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Police say teen was in over his head
Driving too fast for his experience caused death
Juneau Police have released information on the investigation into the death of a 16 year old boy last November 18. Brandon Pilot was killed when his pick up truck crashed near the intersection of the Eaglecrest Road and the North Douglas Highway. Captain Tom Porter tells the Juneau Daily News Online that the toxicology report indicates no presence of alcohol. He put forth what he called an educated guess that due to the youth's limited driving experience, he encountered a situation that he was not prepared and able to handle. Informants have told the Juneau Daily News Online and police that Pilot was being chased by another vehicle at the time. Captain Porter says investigators looked into those reports and interviewed numerous people, but found nothing to indicate, at this point, that that was a fact. Pilot was not wearing a seat belt. The truck went into a ditch where it struck a culvert and flipped. The accident occurred about 100 feet up the Fish Creek Road.
Unemployment in Alaska increased slightly in December, mostly reflecting a normal seasonal pattern. The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development says the jobless rate increased from 5.8% in November to 6.1%. That's still well below historical rates of eight to ten percent for the same period. The national unemployment rate for December was 3.7%. State labor economist Neil Fried says most local declines were small except for parts of Southwest and Southeast Alaska, where communities dependent on fishing and timber jumped sharply. The state lost 29-hundred wage and salary jobs in December. Fried says that's mostly through normal seasonal declines in areas such as construction and seafood processing. But air transportation lost 200 jobs last month when Reeve Aleutian Airways shut down most of its operations.
Juneau's jobless rate in December held fairly steady at 4.6 percent increasing from November's 4.5 percent and the December 1999 rate of 4.3 %, according to State Labor Department Economist Rachel Baker. She says the holiday season helped keep Juneau's rate fairly low. A total of 736 Capital City residents were unemployed last month. The rate in the Haines Borough last month was 11.9 percent. That's an increase from the 9.6 percent in November, but its lower than last year's rate of 12.2 percent. The Skagway, Hoonah, Angoon census area shows a rate of 11.1 percent. That's an increase from 9.3 percent in November and last year's rate of 10.3 percent. The unemployment rate for Prince of Wales was 11.4 percent. That's up from November's 9.3 percent and last year's 10.6 percent. Anchorage had the lowest rate last month at 4.1%. The highest rate of 16.1% was recorded in the Wade Hampton census area in Western Alaska.
The Coast Guard cutter Sedge docked in Valdez today after suffering an electrical fire yesterday afternoon while en route from Homer to Juneau. Lieutenant David Arritt says the Sedge took some seawater in through a vent. The water made contact with a switchboard for a generator to its main diesel engines. The fire was put out, but the cutter was disabled temporarily. Power was restored before two other cutters could arrive on scene. One of the 53 people on board was injured as the cutter bobbed around in the 25 foot seas. The 25 year old man fell and sustained back and neck injuries. Plans called for transporting him to the hospital in Valdez after the Sedge arrived there today. The fire occurred more than 100 miles south of Cordova. The Sedge issued its distress call at 3:41 yesterday afternoon and regained engine power at about 5:00pm. It was on the first leg of a voyage to a scheduled maintenance period in a Seattle ship yard. The cutter is based in Homer.
The bulk carrier Alam Selaris is now being towed by a tugboat from Dutch Harbor. The tug James Dunlap took over the tow from the Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley (towing freighter at right) today. The engine of the 595 foot vessel gave out on Tuesday. The cutter was diverted to its location 120 miles northwest of Dutch Harbor to assist. Another tug, the Commander from Seattle, is expected to arrive in Dutch Harbor on January 28th to assist in the transport of the vessel south. The Alam Selaris was transporting a load of grain from Vancouver to Japan at the time.
A Coast Guard helicopter rescued four people from a sinking fishing vessel 17 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor this morning. The crew of the 49 foot Miss Maria radioed a distress message at 8:40am to a tug boat in the area. The tug relayed the message to the Coast Guard. The crewmembers were taken to Dutch Harbor after being hoisted aboard the helicopter. No injuries were report and the Miss Maria is now aground in Makushin Bay.
