Alaska

Federal bill would add veterinary care to IHS duties to address rabies, other risks in rural Alaska • Alaska Beacon

Published

1 month ago

May 23, 2024

Federal bill would add veterinary care to IHS duties to address rabies, other risks in rural Alaska • Alaska Beacon

The Indian Health Service provides medical and dental care to the Indigenous peoples of Alaska and elsewhere in the nation. What it does not provide, however, is veterinary care for animals living with the IHS’ human clients.

A bill introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is an attempt to change that.

The bill, called the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act, was introduced by the Alaska senator last week. It would add veterinary services to the federal agency’s duties. That is important in rural Alaska, she said, where regular veterinarian care is notoriously scarce and where diseases in wild animal populations pose threats to domestic animals like dogs and, potentially, people.

The bill would direct the IHS to work with tribal organizations to provide veterinarian services, including spaying and neutering of pets.

A top concern is rabies, which is common in Alaska fox populations but also found in other animals and thus poses risks to people.

“Unfortunately, in Alaska we are experiencing more frequent rabies outbreaks in wild animal populations. Rural communities are disproportionately at higher risk of rabies transmission to humans due to uncontrolled dog populations in remote areas of Alaska — which is particularly concerning given the challenges of providing health care in many rural and remote villages,” Murkowski said in a statement. There are vaccination and voluntary veterinary services trying to address the problems, but those “are simply not able to meet the growing need for services. My bill would help bolster the veterinary workforce in Alaska, creating healthier and safer communities across the state,” she said.

Alaska Native children, research shows, are at elevated risks for dog bites, which could, in turn, expose them to rabies or other diseases that can spread between animals and people, also known as zoonotic diseases. A 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Alaska Native children’s rate of hospitalization for dog bites was about twice that of the general U.S. child population. Indigenous children in the Southwestern and Northern Plains states also had high rates of hospitalization for dog bites, the study found.

Dog bites and exposure through them to rabies and other diseases is a problem in Indigenous communities throughout the circumpolar north, and “dog bites have become an important public health burden” in those places, said a 2022 report by Canadian researchers that synthesized 257 individual studies.

Rabies is endemic, meaning entrenched, in the Arctic fox and red fox populations of northern Alaska, Western Alaska and the Aleutians, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But rabies has been found in other wild animals, such as caribou and polar bears, according to the department.

Last summer, North America’s first confirmed case of a rabies-infected moose occurred in the Bering Strait-area village of Teller. The moose, found wandering in and around the community, was euthanized and found to be carrying the Arctic fox variant of the rabies virus, which is different from the red fox variant, the Department of Fish and Game said.

Among the provisions in Murkowski’s bill is a directive for the veterinary officers from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to provide services to the IHS, a directive for a study about the feasibility of delivering oral rabies vaccines in Alaska’s Arctic region and inclusion of the IHS as a coordinating agency in the National One Health Framework, which is addressing zoonotic diseases and federal agencies’ readiness to respond to them.

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines adds nonstop flight from Portland to New Orleans – The Points Guy

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2024

Press Room

Alaska Airlines adds nonstop flight from Portland to New Orleans – The Points Guy

Alaska Airlines is adding a new route to the Big Easy from one of its West Coast hubs.

Starting in January, the Seattle-based carrier will offer nonstop, seasonal service from Oregon’s Portland International Airport (PDX) to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

The service will launch Jan. 6 and run through May 14. Booking is now open.

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Though it’s just a five-month span for the new route, it will certainly give Pacific Northwest travelers some more opportunities to travel to New Orleans at a key time of year.

On top of the city’s iconic Mardi Gras festivities early in the year, New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome will play host to the next Super Bowl on Feb. 9.

Route details

Alaska will operate the winter seasonal route with a Boeing 737 mainline aircraft on a daily basis. Here’s how the itinerary shakes out:

PDX-MSY: Departs 9:05 a.m. Pacific time; arrives 3:30 p.m. Central time
MSY-PDX: Departs 4:35 p.m. Central time; arrives 7:50 p.m. Pacific time

Growing its Portland, New Orleans capacity

The addition of New Orleans will give Alaska Airlines 55 nonstop destinations out of its Portland hub.

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Notably, though, Portland will be just the second city serving the Big Easy in its network. Right now, Alaska only operates a New Orleans nonstop from its home base, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

In fact, no carriers currently serve the Portland-New Orleans route, which makes it an intriguing option for travelers, leaders in both cities said.

