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Wednesday, January 13, 1999 © Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News
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Alaska jet sustains in-flight mechanical problem
Plane lands safely, no injuries
A hydraulic problem on Alaska Airlines Flight 61 spurred authorities to pre-position fire department equipment at Juneau's Airport this morning. Airport Manager Dave Miller says the problem affected the Boeing 737's (left) steering and flaps. The flaps were only partially, rather than fully extended. The pilot also steered the plane manually once he got on the ground using differential braking, according to Miller. The plane, bound from Seattle, landed at 9:24 with between 40 to 50 passengers on board.
A vintage DC-3 cargo plane crashed today on an island between Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia -- killing the two crew members aboard. The twin-engine plane also struck a farm house, but authorities say no one was there at the time.
The suspected burglar picked up by police in Merchant's Wharf last Thursday morning is the brother of the man in jail for the armed robbery of the Breakwater Hotel about a year and a half ago. Thirty-three year old Shawn Biddinger was arrested after police found him walking around the building with a box of liquor from the Hangar Restaurant. According to our sources, his brother David is now serving time in an Arizona prison. Meanwhile, Shawn Biddinger was released from custody over the state's objections, according to Juneau District Attorney Rick Svobodny. He was indicted by a grand jury Friday on robbery and theft charges. Svobodny says he's now awaiting for the court to set a date for his arraignment, which should occur later this week.
The suspect in the botched armed robbery at Glacier Cinema over the weekend was in court yesterday afternoon. The court set a preliminary hearing for 27 year old Michael Lorin Cox for next Tuesday morning to determine if there's sufficient evidence to hold him until a grand jury decides on whether he should be charged. The district attorney is pressing for a charge of Robberin the First Degree. Cox told the theater's manager that he had a gun and demanded money. He ran away before the manager could comply. He was spotted by the Juneau Citizen's Patrol changing his clothes in a wooded area near Duck Creek Market. Police caught up with him shortly after two Sunday morning at a Kodzoff trailer home. Cox is also charged with Theft in the Second Degree in connection with another case.
Over a hundred people turned out last night for the first of eight planning forums for a new high school. The revised proposal calls for a new high school at Dimond Park and a renovated facility downtown (right). The plan calls for each to have a 12-hundred student capacity. The school board would also like to see a special election in the spring. School Board President Jeff Bush says there was support expressed for the special election last night. Those in attendance filled out a survey and most expressed support for a spring election. The revamped plan was spurred by the rejection of the proposal for one new high school at Dimond Park. That plan was defeated by voters during October's local election.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly is pulling out of a lawsuit that seeks to increase the state's share of oil and gas industry property tax revenues. Juneau attorney Don Bullock and the borough filed the suit in May to challenge the state's interpretation of a law governing how municipalities tax oil and gas property. The City of Valdez and the North Slope Borough stand to be the losers as the suit would severely reduce their tax revenues. Bullock says he'll continue the suit alone. The assembly voted five-to-two yesterday [Tuesday] to drop out after hearing appeals from Valdez Mayor David Cobb and North Slope Mayor Benjamin Nageak. Ketchikan Borough Mayor Jack Shay told KINY News of the North that they had joined the suit to call the state's attention to the chronic under funding of Ketchikan schools. Cobb and Nageak promised to help Ketchikan fight for more state education money.
A delegation of Juneau officials led by Mayor Dennis Egan are in Ketchikan today to explore various ways the two communities can work together. Egan is joined by Representative Bill Hudson, Senator-Elect Kim Elton, City Manager Dave Palmer, and C-B-J Legislative Lobbyist Clark Gruening.
The Planning Commission postponed requests from three businesses for parking variances downtown at last night's meeting. In each case, the businesses want to establish a parking lot on therock dump serviced by a shuttle. Community Development Director Cheryl Easterwood says the panel postponed action on the requests pending the outcome of several appeals now before the Assembly. The panel discussed several steps it would like to see taken immediately to address the parking situation downtown. Those include establishing a fee in lieu of parking option made available to developers; greater enforcement of parking regulations on streets; and steps that would create greater use of the parking garage (left). Meanwhile, the Assembly has not yet made a decision on whether to allow construction of a 12-unit apartment building with a 17-space parking lot on Gastineau Avenue. The assembly met for two hours in executive session Monday night and again yesterday and won't meet again on the matter until next week.
The National Weather Service forecast for Juneau includes wind and urban flooding advisories. Forecaster Bob Shontz says with all the snow and ice on the ground blocking drainages, coupled with today's rain will cause ponding on area roadways. But rivers and streams should be okay depending on the amount of rain, he says. Southeast winds gusting to 50 miles per hour are in the forecast. Gusts to 40 miles per hour are predicted for tonight.
The Southeast village of Kasaan is hoping to have safe tap water within a month. The Prince of Wales Island community has been boiling its drinking water since November 21st. A November storm blew down trees and uprooted silt that flowed into the creek that supplies the city's water.
Trooper Will Ellis is headed to Juneau. He's been promoted to Sergeant and will be transferred from Petersburg. Ellis is a nine year veteran of the State Troopers.
Local musician John Palmes (right) was featured on KINY's Capital Chat this morning with selections from his C-D, Born To Be A Butterfly. The C-D came out in June, but not without a lot of help, he says. Born To Be a Butterfly was recorded in the apartment of his friend George Bryson and released by Capital Records. After working as a fish biologist and in commercial fishing Palmes wants to spend full time on his music and is available for concerts and workshops in communities around Alaska.(Captions for our photographs can be viewed by hovering over them with your mouse pointer)
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