Juneau Daily News Online

Thursday, January 6, 2000  ©  Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News

Southeast rattled by big 6.0 tremor
  No major damage or injuries reported
A 6.0 earthquake and two aftershocks shook up Juneau and Southeast residents this morning. The main event came at 1:43 with an epicenter of 100 miles west of Juneau and 95 miles northwest of Sitka (see map, right). A 4.0 tremor followed at 2:07am and a 4.5 at 2:37am. The Alaska Tsunami Warning Center reports the tremor was not of sufficient magnitude to create a seismic wave. It was felt strongly in Juneau, Sitka, Gustavus and Hoonah. Juneau Police received at least 75 calls from people saying it knocked items from shelves and off of walls resulting in minor damage. KINY received an email from a woman who said the quake stopped her wall clock at 1:45am today. There were no reports of major damage or injuries.

Blaze displaces residents of apartment building
Fire broke out at the Cordova Heights Apartments in West Juneau on Wednesday evening displacing residents of the 24 unit facility (at left, displaced Cordova Heights Apartments residents Tina Mosher and Gary Durling after last night's fire). No injuries were reported. Downtown Volunteer Fire Chief Jim Carroll was the incident commander. He said it appeared the origination point was on the first floor where the furnace is located. The fire spread up the stack to the roof from that point. He said firefighters had to open the roof (right) in a couple of places to get at the fire in two of the apartment units. Four units were damaged extensively and two others suffered partial damage, he says. Building owner Hugh Grant made arrangements to house the tenants in other locations including hotels until the furnace is repaired and other repairs are made. The exact cause remains under investigation by Fire Marshall Randy Waters. Waters wasn't prepared to make a determination on the cause today, but indicated it could have been electrical in nature.

Lindauer pleads "no contest," avoids jail time
Former Republican Gubernatorial Candidate John Lindauer (left) has avoided a trial by pleading no contest to the criminal charges stemming from last year's campaign. Terms of the deal were announced in an Anchorage courtroom today. One provision worked out between Lindauer's attorneys and state prosecutors calls for a written apology to be printed in newspapers. Lindauer faced 22 misdemeanor violations of state campaign laws. He pled no contest to two of them. He also faced one felony charge of perjury which was reduced to unsworn falsification to which he also pleaded no contest. He agreed to accept 365 days of suspended jail time. He must complete 100 hours of community service and is placed on probation for two years. He'll pay a $15,000 fine and agreed to never run for office again in the State of Alaska.

State, ASEA reach health insurance accord
The state and the Alaska State Employees Association have signed a deal on health care costs for the balance of fiscal year 2000. The state will no longer reduce paychecks of the union's members by $54 like its been doing since July to fund an increased health insurance premium. As a matter of fact, all of it will be reimbursed in this month's paychecks. Eligible members will receive that $324 or whatever amount they've contributed since last July. The decision was made after getting the two group's experts together, according to Union Chief Chuck O'Connell. A revised analysis of the data initially reviewed last March simply changed, according to Administration Commissioner Bob Poe. He said claims' payments have been down for several months. The alternative was to reach impasse in negotiations before the extra premium could be taken, according to a ruling of the Alaska Labor Relations Agency. Meanwhile, negotiations on a new contract pick up again in Juneau next Monday with three days of talks scheduled. The state is also talking with its other eleven employee bargaining units as part of the re-opener provisions of those pacts.

CBJ concentrates on head tax money
The Assembly's Committee of the Whole tried to sharpen the focus of a scope for a study to determine the impact of cruise ship tourism on city operations at last night meeting. The Committee directed auditors to determine the direct and indirect costs to the city caused by cruise ship passengers. City Attorney John Corso (right) says as long as the city uses funds generated by the fee for city services that are related to cruise ship passenger impacts, the city the should have a good case if its ever challenged in court. The Assembly would like to use a portion of the fee to bridge the budget gap. Finance Chair Dwight Perkins says the city faces a $7-million budget shortfall in the next fiscal year.

Group appointed to divvy-up passenger fee funds
The Assembly determined the make-up the new Passenger Fee Proceeds Committee during its meeting last night. Two members of the public, two cruise ship industry representatives, and one member of the Harbor Board will serve on the committee, which will identify a list of fee revenue project priorities. The Assembly will have the final say on the projects. The Passenger Fee Ordinance was amended to specify that cruise ship companies will be required to determine the total dollar amount of the fee based on the number of revenue producing passengers on board ship. Crewmembers would be exempted. A one night hotel bed tax exemption for local cruise ship company passengers that begin or end their cruise in Juneau was proposed by Tom Garrett and approved by the Committee.

JDHS program slows dropout rate
A program that addresses "at risk" students was highlighted on KINY's Capital Chat this morning. Juneau Douglas High School teacher Laury Scandling (left) says a team of four teachers make up the "Choice" program. She says it emphasizes hands on learning through coupled with a close relationship students and families. The program and other district initiatives was credited recently with lowering the drop out rate, according to Scandling. She says it works, but takes time and focusing on students as individuals. She's concerned about the impact standards and testing will have on "at risk" students. She believes it may cause some kids who don't pass the test to simply give up. Tenth graders start taking the qualifying exam for graduation this year. For more information on the Choice Program contact Juneau-Douglas High School.

State has new drug and alcohol abuse director
A veteran substance abuse counselor has been named as director of the state's Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Ernest Turner's appointment was announced yesterday by Governor Knowles' office. Turner has more than 25 years in substance abuse treatment. He is the former director of Cook Inlet Tribal Council's addictions recovery center and was a consultant for a recovery center in Seattle. He replaces former director Loren Jones, who took a job with the Alaska Psychiatric Institute.

Mallott named to ACS board
Byron Mallott (right), the former executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, has been appointed to the board of directors of Alaska Communications Systems Group. That word from ACS Chair and CEO Charles Robinson. Mallott is currently serving as President of the Alaska Federation of Natives Foundation.

Salmon waste trial set for Spring
A salmon dumping case has been scheduled for trial in May. Wards Cove Packing Company of Seattle and one of its plant managers were charged in November with 19 misdemeanor counts of intentional salmon waste which is a violation of state law. Wards Cove pleaded not guilty in December.

Conservationists upset with otter-catching plan
Several environmental groups are angry at a plan to capture four Alaska sea otters for exhibit in Japan. Two Japanese aquariums have applied to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to catch the sea otters from around Kodiak in the next five years.

Ketchikan mall goes under
Ketchikan's largest mall has been turned over to its lenders. The Plaza Shopping Center was owned by the Hames Group, a Sitka-based family business. Company President Roger Hames says the shopping center has been struggling financially since its occupancy rate dropped 10-percent during the past few years. The new owners will be the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation and four other pension and trust funds that purchased the mall's mortgage in 1992.

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