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Teenager arrested after
assaulting his brother
A 14 year-old Juneau boy has been arrested after, police say, he assaulted
his 13 year-old brother.
The brother's parent called the police late Thursday night reporting the
assault saying that one son had attacked the other and then fled the
Mendenhall Valley area.
The 13 year-old victim told police that he was asleep and woke up to a sharp
pain in his neck accompanied by the sensation of being smothered.
Police say their investigation revealed that the victim had been stabbed in
the neck, chest, and the left hand by a steak knife.
The wounds appeared to be superficial.
The victim identified the suspect as his 14 year-old brother and said that
nothing occurred to provoke the attack.
The next day police located the suspect at a residence in the Mendenhall
Valley.
The 14 year-old was arrested for assault in the 1st degree, a class
"A" felony, and lodged at the Johnson Youth Center.
State accepts 2nd
application to construct natural gas pipeline
The State of Alaska has accepted the joint application from the three major
North Slope producers, Conoco-Phillips, BP and Exxon to enter into
negotiations to construct a natural gas pipeline to the Lower 48.
The application is the second stranded gas application accepted this week,
following Thursday's announcement of an application from a consortium that
includes MidAmerican Energy Holding Company, Pacific Star Energy, and CIRI.
The producers’ application, received by the state on Tuesday, January 13th,
has been in review by the Department of Natural Resources and Department of
Revenue.
The application was accepted after a number of amendments to accommodate requests from the
applicants were added.
The state will now enter into negotiations with the sponsor group. The
state's negotiating team consists of Attorney General Gregg Renkes,
Commissioner of Revenue Bill Corbus, and Commissioner of Natural Resources Tom Irwin, along with members of their staff.
Murkowski says he hopes to have negotiations concluded on the terms of a
draft contract in time to submit it to the Legislature for its approval.
Companies submit application to build
natural gas pipeline
A consortium of companies has 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.
MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company of Des Moines, Iowa, and a consortium of
Alaska Native corporations will own a portion of the project. MidAmerican is
primarily owned by multi-billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway
Incorporated.
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.
Dave Sokol is Chairman and CEO of Mid American. He says construction on the
pipeline could begin in late 2006 or early 2007 and be finished in 2010.
Cook Inlet Region will own a 10 percent stake in the project. Pacific Star
Energy, a consortium of 12 Alaska Native corporations including CIRI, will
own another 9.95 percent interest.
Governor Murkowski says a draft contract will be drawn up but added there
are still many challenges and obstacles to overcome.
Meanwhile, the Governor says all market proposals will receive equal and
careful consideration
Proven reserves of stranded gas on the North Slope exceed 35 trillion cubic
feet.
Until recently, oil producers had complained that what was once described as
a $20 billion natural gas pipeline from the North Slope to Chicago was not
economically feasible without federal incentives, including price supports.
The federal energy bill now before Congress contains many of the incentives,
but the Bush administration remains opposed to price supports. Murkowski
says state officials won't offer any price supports either.
Alaska unemployment rate
increases in December
Alaska's unemployment rate went up seven-tenths of one percent last month
from 7.3 to 8.0.
That's is about the same as last year according to State labor economist Dan
Robinson.
The number of Alaskans filing unemployment claims in December increased by
2,369 to a total of 27,462.
The state is still adding jobs, seasonally adjusted. Robinson says they're
investigating why the number of people on the unemployment rolls is also
increasing.
Juneau's rate went from 6.4 up to 6.9 percent. That's the second lowest rate
in the state for December. The number of unemployed went from 1,066 to
1,129. Robinson says that's pretty normal for Juneau. However, that still is
the second lowest rate in the state for December.
Anchorage had the lowest unemployment rate for December at 5.2.
The Wade Hampton census area in the Southwest Alaska had the highest rate
for December at 22.7 percent.
The rate in Fairbanks was seven percent, up from 6 point 4 in November.
The Skagway, Hoonah, Angoon census area went from 12.8 to 15.4 percent. The
number of unemployed went from 264 to 320.
Haines rate went from 12.9 up to 14.5. The number of unemployed went from
158 to 177.
Price of Wales Island's rate went from 11.9 to 15.2. The number of
unemployed went from 312 to 403.
Ketchikan's rate went from 8.4 up to 9.2 percent. The number of unemployed
went from 597 to 644.
Man missing near Prince of
Wales after abandoning boat
The Coast Guard is looking for a Portland, Oregon man missing from a 32 foot vessel near
Prince of Wales Island in Southeast. He's identified as 48 year old
Greg Clark.
Petty Officer Douglas Green in the Juneau Command Center says they received
the report late yesterday afternoon.
He says Clark called a friend to say he was experiencing engine problems.
He called back later to report he was abandoning ship.
The Coast Guard responded to the area and located a debris field about a
hundred yards off shore of the west side of Heceta Island.
So, far Green says they have not located any traces of Clark, who was the sole occupant of
the vessel. He's described as 5 feet, ten inches tall and 150
pounds. He was with his dog, a black lab, at the time.
Ways and Means proceeds on
Permanent Fund legislation
State lawmakers aren't waiting for a special session in March to discuss
possible changes to the Permanent Fund.
The House Ways and Means Committee today took up one proposal to pay out a
final dividend before setting aside earnings for state spending.
The sponsor, Fairbanks Representative Jim Holm, says it's similar to a
proposal a few years ago by former State Senator Jerry Mackie. It would
result in a 12-billion dollar pay out, or roughly 20-thousand dollars per
person, before ending the dividend program.
Ways and Means will hold onto the measure Co-chair Mike Hawker says they
want to "frame the future discussion.
