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Assembly
to gather information on BRH alcohol treatment program
The Assembly will look into Bartlett Regional Hospital's alcohol
treatment program.
At last night's (Monday) Assembly meeting, two local residents
alleged that the Rainforest Recovery Program is overly
expensive and poorly run.
In 2000, Bartlett was awarded the contract to run an alcohol
treatment program.
Last night, Rainforest program critic Susan Christianson testified
that Bartlett has failed to keep its promises of program
improvements and cost effective treatment.
Christianson said, in her research, the only 30 day programs more
expensive than Rainforest were Promises Malibu which charges
$54,000 and the Betty Ford Clinic which charges $26,000.
She said, according to a patient bill she has seen, the 28 day
Rainforest program charged $23,471.
In comparison, Christianson told the Assembly that the Sundown M
Ranch in Washington state charges $4,727 for an adult 21 day
treatment program and $7,280 for a 28 day youth program.
Howard Scammon said he believes the treatment program
has been poorly run.
He's also concerned about a $240,000 management contract
awarded to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency.
Assembly member Jeff Bush said they can't have the allegations
"dumped in their lap and ignore it". He said he would like a report with Bartlett's response to the
allegations.
Mayor Bruce Botelho directed the Assembly's BRH liaison David
Stone and City Manager Rod Swope to gather enough preliminary
information to see if the Assembly should pursue a more in depth
investigation.
NEW
- Bartlett releases statement on Rainforest Recover Center
Bartlett Regional Hospital issued a statement in response to the
testimony to the Assembly Monday night claiming its alcohol
treatment program is overly expensive and poorly run.
Jim Strader, Bartlett's Director of Community Relations, said they
recognize that Rainforest Recovery Center has had its challenges,
none of which have gone unnoticed or unaddressed by hospital
management.
He added that they are working diligently to resolve every issue
as quickly as possible.
Strader said it's not accurate to use a single bill, as was the
case at the Assembly meeting, to portray charges for services.
He explained that there are many variables depending on services
required.
In the hospital's fiscal year 2009, he said the the average
inpatient charge was $10, 031.
Strader explains that many of their patients pay on a sliding
scaled based on their ability to pay and in many cases pay nothing
at all.
Overall, he said their net compensation rate is approximately 25%
or 25 cents on every dollar billed.
In the statement from the hospital, the recent decision to
contract with National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency for
management services was defended.
Strader said that was a step aimed to heighten efforts at making
this service run more effectively for Southeast Alaska
communities.
He says the contract has four pages of very specific performance
expectations that they feel the council is best equipped to
realize.
Strader added that this change was fully vetted through the RRC
Advisory Board and the Hospital Board of Directors with resounding
support from both panels.
The hospital official says they consider the substance abuse
problem in Juneau critical and recognize that it plays a key role
in dealing with the community-wide issue. Strader adds that they
continue to work with all stakeholders in the community to seek
positive solutions.
Other
Assembly action...
The Assembly last night (Monday) approved a resolution expressing
it's support for the Juneau Coordinated Transportation Coalition's
2009 addendum to the 2008 Transit Development Plan.
It's to be submitted to the state Department of Transportation to
qualify for federal funding to help pay for transporting seniors,
people with disabilities, and people from low-income households
The addendum provides information for three items that the DOT
identified as missing from the original plan under new federal
requirements.
They include a gaps in the services list; a vehicle inventory: and
an assessment of needs "Client Screening Form".
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The Assembly agreed to hear an appeal of a CBJ Personnel
Board decision.
In November, the board denied and dismissed a petition to create a
bargaining unit filed by the International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 302 on behalf of the Juneau International Airport
Field Maintenance Employees.
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The Assembly approved an ordinance appropriating a Department of
Transportation grant of nearly $410,000 for the Juneau airport
runway safety area and aircraft apron.
This grant is half of the required percent match for a Federal
Aviation Administration grant.
The remaining matching funds will be appropriated through the
Passenger Facility Charge Program.
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The Assembly appropriated a $150,000 grant from the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game into the Statter Harbor Loading
Facility CIP.
The grant would allow CBJ to undertake planning and environmental
work for the new launch ramp at Statter Harbor.
Work will include habitat studies of inner Auke Bay and the
development of tidelands fill minimization alternatives.
The original grant for the project was $250,000. The total
grant is now at $400,000.
The grant is being amended so that CBJ can do additional work to
complete an environmental assessment on the project in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act, as recommended by the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the state Department of Fish and
Game.
Funding for the grant is being provided by the Federal Aid in
Sportfish Restoration Act and the State of Alaska.
