Palin institutes hiring freeze for Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Gov. Sarah Palin has instituted a hiring freeze and pledged to work with state lawmakers to rein in spending as Alaska faces the possibility of a more than billion dollar deficit this year.

She told lawmakers tonight (Thursday) in her annual State of the State address that she also has restricted nonessential spending as oil prices remain low.

Palin says with less revenue coming in because of low oil prices, Alaska has an obligation to spend less money.

The hiring freeze will not cover public safety positions.

Palin also is proposing an overall 7 percent reduction in spending from last year, first announced in December.

Palin congratulates Obama
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin kicked off her State of the State address by congratulating President Barack Obama on his inauguration.

She told lawmakers Thursday night that millions of Americans are praying for the success of the new president, and she was one of them.

She noted that Obama's work is cut out for him. But Palin said if he "governs with the skill, grace and greatness of which he is capable, Alaska's going to be just fine."

It was her first public words about Obama since he took office Tuesday.

Palin was the running mate for Sen. John McCain on the Republican presidential ticket which lost to Obama.

She also expressed gratitude to former President Bush "for keeping the homeland safe, and being a friend to Alaska."

Committee selects final four candidates for CBJ Manager
The CBJ city manager search committee has chosen four candidates who have been invited to travel to Juneau for an in-person screening process.

The panel narrowed the field of 33 applicants down to eight preliminary candidates Monday and Tuesday after conducting interviews and background checks. The committee met Wednesday to narrow the list to the final four candidates. 

The only Alaskan to make the final eight candidates, Larry Persily, did not make the final four.

Committee chair Deputy Mayor Jeff Bush says, although Persily was impressive, he did not have the required experience at the city manager level.

The finalists include the current city manager for the town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, Bonnie Therrien.

Therrien has also worked as the Assistant City Manager in the city of Jacksonville, North Carolina and the Deputy City Manager in the city of Hartford, Connecticut.

Therrien has a BA in Sociology, an MA in Criminal Justice, and an MPA in Public Administration.

The second finalist is David Johnston from Rantoul, Illinois. 

Johnston served as the Village Administrator for the village of Rantoul; the Town Manager of the town of Westfield, Indiana; and the Village Administrator for Coal City, Illinois.

Johnston has a BA in American Studies and an MPA in Public Affairs.

The third finalist is the former City Manager of Kalispell, Montana, Jim Patrick.

He also served as the City Manager of Vermillion, South Dakota; the Borough Manager of Plum, Pennsylvania; the City Manager of Lebanon, Ohio; the City Administrator of New London, Wisconsin; and the Town Manager of Butler Township, Pennsylvania.

Patrick has a BS in Biology and an MS in Management.

The fourth finalist is the former City Administrator for the City of Vernonia, Oregon, Dick Kline.

He has also served as the City Administrator for the cities of Cornelius, Oregon and Ontario, Oregon. Kline was the City Coordinator for the city of Vale, Oregon and the Economic Development Specialist for Malheur County, Oregon.

Kline has a BS in Business Administration/Marketing and an MBA in Marketing/Finance.

The next phase of the selection process is scheduled for February 10, 11 and 12.

It will include an Assessment Center that is designed to see the candidates in action during scenarios that a city manager might encounter.

The Assessment Center will include a public presentation and a reception where the public can meet the candidates.
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Rod Swope, the current CBJ Manager, has served for six years.

Swope says he's hopeful for a six week transition prior to his last day on April 30th
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Mayor Bruce Botelho appointed the search committee which is consists of himself, Deputy Mayor Bush and Assembly members Merrill Sanford and David Stone. 

Army cuts off retirement pay for members of World War II Alaska militia
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska's congressional delegation is responding to the Army's decision to cut off retirement pay for veterans of a largely Native militia that was formed to guard the territory of Alaska from the threat of Japanese attack during World War II.
The change means 26 surviving members of the Alaska Territorial Guard -- most in their 80s and long retired -- will lose as much as $557 in monthly retirement pay.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said on the Senate floor today (Thursday) that the payments end Feb. 1.

Applications for retirement pay from 37 others have been suspended.

The action comes almost a decade after Congress passed a law qualifying time served in the unpaid guard as active federal service. The Army agreed in 2004 to grant official military discharge certificates to members or their survivors.

An Army official says the law was misinterpreted.

Lt. Col. Richard McNorton, with the Army's human resources command, says the law applies to military benefits, including medical benefits, but not retirement pay.

Murkowski, a Republican, says she and fellow Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat, are preparing legislation clarifying that service in the territorial guard counts as duty for calculating retirement pay.

