Eaglecrest adds new safety measures after girl dragged on ski lift
Eaglecrest Ski Area is putting new safety measures in place after a seven year-old girl was dragged about 20 feet on the Platter ski lift Sunday.

The girl was taken to the hospital. She was not seriously injured.

Eaglecrest manager Kirk Duncan says the girl was riding up the hill on the Platter tow lift, which consists of a upside-down T shaped seat attached to the lift rope.

He says the girl's season pass was attached to a lanyard that hung down over the front of her jacket.

When the girl let go of the tow rope, the lanyard got hung up on the seat and the girl was dragged to the Platter stop gate where the mechanism automatically shut the lift off.

Duncan says after meeting with staff, they've come up with several new safety measures.

From now on, there will be an attendant at the top of the Platter lift. He says it's not required by law, but it's the prudent thing to do.

Duncan says they will stop giving out long lanyards that go around people's necks.  Instead, passes will be attached to peoples' coats.

Instructors on the Platter will be given two way radios to contact the aid room quickly when necessary, and crew training regarding accidents will be increased.

Storm dumps nearly 2 feet of snow on Juneau over 4 days, wind chill to 35 below now in forecast
The winter storm that hit Juneau brought nearly two feet of snow to the airport.

With the 5 point 1 inches recorded at the airport Monday, the total since Friday is 22 point 4 inches.

Meteorologist Corey Van Pelt in the Juneau Forecast Office now says to prepare for some cold temperatures with more cold air coming in from Canada.

In addition winds from the east will pick up to 40 miles per hour creating a wind chill to about 35 below zero Wednesday and Wednesday night.

A wind advisory will be in effect for 24 hours beginning at nine this evening.

The forecaster says it should start to warm up Thursday night and Friday.

And then he says more snow is coming in after that which could amount to several inches. The exact magnitude of that snowfall has yet to be determined.

Juneau's ski area tops nation with packed snow at top, rates 5th in world
Juneau's Eaglecrest ski area leads the nation with a 120 inch packed base at the top of the mountain.

The ski area's Jeffra Clough says that's according to the web site ski central dot com.

And the local ski area is ranked fifth in the world.

Clough says ski areas in Italy, British Columbia, Austria, and Switzerland are the only ones to surpass Eaglecrest.

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http://www.skicentral.com/snowdepth.html   

Coast Guard answers distress call
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The U.S. Coast Guard will resume searching Wednesday for a crew member reported to be overboard from a crab vessel in the Bering Sea.

Chief Petty Officer Walter Shinn says rescuers searched a 28-mile square area about 650 miles south of Anchorage since getting the distress call just before 10 a.m. Tuesday.

They will return to the area at first light hoping to find a 40-year old male. Shinn declined to identify the man but says his family has been contacted.

Shinn says the 90-foot fishing vessel Seabrooke reported the crew member got his feet tangled in a crab pot line and went overboard.

Seas were 3- to 5-feet, with water temperatures at 34 degrees and air temperature at 19 degrees.  

Union backs off of delay claim
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska public safety representatives met Tuesday to discuss allegations that politics played a role into when a woman tied to Gov. Sarah Palin's family was to be arrested.

Allegations that Alaska State Troopers waited until after the November presidential election were ultimately shot down.

Sherry Johnston was arrested in December on six felony drug counts. She pleaded not guilty on Monday.

She is the mother of 18-year-old son Levi Johnston, who is engaged to Bristol Palin, the daughter of the former Republican vice presidential candidate.

A drug investigator had claimed in an internal e-mail to public safety union members that there was a delay in the investigation into Sherry Johnston because of political reasons.

The union first supported the claim, but has since backed off.

Union head John Cyr says union leaders met with Public Safety Commissioner Joe Masters to discuss the issue, which Cyr says, quote - "has taken on a life of its own."

Cyr says the issue was a misunderstanding and says the meeting was productive.

He says quote -- "the union and the department are committed to working together to make sure something like this doesn't happen in the future."  

Subzero temps making ski races doubtful
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Organizers hope to resume competition of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships Wednesday in Anchorage.

Weather permitting.

Subzero temperatures have made things difficult since Saturday. Three days of races have already been postponed or canceled.

Races took place only Monday, then on Tuesday, organizers waited about 75 minutes past the original noon start time before calling off a pair of distance races.

Now organizers hope the skiers can compete in the sprint races Wednesday, then hold distance races on Thursday.

Skiers won't compete unless temperatures hit a minimum 4 degrees below zero.

Temperatures however, have been below zero, but at times in the double digits.

