Too soon to tell how Snettisham avalanche will impact rates
An avalanche has knocked down a Snettisham transmission tower forcing Juneau to rely on costly diesel generated electricity.

This is the second time in ten months that an avalanche has toppled Snettisham towers.

Last April 16th, two avalanches destroyed three towers and damaged several cutting Juneau off from the Snettisham hydro electric plant.

Yesterday, (Monday) electricity went out at about 1:51 p.m. and was restored to most areas in about an hour when Alaska Electric, Light and Power fired up it's diesel generators.

The utility's Scott Willis reported to the Assembly at last night's meeting.

He said they have begun the work of figuring out how this latest incident will affect electric rates.

Willis said he'll have a better idea today what diesel fuel will cost, but he believes fuel prices are lower than they were last April.

Willis said that once they know how long it will take to repair the tower and the price of diesel,  they'll have a better idea how rates will be impacted.

He said it's time to shift back into conservation mode.

Willis said  anything individuals and businesses can do to save electricity will help lower their own bill as well as benefit the community reducing the consumption of diesel fuel.

Wills told the Assembly that AEL&P has been taking measures to mitigate the danger of avalanches.

They had hired the company Alaska Avalanche Specialists to monitor the snow pack daily.

This past weekend the company had been flying over the transmission line's avalanche areas and dropping explosives to trigger small slides to prevent larger ones.

However because of low clouds on Sunday the helicopter crew was not able to get to the higher elevations.

He said the crew was standing by yesterday at Snettisham waiting for the clouds to lift so they could fly to the top of the mountain.

But before they could take off, the avalanche cut lose and destroyed the tower.

The same consultant that helped with the last avalanche caused outage is flying in from Anchorage today.

Willis says they'll brainstorm to see if they can come up with a way to put in a temporary fix before work gets started on a permanent repair.

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Update:  During an interview today (Tuesday), Willis said there are a couple of differences between this year's event and Monday's.

There are shorter days and much more difficult weather this year, which he says is why they're interested in seeing if there's something that can be done more quickly than a full permanent repair.

In addition, there's only one tower down at this point, so it should be less expensive to repair.

Tower 35 was destroyed in the latest slide. Willis says the others are intact, but warns they don't know if there's more snow up high that's about to come down.

Cost figures for diesel and what the impact on electric rates are  still pending at last report.

We asked Willis about pursuing alternatives for the way transmission lines are routed through that avalanche zone.

He says a study they commissioned following last year's event is pending. The consultant is conducting an engineering evaluation on a variety of alternatives for mitigating avalanche damage in that area and what their costs would be.

They include burying the lines or putting them under water and erecting stronger towers that could withstand an avalanche.

When completed, Willis says the study will be the subject of a public meeting.

In the meantime, Willis says they need to pursue such alternatives in a methodical way with proper engineering analysis.

21 shots brings down 3 small slides in Thane Road avalanche control work
Avalanche control work was done this morning (Tuesday) on Thane Road by Southeast Region of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

Chief of Operations and Maintenance Greg Patz told us they fired 21 rounds and brought down three small avalanches which did not come down to the road.

He says they're pretty confident they brought down anything that was loose.

They anticipate the need to do a couple more avalanche control shoots there yet this winter.

He says they reopened the road by 11-40, 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

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There was a slide out Thane Road late Monday morning that was caught by the berm in the area and did not get to the road.

Avalanche danger remains high according to the latest CBJ Urban Avalanche Advisory.

The only change in today's forecast is avalanche size which was bumped up from small to medium.  

Lottery winner attacked near mall
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage police are looking for a man who attacked the winner of Alaska's largest lottery outside a downtown mall.

The lottery winner - 53-year-old Alec Ahsoak, who has multiple sex-abuse convictions - was assaulted about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Police say Ahsoak was entering the Fifth Avenue Mall when the young man, who was with two women, asked if he was the "half million dollar lottery winner." Ahsoak said he was and went inside.

He exited with a soda moments later, and the same man began striking him on the head with a tire iron or metal pipe. Ahsoak threw his soda container at the man and ran to a nearby restaurant, where he called police.

Police say Ahsoak's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Monday's high a record for date in Juneau, warm temps in rain in long term forecast
It warmed up Monday, so much so that it set a record for the date.