She says Alaska's three-member congressional delegation also have sent a letter to President Barack Obama to intervene to ensure that those affected by "this tragic, tragic series of events do not lose the safety net." 

Bad weather cancels Chenega's Friday northbound sailing
The Alaska Marine Highway System has canceled the Chenega's Fridays northbound sailing to Haines, with a return trip to Juneau, due to expected bad weather.

The National Weather Service is forecasting gale-force winds and high seas in Northern Lynn Canal that would prevent the fast vehicle ferry from sailing according to Marine Highway officials.

Lynn Canal fire station open again, more volunteers needed
The long defunct Lynn Canal Fire Station is now staffed again.

That word from Fire Chief Eric Mohrman who says one of their very highly qualified personnel is now a live-in there and is able to respond with support from area residents.

The department's recent recruitment campaign paid off, he says, with some residents of the area now attending the department's Fire Fighter I class.

But more volunteers are needed The chief says it's not too late to sign up if it's done this week.

Call his office at 586-5322.

Probable cause identified for trailer fire
A probable cause has been identified for the fire that destroyed a Switzer Village trailer home early Wednesday morning.

Fire Marshal Dan Jager says there were several portable heaters in the back part of the building which was the fire's origin and the area with the most damage.

He figures a flammable material came in contact with one of the heaters sparking the fire.

The alarm was sounded just before 5 a.m. at Space 221 of the mobile home park.

The fire was described as fully involved with a nearby tree catching on fire.

Chief Eric Mohrman says no one was injured. Residents had left the trailer about a half hour before and discovered the fire upon their return.

He says the trailer home was destroyed.  

Four previous trailer home fires this winter season were related to thawing frozen water pipes. Three involved heat tape and the other was caused by an electric heater.

Snettisham repair work stymied by weather Wednesday, work continues this morning
Work efforts were stymied at the Snettisham repair site Wednesday despite an earlier report from Alaska Electric, Light and Power that crews were able to complete some work.

The utility's Scott Willis says low clouds prevented crews from reaching the mountain Wednesday.

When weather broke in the afternoon, avalanche control workers were able to do some bombing work to make the site safer for repair crews, according to Willis.

He received word that work was able to resume this morning (Thursday) so they're hopeful good progress will be made today.

The forecast for the next few days is clear, cold and windy. Willis says they'll just have to wait and see how winds in the area will effect the work.

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The necessary modifications to tower 4/1 were completed earlier this week.   Some work was  still pending  at the site of tower 3/4 before they're ready to pull new wire, according to Willis. 

That work is necessary with the decision to bypass tower 35 which was destroyed in the latest avalanche January 12th and last April 16th.

The other two towers will now carry its load. 

Shooting victim gets a hero's welcome home
SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP) - Margaret Stroup is home.

After spending the last two months recovering from a gunshot wound, Stroup returned to Soldotna to a hero's welcome.

Stroup works at Central Peninsula Hospital where Troopers say she was shot by a former employee.

On that November day, Troopers say Joseph Marchetti entered the building and opened fire with an automatic weapon.

He was fired one day earlier.

Stroup was taken to an Anchorage hospital where she recovered.

When Stroup returned to Soldotna she got off a plane and was greeted to signs that read, "Welcome home" and "We missed you."

Senate committee concerned about in-state gas line
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Senate Resources Committee wants two proponents of an in-state natural gas pipeline to work together, not competitively.

The committee learned that Enstar and the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority are progressing on separate paths for a gas line that could provide a cheaper alternative to the state's interior region.

Now committee co-chair Lesil McGuire says she would like for Gov. Sarah Palin to help facilitate a public-private partnership between the two entities.

Over the last two years, the Legislature passed Palin's Alaska Gasline Inducement Act and awarded a license to TransCanada Corp. to build a large diameter line.

But that's for a larger system to ship North Slope gas to Midwest markets by 2018.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Permanent Fund endures rough 2nd quarter
The Alaska Permanent Fund lost 12 point 2 percent in the second quarter ending December 31st.

Chief Executive Officer Mike Burns says the fund was worth $28.8 Billion, down $4.2 Billion from the end of the first quarter September 30.

Burns adds that it's down about $12 Billion from its peak.

Statutory net income, the amount used to calculate the dividend has recorded a $983 Million net loss for the fiscal year to date. Burns thinks it will be difficult to get into positive territory before the end of the year June 30th.

That figure would go into the five year average for calculating dividends which Burns says would bring the size of this year's check down some.

