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Announcement on Juneau
schools opening due by 6 o'clock Thursday morning
Superintendent Peggy Cowan say she will decide by 6AM Thursday morning if
Thursday will be a snow day and Juneau's public schools will be closed for a
second day.
Cowan says the decision will be made based on the consultation with the bus
company manager and the streets department staff.
The bus company manager will drive the bus routes early in the morning to
provide a report on the road conditions.
The KINY News web page will be updated Thursday morning when the decision is
announced by the school district.
You can can also tune to KINY AM 8OO or sister station KSUP 106.3 and 107.9
FM for the latest live information.
City and state road crews are working Wednesday and through the night to
clear as many walkways as they can with an emphasis on the busiest roads
near schools.
CBJ
and state crews busy clearing streets and sidewalks
CBJ crews will be plowing snow and clearing streets. Swope says they'll be working all day and all night trying to get caught up.
Because of the heavy equipment doing snow removal, Swope is urging parents to keep children off the sides of streets where snow is piled high. He says kids should not be playing in berms along side the road or in the big piles of snow at the end of cul-de-sacs. Swope says crews will be focusing on trying to get those removed to improve traffic flow.
Fast ferry to be pulled
from service, voyage to Sitka scrubbed Wednesday
JUNEAU (AP) - State transportation officials say the fast ferry Fairweather
will be pulled from service.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Barton says the ferry is
being pulled because of a labor disagreement.
Barton says the state was able to reach an agreement with one of the
maritime unions involved, but the remaining two have not yet been to the
negotiating table.
Fairweather bookings on Sunday and Monday have been canceled to give the
ferry time to get to Ketchikan for lay-up.
Affected travelers should call 1-800-642-0066, or go to the Web at
www.ferryalaska.com for more information.
Barton says the Marine Highway System is making every effort to contact
travelers who have reservations to help them rebook on other vessels.
The Fairweather carries passengers down the Lynn Canal from Skagway to
Juneau and Sitka.
Meanwhile, the vessel's planned sailing to Sitka was scrubbed today.
John Manly of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities says
its weather related.
A motor on the life boat lowering mechanism froze up. Manly says the Coast
Guard would not allow the vessel to operate under those conditions.
Repairs are underway at Auke Bay and Manly says they hope they will be
completed today so the vessel can operate Thursday.
Snow spurs Eaglecrest to open for the day
The Eaglecrest Ski Area will take advantage of the heavy snow fall to open for the day. Juneau's ski area is normally closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The chairlifts
started operating at 10 a.m. The ski area's Pauline Higdon says they will have trails closed from 7:30 a.m. on for avalanche control.
She says there may be limited operations in the lodge. There will be some ski and snow board lessons available. Food service will be operating with some "basic grub" to keep people going, according to Higdon.
Drizzle now in Juneau's forecast
Rain is now in the revised forecast for the Juneau area.
Meteorologist Michael Mitchell in the Juneau Forecast Office says the heavy snow warning for the area was downgraded early this afternoon to a winter weather advisory.
Snow is still expected with four inches this afternoon tonight and possibility another four inches tomorrow.
But the forecaster says they also expect some light freezing rain or drizzle to start mixing in with the snow.
And, as we all know, there's been lots of snow since the storm started Sunday.
As of Noon, Mitchell says Snettisham was the leader with 42 point 5 inches. Lena Point recorded 33 inches. There was 32 point 5 inches at the Juneau Forecast Office on Back Loop Road. The airport had 28 inches. There's was a report from North Douglas of 21 point 8 inches.
A winter storm and heavy snow warnings are in effect for Skagway. Sixteen to 22 inches of snow are expected between now and tomorrow.
A heavy snow warning is in effect for Haines through tomorrow with an additional 14 to 22 inches accumulation expected.
Heavy snow warnings for Gustavus and Hoonah have been downgraded to winter weather advisories. Five to 11 inches additional accumulation is expected through tomorrow.
The ice storm warning for Angoon has been downgraded to a winter weather advisory. Another inch of snow is expected there today with rain in the forecast tonight.
Avalanche control planned for Thane Road
The Southeast Region of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities plans to conduct avalanche control on Thane Road Thursday.
Its planned beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding by 12:30 p.m.
The road will be closed to all through traffic during that time.
Shots will be fired from the Treadwell Mine area across Gastineau Channel to the west slope of Mt. Roberts.
