One dollar SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020 newsminer.com T HE VOICE OF INTERIOR ALASKA Inside Today XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.See University of Alaska Fairbanks’ complete graduating class of 2020. » AX Alaska State Fair canceled due to virus concerns In the meantime, the board is trying to speak with the governor’s office, the Tanana Valley State Fair remains undecided Department of Health and Social Ser- vices commissioner and the chief med- ical officer. By Kyrie Long dations for mass gatherings of this scale, “We hope that in the coming weeks we “Our executive director has tried to [email protected] it just will not be possible to deliver the will have more information to help us have a meeting with those individuals, same experience fairgoers have come to make a decision, but be assured the but hasn’t been super successful,” she The Alaska State Fair in Palmer has expect from the State’s largest celebration. board of TVSFA will make a decision no said, “and we are, and she is, continuing been canceled for this year due to con- “Each day brings insurmountable later than May 31st.” to try to meet with them, because we cerns about the COVID-19 outbreak. challenges to overcome,” he said. The board realized during its execu- certainly have more questions on how Jerome Hertel, the fair’s CEO, said in In Fairbanks, the fate of this year’s tive session that, with the latest man- we could safely have a fair.” a statement posted on the fair’s website Tanana Valley State Fair has not been dates from the governor, it wasn’t able Readers can keep up to date by fol- Friday that the “cancellation is due to decided. The fair association’s board to come up with a decision because so lowing the fair’s social media. People the continuing uncertainty regarding of directors met Wednesday without many questions arose, according to are also welcome to call their office, the COVID-19 pandemic.” reaching a decision. Members had gone board President Coleen Turner. at 452-3750 Turner noted. The fair It is the first time since World War II into executive session, then returned “Our hope is to make that decision office closed amid the pandemic, but that the state’s largest fair has been can- and adjourned. sooner than the next board meeting, but it reopens June 1 with regular office celed. The fair is scheduled for July 31 right at this moment we don’t have an hours. Staff are at the office intermit- “We need to make decisions now based through Aug. 9. actual date set because we’re trying to tently and will call people back if they on what we know today, not how we hope The next regular meeting of the get some of those questions answered,” leave a message. things will be in August,” Hertel said in Tanana Valley State Fair Association is Turner said. the statement. “We have now reached June 17 at 5:45 p.m. The board would need to hold a spe- Follow staff writer Kyrie Long at twitter.com/ the point that with all the conjecture A previous statement from the associ- cial meeting to decide before its June FDNMlocal. Editor Rod Boyce contributed to this surrounding mandates and recommen- ation, posted online on April 30 states: meeting. report. GOOD MORNING Local leaders want to make COVID relief The weather. money widely Today will be partly cloudy. available High today ..............73 Low tonight ............54 By Amanda Bohman Sunrise: 3:59 a.m. [email protected] Sunset: 11:37 p.m. Almost $45 million in federal coronavirus relief money is bound WEATHER » A5 for the city of Fairbanks, the city Mike Mitchell, right, a server at Pike’s Landing, delivers lunch to Josh and Ninie of North Pole and the Fairbanks Smith of Delta Junction on Friday the first day Alaska restaurants went back to North Star Borough. Top municipal leaders are look- • • • operating at 100% dining capacity. The state issued a health mandate on March 18 that closed restaurants for dine-in service because of the COVID-19 pandemic. ing for ways to distribute the mon- ey to people, businesses and non- GARY BLACK/NEWS-MINER profits to cover pandemic-related The Fairbanks expenses. Memorial Hospital “I’d like to see the entire borough As restaurants reopen in Fairbanks, allocation make it into the local COVID-19 hotline economy,” Matt Cooper, presiding for any questions officer of the Borough Assembly, regarding symp- a sense of relief — and caution said in a text message. The city of Fairbanks has formed toms or other virus By Gary Black grabbing a bite to eat from a a committee to distribute its allo- related inquiries is [email protected] favorite local spot or enjoying cation of about $16 million, has (907) 458-2888. a drink on a deck overlooking issued a request