Limited access program announced for sport charter halibut
fishing in Alaska
NOAA Fisheries is crafting a new program okayed by the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council that limits the number of
charter boats in the guided sport halibut fishery in Southeast
Alaska and the central Gulf of Alaska.
Sport charter halibut businesses will have to obtain a permit from
NOAA.
Jay
Ginter with the National Marine Fisheries Service Alaska Region
says the intended effect is to curtail and then stabilize the
growth of the charter halibut industry.
He says the sense of the council was that there's been relatively
unchecked growth in the charter halibut industry.
He says the council wants to stabilize the growth, and by limiting
the number of charter halibut vessels that are participating, the
conservation management measures are likely to have more effect.
The agency will publicize the 60 day permit application
period which it says is likely to begin in early February.
Charter halibut guides will be required to carry their new permit
on board starting February 1, 2011.
Under the new program, permits will be issued to qualifying
individuals or businesses that documented at least five fishing trips during a
qualifying year, 2004 or 2005, and in 2008.
Newcomers can enter the fishery by acquiring a transferable
permit.
Permits will be issued to community quota groups representing
specific rural communities.
The agency previously reduced the allowed take of halibut to one
per day, per charter angler in Southeast Alaska.
The new limited access program is another step towards controlling
the fishery in those areas, according to an agency release.
The agency says the expected next step under development is to
establish an allocation of halibut between the charter and
commercial fishing sectors.
Kookesh
looks to have illegal fishing charge dismissed
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — State Senator Albert Kookesh and the three
co-defendants accused of illegal subsistence fishing near Angoon
have filed a court motion to have the case dismissed.
They claim the state acted outside its jurisdiction.
A trial scheduled to begin Monday has been postponed until April.
Juneau District Attorney Doug Gardner told the Juneau Empire he
will oppose the motion.
Underwater vehicle for studying fish to be tested in Juneau
A new marine tracking technology will be tested in Juneau this
Spring.
That according to NOAA Fisheries Research Biologist John Eiler who
says they plan to launch an autonomous underwater vehicle to learn
how useful it would be for future studies on the movements of fish
in salt water.
He says it's not only a way of locating where the fish are at, but
also a way to get a sense of the types of conditions they're
focusing and homing in on.
The torpedo-shaped vehicle is about 6 to 7 feet in length. He says the vessel can operate independently for over 12 hours.
Eiler says the vessels have been used before, typically for
collecting oceanographic information. He says the marine waters
around Juneau should provide a rigorous test for the
technology.
The upcoming project is a partnership between NOAA, the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Doug DeMaster, Director of the Alaska Marine Fisheries Science
Center, says if the technology proves viable, it could be used to
determine the distribution, movements, and habitat use of
important commercial and forage fish such as sablefish, halibut,
rockfish, pollock and herring.
Coast
Guard rescues family after boat sinks near Auke Bay
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk rescue
helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka rescued a Juneau man and
his two teenage sons after their boat reportedly sank off of
Coghlan Island near Auke Bay Monday about 4 p.m.
Todd Shumway and his two teenage
sons were enroute to their nearby cabin when their boat sank and
they had to swim to nearby Coghlan Island.
They told the rescue crew that
they had overloaded their boat with wood which caused it to take
on water and sink.
The rescue helicopter which was
in the area overseeing a good Samaritan rescue of four adults and
five children who were trapped by high tide on a shoal at Eagle
Beach, 12-miles north of Auke Bay, diverted to Coghlan Island
after the Coast Guard received reports of red flares sighted in
the area.
The helicopter crew arrived at
Coghlan Island at 4:04 p.m.
The helicopter crew transported
the Shumways to Juneau International Airport where they were
assessed by awaiting emergency medical services and released with
no reported health concerns.
Meanwhile, the good Samaritan was
able to safely ferry all nine people from the Shoal to Eagle
Beach.
Family burned out of Wrangell home
A home in Wrangell was destroyed by fire Monday night.
That according to Ramona Wigg of Juneau who tells us its the home
of her sister Alora Wigg was a total loss.
No one was injured. They did lose their dog in the fire.
The home was not insured.
Her sister's possessions and all the possessions of her son Troy
and family friend were lost in the fire.
Ramona says her sister was stricken with cancer. The disease is in
remission, but she hasn't been able to work.
Donations can be made to the Alora Wigg Fire Account through Wells
Fargo Bank. The account number is 79133551826.
Question can be directed to Ramona Wigg at monashines@gmail.com
Driver
sustains minor injuries in train collision
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Anchorage police say a driver escaped
with only minor injuries after his car was struck by a train.