Metal detectors being used in search for
Mass
The search is continuing today for 46 year old Rebecca Mass (Moss).
Bruce Bowler of SEADOGS told us before Noon that the search is ongoing. There's about 15 searchers in the field along with two search dogs. He says conditions are a little bit better
The snow is so deep, many of the searchers have said they would almost have to step on someone to find them.
That led to a request to residents for a portable metal detector issued by Bowler this morning.
A number of listeners called our studios to
say they had one. They were referred to the local Troopers' office. Troopers say they heard from several residents.
Bowler says they ended up with about a half dozen of them.
Mass has been missing since Sunday in an area at the end of North Douglas Highway.
Her car was found at the end of the road that evening.
Mass, who is a local attorney, was last seen when she dropped her 10 year son off at a friend's house at about four that afternoon.
She failed to return at the predetermined time to pick her son up and a few hours later was reported missing.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact State Troopers at 465-4000.
Ketchikan boy found safe, no word yet on what happened
A 17 year old Ketchikan boy, the subject of a search
since Saturday has been found.
That word from Coast Guard Petty Officer Dennis Mathers in the Juneau Command Center.
He says Gerard Fudge showed up at the cabin of John Palmer at about 11 last night.
Palmer called the Command Center who in turn notified the State Troopers.
The Coast Guard took the Troopers to the cabin where they found the boy in good health.
There's no word yet on what happened. Fudge says he was in the area the whole time and heard the Coast Guard helicopters a couple of times.
Mathers says State Troopers are going to gather additional information.
Troopers say the boy was
hungry, cold and wet, but otherwise appeared to be in good condition.
His parents were waiting at the Coast Guard dock when he arrived.
He left Saturday morning in his kayak in bad weather and was expected back later in the day. No one was sure exactly where he was headed.
His kayak was found pulled above the high tide mark near Gravina Point and some of his personal items were found in a nearby cabin.
Fudge is the president of his class at Ketchikan High School.
Assembly hears Spuhn Island
development appeal tonight
The Assembly meets this evening to take up the appeal of the preliminary plat approved by the Planning Commission for the development of Spuhn Island.
The Smugglers Cove Neighborhood Association filed the appeal.
The plan calls for subdividing the island into 38 waterfront lots
It also calls for delivery of city water and the use of submarine cables to connect the island with electrical power, telephone and cable TV.
The island was purchased in 2003 by Karla and Steve Allwine who then started Spuhn Island Development.
Smugglers Cove residents are worried about the impacts of the development on their neighborhood.
The appeal hearing is from 5 to 8 p.m. in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.
Calendar for next school year adopted
The Juneau School Board has approved a calendar for the 2005 - 2006 school year.
Superintendent Peggy Cowan told the board last night that she's been responding to the concerns of teachers, parents and students about the final day of school landing on a Friday, instead, as it has the last couple of years, on a Wednesday.
Cowan says because Veterans Day will be a new holiday and because New Years day 2006 is on Sunday that caused the holiday to land on Monday, January 2nd.
The Juneau Education Support Staff contract stipulates that if a holiday falls on a Sunday, then JESS employees get the following Monday off.
Cowan says she's been working with the Juneau Education Support Staff's Executive Committee and has a tentative agreement pending that will trade the Monday, January 2nd, 2006 day off for December 30th.
That will move the last day of school in 2006 to a Thursday, June
1, 2006.
The first day of school would be Wednesday, August 24, 2005.
Montessori charter application outlined on Capital Chat
Montessori's plans to submit a charter school application with the Juneau School District was the topic of discussion on KINY's Capital Chat this morning.
The director of the Juneau Montessori Program, Lupita
Alverez, says the proposal dubbed "Montessori Borealis" complies with their mission of being a program under one roof that is available to the community.
She says they're still looking for school district space to ensure teachers and children are all together.
The application was initially scheduled for first reading at Tuesday night's School Board meeting, but was delayed until the February 1st meeting.
Tourism industry challenges cruiseship initiative in court
JUNEAU (AP) - Fifteen tourism businesses and associations have joined forces in an attempt to kill a ballot initiative that aims to add new taxes and regulations for cruise ships operating in Alaska.
The Northwest Cruise Ship Association of Vancouver, British Columbia, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed yesterday (Tuesday) in Anchorage Superior Court. The lawsuit questions whether some of those who signed the petition were registered to vote in Alaska.
