Rental assistance vouchers awarded
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $296,881 for 48 additional vouchers to the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. AHFC has administered some 4,200 rental vouchers. The funds were awarded under a $15 million notice of funding availability competition announced in The Federal Register in November seeking applications from housing authorities nationwide for rental assistance for non-elderly persons with disabilities in certain types of Section 8 project-based development and Section 202, section 221(d)3 and Section 236 rental complexes. Housing Choice rental assistance vouchers are made available under Section 8 of the National Housing Act to income-eligible households so that they do not have to pay more than 30 percent of their monthly gross income for rent. The Section 202 program funds the development and operation of privately owned rental complexes for the low-income elderly. Section 221(d)3 program insures, through the Federal Housing Administration, the mortgages of rental complexes owned by nonprofit organizations. Section 236 program provides mortgage insurance with a below-market interest subsidy for privately owned rental complexes serving income-eligible households.
UA Regents approves 2010 budget
The University of Alaska Board of Regents approved the fiscal year 2010 campus budgets. State appropriations for the budget cycle beginning July 1 total $328.2 million, including some pass-through funds. UA's total budget, including tuition revenue, federal grants and university-generated receipts, is $823.2 million for fiscal 2010. State money included nearly $2 million for two of the board's top priorities, health academic programs throughout the UA system and energy research and outreach through the Fairbanks campus. The board also approved distribution for $3.2 million in capital money, compared to $50 million in maintenance money requested. Among academic programs approved were a post-baccalaureate certificate in K-12 special education licensure and a master's degree program in special education, both at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; bachelor's degrees in geography and environmental studies at the University of Alaska Southeast; and a fast-track bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering at UAF. Other programs on the agenda, including an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in film at UAF and bachelor degrees in nutrition and dietetics at University of Alaska Anchorage, could be considered at a future meeting. Several ongoing construction and renovation projects also were reviewed. The board approved the Toolik Field Station dining facility, operated by UAF; a scaled-back request for the second phase of an ongoing renovation at UAF's Arctic Health Building; approved a classroom building for the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer; and approved moving forward with detailed design, engineering and architectural plans for a new sports arena at UAA, not to exceed $8 million. All those projects have funding sources that were previously approved.
Nerland recognized for excellence
Nerland Agency Worldwide Partners of Anchorage was honored with a 2009 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) at the international organization's annual Silver Anvil Awards Evening, held at the Equitable Tower in New York City this month. Nerland was recognized for the ACS Yellow Pages distribution campaign and annual recycling event in the Silver Anvil Events and Observances category. Silver Anvil Awards and Awards of Excellence recognize complete communications programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. Winning organizations and individuals must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession. Only a handful of Alaskans and Alaska businesses have been recognized with the prestigious Silver Anvil or Silver Anvil Award of Excellence. Nerland Agency is an employee-owned advertising and public relations firm, with more than 30 years of experience developing brand identity, enhancing corporate image, improving public awareness, and increasing sales for its clients
EchoStar to provide HD video to Ketchikan
EchoStar Satellite Services, a division of EchoStar Corp., announced an agreement to deliver its ViP-TV video transport service to the city of Ketchikan's KPU Telecommunications, a provider of telecommunications and video services to a city of approximately 14,000 residents. Taking advantage of EchoStar's IP-Prime Conversion Program, KPU will receive transport of up to 42 popular high definition TV channels. The city offers residents ultra high-speed broadband, TV services and Internet phone services and will be nearly 50 percent complete with its city-wide build-out of fiber to the home at the end of this summer's construction season. With the addition from EchoStar, Ketchikan will offer a total of 58 HD channels, along with a suite of more than 140 standard definition TV channels. Commercial transport provider IP-Prime announced previously it is discontinuing its video transport service to telco facilities by July 31, 2009.
OSHA seeks applications for grants
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is soliciting applications for nearly $7 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants available to nonprofit, community and faith-based organizations. OSHA awards funds to provide training and education programs on safety and health topics for workers and their employers. For fiscal year 2009, the program offers 24 targeted topic areas including crane safety, combustible dust, emergency preparedness and response, and the OSHA recordkeeping process. Grant solicitations will be published in the June 10 edition of the Federal Register. Applications are due July 24, 2009. Applications must be submitted electronically at www.grants.gov. Information on the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program is available at www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/sharwood.html.
