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AP Newsbreak: 4 U.S. soldiers were abducted in Karbala attack
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Four
Alaska based soldiers were abducted during a sophisticated sneak attack last week in the Shiite
(SHEE ITE) holy city of Karbala.
The military had
originally said that the four were killed while trying to fend off the attack. But senior U.S. military officials, as well as Iraqi officials, now tell The Associated Press that the four were abducted and that their bodies were found up to 25 miles away.
One of the four was 20-year-old Army Private Johnathon M. Millican of Blount County.
All were with the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, of Fort
Richardson in Anchorage.
Army
releases identity of latest paratrooper killed in Iraq
FORT RICHARDSON, Alaska (AP) - Army officials have released the identity of the latest Fort
Richardson soldier killed in Iraq.
Officials say Staff Sergeant Jamie D- Wilson was killed
Monday by enemy small-arms fire while on guard duty at
his base near Fallujah.
The 34-year-old San Diego resident was an infantryman
who joined the Army in June 1990.
Wilson was assigned to Fort Richardson in September
2005.
Officials say no other paratroopers were injured in the
incident.
Next of kin have been notified.
State flags to be lowered for two Alaska soldiers killed in Iraq
Governor Palin has ordered state flags lowered to half-staff next
week in honor of two Alaska soldiers killed in Iraq.
The end of the 30 day mourning period for former President Gerald Ford was
Thursday morning.
State flags will be lowered Monday for Private First Class Alan R. Blohm who died on December 31 when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit vehicle on patrol in Baghdad. The 21 year old Blohm grew up in Kenai.
On Tuesday, flags will be lowered for Staff Sergeant Charles D. Allen who was killed January 4 during combat operations in Baghdad.
The 28 year old Allen, who was raised in Wasilla, was a combat medic.
Docks and Harbors' speed limit proposals modified
The CBJ Docks and Harbors Board of Directors heard from the public
Thursday night regarding
Its proposed regulations governing speed limits in the small boat harbors and portions of Gastineau Channel and Auke Bay.
After listening to the public comment,
the board decided to modify it's original proposal.
Members
decided to drop the 8 knot speed limit for the greater Auke Bay area.
Under the current proposal, there will still be a three knot speed limit within the small boat harbors.
The board is still looking at establishing a five knot speed limit from Mayflower Island north to the Mendenhall Bar channel marker at Channel Marina.
And another five knot speed limit from a thousand feet off the Auke Bay breakwater to the
breakwater.
There will be several public hearings on the speed limit regulations. There's one on February 13th and another on March 13th.
The panel is scheduled to take final action after it regular meeting on March 29th.
The board also took up amendments to
the fiscal year 2008 budget.
The panel is using the budget to develop revenue bond capability for harbor improvements.
Priority projects include rebuilding the Douglas Harbor, work at Statter Harbor, and the Auke Bay Commercial Loading Facility.
Members approved a cable easement for GCI at the Douglas Small Boat Harbor
The request must also be okayed by the Planning Commission and Assembly.
The board reviewed an ordinance presented to the Planning Commission Tuesday that adds cruise ship berthing and lightering as a specific use with its own permitting process.
Stone says the board has some concerns about how it will be implemented and what type of information will be required in order to go forward with the permit application.
The board will forward it's comments to the Assembly.
Future
of Montana Creek discussed on Capital Chat
The Juneau Chapter of Trout Unlimited is bringing forth recommendations on the future use of Montana Creek following an assessment of the area.
The organization's president, Chris Zimmer, was a guest on Capital Chat this morning. He said this is a chance to preserve an urban area watershed that is currently in excellent shape.
As the city and borough moves forward with a review of its comprehensive plan, Zimmer says this is the time to
make long term decisions on what should be protected; where development will occur, and greens spaces, parks and fisheries are maintained.
A caller to the program said the area includes the last legal spot left in Juneau for off road enthusiasts. He wondered if Trout Unlimited thought
that was going to be a problem.
Zimmer said they don't oppose the existing motorized use as long as its on the trails and not in prohibited areas. He said they have noticed
damage done by off road vehicles in an area where
a sign is posted prohibiting such activity.