The cruise industry group had hired a former Secret Service agent to check the signatures needed to put the measure on the next statewide ballot, in August 2006.
Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman certified the signatures, ending with just 174 more than the 23,285 names needed.
Only registered voters can sign the petition. The complaint says more than 12-hundred people registered to vote while the petition was being circulated. It is impossible to determine whether they signed the petition before or after they registered to vote, the lawsuit contends.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to keep the initiative off the ballot.
Division of Elections asks for money to pay bills
ANCHORAGE (AP) - The Division of Elections says it needs help paying the costs of the 2004 statewide election.
The division is asking for 694-thousand dollars in additional funding to pay for the election, in part blaming the high voter turnout in November.
Governor Murkowski submitted the funding request yesterday.
Elections director Laura Glaiser says almost half the money is needed to cover the costs of handling record number of voters -- including counting thousands of absentee ballots.
The rest of the money is needed to fund legal problems.
The division spent 243-thousand dollars reprinting ballots to comply with a court ruling to change ballot language approved by the lieutenant governor.
Police involved shooting case in
Fairbanks updated by Troopers
State Troopers provided an update today on the officer involved shooting in
Fairbanks last December 23rd.
In that case George Williamson was shot and killed after opening fire on
Fairbanks Police Sergeant James Geier and Fairbanks Airport Police Officers
Nick Zito and Casandra Champagne.
The incident started when the airport officers initiated a traffic stop on
the pickup truck Williamson was driving because it had a tail light out.
The officers pursued when the truck didn't stop with Sergeant Geier joining
the chase.
They found the struck off the side of the road and saw Williamson run away
into to an unlit area.
The Troopers' Greg Wilkinson says the officers pursued the suspect for
approximately 39 seconds before Williamson opened fire on them.
Based on shell casings recovered at the scene, Wilkinson says the suspect
fired at least eight times.
Three of his rounds hit Geier. before the Sergeant was able to draw his
weapon and return fire.
Officer Zito also drew his weapon and returned fire only after officers were
fired upon, according to the Troopers report.
Geier fired four rounds, Zito fired three rounds, Champagne reported never
having a clear shot and so did not fire.
Wilkinson says it has been determined that it was a round fired by Zito that
struck and killed Williamson.
The gunfire exchange lasted only 11 seconds.
In addition to the rounds he fired, Williamson was found to have two full 10
round magazines on his person.
Wilkinson says Sergeant Geier was not injured by the bullets that struck his
chest and belt. The bullet that hit his chest was deflected by his body
armor and the one that struck his belt was deflected and didn't hit his
body. The bullet that struck his leg required surgery.
Toxicology screens on Williamson and on substances found on him have not
been completed.
Body found behind vacant
Ketchikan building
KETCHIKAN (AP) - Ketchikan police say the body of a 47-year-old woman was
found behind a vacant building on Dock Street.
Police say they got a call Monday afternoon from one of Lucille Kugzruk's
co-workers at Seaborne Marine Services to say the woman had not shown up for
work.
Police found her body about four hours later in a narrow space behind 431
Dock Street. The body lay directly below stairs and decking leading to the
two rear entrances of the adjacent Knickerbocker Hotel, where the woman
lived.
Ketchikan Public Safety Director Rich Leipfert say police do not yet know
the cause of death.
Missing snowmachiner found dead
ANCHORAGE (AP) - A 30-year-old Napakiak man has been found dead near
Tuntutuliak, three days after he went missing on his snowmachine.
Alaska State Troopers say the body of Bill Smith was found on a snowmachine trail Monday afternoon, about 45 miles from where he was last seen.
Troopers say there was no sign of Smith's
snowmachine, but no foul play is suspected.
According to troopers, Smith left Kasigluk early Friday morning.
He was headed to Napakiak in Western Alaska, but never arrived. The trip should have taken just an hour.
Smith may have decided to go to the Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race. He was last seen later Friday in Bethel at the start of the race.
Wasilla students injured in bus accident
WASILLA (AP) - Six students from Wasilla High School were injured in a school bus accident.
The accident occurred yesterday on an icy road near Snow Goose Drive.
Alaska State Troopers say a 12-foot deep bank beneath the road shoulder gave way, and the bus toppled over onto its right side. The bus was only going about ten miles per hour when the accident occurred.
Officials say the students were not seriously injured.
Names of more missing crabbers released
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Alaska State Troopers have released the names of more of the missing crewmembers of the crab boat that sank in the Bering Sea over the weekend.