Governor Murkowski has requested a special session in March for legislators
to focus on possible uses of the Permanent Fund. That depends on the
recommendations that emerge from a conference scheduled to convene in
Fairbanks next month.
Sponsors of marijuana initiative seek
placement on August ballot
Sponsors of an initiative to legalize marijuana in the state want the
measure to appear on the August primary.
Lieutenant Governor Loren
Leman earlier this month certified the initiative for the November ballot.
The sponsors' lawyer, Anchorage attorney Ken Jacobus, says that's a mistake.
He says the petition was filed in November 2002, which should qualify the
initiative for the next statewide election, the August 24th primary.
Final certification of the marijuana initiative was delayed by technical
problems with the signature booklets.
That led to a court challenge and a ruling in favor of the initiative
sponsors.
Jacobus has filed a lawsuit in Anchorage Superior Court seeking a switch to
the earlier ballot.
Legislation enacted last year would require a separate primary ballot for
initiative questions for voters who do not want to choose the ballot of a
political party.
Sykes to run for U. S. Senate seat
Consumer advocate and oil industry watchdog Jim Sykes is running for office
again.
The Green Party candidate says he's making his second bid for the U-S
Senate.
Sykes twice has run for Alaska governor and once for U-S Senate but he's
never drawn double digits in the percentage of votes cast.
Sykes describes this race as his first real chance to win. He says voters
are open-minded about this election.
And he says a poll shows a high percentage of supporters of the top two
candidates consider voting for another candidate.
The two most visible candidates for the seat are Republican Senator Lisa
Murkowski, who was appointed to the seat by her father, Governor Frank
Murkowski, and former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles.
Sykes says he has never run a fully funded campaign.
He says this time he expects to raise a half million dollars in
contributions, a fraction of what Murkowski and Knowles are likely to raise.
Sykes challenged Murkowski and Knowles to refuse campaign money from outside
Alaska.
Bob King, the Knowles' campaign spokesman, said that won't happen. But King
says Sykes could play the role of spoiler and divert votes from Knowles.
Federal ruling gives sports hunters a boost
A federal judge says the subsistence program in Alaska has wronged sport and
commercial hunters.
Judge H. Russel Holland has ordered federal officials to come up with a way
to ensure that sport and commercial hunters have a voice when it comes to
setting hunting and fishing rules.
At the same time, Holland did not overturn any of Alaska's subsistence
rules. Those rules were adopted after 1990 when the federal government took
over subsistence in the state.
Holland was looking at a case brought by six hunters and guides. The judge
found that none of them proved they were seriously hurt when areas were
closed to subsistence hunting.
The Anchorage Daily News says the suit was brought by Safari Club
International.
Pilgrim Family appeal
rejected
They say he is being held without bail, and absolutely denies having had sex
with juveniles.
Boehm faces up to 40 year in prison if convicted on conspiracy, drug and
firearms charges.
A federal appeals court has turned down an appeal from the Pilgrim Family.
The family is embroiled in a dispute with the National Park Service over use
of an old mining road in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
The court says the family must follow the legal course set by the lower
court.
Meanwhile, the federal agency has finished its environmental assessment on
use of a bulldozer on the road. inside the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
That's in advance of granting a special use permit so the family can bring
in supplies, as long as certain conditions are met.
A-I-H President indicted
Lawyers for an Anchorage businessman indicted on charges of providing
cocaine to teenagers in exchange for sexual favors say their client is the
real victim.
Fifty-nine-year-old Josef Boehm was indicted by a federal grand jury on
charges of conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs to individuals under 21.
Boehm is president of Alaska Industrial Hardware.
Boehm's attorneys, Kevin Fitzgerald and Phillip Weidner, issued a joint
statement yesterday. They say Boehm was victimized by drug dealers, and now
is a victim of the government.
They say he is being held without bail, and absolutely denies having had sex
with juveniles.
Boehm faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on conspiracy, drug and
firearms charges.
Woman sought in Anchorage for giving kids
cocaine
Anchorage police say they're seeking an Anchorage woman suspected of
distributing cocaine to minors. Police say 23-year-old Bambi Tyree has an
arrest warrant for the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine to
minors.
Tourism spending up in
Anchorage last year
The Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau says tourist spending increased
last year. The group says tourists visiting Anchorage spent 153 million
dollars last year. That's up about one million dollars from the year
before.
Crimson Bears lose to Golden Bears
It was the Golden Bears of Bartlett defeating the Juneau Crimson Bears
Thursday night at the East T-Bird Classic in Anchorage.
The 88 - 61 loss was an improvement over the 89-41 defeat the men suffered
last month at the hands of the Golden Bears.
Juneau plays Chugiak at 5 P.M. Friday afternoon.
That game will be heard on KINY.
Centennial Hall to host
Robbie Burns night
The Robbie Burns Night celebration in Juneau is Saturday night.
Its presented by Stroller White Pipes and Drums at Centennial Hall.
Performing on KINY's Capital Chat this morning was Doug Gardner on pipes and
Dave Sheakley on drum.
The group's Mike Barnhill says the official reason for the celebration is to
observe Robbie Burns' birthday on January 25, 1759. He compared it a
Scottish St. Patrick's Day and an excuse for a great party.
Upwards of ten bagpipers from Whitehorse and a professional from Toronto
will be there when the doors open at Centennial Hall tomorrow evening at
6:30. The program begins at seven.
Tickets are available through band members and Hearthside Books.
Adult tickets are $22.50 in advance and $25 at the door. For children under
12 the tickets are $12.50 in advance and $15 at the door.
Admission for "wee lap and stroller half pints under two" is free,
according to the group.
(Copyright ©2004
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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