Winter fun focus of tonight's PRAC meeting
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee will focus on winter recreation at its meeting tonight. (Tuesday)

The Alpine Workgroup's Ray Howard will give a presentation on a proposal to construct a new trail up the northwest side of Blackerby Ridge in the Lemon Creek area, according to CBJ Parks and Recreation Director Marc Matsil.

The proposed new construction begins on CBJ land at the rock quarry and continues up to an elevation of about 2,500 feet.

Matsil says the goal is to accommodate snowmobilers, Nordic skiers, and hikers.

Bart Watson with the Juneau Nordic Ski Club will give a seasonal update and plans for future cross country trails.

Matsil says that would be a nice addition to winter recreation opportunities.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee meets at 6 tonight in the Assembly Chambers.

Begich sworn in
Mark Begich is now the junior U. S. Senator from Alaska.

Begich was the first new senator sworn in the morning, as Congress convened.

Alphabetically, Begich was among the first group of four senators to take the oath administered by Vice President Dick Cheney.

As is customary, Begich was backed up by Lisa Murkowski, now Alaska's senior U.S. Senator.

Begich is one of ten senators newly elected in November.

The freshman class will also include senators appointed to fill vacancies in Illinois, New York, Colorado,
and Delaware.

Alphabetically, the next senator after Begich to be sworn in was Delaware Senator Joe Biden, who has not yet resigned his seat to become vice president. Thus, Cheney swore in his own successor.

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Begich has been named to the Commerce, Science & Transportation and Armed Services Committees.

The assignments were his top picks among those available to new senators.

As a member of those committees, Begich's office says he'll be able to influence national and Alaska policy on a wide range of issues including transportation, fisheries, climate change, economic development, and military and veterans affairs.

Begich and Senator Murkowski have agreed note to overlap their committee assignments in order to have a broad influence as possible over issues key to Alaska.

Jacob Begich shouts out to Obama
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Mark Begich may be Alaska's newest United States senator, but it was his son who got the attention of President-elect Barack Obama.

At a chance meeting Monday, the Begich family was at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., when Obama walked past.

Begich was holding his son when 6-year-old Jacob Begich shouted out to Obama.

The president-elect walked across the wide corridor toward Jacob and asked him, "What's going on, man?"

Mark Begich tells Anchorage television station KTUU that his very excited son shook hands with Obama, and replied, "Nothing."

Mark Begich says Jacob then kept saying, over and over again, "I met the president! I met Obama!"

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Information from: KTUU-TV

State comes in 5th for commercial fishing sales
Alaska is ranked fifth in the nation in the highest amount of sales generated by the commercial fishing industry.

That's according to a report prepared by NOAA's Fisheries Service from figures gathered for 2006.

Commercial fishing nationwide accounted for more than $103 Billion.  Alaska's share was $3 Billion.

Recreational sales nationwide amounted to $82 Billion with Alaska accounting for just over $562 Million which ranked 15th in the nation.

An agency release says commercial and recreational fishing supported more than two million jobs in 2006.

NOAA Acting Assistant Administrator Jim Balsiger says the report clearly documents that managing fisheries in a sustainable fashion is good for the environment and the economy.

Future Palin in-law cops plea to drug charge
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -A woman whose son is engaged to marry Governor Sarah Palin's daughter has pleaded not guilty to felony drug charges for allegedly selling a powerful prescription painkiller.

Sherry Johnston - whose 18-year-old son Levi Johnston is engaged to Palin's daughter, Bristol - was arrested December 18 on six felony drug counts, accused of selling Oxycontin.

The 42-year-old Johnston entered her plea Monday at an arraignment in Palmer, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

Johnston showed up alone for her first appearance in Palmer court this morning -- no lawyer, no friends or family to support her.

Johnston asked for and received a public defender, a lawyer paid for by the state. She told Palmer Superior Court Judge Beverly Cutler that she is in the midst of a divorce and living on medical disability payments and child support.

Newspaper report: Levi Johnston quits North Slope job
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The father of Gov. Sarah Palin's first grandchild has quit his job on the North Slope, the Anchorage Daily News is reporting tonight (Monday).

The Daily News reports 18-year-old Levi Johnston quit after questions arose about his eligibility to work as an apprentice electrician without a high school degree.

Keith Johnston told the newspaper that his son decided to quit, return home and concentrate on his education.

Levi Johnston is enrolled in high school through a correspondence program, Gov. Sarah Palin told The Associated Press last week.

Levi Johnston worked for ASRC Energy Services, and the company's rules require a high school diploma for those in its apprentice program.

His father, Keith Johnston, is an engineer for the company, and said his position accounted for any help Levi received in getting the job.

Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin recently announced the birth of their son, named Tripp.
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There was no phone listing for Keith Johnston. There also was no answer at the Sherry Johnston home on Monday evening, and The Associated Press could not leave a message because the phone's voice mail memory was full.

Acting Anchorage mayor names top assistants
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage's acting mayor has made some choices in the three that will run the city until a new mayor is sworn in.

Matt Clamon took over the mayor's job from U.S. Sen.-elect Mark Begich. He's chosen Patty Ginsburg as his chief of staff.

Former state District Judge Nancy Nolan is his senior policy adviser. And Marge Larsen will be his special assistant.

Venezuelan oil give away goes by the way side
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaskan residents in the Bush are having to face the winter without free heating fuel from Venezuela.

The program had provided families in rural Alaska with two months of free heating oil.

Over the past two years, that has amounted to more than $16 million in heating fuel thanks to Venezuela President Hugo Chavez. The fuel comes through his country's government-owned oil company, Citgo Petroleum.

A Citgo official said in November the program was expected to continue.

But on Monday, Citizens Energy, a Boston-based nonprofit that oversees the program, said the free fuel is now on hold while Citgo recovers from sinking oil prices and the downturn in the global economy.

It's unclear when, or if, the program will restart. It provided 100 gallons of heating fuel to eligible households. It was available to anyone who lived in a community that is more than 70 percent Alaska Native, according to the Inter-Tribal Council.

This year, the program would have cost Citgo about $10 million to buy 100 gallons for each eligible Alaska household, said Steven Osborne, the council's executive director.

That's roughly $1.5 million more than the fuel cost last year, according to council figures.

For the 56 Western Alaska tribes represented by the Association of Village Council Presidents, village heating fuel costs as much as $8 a gallon, said acting vice president Patrick Samson. He said the Citgo program provided enough heating oil to last up to two winter months.

"Right now we're battling no running water and cold and frozen pipes and 40 below wind chill," he said.

Alaska develops vaccine database
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The state has launched a new database designed to help health care officials track Alaska residents' vaccine history.

The data base is called VacTrAK.

It's the state's first Web-based immunization information system.

The Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services' public health division will manage the database.

Laura Wood, the state's immunization program manager, says only authorized health care providers and designated state health officials can access information.

The department's goal is to have as many immunization records as possible entered into the database.

2009 PFD direct deposit set for October 9
The application period for the 2009 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend program that opened at 12:01 New Year's morning is going smoothly.

That according to Amy Skow of the Permanent Fund Dividend Division in the Department of Revenue who says over 131,000 have filed on line as of  Monday morning. 

She says about 80 percent signed their applications electronically. The balance of those applicants must mail in a signature page.

Skow says they're asking those applicants to print it out and get it into them as soon as possible so they can get their application processed.

There were a little more than 640,000 applications last year. Skow figures it will be about the same this year.

Over 456,000 filed on-line last year and she expects that number to grow.

The filing deadline is March 31st.

The plan calls for one direct deposit for those who filed on-line.  That's scheduled for October 9.   The balance will go out in the mail  November 5.

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http://www.pfd.state.ak.us/ 

Lottery tickets to be sold in Juneau
Tickets for the $500,000 lottery will be sold in Juneau prior to Friday night's drawing.

That according to Ethan Billings of Marlintini's Lounge who says they'll be sold there from Noon to 7 p.m. today. (Tuesday)

Abe Spicola, the co-owner of Lucky Times Pull Tabs in Anchorage will be there selling the five dollar tickets.

The lottery is being held in conjunction with Anchorage nonprofit Standing Together Against Rape which will receive 10 percent of what's leftover after the pay out.

State law permits lotteries only if a charity stands to benefit.

At last report more than 130,000 tickets have been sold.

Alaska traffic fatalities decline in '08
Traffic fatalities in Alaska last year were the lowest in more than a decade.

There were 63, according to Roger Wetherell in Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, who says that's the lowest since 1994.

He says impaired driving is the number one behavioral factor in traffic accidents. Eighteen of last year's fatalities were attributed to alcohol.

Wetherell says they think the main reason for the decline is increased seatbelt use.

A survey conducted last year showed that 84.9 percent of Alaskans buckle up. Wetherell says the goal is to increase it to 88 percent this year.


On time arrival of Alaska flights declines in December
SEATTLE (AP) - Alaska Airlines reports that 58 percent of its flights arrived on time in December.

The 13 percent decline from a year earlier was due to winter storms that affected operations at Seattle and Portland the last two weeks of the month.

Horizon Air reports 54 percent of its flights arrived on time last month, a 13-point decrease