Meteorologist Pete Boyd in the Juneau Forecast Office says it reached 43 degrees at the airport. That surpassed the 42 degree record set in 1986.

With the warmer temperatures, precipitation has turned to rain.

The forecaster says to expect rain today and in to tonight. There may be a little break Wednesday before it returns Thursday and into the weekend with the possibility that it will be significant Saturday and Sunday.

The long term forecast calls for warm temperatures and rain continuing.

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Meanwhile, the National Weather Service says winter in Alaska will continue to be cold, but summer - unlike last year - should be warmer than usual.

The cold weather was being caused by colder-than-normal surface sea temperatures off the south coast of Alaska.

That's the same thing that forecasters say is diverting the polar jet stream farther north and made Alaska bitterly cold in recent weeks.

Assembly approves funds for Jensen-Olson Arboretum
The Assembly has approved $170,900 in general fund money to cover a shortfall in the permanent principal balance of the Jensen-Olson Arboretum Endowment Fund.

At last night's (Monday) meeting,  an amendment offered by Assembly member Merrill Sanford changing it from a loan to a direct appropriation was approved on a 6 to 3 vote.

Sanford said there's work that needs to be done to maintain the city owned and operated facility.

Sanford said  costs have to  be controlled,  but tying it to a loan is  NOT necessarily a good idea.

He said the Arboretum should be treated the same as other CBJ facilities.

Assembly member Randy Wanamaker said, considering the current budget situation, a loan is the responsible way to deal with Arboretum's financial difficulties.

Wanamaker, Jeff Bush and Sara Chambers voted against Sanford's amendment.

The amended ordinance was approved on a 7-2 vote with Bush joining the majority.

During discussion of the ordinance City Manager Rod Swope said the Arboretum Board was not involved in using a portion of the fund's principal balance to repair a roof at the arboretum.

He apologized to the board for stating in press accounts that it had.

The late Caroline Jensen established the Arboretum and endowment fund and bequeathed the facility to the city.

Assembly approves MEBA contract
The Assembly last night (Monday) approved a new contract for members of the city and borough's general government unit.

The agreement calls for a 3 percent salary increase each year for the next three years.

The bargaining unit consisting of about 500 employees is represented by the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.

New landfill gas management system subject of public workshop
Officials with Waste Management are holding a public workshop tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the company's planned new landfill gas management system.

Capital Disposal's Eric Vance says, right now, they have a passive system that consists of perforated pipe that have been drilled into the landfill.

The gas migrates to the wells and a flare burns off the gas at the surface as it come up the pipe.

Vance says the new system will force the gas into the pipes using blowers that create a vacuum in each in-well.

One candlestick flare will burn off the gas rather than the twelve currently in use.

He says that should be more effective in removing the landfill gas than the current passive system.

Vance says the new equipment is on order and  they hope to have it operating in eight to ten weeks.

Tonight's public workshop is at from 5-30 to 7-30 in the Hickel Room at Centennial Hall.

Two cell phone towers top Planning Commission agenda
The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up permits for two AT&T wireless communication towers at its regular meeting tonight. (Tuesday)

If approved, the permits would allow construction of a 150-foot wireless communication tower at 3921 Mendenhall Loop and a 180-foot antenna tower at 5580 Montana Creek Road.

Also on tonight's agenda is a conditional use permit for the Jordan Creek Rehabilitation Project including sediment traps, stream bed recovery and establishment of a connected floodplain.

Conditional use permits to crush and screen reclaimed asphalt into useable product for CBJ projects and  a sand and gravel mine at the existing CBJ Lemon Creek gravel pit are also up for action.

The Planning Commission meets at 7 tonight in the Assembly Chambers.

School Board encouraging the study of Elizabeth Peratrovich
The School Board holds its first regular meeting of the new year tonight. (Tuesday)

On the agenda is a resolution for the board to recognize and encourage the study of Elizabeth Peratrovich Day which is a holiday this year for the school district.

The board is also expected to adopt the 2009-2010 school calendar.

Also on tonight's agenda is a revision of this year's budget based on final enrollment numbers.

Superintendent Peggy Cowan says enrollment is up and the amount of funds the district expects to receive from the legislature has increased.

The board is scheduled to approve projections for student enrollment to be used for the 2009 -2010 school year budget.

