13 year-old arrested after allegedly threatening 12 year-old on Juneau school bus
A 13 year-old boy was arrested by Juneau Police today (Friday) for allegedly holding a knife to another boy's throat and threatening him on a school bus after school Thursday.

The victim, a 12 year-old sixth grade student, reported the incident.

Officers worked with the unnamed school to locate and speak to the students.

The seventh grade student was arrested at the school. He was charged with assault in a the third degree, a felony, and two misdemeanor counts of misconduct in the fourth degree for possessing a knife at school and on the school bus.

He was incarcerated at the Johnson Youth Center.

Counterfeit bills being passed in Juneau
The circulation of counterfeit money is the focus of the most recent Juneau Crime Line.

Sergeant Dave Campbell says they received a report on January 5th that a$50 counterfeit bill had been passed at a bar in the Mendenhall Valley.

Since the beginning of the year, he says there have been five reports where counterfeit bills have been passed.

Denomination include 100, 50, and 10 dollar bills.

Individuals with any information are encouraged to contact the Juneau Police Department or call Juneau Crime Line immediately.

Callers may remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward.

The Crime Line number is 586-4243.

Stevens named Rules Chair, Ellis to serve as majority leader in State Senate
As expected, Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens was named the Rules Committee chair in the State Senate today (Friday) replacing embattled Anchorage Senator John Cowdery.

Replacing Stevens as majority leader will be Anchorage Democrat Johnny Ellis.

Senate President Lyda Green made those announcements during this morning's  floor session.

Stevens had assumed the Rules Committee duties in his capacity as the panel's vice chair in view as the result of Cowdery's health problems.

Cowdery announced earlier this week he was stepping down from this post because of  those health concerns.

He has been the subject of the federal government's corruption probe, although not charged to date.

There have been calls for his resignation, but Cowdery says he intends to return to Juneau

Senator Green said earlier this week that she expects Cowdery back in the Capital next week.

Stevens was appointed to the Senate in 2003 before he was elected in 2004 and 2006.

Ellis, a former Senate minority leader, is in his fifth term in the Senate. He also served three terms in the House.

Swope: NOAA homeporting proposal still in play
Even though the agency says it won't happen, the possibility that NOAA vessels will be homeported in Juneau is still an option.

That from City and Borough of Juneau Manager Rod Swope on Capital Chat this morning. (Friday)

He says he had a meeting on that subject Thursday with the city's Washington, D. C. lobbyist John Roots who was in Juneau this week.

Roots told Swope that the issue is still in play. Even though administrators said they may not be interested in replacing the Cobb or homeporting vessels in Alaska, Swope said that's all subject to politics and it may not be their call in the final analysis.

Swope says Alaska's Congressional delegation can exert pressure on the issue which would give the city a pretty good chance of not only getting the Cobb replaced but getting some of those vessels in Juneau.

Convicted murderer gets 99 years in old homicide
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The convicted trigger man in a 1996 murder plot with a former Anchorage stripper was sentenced today (Friday) to 99 years in prison.

Fifty-year-old John Carlin III was convicted of first-degree murder in April in the shooting death of Kent Leppink (LEP'-ink), a 36-year-old fisherman who was engaged to Mechele Linehan.

Carlin is appealing his conviction.

He was convicted of shooting Leppink three times on a remote trail outside Hope.

Prosecutors say the motive for Linehan was a $1 million life insurance policy on Leppink that she erroneously thought named her as beneficiary.

The victim's mother, Betsy Leppink testified this morning. She asked for the maximum 99 year prison term.

A jury found Linehan guilty in October of first-degree murder.

Attorney says drug arrest is getting undue attention
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The attorney for an Anchorage assistant middle school principal arrested Thursday says his client is getting undue attention because of his position.

Forty-three-year-old Mario Toro Junior turned himself in yesterday.

He is charged with three felony drug counts. Police say they found cocaine residue in his car and in his office at Gruening Middle School.

