Bulletins 02/05/12

Bay Times, Fisherman begin production

A combined publication of The Bristol Bay Times and Dutch Harbor Fisherman will be on the shelves of the region starting in February. Alaska Media LLC bought The Bristol Bay Times, The Dutch Harbor Fisherman and the Arctic Sounder in August from Calista Corp.’s Alaska Newspapers Inc., which was shutting down six papers across the state. In addition, Alaska Media purchased two shoppers.

BBB wards of business ID theft

Better Business Bureau warns of a recent surge in business identity theft. Copycats often design similar-looking websites, advertisements and solicitations featuring real business names, logos and contact information to cheat consumers under false guise and potentially ruin other businesses’ reputations. Business victims usually detect stolen identities when confronted by customers regarding false solicitations, fake websites, phishing emails, fraudulent charges or check cashing schemes. Some also receive delivery, billing and customer service complaints stemming from the identity theft. Stolen identity clues can include unusual product or service requests, unfamiliar advertisements posted in directories or online and unwarranted complaint reports filed by unknown customers. If targeted, BBB recommends minimizing negative effects by claiming the name and monitoring business mentions, tracking inquiries and complaints, alerting customers and reporting the crime to local police, the Federal Trade Commission and the state attorney general.

PFD donations rise

Alaskans are opting to give a portion of their 2012 Permanent Fund Dividend to nonprofit causes at rates that exceed the first three years of the program. Participation rates of 4.5 percent and an average $87 per donor so far translate into $1 million in pledged gifts this year, according to data provided by the Permanent Fund Dividend Division. The figure represents the halfway point to this year’s campaign goal. The 2012 campaign includes more outreach from participating nonprofits than ever before, with dozens of organizations sharing stories of impact from charitable gifts with prospective donors.

Alaska triggers onto extended benefits

Alaska has triggered onto two federally funded programs that extend unemployment benefits. Those eligible can get up to 13 weeks of federal extended benefits and up to six weeks of emergency unemployment compensation, known as EUC Tier IV. The federal measure that triggers these additional benefits is based on the insured unemployment rate rising to 6 percent or higher, according to Paul Dick, director of the Employment Security Division. Alaska is currently paying some EUC benefits to those qualified. This program is federally funded under the Supplemental Appropriations Act signed into law in June 2008. Individuals who are currently filing should continue to do so and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development will determine the correct program for each filer.

Nominations open BLM awards

The Bureau of Land Management in Alaska is inviting nominations for the 2012 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards. The filing deadline is Feb. 10. These awards within five categories recognize operations that embody the principles of sustainable mineral development or represent outstanding examples of environmental stewardship through mining reclamation. Nominations may be done online at http://www.blm.gov/ak/ or through program coordinator John Hoppe at (907) 271-3218.

Permanent Fund gains in 2Q

The Alaska Permanent Fund returned 4.2 percent for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012, mitigating some first quarter losses and bringing the fiscal year-to-date return to 4.5 percent. The fund ended the period with a value of $38.6 billion. U.S. stocks showed the most growth during the quarter, returning 12.3 percent, while global stocks returned 7.7 percent and non-U.S. stocks returned 3.5 percent. The fund’s real estate and bond portfolios helped balance the stock portfolios’ losses, providing positive returns for the quarter and the fiscal year. Real estate returned 3.1 percent and 4.7 percent for the quarter and fiscal year-to-date, respectively. U.S. fixed income returned 2 percent for the quarter and 3.8 percent for the fiscal year, while non-U.S. fixed income returned 0.7 percent and 4 percent for the respective periods. Statutory net income, the amount used to calculate the dividend, was $386 million for the quarter, bringing the year-to-date total to $854 million. The returns for the Permanent Fund’s alternative investments were mixed, with performance relatively flat or slightly down for the quarter and for the fiscal year.