Soldiers due home Sunday morning
A ceremony is planned at Camp Denali on Fort Richardson to formally welcome home the Juneau headquartered Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion of the 297th Infantry of the Alaska Army National Guard.

The guard's Kalei Brooks says the ceremony is planned at 11 a.m. Saturday.

About 140 members of the unit returned to Alaska last Friday after spending one year in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The majority of the unit was stationed at Camp Victory in Iraq last January. 

It was the first deployment of Alaska Army National Guard combat troops to a war zone since World War II. The unit suffered no combat injuries.

Juneau based soldiers return to the Capital City Sunday morning.

Kim Leary, is the Family Assistance Center Coordinator for the  Guard's Juneau Family Programs Office.  She says 24 soldiers will be on Alaska Airlines Flight 62 that is scheduled to arrive at 9:44.

She says they're asking community members to turn out to help welcome the soldiers home.

They're also asking residents to hang up flags and place yellow ribbons on their houses and trees.

Senate passes marijuana, methamphetamine bill
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Senate today passed a bill to toughen penalties for marijuana possession and to make it more difficult to purchase the ingredients used to manufacture methamphetamine.

The bill, which the Senate Finance Committee created from two separate bills, passed 17-to-1.

It would make possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana a felony. Possession of less than 4 ounces, now allowed in the home thanks to a 1975 court ruling, would become a misdemeanor.

Current law makes it a misdemeanor to possess up to a half-pound of marijuana.

The bill also would put Sudafed and other legal drugs used to make methamphetamine behind drug store counters.
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Before passing the bill, the Senate added a provision to allow the commissioner of the Department of Safety to regulate additional products if he finds they are used to make methamphetamine products.

The measure was held on reconsideration, so there could be another vote when the Senate reconvenes next week.

After it clears the upper chamber, it will have to return to the House for concurrence in Senate changes.

Committee hears bill to expand deadly force
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A legislative committee heard a proposal today to expand the places where a person can use deadly force if he is defending himself.

The bill by Senator Gene Therriault drew the support of the National Rifle Association but brought questions by the Department of Law.

The measure would extend the state's ``castle law'' in which a person can use whatever force is necessary to protect himself in his home. For example, under the proposal, deadly force could be used if a person walking down the street is attacked by a rapist and has no other choice.

Deputy Attorney General Susan Parks says her concern is that the bill could inadvertently help gang members or other criminals escape conviction.
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She also questions what the self-defense argument would mean for the family of an innocent bystander who is injured or killed in a confrontation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held the bill over for another hearing.

Teachers union says governor's increase falls short
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The state's teachers' union says Governor Murkowski's proposed increase in education funding falls short of meeting the needs of Alaska schools.

Bill Bjork president of the National Education Association-Alaska says the state's projected 1-point-2 billion dollar budget surplus will give lawmakers a historic opportunity to address a chronic shortage of funds for schools.

Bjork says the N-E-A will lobby for a 145 million dollar increase, as opposed to the 90 million dollars being proposed by Murkowski. Sixty-five million dollars will cover pension costs and inflation, leaving 80 million dollars for rising energy bills and student achievement.
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Bjork says a portion of the increase should go toward teacher salaries and reducing class sizes.

He says an extra 80 million dollars a year for the next eight years is needed to reach an adequate level of school funding.

Web post urges jihadists to attack Alaska pipeline
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska law enforcement agencies will NOT say whether there are extra security measures in place for the trans-Alaska pipeline following a threat on a Web site.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that a recent posting on a Web site purportedly affiliated with al-Qaida urges attacks against the pipeline.

The site also urges attacks on the Valdez tanker dock.

The site calls on jihadists to shower the pipeline with bullets or hide and detonate explosives along its length.

The Arabic posting was discovered and translated in late December by the SITE Institute.

The institute is a Washington, D-C., nonprofit organization that tracks international terrorists.
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The ten-page posting includes links to Web sites providing maps and other basic information about the pipeline.

Officials for the F-B-I and other law enforcement and security agencies say they are aware of the posting.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company spokesman Curtis Thomas says his company also is aware of the posting,

But he says the company is not aware of any imminent threat to the system.

F-B-I official Eric Gonzalez says the posting did not seem to contain information beyond what is readily available to anyone doing a little digging.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Man declared dead after traffic accident identified
A 48 year-old man apparently died of natural causes after his pick up truck ran into a guard rail outbound on Egan at Norway Point last night (Wednesday) before eight.

