak community leaders are asking the State of Alaska to close sport fishing in the waterways of the Kuskokwim Bay this summer. The request precedes an appeal from Dillingham city and tribal leaders asking the governor to close Bristol Bay’s commercial salmon fishery.