The Southeast Conference's annual meeting concluded Thursday after four days of meetings, presentations and other events dealing with Southeast Alaska regional issues.

Two recent studies point toward a growing statewide need for labor. The Alaska Department of Labor's occupational forecast projects expected job growth or decline in statewide industry sectors.

As the House Finance Committee began assembling the 2002 state operating budget Saturday, members talked more about a long-range fiscal plan "accidentally" than they have on purpose for the past 60 days, said Rep. Eric Croft.

John Hansen, president of the North West CruiseShip Association, estimated attendance at 75 people each day. The tours were to conclude this afternoon.

An appeals court said Friday that it planned to rule in favor of environmentalists and block the Kensington Mine from using Lower Slate Lake as a tailings dump.

As the executive director of Southeast Conference, the regional economic development organization for Southeast Alaska, I read with interest a recent "My Turn" that criticized our interest in revitalizing the timber economy of the region . A better understanding of our organization will provide a fuller picture of why we need to take on the responsibilities we do.

WASHINGTON - A federal judge threw out an industry lawsuit Wednesday that could have led to more logging and road building in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the nation's largest federal forest.

As the House Finance Committee began assembling the 2002 state operating budget Saturday, members talked more about a long-range fiscal plan "accidentally" than they have on purpose for the past 60 days, said Rep. Eric Croft.

An environmental awareness program intended to educate the public about the operations of cruise ships had only modest success this week.