Police say 89-year-old Sven Persson of Anchorage was taken to a
hospital after Tuesday's collision at Lois Drive and Tudor Road.
Police say the train was northbound when it hit Persson's car,
which has gone under the lowered crossing barrier. The car was
struck on the left front quarter panel and spun clockwise, away
from the tracks.
Police and personnel from the Alaska Railroad continue to
investigate.
Police remind drivers that extra time is needed to stop in icy
road conditions.
Alaska
volcano back at 'normal' status
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Scientists say Alaska's Mount Redoubt
volcano has calmed down to a "normal" alert level after
days of few seismic events at the Cook Inlet peak about 105 miles
southwest of Anchorage.
The Alaska Volcano Observatory cited the low number of quakes and
no signs of unrest in Tuesday's decision to reduce the aviation
alert level at the 10,200-foot volcano from yellow to green.
A swarm of small, shallow earthquakes began occurring Dec. 27,
prompting the observatory to increase the alert level.
The quakes have now subsided.
Redoubt went through an eruptive period that included major
explosions last spring, including one that dusted Anchorage with
ashfall.
That forced the Cook Inlet Pipeline Co. to remove millions of
gallons of oil stored at the Drift River Terminal 22 miles away.
Hundreds of airline flights also had to be canceled because of ash
clouds.
Juneau student one of two Alaskans selected for U. S. Senate
Youth Program
The student body president at Juneau Douglas High School is one of
two high school students selected by Alaska's U. S. Senators as
delegates to the 48th Annual United States Senate Youth Program.
Haley Nelson and Anum Qadir of Anchorage were chosen by Senators
Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich from hundreds of applicants.
Both will receive a $5,000 undergraduate scholarship from the
Hearts Foundation that encourages coursework in government,
history and public affairs.
While in Washington from March 6 to the 13, the student delegates
will attend meetings and briefings with Senate leadership, other
Senators and Congressional staff, the President, a Justice of the
Supreme Court, leaders of cabinet agencies, an Ambassador to the
United States, and top members of the national media.
Wings' worker on latest Top Forty Under 40 list
A Juneau resident is among those on the "Alaska's Top Forty
Under 40" list.
Holly Johnson of Wings Airways is recognized on the 11th
annual list formulated by the Anchorage
Chamber of Commerce and Alaska Journal of Commerce.
Johnson
is also a member of the board of directors for the Juneau
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The award was created to recognize the state's top young
professionals younger than 40.
This year's group will be formally recognized during a special
luncheon in Anchorage January 14.
Lucky Lotto drawing date postponed
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Lucky Lotto drawing has been
postponed because of slow ticket sales.
The drawing is now scheduled for Feb. 28.
Lucky Times Pull Tabs owner Abe Spicola says the hype over this
year's half-million dollar lottery has yet to reach the frenzy of
last year's. He hopes Alaskans will catch the fever during the
two-month delay.
State law says all games of chance must benefit a charity. For the
second year in a row, Spicola's lottery will benefit Standing
Together Against Rape, a nonprofit that aims to educate the public
about sexual assault.
Last year's outcome generated some controversy when a convicted
sex offender won the half-million dollar payout and was assaulted
a few days later.
(KTUU-TV)
Owner
of disabled tug releases spill estimate
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A tugboat operator says as much as
6,410 gallons of diesel fuel spilled in Alaska's Prince William
Sound when a tugboat ran aground on the same reef as the Exxon
Valdez 20 years ago.
Crowley Marine says the spill estimate from last month's grounding
of the Pathfinder is considered a worst case amount.
Crowley says the estimate is based on an evaluation of the tug's
two damaged fuel tanks, the amount of diesel on board when it ran
aground Dec. 23 and the amount recovered from the two tanks after
it was towed to Valdez.
The estimate was reported Monday to oversight agencies including
the Coast Guard and state Department of Environmental
Conservation.
The 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster remains the United States' worst
oil spill, with nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled.
PRAC
to consider lengthening running trail for bid to host state
running meet
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meets tonight.
(Tuesday)
CBJ Parks and Recreation Director Marc Matsil says the one action
item on the agenda is a proposal to enhance the running trail at
Savikko Park.
The proposed trail expansion is being proposed by high school
cross county track coach Guy Thibodeau in order to accommodate a
bid for the state cross country meet in October 2010.
The trail needs to be lengthened by 60 meters.
The PRAC is also scheduled to review it's 2009 retreat goals.
Some of top goals included trail development, Under Thunder and
Treadwell Ditch trails, waterfront development coordination, the
expansion of the youth activities program and the non-motorized
transportation plan with an emphasis on Valley and downtown
connections.
The PRAC meets tonight at 6 in the Assembly Chambers.