He's identified by Juneau Police as Victor Lee Walker of Juneau.

When police arrived on scene, they found paramedics trying to revive the man.  Witnesses on scene stated that they believed the driver might have had a seizure.

Walker was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead by the attending physician.

The State Medical Examiner has authorized an autopsy.

Its believed that Walker's death occurred from natural causes and was not a result of the traffic accident, according to police.

Next of kin were present at the hospital emergency room.

Walker was a long time employee of Alaska Electric, Light and Power.

Haines man dies of apparent heart attack
A Haines man died of a possible heart attack Tuesday afternoon while skiing and skating with friends on Chilkoot Lake.

State Troopers identify him as 57 year old Guy W. Hoffman.

Medics were called when Hoffman collapsed. Authorities were notified at 2:03. Huffman was pronounced dead at 2:52.

OSHA cites tent company in Scout leader deaths
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal agency has cited a tent company in connection with the electrocution deaths of four Boy Scout leaders killed at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree at Fort A-P Hill.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed fining Tents and Events 56-hundred dollars for ``serious'' violations.

The agency says workers for the company erecting a large tent were not properly trained or familiar with safe electrical work practices.

Those workers also placed the tent too close to overhead power lines that carried 72-hundred volts of electricity.

An attorney for the defunct Fisherville company says officials are reviewing whether they will appeal the citations.

Earlier this month, Army officials said a military investigation will classify the deaths as accidental. The Army's Criminal Investigation Command found NO evidence of criminal culpability.
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Electrocuted were Ronald H. Bitzer, 58; Mike Lacroix, 42; and Michael J. Shibe, 49, all of Anchorage, Alaska; and Scott Edward Powell, 57, of Perrysville, Ohio. 

Second quarter earnings result released by Alaska Permanent Fund
The Alaska Permanent Fund has released results for the second quarter of the fiscal year.

The fund gained $932 Million and returned 2 point 4 percent. Its value on December 31, 2005 was $32.3 Billion.

The return for the first half of the fiscal year was 6 point 7 percent with a gain of $2 point 3 Billion in the fund.

Statutory net income, the amount used for calculating the dividend, was $735 Million for the quarter, bringing the fiscal year to date total to $1 point 3 Billion.

Based on the earnings so far and projected income for the balance of the year, fund officials say dividends are likely to be higher this year.

Panel looking for ideas on design of Alaska quarter
The State Commemorative Coin Commission is looking for ideas as it works to submit entries to the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters Program.

Alaska's quarter is due out in the Fall of 2008.

Commission Chair Mark Vinsel and member Nicole Hartman were guests on KINY's Capital Chat this morning (Thursday).

Hartman stressed the fact that its a narrative submission, rather than art work.

Vinsel says what they're learning from other states is the need to keep the selected design simple.

A form for submitting an idea to the commission is available at public libraries and schools and on the commission's web site at www.commerce.state.ak.us/alaska_coin.htm 

Snow storm brings good accumulation, schools are open
The snow mounted up around the city and borough after it started yesterday afternoon.

Meteorologist Brian Tassia told us before six this morning that the accumulation from the storm varies between 3 to 7 inches around town.

There was about four inches at the forecast office on Back Loop Road, four to five inches at the airport, and three to four in the downtown area.

There may be a few showers, but the forecaster says the snow will taper off this morning.  A snow advisory is in effect until 10 a.m.

The snow did  not stopping the school buses.

Superintendent Peggy Cowan sent out an e-mail early this morning saying Juneau public schools would be operating on a regular schedule today.

Timber sale in Tongass is appealed
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Environmentalists are appealing a timber sale in the Tongass National Forest.

A small group of Southeast Alaska residents and a coalition of environmental organizations that are appealing the Emerald Bay sale say it's a money-losing venture.

The sale is in a roadless area of the Cleveland Peninsula -- a popular spot for hunting and recreation about 40 miles north of Ketchikan.

The U-S Forest Service offered it in November.

The federal agency says the sale would involve the harvest of 16 (m) million board feet of timber from 600 acres and would provide almost 90 jobs.

The project would include the construction of about six miles of road.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Opening ANWR tops Senator Murkowski's list of goals
Senator Lisa Murkowski says opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil development remains her top priority.

The senator outlined her goals for the next session of Congress for reporters yesterday [Wednesday] in Washington D.C .