for proposals from With the flip of a door plac- the Chena River. financial institutions to help dis- ard from “closed” to “open” or “It’s social interaction, get- tribute the money and was one of nine Alaska communities to pro- • • • the tug of a chain turning on ting out, not having to cook a blinking neon light, Fair- your own food, having a vide the state of Alaska, the pass- banks restaurants returned drink with friends,” said Dina through agency, with a signed grant DBSD to full capacity dining Friday, Barkhuff, who was having agreement. more than two months after lunch with her daughter, Ava, Proposals are still being crafted at GRADUATES a state mandate halted dine- 9, and friend, Caitlin Taylor, the borough, which is anticipating Denali Borough in service across Alaska in the upstairs on the deck at Salty’s receiving almost $25 million, and classes of 2020 wake of the COVID-19 pan- On 2nd in downtown Fair- North Pole, which has been allotted celebrate at a demic. banks. “We’re very happy to about $4 million. distance. For guests long cooped up be back and supporting our “While many details still need to at home because of social local businesses.” be sorted out, we want Fairbanks OUR TOWN distancing or self-isolating, to know that we are working fast to Page A6 it was a time to celebrate — OPEN » A5 get the money out into the commu- nity and to those who really need it The lion statues sitting guard outside Bobby’s Downtown in downtown Fairbanks show most,” Teal Soden, communications • • • director for the city of Fairbanks, off a sign of the times — a facemark, on Friday. GARY BLACK/NEWS-MINER said in an emailed answer to ques- tions. SOURDOUGH JACK: Borough Mayor Bryce Ward has requested to coordinate efforts “Nothing gets with the two cities, while the Fair- stuck in your National Park Service aligns hunting rules banks City Council on Monday unanimously authorized Fairbanks head like playing Mayor Jim Matherly to distribute ‘Pomp and with state law in Alaska national preserves funds to businesses, organizations Circumstance’ By Alistair Gardiner under state law. vant authorities and of the and individuals as “reimbursement grants,” according to a news release. on repeat at [email protected] The announcement associated impacts” and The money from Congress’ a graduation Wednesday comes five years determined that its 2015 rule The National Park Service after the National Park Ser- conflicted with federal and CARES Act must be used for unex- ceremony.” announced this week a final vice announced new rules for state laws that allow for hunt- pected costs incurred because of rule removing hunting and the 10 national preserves in ing and trapping in national the coronavirus pandemic and can- trapping prohibitions that Alaska. The rules banned a preserves. not replace lost revenues. have been in place since 2015 number of state-legal preda- “The 2015 harvest prohi- North Pole Mayor Mike Welch in national preserves in Alas- tor hunting techniques. bitions were not required for said he anticipates having a propos- ka. At the time, the Park Ser- conservation purposes, and al for the North Pole City Council to The rule allows Alaska res- vice said the practices con- removing them will not result review at its June 1 meeting. Welch idents to enter national pre- flicted with the agency’s con- in significant impacts to park wants to create a simple, noncom- serves to engage in practices servation mission. resources nor the maintenance petitive process, he said. like using bait to hunt bears According to a news release, of healthy wildlife populations “We’re going to make it fair and and the taking of wolves and the Park Service has “recon- in national preserves,” the square, and we’re not going to make coyotes during denning sea- sidered its prior position in son, which are permitted light of a review of the rele- NPS » A3 GRANTS » A5 INSIDE Classified » B5 | Comics » B6 | Dear Abby » B4 | Nation » B3 | Obituaries » A2 | Opinion » A4 Saturday, May 23, 2020 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner A3 INTERIOR/NATION Hydroxychloroquine linked to deaths, heart risks in COVID-19 study By John Lauerman than seen in 81,000 patients who didn’t TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE receive them. The biggest risk increase was seen in Anti-malaria drugs that President the group treated with hydroxychlo- Donald Trump has touted for treat- roquine and an antibiotic, where 8% ment of COVID-19 were linked to an of patients who got the combination increased risk of death and heart ail- developed a heart arrhythmia, com- ments in a study. pared with 0.3% of those in the com- Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine parison group.