“Portland has been the top unserved destination from New Orleans, and this new route not only strengthens the connection between our vibrant cities but also underscores our commitment to enhancing the travel experience for our community and visitors alike,” MSY director for aviation Kevin Dolliole said in a statement.

For Alaska’s part, the carrier’s seats out of Portland are set to grow just over 12% in 2024, even prior to launching this new nonstop in early 2025, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. However, its seats there still trail 2019 levels.

Bottom line

It’s worth mentioning that though this seasonal route will feed more traffic into New Orleans for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, Alaska will just barely miss another major event: the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. That event will serve as one of the first-ever college football quarterfinal games this upcoming season.

Still, there’s nary a bad time to fly to a city with rich food and plentiful cultural and entertainment options like New Orleans — not to mention some top-notch hotels.

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Alaska

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Published

11 hours ago

June 23, 2024

Press Room

Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $56.60.

ALK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $49.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 19th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $54.00 target price on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their target price on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Alaska Air Group from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 19th.

View Our Latest Analysis on ALK

Alaska Air Group Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of ALK stock opened at $41.18 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.65. The business’s fifty day moving average is $42.60 and its 200-day moving average is $39.77. Alaska Air Group has a 1 year low of $30.75 and a 1 year high of $57.18. The stock has a market cap of $5.23 billion, a PE ratio of 22.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.61.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 18th. The transportation company reported ($0.92) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.09) by $0.17. The business had revenue of $2.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.18 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 13.54%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.62) earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ALK. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,461,295 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $536,225,000 after purchasing an additional 47,871 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 5,439,909 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $212,543,000 after purchasing an additional 660,455 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its position in Alaska Air Group by 4.1% during the first quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,966,594 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $170,533,000 after buying an additional 155,403 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 16.3% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,554,257 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $94,712,000 after buying an additional 358,749 shares in the last quarter. Finally, U S Global Investors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Alaska Air Group by 22.4% in the fourth quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 1,387,734 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $54,219,000 after buying an additional 253,984 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.90% of the company’s stock.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Alaska Air Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates airlines. It operates through three segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The company offers scheduled air transportation services on Boeing jet aircraft for passengers and cargo in the United States, and in parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, and the Bahamas; and for passengers across a shorter distance network within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Cynthia Hoffman’s father Timothy honored by fellow riders in funeral procession

Published

18 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Cynthia Hoffman’s father Timothy honored by fellow riders in funeral procession

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Over 50 riders and drivers followed a black hearse through the streets of Anchorage Saturday afternoon honoring the life of Timothy Hoffman, who died during a memorial ride for his daughter earlier this month.

“We didn’t know we were gonna have this kind of turnout,” Donald Hoffman, Timothy’s big brother, said on Saturday. “As you can see by his family, he had many that loved him.”

Dozens of bikers filled the parking lot of the Alaska Cremation Society on Saturday as they waited to escort Hoffman’s remains from the cremation center to Faith Christian Community for his memorial service. Even Timothy’s dog, tucked into the arms of a loved one, came along to join the parade of cars and motorcycles.

“I feel good. I’m definitely honored to be Tim’s brother,” Hoffman said. “To ride amongst these great bikers, you know, we have different clubs here. They didn’t have to come. They came on their own.”

Hoffman, known to his loved ones as an avid Harley-lover, a hard worker, and someone who would give the shirt off his back, passed on June 3 while riding in a memorial ride for his daughter Cynthia Hoffman, who was murdered in 2019.

“He’s an advocate for justice,” Hoffman said. “We were just trying to carry on that tradition when we had a tragedy on the ride.”

According to Alaska State Troopers, Hoffman lost control of his motorcycle on the Park Highway. His wife Jeannie, who was riding with Hoffman, is still hospitalized from injuries sustained during the crash.

“She opened her eyes but they still say she’s not there. So there’s no brain activity,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said his family plans to continue holding the yearly memorial ride for Cynthia as they continue to seek justice for her murder. But he says next year, they will also be riding in Timothy’s honor whose death came on the fifth anniversary of Cynthia’s passing.

Another memorial will be held for Timothy next Sunday at the Carousel Lounge at 4:30 p.m. Riders will head to the Victims of Justice building before returning to the Carousel Lounge for karaoke and food.

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