She says she's carefully monitoring progress on the proposed natural gas pipeline.

The third priority is the re-authorization of the Patriot Act., which must be completed by February 3rd.

Murkowski says lobbying reform is new this year and is long overdue.

The senator says she's also introducing legislation dealing with asbestos health care insurance.

Murkowski says splitting up the 9th Circuit Court if Appeals is a high priority. She says there's momentum built up from last year that she'd like to build on.

Alito to get Senator Murkowski's vote
Senator Lisa Murkowski says she will vote to confirm Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the United States Supreme Court.

Speaking to reporters yesterday [Wednesday] in Washington D.C, Murkowski said she was traveling in Asia during the hearings, but has reviewed the statements that were made during the hearing.

She says Alito has the credibility, the temperament, and resume, and is qualified to serve on the nation's highest court.

Water leak soaks some books and documents in SOB library
The library in the State Office Building, in downtown Juneau, has been hit with another water leak.

A malfunction in an air conditioning unit on the 9th floor caused water coolant to leak into the 8th floor library,  according to the state's chief procurement officer Vern Jones.

He says the air conditioner recently had some maintenance work done on it.

Today's water leak dripped on some books and documents, which were removed.

Protective plastic tenting has been set up to cover the books.

Jones says he would call the damage "light" and nothing of the magnitude of the last leak which occurred 11 months ago. 

On February 8th of last year, a two-inch pipe burst in the ceiling above the library and water poured down on books and documents.

The State Office Building was built in 1973 and has asbestos insulation.

Jones says they had an asbestos clean-up and removal in the same area after last years leak so there should be no danger.

Meanwhile, library staff is working to dry any soaked documents and books.

Ketchikan moves closer to building new cruise ship dock
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) - Ketchikan is closer to building a new cruise ship dock to be ready for the 2007 cruise ship season.

The city council yesterday (Tuesday) approved further negotiations to have a private company design and build the dock north of the downtown tunnel.

The city and the private company - Survey Point Holdings - will work toward a more definitive agreement by March first.

It appears Survey Point Holdings and yet-unnamed cruise industry partners will form a new company, Ketchikan Dock, to design and build the new dock and make related improvements.

City Mayor Bob Weinstein says the city will not use eminent domain for any part of the project. That had been a concern of some residents.

Senator: Treatment of sex offenders not working
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A state senator says treating sex offenders isn't working and the state's only tool to reduce sex crimes in Alaska is longer prison sentences.

Anchorage Senator Con Bunde today presented his bill to increase sentences and give polygraph examinations to released sex offenders.

The measure appears to have bipartisan support, with Senator Gretchen Guess (an Anchorage Democrat) saying that it is a long time coming.

The cost of adding jail time to sex offenders is not clear. Bunde acknowledges it will be expensive, but he says that it is a cost that a reasonable society has to bear. He says Alaska, which has one of the highest sex crime rates in the nation, needs to make these changes.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held the bill over for another hearing.

Kenai jury hears audio recording in murder trial
KENAI, Alaska (AP) - A jury deciding the case of a Kasilof woman charged with murdering her boyfriend heard an audiotape of her recorded shortly after the murder.

In the tape, Betsy Hester is heard explaining to a police officer how the victim, John Clark, had slapped her, hit her and threatened more violence before she allegedly shot him.

Hester is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death more than two years ago of Clark in their Kasilof mobile home.

Virginia Sundvik of Kasilof also testified yesterday (Tuesday). She had the couple over for dinner the night before the shooting.

Although she says they displayed NO signs of anger, Clark had been suffering from serious health problems. Sundvik says she had recently noticed a change in how Clark had treated Hester. But she says she never saw Clark act violently toward Hester.

Troopers crack down on dangerous Seward Highway drivers
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska State Troopers are cracking down on dangerous driving along a treacherous stretch of the Seward Highway.

Troopers say two officers have been reassigned to the highway outside of Anchorage. They're ticketing about 20 drivers per shift.

Other changes include ``Smart Carts'' -- the digital radars that flash drivers' speeds.

The Alaska Department of Transportation also has begun an in-depth study of accidents and fatalities on the highway.

And the state Department of Public Safety is looking at the idea of designating parts of the highway as Highway Safety Corridors.

That would double the fines and penalties for traffic violations.

The increased enforcement effort was listed as a goal in the Governor's State of the State Address.
(Anchorage Daily News)