Lawmakers casting a weary eye on Governor's spending plan
Governor Palin's budget proposal for next fiscal year was questioned during a press conference with House Majority leaders Wednesday.

The ever declining price of oil and its impact on the budget is a key issue facing lawmakers, according to House Finance Co-Chair Mike Hawker.

With current oil prices he says the state is potentially looking at a multi-billion dollar deficit.

The Governor proposed a budget based on oil at over $75 per barrel which  many lawmakers and experts feel is overly optimistic since that's nearly double the current price.

Hawker thinks the Governor should reconsider her budget plan based on that plunge in the price of oil.

He told reporters there are two big questions with budget making this session. "How lucky are we going to be when we roll the dice on the price of oil and how much of our reserves are we willing to spend."

Hawker says he would like to see a lot of leadership and suggestions coming from the administration rather than creating a situation where lawmakers are trying to override the Governor's authority.

Kenai senator to get medical treatment for prostate cancer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Kenai legislator Tom Wagoner is being treated for prostate cancer in California.

The Senate Republican left Wednesday for Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. He attended Tuesday's opening ceremonies, where he was sworn in for a third term.

He is expected to return to Juneau on February 16.

Wagoner is undergoing proton therapy, which is described on the center's Web site as a precise form of radiation treatment that minimizes damage to healthy tissue and surrounding organs.

According to the Web site, the treatment is highly successful and results in fewer side effects.

Wagoner said the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, and his doctor has said his chances of full recovery are excellent.

Wagoner started treatment December 1. 

House to look in subpoena power post Troopergate
By ANNE SUTTON -Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - State lawmakers don't plan to pursue abuse of power findings against Gov. Sarah Palin, but they do want to know why their subpoenas were ignored in last fall's Troopergate investigation.

Some are steamed that possible witnesses snubbed a September legislative hearing into Palin's firing of her public safety director Walt Monegan.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jay Ramras - a Republican from Fairbanks - wants to know more about Attorney General Talis Colberg's role in their failure to show. Ramras could hold hearings as early as next week.

The 14 people, who included some of Palin's top aides, did ultimately testify or provide written statements.

State law says a failure to appear for a legislative subpoena could result in a fine or a maximum of six months in jail.

Palin blasts reports on her children; experts say she can't have it both ways
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Governor Palin is going on the offensive against news organizations and bloggers she says are spreading malicious gossip about her and her children.

Political experts, however, say the former Republican vice presidential candidate can't have it both ways -- she can't trot out the children to showcase her family values, then expect to shield them from scrutiny.

Palin's criticism also raises questions about her motivations. She has said she is open to a presidential run in 2012.

Leonard Steinhorn is a professor of communications at American University in Washington and an expert on the presidency.

He thinks Palin is positioning herself for a political future and attacking the media as a way to generate support.

In recent weeks, Palin has personally reached out to media outlets such as People magazine and The Associated Press to complain about information she claimed is wrong.

She slammed reports that 18-year-old Bristol Palin and the teen's fiancé are high school dropouts. The governor says the two are enrolled in correspondence courses.

The governor says she is speaking out to set the record straight, not because of any political aspirations.

State DOT accepting nominations for federal funding of transportation projects
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is accepting nominations from communities for projects under the State Transportation Improvement Program or STIP, as its known as.

Jeff Otteson, the department's Director of Program Development, says its been three years since they updated the program.

The projects are ranked by a scoring system to determine which ones should receive the available federal funding.

He says there are perhaps a thousand statewide projects on the list now.

So in addition to new projects, they want previous projects renominated in an attempt to refresh the list.

The Juneau Assembly's top priority has been the Second Channel Crossing which has been list over the last 15 year.

The use of federal funding for that project is complicated by the fact that it could impact wetlands such as exists in the Mendenhall Wetlands Refuge.

Otteson says a snap judgement shouldn't be made at the start. He says that might make approval for the crossing more difficult, but attempts could be made to sort that out through the environmental process.

The deadline for nominations is February 20th.

Otteson says they would hope to have a document prepared for inspection by late Spring

Regulations require a new STIP for federal fiscal years 2010 through 2013 by October 1.

1996 Alaska shooting death case reviewed
KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) - Similarities between cases in Montana and Alaska in which girlfriends of Robert Kowalski were shot in the mouth and killed have prompted Alaska officials to review a 1996 shooting death that had been considered an accident.

Kowalski last week entered a guilty plea in the March 2008 shooting death of 45-year-old Lorraine Kay Morin. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12.