The Ice Skating Working Group charged by Mayor Sally Smith to formulate a design for a covered ice rink at Savikko Park met over the noon hour today. John Stone, Director of Engineering for the City and Borough of Juneau, says the group has come up with a conceptual layout for a finished skating arena that would cost an estimated $2.25-million. Voters have approved $1.35-million in sales tax revenue for the ice-rink and the Douglas Fourth of July Committee will contribute about $50,000. Provided the Assembly approves the project soon, Stone says it could be possible to construct a basic building, and install some necessary interior components by next winter. He says the covered ice rink would most likely be built in phases. Group members were scheduled to discuss the proposed rinks' operational costs and revenues during today's meeting.
A new Canadian firearms law has a local river recreation group concerned. The new law requires all non-Canadian visitors traveling into Canada to present a Canadian firearm license -in person- to a Canadian Customs official before crossing the border. Taku River Recreation Association Board member Errol Champion says many people traveling up remote rivers in Southeast Alaska carry guns for bear protection. He says they're not questioning Canada's right to license guns, but for river users it's an expensive burden to travel to the nearest Canadian Customs office in Whitehorse or Prince Rupert to get a firearm license verified. The association has contacted Alaska's Congressional delegation to see if there is some modification that can be made to the law, to allow a United States Customs official to verify the license and firearm for Canadian customs. The new Canadian Firearms Law went into effect January 1st.
George W. Bush (below) will be sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States tomorrow at 8:00am Alaska time. Senator Ted Stevens says Alaskans are streaming into Washington,DC, for the ceremony and the parties afterwards. He says an overwhelming number of Alaskans are coming to the capital. Stevens says he, Senator Frank Murkowski and Representative Don Young will be on hand and will do their best to accommodate everyone. KINY will broadcast the swearing-in ceremony, with live coverage starting at 7:00am tomorrow morning.
The first in a series of meetings between the Chambers of Commerce in Juneau, Haines and Skagway is set for Haines tomorrow. Juneau Chamber Executive Director George Davidson says they want to help build some bridges and a rapport with the other chambers on several issues. He anticipates those issues will include fast ferries, a gas line spur to Haines or Skagway and an agreement between the U. S. and Canada on cross-border employment to work on its construction; and reapportionment and the likely impacts on the three towns. The chamber members will decide on where to hold the next meeting. Davidson says he'll suggest a meeting in Juneau this April while the Legislature is still in session. He figures about 30 are making the trip from the Capital City.
Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt is delaying Lease Sale 176 because some proposed offshore oil and gas leases near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge need more study. The sale originally was scheduled for early next year. But Babbitt said yesterday the Department of Interior doesn't have enough time to complete the required environmental analyses. The agency says the area can be sold in the next five-year leasing schedule once the studies are complete. Federal offshore leasing in the Beaufort Sea began in 1979, and the most recent sale was in 1998. Eighty-four of the 688 leases sold during that time remain in effect. Officials say 30 exploration wells have discovered producible oil in five spots. Development has begun on only one, however -- the Northstar field. Babbitt's action is one of his last official acts, with the Bush Administration coming into office tomorrow.
Legislation addressing construction of a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope was introduced today by the House Special Committee on Oil and Gas. Committee Chair Scott Ogan (right) of Palmer said during a press conference today that the legislation has three parts. It mandates that the line go through Alaska as much as possible; construction of spurs to Alaskan locations, and local hire of Alaskans. Ogan appointed a subcommittee this week to examine the feasiblity of line spurs to villages along the Yukon River and to tidewater ports such as Skagway and Haines in Southeast. The legislation is designated as House Bill 83.
BP Exploration Alaska says it has cleaned up about 75 percent of the spilled drilling muds at its Northstar field. BP's Paul Laird says the company hopes to finish the cleanup by the end of the day today. About 19,000 gallons of drilling muds spilled Tuesday afternoon when a wooden barrier collapsed. None of it reached the ocean.
A comprehensive rural telecommunications survey was presented to the Denali Commission at its meeting in Juneau yesterday. The commission contracted with the McDowell Group to find out what kinds of telecommunication services are available in Alaska's smaller towns. Lieutenant Governor Fran Ulmer, chair of the Telecommunications Information Council, represents Governor Knowles as state co-chair of the Denali Commission. She says over 260 communities participated in the survey. The commission was created by federal law in 1998 to address infrastructure and utility needs in rural Alaska.