Key recommendations include building and maintaining a trail along Montana Creek and linking it to the existing trail network; 500 foot buffers on either side and protection of class A wetlands within that area; abandonment of a road corridor which would connect Montana Creek with the Herbert - Eagle area via Windfall Lake; and educating the public on the importance of the area.
A booklet outlining those recommendations will be available next week and posted to a new web site at
www.tujuneau.org
The web site won't be up and running until next week, as well.
Injuries from Thursday afternoon drive time accidents described as minor
Afternoon drive time traffic was severely snarled
Thursday as the result of a two vehicle accident outbound on Egan at the Fred Meyer intersection.
Injuries were described as minor. Two were transported to the hospital and five others were evaluated on scene and released, according to Capital City Fire Rescue.
Police issued a release with details on the accident at about
nine this morning.
Its says investigation determined that at 1999 Toyota SUV operated by a 17 year old male was inbound and making a left hand turn onto the Fred Meyer access to Glacier Highway at the time.
A 1994 Jeep driven by a 26 year old woman was outbound on Egan approaching the intersection.
The Toyota failed to yield to the Jeep, hit the Jeep and forced it across the highway and over the snow bank.
Both vehicles were totaled.
Police say it was the two drivers taken to the hospital.
The five others were passengers in the Toyota.
The driver of the Toyota was cited for negligent driving and driving in violation of a provisional license.
Traffic on Egan was restricted to one lane for about 40 minutes.
There was another accident on the Glacier Highway about the same time next to the state DOT facility at seven mile.
No details are available, but there apparently were no injuries.
Local teacher nominated for national award
Gastineau Elementary kindergarten and first grade teacher Jennifer Thompson is in line for a high honor.
She's been selected as a state finalist for the 2006 Presidential Awards for excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation's highest honor for K-12 teaching in those fields.
Award recipients will be announced this Spring in Washington, D. C.
The program identifies teachers from each of the 50 states and four U. S. jurisdictions. From the field of state finalists, a maximum of 108 are selected for the award.
Recipients receive a citation signed by the President; a paid trip to the nation's capital; and $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.
Thompson won a national award last year when she was named the 2006 recipient of the Outstanding Early Childhood Practitioner Award.
The award is sponsored by the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.
Palins
to attend dedication of new Hooper Bay school
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Governor Sarah Palin and first
gentleman Todd Palin will travel to Hooper Bay to
officially open the community's new school on Monday.
The governor will also be joined by Hooper Bay Mayor
Gabriel Seton, Hooper Bay Tribal Chief Eric Olson Senior
and other community leaders for the dedication ceremony.
The new school replaces the old structure that burned
down in a sprawling fire in August.
Construction on the 73-thousand-square-foot building was
under way when the fire broke out August Third,
spreading quickly to surrounding buildings, including
homes.
More than 70 people in the western Alaska village were
left homeless by the blaze.
Classes at the new school began December Eleventh, with
about 375 students attending.
Kodiak to play host to gala
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) - It will be a casual affair Sunday
in Kodiak when Governor Sarah Palin visits for another
inaugural gala.
Organizers are expecting about 500 people to show up.
The dinner menu includes fresh Alaska salmon and
halibut.
Also attending with the Palin family will be Lieutenant
Governor Sean Parnell and his family.
About eight-thousand dollars is being spent on the
Kodiak celebration, all from private donations. There's
no admission fee for the casual dress affair.
Gov.
Palin's ethics bill before lawmakers
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska House introduced
Governor Sarah Palin's ethics reform legislation
Thursday. An identical bill was introduced in the
Senate today
(Friday).
The bill lays out rules of conduct for legislators and
public officials.
Palin says she took into account the advice and counsel
of many Alaskans in the wake of FBI raids and ethics
scandals that have rocked the legislative and executive
branches in recent years.
The measure includes many, but not all, of the
provisions already included in individual lawmakers'
bills.
State Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Lynn of Anchorage
says it's a good start. He has formed a subcommittee
that will meet next week to mold all of the measures
into one bill.
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Some of the measures in the bill include tightening up
the requirements for lawmakers filing financial
disclosure reports, requiring candidates and public
officials report outside income over one thousand
dollars, barring lawmakers and staff from accepting
gifts from lobbyists and prohibiting public officials
from taking official action on a matter in which they
have a financial interest over five thousand dollars.