The circumstances of Morin's death - being shot in the face after an argument with Kowalski - led prosecutors in Alaska to review the 1996 shooting death of Kowalski's girlfriend Sandra Perry while the two were vacationing at a lodge in Yakutat, Alaska.

Alaska Assistant Attorney General and cold case prosecutor Pat Gullufsen says the prosecutor apparently didn't feel he had enough evidence to dispute Kowalski's claim that the shooting was accidental.

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Information from:
Daily Inter Lake, www.dailyinterlake.comw 
KAJ-TV, www.kaj18.com 

Jury scam warning issued
Alaskans are being warned by State Troopers about an identity theft scam reported across the nation involving jury duty summons.

The Troopers Megan Peters explains how it works.

The caller claims to be a jury coordinator and states that you failed to show up for jury duty.

If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth.

She says the caller claims they need the information to check their system for an error and so the fictitious arrest warrant can be cleared.

Do not comply, she warns. By providing the caller with your personal information, you become the victim of identity theft.

Peters says the scam has been reported in eleven states.

The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.

Fairbanks judge says priest abuse cases must be resolved
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - A Superior Court judge in Fairbanks has told lawyers that they must resolve cases in which priest and church workers are accused of sexually abusing children.

A two-hour status hearing was held Wednesday on hundreds of cases.

Niesje Steinkruger told lawyers on both sides to make the cases a top priority.

The judge was assigned more than a year ago to managing the cases for the Alaska court system. Since then, a few new lawyers have become involved, and bankruptcy proceedings slowed as claimants continued to come forward.

The Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, settled with 113 Alaska Native child sex abuse claimants for $50 million. Last year, the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Wrangell man draws 12 year jail term on child porn charges
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A Wrangell man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for possessing and distributing child pornography.

Fifty-year-old Rock Shoghi Baldwin was sentenced this week.

Prosecutors say he possessed thousands of images of child pornography at his home, and on four occasions distributed images.

Soldotna cemetery site search resumes
SOLDTONA, Alaska (AP) - A new committee will try to accomplish was two task forces could not: find a spot for the Soldotna city cemetery.

Mayor Peter Micciche has assembled the Soldotna Unified Community Memorial Park Committee.

City appointed groups had recommended an area known as the Redoubt Property next to the Kenai River, but nearby property owners opposed it.

So the Soldotna City Council pursued another choice near the Soldotna Municipal Airport, but a fall ballot initiative favored the Redoubt Property.

Even as the ballot initiative is advisory only, Micciche opted to form another group, hoping resolve the conflict.
(Peninsula Clarion)

Homer council to take up measure exempting eagle feeding ban for Eagle Lady friends
The exception to the ban on feeding eagles in Homer will outlive the woman it was made for.

The Homer City Council will take up an ordinance next week allowing a feeding program to continue, despite the death of Jean Keene.

Homer's "Eagle Lady" died earlier this month. She spent her life feeding hundreds of eagles during the winter. a city ordinance in 2006 banned the feeding of eagles, though Keene was given a reprieve until next year.

A new ordinance will allow Keene's friend to continue feeding eagles that flock at her house through March.

The goal is to wean the wild birds off the handouts and to use up the thousands of pounds of fish Keene had stockpiled for the winter.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Peninsula Winter Games to lack ice sculptures
SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP) - This year's Peninsula Winter Games will sorely lack one signature feature throughout the town: ice sculptures.

Wet and warm weather have made it difficult to get blocks of ice necessary for two carving displays, one each in front of town businesses and the Soldotna Sports Center.

Michelle Glaves, of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce, says there will not be displays in front of businesses this year, but carving competition in front of the sports center will move forward.

About 15 business have paid for ice blocks, but unseasonably warm weather prevented organizers from cutting the blocks locally.
(Peninsula Clarion)

3rd, 4th and 5th graders urged to sign up for Learn to Ski Weekend
The application period for the 28th annual Learn to Ski Weekend at Eaglecrest is now open.

This year's event will be held January 31st and February 1st and is open to first time skiers in grades, 3, 4 and 5.

Applications are available at all elementary schools, Eaglecrest, Foggy Mountain Shop, and the Nugget Alaskan Outfitter.

Applications must be returned to schools or Eaglecrest by Tuesday, January 27th.

A random drawing will select the 45 winners who will receive bus transportation, ski rentals and lessons, lift tickets, and lunch.

Winners will be announced on KINY's Capital Chat and posted on the Eaglecrest web site at www.ski.juneau.com  Wednesday, January 28th.

The event is sponsored by Mendenhall Auto Center Subaru.