Among the missing are 48-year-old Josias Hernandez Luna of Kodiak and 26-year-old Aaron Marrs of Louisville, Kentucky.
Also missing is 46-year-old Gary Edwards -- skipper of the Kodiak-based Big Valley.
Two members of the six-man crew were found dead after the 92-foot boat sank in stormy weather Saturday about 70 miles west of Saint Paul Island. A third man -- 30-year-old Cache Seel of Kodiak -- survived after he was found on a life raft.
One of the dead is identified as 35-year-old Carlos Rivero of Uruguay.
The other dead crew member is a 33-year-old man from Belgium, but troopers have not been able to locate relatives and have not released his name.
The Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing men last night. Earlier it called off its search for a crewman who was washed overboard from another crab boat Saturday.
The crewman -- 33-year-old Manu Lagai of Spokane, Washington -- was not wearing a survival suit when he was washed off the Sultan 150 miles northwest of Saint Paul Island.
Tanner crabs show no sign of oil from freighter spill
UNALASKA (AP) - State officials say early deliveries of tanner crabs in the Unalaska Bay fishery show no signs of oil from the Selendang Ayu.
The Department of Environmental Conservation increased its seafood inspection program, with an eye out for oil coming from the grounded freighter off Unalaska Island.
D-E-C says early deliveries of crabs passed a rigorous inspection.
The state has a total of eight inspectors who are performing spot checks of crab deliveries to seven seafood processing plants in Unalaska, and one in Akutan.
The inspectors are checking the look, odor, feel and color of the crabs. They also are running ultraviolet light over the crabs to reveal any evidence of oil contamination.
So far, inspectors have found no evidence of oil.
The 738-foot freighter was carrying an estimated 442-thousand gallons of fuel oil and diesel last month when it grounded and broke apart. Most of the oil is now believed lost. Efforts are being conducted to offload the remaining oil.
State's first witness to
take stand today in Nome murder trial
NOME (AP) - The first witness for the prosecution is expected to take the
stand today (Wednesday) in the Matthew Owens murder and evidence tampering
trial in Nome.
During opening statements yesterday (Tuesday), two very difference accounts
of events were presented in the death of Sonya Ivanoff in August of 2003.
Lead prosecutor Richard Svobodny told jurors that Owens killed Ivanoff
because -- as a police officer -- he felt he was above the law.
Defense attorney James McComas said Owens was handling a domestic violence
call around when prosecutors contend he was murdering Ivanoff.
McComas also said Ivanoff was probably killed a night later than the state
contends, when two witnesses reportedly saw her get into a police vehicle.
Svobodny said the 22-caliber bullet that killed Ivanoff had markings from a
relatively rare kind of gun barrel. He said such a gun was found in the Nome
Police Department evidence locker.
But McComas countered that forensics show the shell casing found weeks later
by investigators does not match the slug.
He also said that Owens and Ivanoff barely had any contact with each other.
Anchorage files lawsuit over federal roads money
ANCHORAGE (AP) - The city of Anchorage has filed a lawsuit over a law that could weaken its control over federal transportation dollars.
The state law under dispute was sponsored by Anchorage state senator Ben Stevens. The law would add two nonvoting state legislators and two citizens to a five-member committee. The committee decides how to spend federal money for roads.
The committee now consists of the Anchorage mayor and two assembly members, as well as two state commissioners.
Anchorage annually gets 40
million dollars in federal highway funds.
Native regional corporation in Anchorage involved construction of Texas resort
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Cook Inlet Region Incorporated -- the Anchorage-based Native Corporation -- is partly funding construction of a central Texas resort.
Partners in the project include Woodbine Development Corporation of Dallas and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Project participants say they're aiming for an opening next year for the 491-room Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa.
According to plans, the resort will include more than 50-thousand-square feet of indoor function space, an 18-hole golf course, a full-service spa, and multiple food and beverage outlets.
The resort will sit adjacent to the 11-hundred-acre McKinney Roughs Nature Park alongside the Colorado River.
State puts birding quarterly online
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Alaska birders can now go online to quench their passion.
The state Department of Fish and Game has released its third issue of ``Wings over Alaska'' -- a quarterly electronic birding newsletter.
The newsletter covers such topics as winter waterfowl, Christmas bird count reports and events for birders.
The quarterly can be viewed at
www.birding.alaska.gov.
Copyright ©2005 Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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