The board will also finalize its legislative priorities.

The School Board meets at 6 tonight at the Juneau Douglas High School Library.

Police identify body found in Soldotna
SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP) - Soldotna police have released the identity of a woman whose body was found out in the cold last weekend.

Police say the victim was 42-year-old Laura Ann Hatten of Soldotna. She was found Saturday morning in front of a thrift store on the Kenai Spur Highway in Soldotna.

Police say they do not appear to be any signs of foul play, and suspect hypothermia as the cause of death. Temperatures were 26 below zero during the night.

Police say the investigation will continue as they await autopsy and toxicology reports
(Peninsula Clarion)

Man's body found on stairway landing
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage Police say the frozen body of a 61-year-old man was found on a stairway landing outside the apartment complex where he lived.

Police say it appeared Christopher Clifford fell and lost consciousness before a resident at the Kluane Avenue complex found his body just before 5 p.m. Friday.

The door to Clifford's apartment unit was found slightly ajar.

Police say there is no sign of foul play.

Clifford's body was sent to the state medical examiner's office to determine the cause of death.

Non-profit share of lottery way lower than expected
A statewide lottery won't benefit a nonprofit as much as organizers expected.

Standing Together Against Rape could collect between 2-thousand and 20-thousand dollars from the proceeds.
the winning ticket was drawn Friday.

53-year old Alec Ahsoak of Anchorage claimed the half-million dollar prize. He would end up with about 350-thousand dollars after taxes.

Ahsoak has two previous convictions for sexual abuse of a minor. He says he'll use the lottery winnings to buy a home and improve his life.

He also said he might donate 100-thousand dollars to STAR. That would be larger than the 10 percent cut to the charity as required by state law.

Co-sponsor Lucky Times Pull Tabs says the original projection of 150-thousand tickets sold was an over-estimate.

Lucky Times and STAR are considering another lottery in July.
(KENI- Anchorage)

Suit filed over fumes from Alaska Airlines plane
SEATTLE (AP) - An Alaska Airlines passenger is suing the airline over injuries she says she suffered when deicer fumes entered an aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve.

Paramedics treated 25 people who were on an Alaska Airlines plane. Deicer fumes made their way onto the plane and irritated the eyes of passengers and the crew.

An attorney for passenger Arianna Morgan says she still feels the effects of that exposure and suffers numbness in her hands and fatigue.

The lawyer says the airline had a duty to ensure ventilation systems were closed during deicing.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Seattle.

Airline spokeswoman Caroline Boren says the company is concerned about passenger welfare and is reviewing the complaint.

All 143 passengers boarded another plane and continued to Burbank, Calif.

Oil spill reported on North Slope
NORTH SLOPE, Alaska (AP) - State records show that there was a spill of nearly 95,000 gallons of oily water at the Kuparuk oil field on Christmas Day.

ConocoPhillips runs the field on the North Slope.

The problem is being blamed on a corroded pipe that was inspected in 2000. That inspection found no problems.

Crude settles higher
NEW YORK (AP) - Crude oil futures prices ended higher on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The near-month contract for the benchmark grade rose 19 cents -- closing at $37.78 a barrel.

More people moved into Alaska than out in 2008
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - A report by Atlas Van Lines report shows the company moved more people into Alaska than out in 2008.

Neal Fried, an economist with the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development, says the Atlas figures didn't completely surprise him. He says the state's economy was still expanding last year. He expects job losses this year.

Fried says last year when the rest of the country was shrinking, Alaska continued to grow. He says during those periods, people tend to stay in Alaska because other places look less appealing.

Fried cautioned that the data could be a little skewed. He says that's because not all families use moving companies when relocating.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Haines elderly residents among beneficiaries of housing grant
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A federal agency is providing more than $2 million to provide affordable housing to the elderly in Haines and Togiak.

The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be used to construct 5-unit housing complexes for low-income elderly in the two communities.

Mackey wins another race
GLENNALLEN, Alaska (AP) - A familiar name won the Copper Basin 300 Sled Dog Race.

Lance Mackey of Fairbanks claimed victory with a 43-minute win.

Mackey, last year's Iditarod and Yukon Quest winner, took less than 54 hours to make the loop that begins and ends at Wolverine Lodge. Hans Gatt of Atlin, British Columbia, came in second.