Defense attorney Rex Butler says Toro showed he was taking responsibility for the charges by turning himself in, and did so after hearing news reports that he was wanted.

The lawyer says his client is charged with using a drug on school property but there's no indication he gave drugs to children or anyone else.

Butler says Toro is not a danger to the community.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Avalanche control work  and winds close Eaglecrest chairlift 
The Ptarmigan Chairlift was closed at the Eaglecrest Ski area Friday to accommodate avalanche control work.

Gusty winds from 30 to 60 miles per hour also spurred the closure, according to ski area manager Kirk Duncan.  

Over 12 inches of snow was received overnight.

MLK ceremony planned for Juneau
Juneau will observe the Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior Day holiday with a commemorative celebration.

It is sponsored by the Black Awareness Association of Juneau.

Ken Cook, the association's president, says the theme of this year's celebration is "What Are You Dreaming Of."

He says it will held at the Juneau Christian Center beginning at Noon.

The keynote speaker will be the center's Pastor Rose.

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Cook says people are encouraged to attend and celebrate this great American.

Unemployment up slightly in Alaska in December
Alaska's unemployment rate in December increased a tenth of percentage point to 6 point 5 percent.

State Department of Labor and Workforce Development Economist Dan Robinson says the rate has climbed from the low point of the year of 5.8 percent.

He says the growth of payroll jobs has slowed. It was zero point six percent in December, about 1,900 jobs, compared to December of 2006.

Robinson says a lot of those jobs were in the oil and gas industry.

He says other than that bright spot, there have not been a lot of new jobs generated in the last few months.

He says construction is down by about 900 jobs over the year. Robinson says that's a fairly big negative to overcome. He says the rate of growth is slowing a little.

The growth in health care jobs slowed, only 200 more jobs in December 2007 than in December 2006.

The growth in state government jobs has slowed.

Leisure and hospitality, which is mostly hotels and restaurants, grew a little although that's a December to December comparison and the peak season is in the summer.

The financial sector is down a bit with a slow down in mortgage based businesses related to construction and housing.

The total number of unemployed in December was an estimated 23,318, up from 21,728 in November.

Juneau's unemployment rate last month was 4.8 percent. In November the rate was 4.5 percent.  There were an estimated 882 unemployed in the Capital City in December which is up from 828 in November.

Robinson says there's usually an increase from November to December.

He says the number that he really keeps an eye on is the year ago number.  And the numbers for Juneau, Anchorage, Fairbanks and the Mat-Su borough are what they were a year ago.

The rate in Haines last month was 13.8 percent; an increase from November's 10.2 percent. The number of unemployed increased from an estimated 118 to 145.

The rate for Prince of Wales outer Ketchikan census area increased from 13.2 to 14.6 percent. The number of unemployed increased from an estimated 292 to 315.

The unemployment rate in Anchorage went 5 percent to 5.1 percent. The number of unemployed increased from 7,693 to 7,968.

The Mat-Su borough's rate increased from 7 percent to 7.9 percent. The number of unemployed increased from 2,670 to 3,052.

The unemployment rate in Fairbanks increased from 5.2 to 5.7 percent. The number of unemployed went from 2,376 to 2,594.

The Skagway, Hoonah, Angoon census area had the highest unemployment rate in the state in December at 21.1 percent. That's up from November's rate of 16.6.

Robinson says that's not unusual for Skagway. This is their slowest season. The number of unemployed increase from 275 to 325.

The lowest rate occurred in the Denali Borough at 1.8 percent.

Divers report four holes in fishing vessel that went aground near Wrangell
Divers have been able to take a look at the bottom of the fishing vessel that went aground west of Zarembo Island near Wrangell in Southeast Alaska early Wednesday morning.

The Seattle fishing tender Dolphin contacted the Coast Guard's Juneau Command Center to report the incident.

The center's Lieutenant Nathaniel Johnson says divers were able to determine that the vessel sustained four holes and an additional gash to the bottom of her hull near the keel.