Anchorage-based telecom company GCI has sold capacity on its fiber-optic network for $19.5-million. The sale includes capacity within Alaska and between the state and the Lower 48. GCI did not identify the buyer at the buyer's request.
A burglary reported last December 9th is the focus of Juneau Crime Line this week. The incident occurred at a marine equipment storage facility located in the airport area. Police say entryinto the building was forced causing about $300 in damage. Two items were believed to have been stolen. They include a red plastic, 18 gallon Tempo brand boat fuel tank valued at approximately $200 and three blow nozzles of various colors worth about $45. Anyone with information on this or any other crime are encouraged to contact Juneau Police or call Crime Line at 586-4243. Callers may remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward.
An Anchorage man has been sentenced to die for a South Dakota murder. Briley Piper was sentenced by a judge in Deadwood today. The capital punishment came despite Piper's guilty plea. The 20-year-old Piper will die by lethal injection for last year's murder of 19-year-old Chester Poage of Spearfish. Poage's body was found last April near Spearfish. Judge Warren Johnson said he's given the case much thought because he -- not a jury -- had to decide Piper's fate. But Johnson says the photos of the crime are some of the worst he's ever seen. He set Piper's execution for August. That will likely be delayed because a state Supreme Court review is automatic. Piper apologized to Poage's family and said he will take whatever sentence he gets. Piper is the fourth man on South Dakota's death row.
Brook Miles of Juneau has been named the new executive director of the Alaska Public OfficesCommission. Miles will officially replace outgoing director Karen Boorman on March 3rd. Boorman is stepping down after 12 years with the agency including the last 11 as director. Miles has worked with the commission as the Juneau regional manager, legislative liaison and lobbying law administrator for the last 18 years. Miles says she'll be based in Anchorage. The commission's main office has been located there ever since its creation in 1974.
Yesterday's wind storm missed the Juneau area, so the wind advisory for Juneau and other Southeast locales was cancelled. National Weather Service Forecaster Bob Shontz says the storm veered off towards Prince William Sound. He says there were wind gusts to as a high as 103 miles per hour at Portage Glacier.
An emergency rule aimed at protecting the Steller sea lion (like the one at left) in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering sea has been issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service and takes effect tomorrow. The agency's Carol Tocco says the rule implements changes to the trawl fisheries and the 2001 Alaska groundfishspecifications under which the fisheries will operate. It extends Steller Sea Lion protection measures for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands pollock and Atka mackerel fisheries and the pollock fishery in the Gulf of Alaska. She says the rule contains changes found in the agency's biological opinion and direction from Congress on when and how quickly the requirements of the opinion would be implemented. Jim Balsiger, the Alaska Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, says the emergency rule fulfills the intent of the Congressional mandate to protect fishermen. He says it achieves a balance between requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act and the Endangered Species Act.
A Kenai jury has awarded $389,000 to a former Kenai man who sued Alaska Petroleum Contractors. Jurors decided the company illegally fired Dan Reust over for his role in the case of another man who sued APC. Reust will get $100,000 for emotional distress and the remainder for lost wages. That's if the decision stands. He could also seek punitive damages.
The Crimson Bears' Men Basketball squad is hosting Sitka this weekend. Tip off tonight on KINY Radio is 8:00pm. Join John D. live at 7:45pm here.
Local computer company owner Mark Kappler has just returned from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the nation's largest event of its kind. He brought the visions of modern technology tolisteners on KINY's Capital Chat this morning. Kappler (right) says the newest home electronics include HDTV (high definition television). On a viewing screen at the CES, he says he could see the mesh on football player's jerseys, and individual blades of grass on the playing field during a football game. Vendors were also demonstrating "smart home appliances," which can be programmed to maintain themselves, cook dinner, or shut off when you're gone. And, Kappler says, 2001 wouldn't be complete without the newest computerized voice-recognition system, appropriately named, "HAL."
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