JUNEAU - A state judge has ordered 2010 U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller to pay more than $85,000 in legal costs to the Alaska Dispatch after the publication sued to obtain records from his time as a government attorney.

Two horses, six goats and a llama have a new home. Chris Heintz began caring for these animals after a local jury found a Nikiski woman guilty of animal cruelty. The animals' health is improving.

For decades ambulatory surgery centers grew in number and commonality across the nation as a viable way to reduce the cost of outpatient surgeries. But the successful business model surgery centers enjoyed - high profit from low overhead - hasn't sustained, a health policy analyst contends. Ashish Jha, associate professor of health policy for Harvard University's School of Public Health, said physician-owned surgery centers became a trend in the Lower 48 because of high profits generated for participating surgeons and lower costs for patients.

FAIRBANKS - Life and the economy overall are steady in the Interior city. And that's a good thing in these uncertain times.

According to proponents, a natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez isn't meant to supersede Cook Inlet development. In fact, such a pipeline could enhance liquified natural gas exports from Nikiski, Bill Walker said Wednesday at a joint Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce luncheon. "Congratulations to all that's happening here," Walker said.

Construction spending for the schools gets another boost this year, and there are several projects to account for it. The Associated General Contractors of Alaska and Institute of Social and Economic Research forecast that education-related construction spending will get a 15 percent boost over last year to the tune of $408 million. AGC's forecast states the increase comes from a $397 million state bond package passed in 2010 in addition to more local school district spending.

ANCHORAGE (AP) - Alaska's home construction continues to follow national patterns: first up, then down, now maybe up again. Alaska's residential construction rose dramatically between 2000 and 2005, when about 3,000 new single-family homes were built annually in the state. Also during this time period, more than 8.5 million homes went up across the country. Alaska's numbers dropped along with the rest of the nation's as early as 2006 and reached a low-point in 2009. Now the decline has stopped and even reversed a small bit.

Poverty levels in the Kenai Peninsula Borough are on par with state wide levels, according to information recently published by the Alaska Department of Labor. From 2006 to 2010, 9.5 percent of people in the borough were considered in poverty - the same level as the state, according to information in a report written by Department of Labor economist Alyssa Shanks.

Alaska could set another record for coal exports in 2011, Alaska Railroad Corp. and Usibelli Mine Inc. managers say.

JUNEAU -- Carol Kane said she doesn't care whose fault it is two Big Lake parks are closed, she just wants lawmakers to find a solution.