There were 34,000 gallons of number two diesel on board. The vessel was initially reported leaking fuel.

The lieutenant says they won't know for sure how much fuel was lost until the Dolphin reaches a facility where her tanks can be pumped out.

The plan called for the divers to make temporary repairs yesterday with the vessel traveling to Ketchikan today if the repairs passed a Coast Guard inspection. 

But it appears they were unable to finish the repairs yesterday. The Coast Guard had not been notified as of this morning.

In the meantime the Dolphin is anchored at California Bay on the North end of Prince of Wales Island with oil containment safety boom deployed around it.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation. None of the eight crew members were injured.

The Dolphin is owned by Seattle-based Trident Seafoods Corporation.

State ferry to receive Coast Guard award for Empress of North response
The Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award was presented today to  Captain Phil Taylor and the crew of the state ferry Columbia for their role in assisting in the rescue of passengers aboard the cruise ship Empress of the North.

The cruise ship ran aground on Rocky Island Light south of Juneau last May 14th.

Petty Officer Levi Read with the District 17 Public Affairs Office says the Columbia was very instrumental to the overall success of the mission.

The Columbia diverted from its original destination when it responded to a Coast Guard Urgent Marine Information Broadcast.

After it arrived on scene, the Columbia volunteered as a host platform for the 252 passengers who had already been evacuated from the cruise ship.

He says the Meritorious Public Service Award is second highest award the Coast Guard can present for unusual courage in the advancement of search and rescue missions.

The ferry also helped safely transport the passengers back to Juneau. No injuries were reported.

Petty Officer Read says the award is the second highest award the Coast Guard can present for unusual courage in the advancement of search and rescue missions.

DOT Commissioner faces Transportation Committee questions
By STEVE QUINN=Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Transportation Commissioner Leo von Scheben outlined his department's goals with the House Transportation Committee.

He also discussed concerns about rising costs and work force retention during the nearly two-hour hearing Thursday.

But the hard part is still to come for von Scheben.

He and his deputies will return for some hearty discussion with a committee whose role will be far greater than last year when the Legislature was consumed on gas pipeline development and oil taxes.

Among the more difficult topics to be discussed in the future will be the financially-struggling Alaska Marine Highway System.

Lawmakers smarting over last year's budget cuts
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Lawmakers are still licking their wounds from a swath of budget cuts made by Governor Palin last June.

Today, (Thursday) their own budget director says they may be the fall guys if overall spending increases significantly in coming years.

Just three days into the legislative session, lawmakers from the House and Senate Finance Committees sat through two rounds of budget overviews.

They are still seething from last summer's stunning cuts and minced no words with Palin's budget director Karen Rehfeld this week.

Representative Bill Thomas, a Haines Republican, spoke of embarrassment from explaining cuts to his district, which took a six million dollar hit.

The Legislature's budget director, David Teal, said the immense surplus from high oil prices makes it easy to manipulate the budget. He said even though Legislature and the governor are using the same numbers, it looks as if legislators are spending more from the state treasury.

Rehfeld says her office is willing to work with lawmaker to reconcile the differences.

Anchorage police seeking man suspected of drugging children
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage police are looking for a man believed to have given two small children he was babysitting a prescription tranquilizer.

Thirty-two-year-old Randall Jerome Lanahan is charged with two counts of misconduct involving controlled substances.

Lanahan is suspected of dropping a soluble tranquilizer into glasses of orange juice and telling the children to drink it.

According to police, he told them he did it in an attempt to sedate them.

The children were hospitalized overnight for a drug overdose and released the next day.

Police say the incident occurred in November. An outstanding arrest warrant has been issued.

They says Lanahan uses his twin brother's identity but can be identified by scars on his arms.

Five Alaskans indicted for distributing marijuana
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Five Alaskans and a Canadian have been indicted for allegedly bringing marijuana into the state from Canada.

Federal prosecutors say David Knutson of Vancouver, British Columbia, regularly supplied 31-year-old Patrick McIlvain and other co-conspirators with marijuana.