Wood
stack too close to stove blamed for house fire, damage minimal
Capital City Fire Rescue responded to a report of a house fire at 3:45 Thursday afternoon on Lee Drive in the Lena Point area.
Captain Dave Boddy says the homeowner extinguished the fire by the time they arrived.
He says the cause appears to have been a stack of firewood that was placed too close to an operating wood stove.
Captain Dave Boddy says the heat from the wood stove caught the stack of wood on fire.
He says damage was limited to some of the framing material around the stove.
There was minimal smoke or fire damage to the remainder of the house.
Second child dies as the result of house fire in Eagle River
Another child has died as result of a house fire in
the Eagle River area of Anchorage earlier this month.
Two year old Christopher Dirkes died Tuesday at a Seattle hospital, according to his family.
Dirkes had been severely burned in the fire at his grandfather's house on Eagle River Road January 6th.
His cousin, 4-year old Matthew Leighton, was killed in the fire. His sister and another cousin were injured; They remain at the Seattle Burn Center in critical condition.
Investigators determined that the children were probably playing with fireplace matches, which sparked the fire.
(Anchorage Daily News and KENI - Anchorage)
Idaho plans to charge $26.50 to bag a wolf following de-listing
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - For the price of a tank of gas, Idaho hunters may soon be able to kill a wolf legally.
Idaho plans to charge 26 dollars and 50 cents per tag for residents who want to bag one of the predators in a public hunt - once federal Endangered Species Act protections are lifted.
The cost would be 256 dollars for out-of-state hunters.
The commission approved the plan Thursday at a special meeting on a package of changes that now must be approved by the Legislature.
Wolves were reintroduced to the northern Rocky Mountains a decade ago after being hunted to near-extinction. More than 12-hundred now live in the region, including about 650 in Idaho.
The U-S Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to begin delisting the animals from federal protections in Idaho and Montana as soon as this month.
Public wolf hunting is allowed in Alaska, but is outlawed in the lower 48 states.
Chickaloon
tribe could get up to $1.3 million for roads
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Chickaloon Village
Traditional Council could get more than one (m) million
dollars in funds for road projects over the next two
years.
That's if they capitalize on new federal regulations
giving tribes more control over road work on their
lands.
The tribe is the first in Alaska and first of five
tribes nationwide to take advantage of the regulations
passed in 2005 affecting the Indian Reservation Roads
program.
The new regulations allow tribes that meet certain
criteria to sign agreements to deal directly with the
Federal Highway Administration instead of through the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Chickaloon transportation director Marilyn Staggs says
the tribe will have more say over which road projects
are built and how they are constructed.
Under the program, tribes can use the money for
construction, design, maintenance and planning for
transportation projects.
The tribes have to account for how the money is spent
and submit road project plans to the Federal Highway
Administration for approval, Sparrow said. They also
need to send in regular progress reports.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Alaska's largest city digs out from constant snow
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - In Anchorage, the snow is already piled so high that drivers cannot see around corners.
Homeowners are getting worried their roofs won't handle the load.
And snow-removal crews are running up the overtime hours.
Even by Alaska's standards, this is a remarkably snowy winter on the Last Frontier.
In one of the strangest winters across America in many years, Alaska's biggest city has gotten more snow - over 74 inches (188 centimeters) so far - than it normally receives in an entire winter (68 inches).
And there are still four more months of snowy weather ahead.
The robust snowfall comes after several years of wimpy, low-snow winters in proudly rugged Alaska, and so it is welcome news to some.
The Anchorage snowfall record is 132-point-five inches, set in the winter of 1955-56.
Fewer students than expected enrolling in Mat-Su borough schools
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) - School officials in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough say a shortfall in the number of students this year will cost the district about 350-thousand in fiscal-year 2007.
District administrators are proposing the sale of three buses and cutting back on spending on achievement tests to make up for the loss.
The buses are used to transport special education students.
Officials say 15-thousand-800 students enrolled in school this year, about 180 students short of projections.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Crimson Bears basketball teams playing host
There's lots of high school basketball action in Juneau this weekend.
The JDHS men host number one ranked Dimond Lynx while the Lady Bears entertain the Service Cougars today and Saturday.
The men's game tonight is at eight while the women tip off at
6:15.
Start times are earlier Saturday with the men playing at 5 and the women at 3:15.
All of those games will be aired on KINY.
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