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Companies submit application to build
natural gas pipeline
Three companies have submitted an application to the State of Alaska to
build a 745-mile pipeline to deliver natural gas from Alaska's North Slope
to the border with Canada's Yukon Territory.
Governor Murkowski made the announcement with representatives of MidAmerican
Energy Holdings Company of Des Moines, Iowa, and a consortium of Alaska
Native corporations that will own a portion of the project.
Murkowski announced Thursday that the companies filed applications with the
state Department of Revenue to negotiate tax and financial terms with the
state for the transportation of the natural gas.
MidAmerican Chairman David Sokol says development of Alaska's enormous
natural gas reserves has long been hampered by unfavorable economics related
to the remote location of the reserves and the difficulties and costs of
delivering Alaska natural gas to market. Now, he believes that is changing.
M-E-H-C Alaska Gas Transmission Company, a subsidiary of MidAmerican, would
build a 48-inch diameter high-pressure natural gas pipeline, designed
initially to carry four-point-five billion cubic feet of gas per day.
At the Alaska-Yukon border, the pipeline would interconnect with a new
companion pipeline in Canada.
Proven reserves of stranded gas on the North Slope exceed 35 trillion cubic
feet.
Portions of Thursday's announcement can be
heard on the latest recorded edition of the newscast "News of the North" on this website. -kinyradio.com
Governor's call for special session not a done deal
The Legislature's legal department is questioning the constitutionality of the special session Governor Murkowski called for March 1st.
The special session would be held about half way through
the 120 day legislative session.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, Senate President Gene Therriault says some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the appropriateness of a special session within a regular session.
He added that it would set a precedent that many lawmakers don't favor.
And, Therriault says, the legislature's legal department says it's apparently not allowed under the state constitution.
However, he says, he's heard that the Attorney General's office is advising the Governor that it is legal.
Therriault says the Governor his trying to achieve some focus on the issue and if they can come up with a way of doing that, they might not have to a special session. Its never been done before, so Therriault says that area's never been tested.
Murkowski called the special session in order to take up the recommendation of the 55 member panel he's charged with debating whether some Permanent Fund money should be used to bridge the
fiscal gap.
The panel's recommendation would be turned into a legislation for a ballot proposal the Governor plans to put before voters in November 2004.
Therriault says members of the Senate majority have indicated to him that they want an aggressive session so as not to get behind on any pending legislation. He says they are trying to stay on track and make sure the business of the regular session doesn't slide and that they Governor's desire doesn't put them behind.
Governor Murkowski first announced the conference in his State of the State address last week.
Gas authority pressing for additional funding
The Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority wants more money from the Legislature.
To bolster its argument, the authority will remind lawmakers of how many Alaskans voted to create the authority in the last general election.
Alaska voters created the natural gas development authority by initiative in 2002. The voting margin was two-to-one in favor.
It's supposed to present a plan to the Legislature by June for construction and operation of a state-owned natural gas pipeline to Valdez.
From Valdez, natural gas would be liquefied and shipped to potential buyers in the Far East or on the U-S West Coast.
Authority C-E-O Harold Heinze is distributing a list showing the 2002 vote totals in all 60 House and Senate districts.
Heinze says it's good to remind legislators how well the ballot initiative did in their own districts.
The gas authority has gone through all of the 350-thousand dollars in state funds it was given for this year.
It's asking for an additional two-point-one million dollars from the Legislature for the balance of the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Senate leaders
comment on House bill calling for shorter sessions
A bill moved out of the House Judiciary Committee yesterday that would shorten the legislative session from 120 days to 90 days.
During
yesterday's press conference, Senate President Gene Therriault said he believes the 120 day session is about right.
He said it's a matter of the balance of power between the legislature and the Governor.
Therriault says if the legislature cuts back too much, when the governor's office presents the legislature with a bill or proposal, lawmakers won't have enough time to break it down and fully understand it.
He says it's more of a "take it or leave situation" which hands to much power to the administration.
Some legislators have said they would like to set the schedule to adjourn earlier than April.
Therriault says individual members have talked with each other about a 90 day session, but the Republican caucus has not discussed it.
Senator Con Bunde said if there were shorter sessions, committees could still meet during the interim, vote on issues and move legislation forward.
Bunde said some lawmakers would look upon that with some favor, although some would call it "capital creep."
Therriault says he's not sure the legislature wants to go that route.
Proceeds from "Retail Day"
Saturday to help fund new birth center building
The Juneau Family Birth Center plans to build a new facility.
It has launched the "Strength in Families Project" to raise
funding.
Director of Programming and Development Brittany Kasselder and board member
Michelle Felker were guests on KINY's Capital Chat this morning.
