Arctic Warrior
By Rachel Napolitan USACE Alaska District

All summer long, a crimson and white boat moves back and forth through the waters near the Port of Alaska collecting silt, sand and gravel off the seafloor to allow vessels to navigate the harbor in Anchorage. The boat is a dredging vessel called the Westport, operated by Manson Construction of Seattle, Wash., which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District contracted to maintain the mooring areas for the past three years.

An estimated 2,400 to 2,600 cargo containers arrive at the port each week to keep stores supplied with consumer goods throughout the Interior and Southcentral Alaska, said Julie Anderson, operations branch chief for the Alaska District.

"We all want our stuff, so it is important that we provide an environment in which shippers can be on time," Anderson said.

Read full story Here:
https://www.frontiersman.com/arctic-warrior/army-corps-continues-legacy-of-dredging-at-port-of-alaska/article_c23e82a4-bfc7-11ea-937a-532058e070a2.html

By: Elwood Brehmer
Alaska Journal of Commerce

A federal judge denied the U.S. Maritime Administration’s motion for judgment in Anchorage’s lawsuit against the agency over more than $300 million in failed construction at the city’s port done more than a decade ago.

U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Edward J. Damich rejected the Maritime Administration’s arguments that memorandums of understanding signed in 2003 and 2011 outlining the city’s and agency’s roles in the Port of Anchorage Intermodal Expansion Project were cooperative, and therefore not binding agreements.

Agency attorneys argued that the MOUs were more ceremonial in nature and did not make the government responsible for the project.

The Anchorage port was renamed the Port of Alaska by city officials in 2017.

Ready Full Story Here:
https://www.alaskajournal.com/2020-05-27/lawsuit-against-marad-may-proceed

KTVA News
By: Dave Leval

There's a lot of hammering at the Port of Alaska, as crews work on the dock that will house the new Petroleum and Cement Terminal.

"What we're seeing behind us is the ability for to move petroleum and cement as we rebuild the state, as we build into the future," said Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.

The structure will replace Petroleum Oil Lubricants Terminal 1, which opened in 1965. It's now severely corroded and suffered significant structural damage during the November 2018 earthquake, according to the muni.

"It is a sign too that Anchorage is a resilient place, that we are coming back from an earthquake, we're moving through a pandemic," Berkowitz said. "We're going to make sure that this terminal is going to be here for a generation and another generation after that."

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.ktva.com/story/42133054/work-continues-on-new-terminal-at-port-of-alaska

Anchorage Daily News
By: Marc Lester

Many of the Alaska’s most popular musical artists performed Tuesday at the Ship Creek small-boat launch, though no large crowd gathered to see them.

Videos captured there will become the AK4AK virtual music festival, which will debut online starting at 6 p.m. May 1.

Organizers, including Showdown Productions and Anchorage Assembly member Christopher Constant, say the event was inspired by the sacrifices Alaskans made to flatten the curve of new COVID-19 cases and to thank shipping and port workers who keep food and supplies coming into the state.

For musicians it was a welcome chance to play since the coronavirus shutdown has kept them apart and canceled their gigs, even if few people were there other than the production crew. Electronic instruments weren’t amplified on site. They played only into the recorded mix.

James Glaves, keyboardist for popular Anchorage rock band Medium Build, said it was the first time he had played with his bandmates since their last live performance in mid-February.

View full story here:
https://www.adn.com/arts/music/2020/04/29/with-big-audiences-impossible-some-of-alaskas-most-popular-performers-record-a-virtual-music-fest/

KTVA News
By: Samantha Davenport

After hosting a successful livestream last month, Showdown Alaska is partnering with Anchorage Assembly member Christopher Constant to bring Alaskans together — social distancing style.

AK4AK, a virtual music festival, will raise money for the Food Bank of Alaska. The festival will take place May 1 from 6-10 p.m.

Performers include Blackwater Railroad Co., Medium Build, H3, DJ Spencer Lee, Emma Hill, Ava Earl, Jaybird Parkhurst and other local artists.

Hellen Payares and Raymond Flores are co-owners of Showdown Alaska, an independent concert production team. They have brought up a list of talent to Alaska, including Waka Flocka Flame, Diplo and Grieves.

