UAF and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District have joined forces to create North Star College, a middle college program that will allow students to take UAF classes at the Fairbanks campus while still in high school. The school district will cover tuition and transportation, and students will earn both high school and college credit for their UAF classes.

For the 2020-2021 school year, North Star College will be open to seniors only and will accept forty students. Eligible students will be entered into a lottery and randomly selected for admission. UAF and the school district plan to expand the program the following year to admit more students, as well as open it to both juniors and seniors. k12northstar.org/northstarcollege

Alaska Rubber Group expanded its capabilities and customer service with the acquisition of Arctic Wire Rope & Supply, an Alaska company based in Anchorage. Arctic Wire Rope, the 2006 Alaskan Manufacturer of the Year, specializes in customizing rigging for any job, large or small, including custom slings, chokers, and bridles. alaskarubbergroup.com

NOVAGOLD announced that its flagship Donlin Gold project received the final State Right-of-Way authorization for its buried natural gas pipeline, issued by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) in January. ADNR also issued final authorization of the easement, land leases, land use permits, and material site authorizations for the proposed transportation facilities, and easement for the fiber optic cable on state lands in January. Additionally, ADNR denied an appeal and affirmed the Division of Mining, Land, and Water’s original January 2019 approval of Donlin Gold’s Reclamation Plan and its accompanying permit. novagold.com

Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite, commanding general of the US Army Corps of Engineers and 54th US Army Chief of Engineers, signed the Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) Channels Chief’s Report in Washington, D.C. The signing progresses the proposed project to Congress for authorization.

Located in the Aleutian Islands and about 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, a bar shallower than the surrounding bathymetry limits vessel traffic that can safely access port facilities and areas of refuge in Dutch Harbor. The final feasibility study recommends deepening the existing bar to -58 feet providing one-way access for ships with a draft up to 44 feet. Currently, the bar accommodates vessels with a draft of 38 feet. Initial estimates of deepening the channel would involve dredging approximately 182,000 cubic yards of sediment at an estimated cost of $30.5 million. www.poa.usace.army.mil/Library/Reports-and-Studies

BP is donating the BP Energy Center property and building to The Alaska Community Foundation (ACF), ensuring Alaska nonprofits will have access to the resource for years to come. Per BP’s request, ACF will maintain the building and its purpose for a period of at least twenty years. There will be no cancellations or disruptions for upcoming scheduled events at the Energy Center. BP will continue to operate the building until the official ownership transfer of its assets to Hilcorp takes place. bp.com | alaskacf.org

Alaska Airlines and American Airlines have formed an alliance to create more choices for West Coast customers. The expanded relationship between the airlines will offer customers several benefits:

• Alaska Airlines intends to join the oneworld alliance by summer 2021, which will connect Alaska guests to more than 1,200 destinations worldwide.
• American will launch the first service from Seattle to Bangalore, India, beginning in October. A new American route from Seattle to the global business hub London Heathrow will begin flying in March 2021.
• The airlines will continue their domestic codeshare and expand it to include international routes from Los Angeles and Seattle.
• Alaska and American loyalty members will enjoy benefits across both airlines.

alaskaair.com | aa.com

Hilcorp is on track to double production at its Milne Point Field. As of late January, production at Milne Point reached 34,000 barrels of oil per day for the first time since May 2008; average production when Hilcorp acquired the field in November 2014 was 18,400 barrels of oil per day. Hilcorp expects to reach 40,000 barrels of oil per day by the end of 2020. hilcorp.com

Armstrong Oil & Gas, through its subsidiary North Slope Energy, has acquired a 72 percent working interest in Borealis Alaska Oil’s Castle West Prospect on the North Slope. The West Castle prospect is a 92,000-plus acre lease block in the highly prospective Nanushuk Play Fairway. North Slope Energy and Borealis Alaska Oil are planning to evaluate the lands with a test well in the near future. armstrongoilandgas.com borealisalaskaoilinc.com