Kasselder says the facility will be closer to the hospital than it is now.
The site is right above the Salmon Bake and behind the new SEARHC Clinic.
She says the birthing rooms will be toward the back of the facility near the
waterfalls.
The first stage calls for purchasing the land. After that's done, there are
large foundations willing to kick in the costs of the building.
So to be successful, they say they need contributions from businesses and
individuals to move forward.
Toward that end, they have organized Retail Day this Saturday where 24
businesses have agreed to contribute ten percent of their daily profit.
Additional information is available by calling 586-1203.
Arrest
pending in Anchorage throat slashing case
Anchorage police say a local woman had her throat slashed Wednesday morning.
Thirty-four-year-old Edith Andrews is in critical condition at Alaska Regional Hospital.
Police say Andrews was at a party inside an apartment in Mountain View, a neighborhood on Anchorage's northeast side.
Police say alcohol was flowing freely at the party.
Police received a call at one-25 a-m saying Andrews had been stabbed and
police found her bleeding profusely from the neck wound.
Police are interviewing people who attended the party. No arrests have been made at last report.
Jobs projected to increase in Anchorage
A University of Alaska Anchorage economist predicts that Anchorage will add nearly two thousand jobs this year.
Scott Goldsmith of U-A-A's Institute of Social and Economic Research projects 19-hundred new jobs will be created.
His estimate appears in a report prepared for the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.
Goldsmith says growth in 2004 will be slower than last year, which surprised economists with its strength.
He says all growth will be in services
including health, leisure, trade, business and other services.
Goldsmith predicts government employment will decline marginally and goods-producing sectors will see no net change in the number of jobs.
Anchorage school budget reduced
The Anchorage School Board has approved a budget that includes nearly 26 million dollars in cuts.
The budget approved by the board yesterday is only slightly different from
the one proposed by Superintendent Carol Comeau last week.
Board members voted unanimously to approve the nearly 500 million dollar
spending plan for the 2004-2005 school year.
They also voted 6-1 to reduce their salaries by about one-hundred dollars a
month.
The cuts touch virtually every part of public school education in Anchorage.
Under the proposal the community schools program will be eliminated, as well
as half of teacher aide positions in kindergarten classrooms. Salaries will
be frozen for administrators.
Wolf pup impounded in Anchorage
The city of Anchorage has seized a dog they say is a wolf-dog hybrid and
plan to euthanize the animal.
Officials say the animal, who is named Sascha, is owned by Aimee Cozad, and
escaped her yard earlier this month and was impounded after state officials
shot her with a tranquilizer.
The city plans to euthanize the animal early next month.
Cozad said yesterday that she will try to save her pet from being euthanized,
and will request a municipal hearing.
For decades, hybrid wolves have been illegal in Alaska, but it was hard to
enforce the law. Recently, the state law was rewritten to give owners time
to register their pets and get them spayed or neutered. The move was part of
an effort by the state to phase out wolf-dog hybrids in Alaska, which there
are believed to be thousands.
Owners of wolf-dogs say the law is meaningless because it is genetically
impossible to distinguish a wolf from a dog, because all dogs originated
from wolves.
Proposal would expand Anchorage road and
trail panel
A state senator wants to add two legislators to the body that makes roads
and trails decision for Anchorage.
Senator Ben Stevens of Anchorage has filed a bill to add the legislators.
The move would shift the balance of control over Anchorage transportation
projects from local government to state officials.
The committee this year will make decisions on how 41 million dollars in
federal and state money will be spent.
The committee now consists of five people: the Anchorage mayor, two
Anchorage Assembly members, and the state commissioners of transportation
and environmental conservation.
Mayor Mark Begich and Assembly Chair Dick Traini are opposed to adding the
legislators to the commission.
Here comes the sun
The sun is returning to Barrow after a 66-day absence.
The sun is expected to make a brief appearance in Barrow tomorrow -
something that warms the hearts of the five-thousand residents living in the
northernmost city in the United States.
The sun last slipped below the horizon in Barrow on November 18th.
Gina Sturm of the U-S Weather Service office in Barrow says the sun will
rise at 1-13 p-m, and then set at 2-06 p-m. She says it will be a short day
of 53 minutes.
But she says the days will continue to get longer until May 9th when the sun
will rise and not set again until August 2nd.
Bears begin play in Anchorage tournament
Thursday
The men's basketball team at JDHS is in Anchorage for the East Tournament.
The Bears tangle with two time defending state champ Bartlett at 6:45 this
evening.
Pre-game on KINY is at 6:40.
(Copyright ©2004
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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