Internet service restored to Sitka
ACS has restored DSL Internet service to Sitka.
The service was restored at 1 p.m. today (Tuesday) after initially
going out at 9:12 a.m.
The communications company estimates that up to 1,000 business and
residential customers in and around Sitka may have been affected.
The outage was caused by a failed piece of equipment that acts as
a gateway to the Internet, according to an ACS release.
Fairbanks Assembly candidates reduced to 8
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The Fairbanks North Star Borough clerk
announced that eight of the 15 people seeking to fill an assembly
vacancy have advanced to the interview stage.
The finalists are E. Andrew Bryan II, Torie Foote, Natalie Howard,
Diane Hutchison, Jeremy Johnson, Karl Kassel, Margery Kniffen and
Ron Therriault.
The position opened when Assemblywoman Tammie Wilson accepted an
appointment to the state House of Representatives.
The panel's presiding officer will ask each candidate three
questions at a special meeting on Thursday.
The assembly will then vote on the replacement. The winner will be
sworn in immediately.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Iditarod musher makes
large donation to race
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) — Four-time champion Jeff King has made a
large donation to increase the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race purse.
King, a 54-year-old musher from Denali Park, is donating $50,000
to the race.
The move comes after a loss of about $1 million in sponsorship
money forced a drastic reduction in this year's purse.
Lee Larsen, president of the Iditarod Trail Committee Board of
Directors, says he hopes King's example will encourage others to
contribute what they can to restore the purse.
Race organizers announced last month that the purse would be cut
by $100,000 to about $525,000 — $400,000 less than it was just
two years ago.
Seventy-five mushers have signed up for the 1,100-mile race from
Anchorage to Nome.
The race begins the first weekend in March.
Man caught with contraband in Juneau prison gets a year in jail
A 22 year old Juneau man was sentenced to one year in jail last
week for bringing marijuana and prescription medicines in to the
Lemon Creek Correctional Center.
The plea deal called for Nicholas A. DeTemple to plead guilty to
one count of promoting contraband in the second degree.
Two other charges of misconduct involving a controlled substance
in the 4th and 6th degrees were dismissed as part of the plea
agreement.
The charges stemmed from an investigation last July when he was
caught by correctional officers with the substances inside the
prison.
Fairbanks man facing several changes in connection with burglary
case
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Burglary, theft and assault charges have
been filed against a 26-year-old Fairbanks man accused of trying
to steal a gun from an apartment on New Year's Eve.
Residents say they awoke to find Rasheem Morgan in a freshly
ransacked place.
According to a criminal complaint, a man who lives in the
apartment realized the key to the gun safe was missing and
confronted the suspect.
Morgan allegedly threw the gun in a closet and punched someone
before leaving.
Woman wanted as part of sex trafficking ring arrested in
Anchorage
A woman wanted for her alleged role in an Anchorage sex
trafficking ring was arrested over the weekend.
But the trial for her and three others has been pushed back by
over a year.
21-year old Keyana "Koko" Marshall was arrested on
Friday.
She had been indicted in mid-December along with three men
following a federal investigation into a sex trafficking scheme
that involved 17 women and three girls.
Federal prosecutors accuse Sabil Mumin Mujahid and Sidney Greene
of being the ringleaders. Rand Hooks owned the Anchorage apartment
building where the trafficking allegedly took place.
Marshall is accused of posting photos of the victims on
Craigslist.
All the defendants have pleaded not guilty.
A court proceeding on Monday, a federal judge scheduled the
trial for February of next year, citing the complexity of the
case.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Trial of accused killer of Anchorage nurse delayed
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge has postponed the
capital murder trial against an Anchorage man accused in the 2007
murder of a neighbor until summer.
The judge says trial of the 29-year-old Joshua Wade will give
investigators time to complete DNA evidence.
Wade is accused of killing nurse practitioner Mindy Schloss.
Airman
found dead in Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Authorities say an airman assigned to
Elmendorf Air Force Base has been found dead in Fairbanks.
Tech Sgt. Francesca Popp says the airman was found dead at about
8:50 p.m. Monday.
Fairbanks police discovered him in his vehicle in a parking lot
with an apparent gunshot wound.
His name has not been released.
Authorities are continuing to investigate.
Student loan defaults up in Alaska
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A federal report says the rate of
Alaskans defaulting on student loans rose to 8.3 percent in 2007.
That compares to 5.8 percent two years earlier and ranks
12th-highest in the nation.
The director of financial aid at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Deanna Dieringer, told The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
federal loan programs will tighten up if the rate hits 10 percent.
(Fairbanks News-Miner)
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