FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) – After the U.S. Dept. of Education reached out to the State of Alaska about the potential withholding of tens of millions of dollars, Tom Klaameyer, the president of NEA-Alaska spoke on the issue and the impacts it will have if it is made final.

In 2021, the federal government passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), part of which provided funds to schools as a form of relief to aid schools recuperating from the Covid-19 pandemic. States were able to take advantage of these funds as long as they followed as set of terms that required funds to be distributed a certain way.

Earlier this week, the U.S. department of education notified the State of Alaska that it would withhold tens of millions of dollars in education funds if the state did not work to fall into compliance with regulations outlined in the ARPA.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, Alaska failed to do just that. Now there’s $17.5 million on the line. “In order to receive the additional covid funding from the federal government, [The Alaska Dept. of Education and Early Development] agreed to the terms of that including the maintenance of equity requirement so from the beginning the state was aware of those requirements in accepting those funds,” said Klaameyer.

The maintenance of equity requirement being the issue at question. This term required the state to provide a certain amount of funding and they say that four school districts including Fairbanks North Star Fairbanks School District did not receive the funds to meet that term.

The U.S. Dept. of Education notified the state of their non-compliance multiple times but has yet to hear back from the state on the matter. Currently, the state has until Oct. 15, to appeal or resolve the issue .

If no action is taken by that time — schools in the Kenai, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau areas will pay the price, each losing millions of dollars.

“That’s not an insignificant amount of money, so we’re talking about schools closures here in Fairbanks, we’re talking about potential school closures elsewhere, we’re talking about higher class sizes, we’re talking about reducing positions, fewer educators in the building,” Klaameyer said.

Fairbanks in particular would lose about $2.8 million which is close to the price of operating a school for one year.

This comes at a time when the school district already faces a large deficit and has had to close Ben Eielson Jr./Sr. High School to balance the budget.

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Highlights:

• 1,568 line kilometers of airborne VTEM Max electromagnetic geophysical survey completed.

• 4,971 soil samples collected.

• Rock sampling and prospecting carried out.

• Results expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (TSX-V: AEMC, OTCQB: AKEMF) (“Alaska Energy Metals,” “AEMC,” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of a helicopter-borne Versatile Time Domain Electromagnetic (“VTEM”) Max survey over its 100% owned Angliers-Belleterre project (“Angliers”) in Quebec, Canada, and a large soil geochemical survey. Prospecting and rock sampling were also completed. The purpose of the exploration program was to identify targets that may represent valuable metallic mineralization, particularly nickel–copper deposits. Results of the soil survey and VTEM survey are anticipated to be received during the fourth quarter of 2024. This exploration work was funded from a flow-through financing completed in December 2023.

The VTEM survey was completed by Ontario-based Geotech Ltd. and consisted of 1,568 line-kilometers flown at 100-meter line spacing (Figure 1). In addition, a 4,971-sample soil program was completed across the same area as the VTEM survey (Figure 1). The soil collection, prospecting, and rock sampling programs were completed by Quebec-based Breakaway Exploration Management. The purpose of the VTEM survey is to define zones of conductive anomalies that may indicate metallic sulfide mineralization. Soil sampling was used to detect for the presence of metal ions that may reflect the valuable metallic mineral deposits in bedrock beneath. Coincident electromagnetic anomalies and soil anomalies represent compelling targets for drill testing.

Alaska Energy Metals Chief Geoscientist Gabe Graf commented: “We are pleased that Geotech and Breakaway have safely, responsibly, and efficiently carried out modern geophysical and geochemical surveys at our Angliers project in Quebec. We are eagerly awaiting survey results, which will be used in combination with planned geologic mapping. We hope that the results of our work will unlock multiple drill targets for testing in 2025.”

VTEM MAX SURVEY
Geotech’s VTEM survey is excellent for locating discrete, conductive anomalies as well as mapping lateral and vertical variations in resistivity. Full waveform recording is employed to achieve very clean early-time measurements to effectively resolve near-surface structures. This survey includes a high-sensitivity cesium magnetometer for mapping geologic structures and lithology. The radar altimeter has an accuracy of approximately one meter using a real-time GPS Navigation System providing an in-flight accuracy up to 1.5 meters.

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Figure 1. VTEM survey and soil sampling grids on 1^st derivative magnetic data. (Source of base image magnetic data: Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts).

QUALIFIED PERSON
Gabriel Graf, the Company’s Chief Geoscientist, is the qualified person who reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this news release.

For additional information, visit: https://alaskaenergymetals.com/

ABOUT ALASKA ENERGY METALS
Alaska Energy Metals Corporation (AEMC) is an Alaska-based corporation with offices in Anchorage and Vancouver working to sustainably deliver the critical materials needed for national security and a bright energy future, while generating superior returns for shareholders.

AEMC is focused on delineating and developing the large-scale, bulk tonnage, polymetallic Eureka deposit containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located in Interior Alaska near existing transportation and power infrastructure, its flagship project, Nikolai, is well-situated to become a significant domestic source of strategic energy-related metals for North America. AEMC also holds a secondary project in western Quebec; the Angliers – Belleterre project. Today, material sourcing demands excellence in environmental performance, carbon mitigation and the responsible management of human and financial capital. AEMC works every day to earn and maintain the respect and confidence of the public and believes that ESG performance is measured by action and led from the top.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
“Gregory Beischer”
Gregory Beischer, President & CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Gregory A. Beischer, President & CEO
Toll-Free: 877-217-8978 | Local: 604-638-3164

Sarah Mawji, Public Relations
Venture Strategies
Email: sarah@venturestrategies.com
Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including receipt of assays from soil samples, geophysical survey results, definition of drill targets, and future drill testing. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If the Company updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a14158dd-6d5b-4795-bc14-bc1f20e04079

FREEPORT, Ill. (WIFR) – Creating the next generation of leaders, the Illinois National Guard celebrates 62 soldiers during a mobilization ceremony on Thursday.

Cheers were heard all around for the 333rd Military Police company as they embark on a nine-month mission at Fort Greely in Alaska. Before the mission, soldiers will refine their skills at Fort Willis learning to master their craft. From there, they will head to Greely to protect one of the U.S.’s most critical infrastructures.

Colonel Lenny Williams says they couldn’t do it without the support of their friends and family. Joining the loved ones of the troops was Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who Williams says attends every mobilization ceremony he can.

“To see our veterans in the room, and I use the analogy that they pass the baton on to us, I really believe in that. I mean, they forged the way and they’ve given the baton to us and it’s us taking it forward,” Williams says. “And you see how incredible this group of young soldiers is.”

Like many of the soldiers, it’s Lt. Christian Grego’s first deployment. He will lead the company on this first Illinois deployment to Fort Greely. He says the connection between soldiers will carry them to the end.

“You can already see the bonds in their personal lives in their professional lives of training in each month to month,” Grego says. “Being up in a remote area where we will be all that training and all those personal bonds is what’s going to get them through.”

Williams adds not only will they return from deployment as veterans, but the soldiers will also become better leaders.

With thousands of open positions all throughout the U.S. Military Williams says they’ve had to get creative when recruiting. As they hope to inspire a new generation of leaders, he says there is a spot for anyone with a desire to serve.

“It’s getting better, it ebbs and flows. I think we just went through an ebb and were coming out of it now,” Williams says. “We’ve seen some numbers increase in the last year or so it’s getting better.”

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