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.ktva.com/story/42047153/virtual-music-festival-hopes-to-connect-alaskans-during-coronavirus-crisis

American Shipper
By: Chris Gillis 

A COVID-19 infection that shut down Customs and Border Protection’s office at the port on Thursday will not impact cargo operations, the agency said.

The Port of Alaska at Anchorage serves as a lifeline for many Alaskan residents that benefit from scheduled container loads of groceries and other consumer products from the Lower 48 states.

While public nerves in the state were rattled by supply concerns when Alaska’s governor on March 27 issued a “shelter-in-place” order to stave off personal transmissions of COVID-19, the state’s port authority and ocean carriers calling on Anchorage insisted that ships loaded with containers will continue to arrive on schedule.

Bal Dreyfus, Matson’s senior vice president for Alaska, said on March 28 that “‘shelter at home’ and intrastate travel restrictions issued for residents of Alaska do not affect our operations, as Matson and the services that support our operations are considered ‘essential businesses’ supporting critical transportation infrastructure.”

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ocean-cargo-continues-to-flow-to-the-port-of-anchorage

KTUU News
By Mary Kate Burgess

A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol notice about the Anchorage Port of Entry had some Alaskans concerned about the transfer of goods through the Port of Alaska.

For those Alaskans worrying, the Port of Alaska is not closing. The business office of the Port of Entry of Anchorage, which is run by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is closing for two weeks.

Jim Jager with the Port of Alaska said the USC&BP closure does not affect the airport's customs operations, nor does it affect the Port of Alaska, where many of Alaska's goods arrive in the state.

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz also confirmed that the port is open and the goods are streaming through on his community radio show, Hunker Down Anchor Town on April 2, 2020.

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Port-of-Alaska-staying-open-despite-confusing-notice-569336781.html

By KTUU News 

Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and officials from shipping companies gathered at the Port of Alaska to deliver a reassuring message to an anxious public: Alaska's supply chain is resilient and so far is continuing uninterrupted.

"Those goods are going to continue to arrive," Berkowitz said, surrounded by representatives from the Port of Alaska, Matson, Tote, Marathon Petroleum, Saltchuk, and Port union workers. "I will point out, in those 600 containers are containers include the toilet paper that people seem to be hoarding. You don't need to do that any longer!"

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Anchorage-Mayor-and-shipping-officials-say-supply-chain-resilient-so-stop-hoarding-569010801.html

KTVA News
By: Joe Vigil

As Alaskans continue to see empty grocery store shelves for some items in some stores, KTVA recently asked some major Alaska shipping companies if there are any supply chain issues right now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The supply chain is healthy. It is working. The goods are coming to market," said Matson Alaska Senior Vice President Bal Dreyfus.

Some shippers and Port of Alaska officials say what people are seeing at grocery stores right now is a "demand-driven" change. They say goods are making it into Alaska just fine but people are simply buying up some products faster than usual right now.

"I think it's an understandable reaction. But I also think we don't need to panic," said Dreyfus.

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.ktva.com/story/41923217/frontiers-shipments-continue-arriving-in-alaska-market-despite-covid19

Anchorage Daily News
Author: Aubrey Wieber

On Sunday morning, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz stood on a third-story deck overlooking the Port of Alaska, where workers were unloading 1,200 shipping containers of goods.

In two days, another 1,200 will arrive on Anchorage’s shore.

Berkowitz was intentionally addressing news media with a busy port as the backdrop. He wants to dispel rumors that the coronavirus has disrupted the supply chain, which has prompted residents to make a run on grocery stores, clearing out pasta, rice, meat, baking ingredients and cleaning products.

Every Sunday and Tuesday, about 600 containers each from Matson and Tote shipping companies arrive in Anchorage and are unloaded. The goods supply local stores, but are also ground- and air-shipped throughout the state, reaching some of the most rural communities in the country. That supply line has not been interrupted, and is expected to remain intact for the foreseeable future, the mayor and shipping executives assured the public Sunday.

Read Full Story Here:
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2020/03/22/stop-hoarding-anchorage-mayor-shipping-companies-assure-alaskans-the-supply-chain-is-intact/