Amounts, according to prosecutors, ranged from 80 to 150 pounds. Prosecutors say the drug was smuggled into Alaska inside snowmachines and in hidden compartments in inflatable boats and trailers.

The indictment also names 32-year-old Rachel Ross, 46-year-old Donald Knutson and 39-year-old James Adams, the second.

Prosecutors also are seeking the forfeiture of a Wasilla home and other personal property believed purchased with the proceeds from drug money.

Trial begins for man on prostitution, drug charges
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A trial is under way in Anchorage for a man accused of running a prostitution ring and a drug business.

Don Arthur Webster Jr. -- who went by the name of Jerry Starr -- is charged with 16 counts related to sex trafficking and 21 drug offenses.

Two young women who worked for Webster testified Thursday.

They say Webster threatened them with beatings or worse if they bought drugs from someone else.

One says her face is scarred from where he hit her.

The defense maintains that if the women had sex with escort clients, they did so voluntarily, not because Webster made them.

Prosecutors say Webster operated at least seven escort businesses including Foxy Roxies, Sunshine Girls and Tickle Your Fancy.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Dillingham man convicted of sexual abuse of a minor
DILLINGHAM, Alaska (AP) - Micheal Pope -- also known as Irvin Pope -- was convicted of one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree Thursday at the Dillingham Courthouse.

The 22-year-old man had sex with an underage individual when he was 21.

Evidence showed that on at least one occasion, Pope bought alcohol for the minor and then took her to a private residence to have sex with her.

This is his second felony conviction and could be sentenced between 10 to 25 years in prison. He will serve a full sentence for the offense because Alaskan law no longer allows for "good time" credit for sex offenses. He will be sentenced on April 28th.
(Thanks Anne Hillman, KDLG)

Alaska makes list of worst states for animal cruelty laws
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska has made The Humane Society's top-seven states for the weakest laws against animal cruelty.

The animal welfare organization issued its list Thursday. It ranked the seven from the best to the worst.

Alaska ranked first for having the strongest penalties for animal cruelty among the seven worst states. The group says animal cruelty in Alaska carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Utah and Mississippi also made the list.

Mississippi had the weakest animal cruelty laws with penalties capped at six months and $1,000.

The group says Alaska also is one of the states that has no felony animal cruelty provisions.

Snopac will open processing plant in Dillingham
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A Seattle-based fish processing company has purchased the former Dragnet Fisheries facility in Dillingham.

Snopac Products says it is readying the plant for an anticipated 40 million sockeye salmon run in Bristol Bay this summer.

Spokesman Norm Van Vactor says all efforts are being made to have the plant operational prior to the run.

Van Vactor says the purchase of the plant "reflects a growing global market for wild sustainable salmon."

State fisheries biologists are forecasting a Bristol Bay sockeye run in excess of 40 million fish, with a harvest of about 31 million reds.
(Alaska Journal of Commerce)

JDHS teams in action this weekend
The Juneau Douglas High School Hockey team wraps up its season this weekend.

They'll entertain the Homer Mariners tonight and Saturday night at Treadwell Arena.

The puck drops at 8 this evening and at 7 Saturday night.

Tickets are available at the door or Play It Again Sports.

The Juneau Douglas High School Lady Bears basketball squad is on the road this weekend.

They are in Sitka for games tonight and Saturday.

SS Ancon travels subject of Fireside lecture
The Fireside Lecture Series continues this evening at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

Historian Jim Geraghty will make a presentation on the voyages of the SS Ancon. The sidewheel steamship explored British Columbia and Southeast Alaska in the summer of 1885.

Because of the program's popularity there are two presentations. The first is at 6:30 and the second at eight.

Another program starts up for the year tomorrow (Saturday) at the center. It's the Kid's Day Program for 4 to 6 year olds. It's scheduled from 11 a.m. to Noon.

Parents are invited to bring a lunch and stay afterwards for a movie.