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Juneau Daily News Online

Thursday, January 28, 1999  © Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News

School tech program receives grants
   Teacher training, faster Internet service to be funded
The Juneau School District has received two grants to strengthen its technology program. The district's Technology Coordinator, Cathy Carney (right), said on KINY's Capital Chat this morning, that one amounts to 327 thousand dollars for the training of teachers. The other, which totals 42 thousand dollars, will provide faster Internet connections from all schools.

Community planners will get USFS funds
Several Southeast Communities are receiving Forest Service grants totaling $50,000. Thorne Bay will use its share for community land planning. Enhancement of sockeye salmon is the use planned in Craig. Coffman Cove's will go to an archaeology and history project. Community workshops are the targeted use in Sitka. The Yakutat Tlingit Tribe plans to use the grant monies for development of a cultural center and museum. The collaborative stewardship grants, which are part of the agency's economic recovery program for the region, are expected to be awarded this spring.

Value-added timber center to open
The Forest Service plans to open the Wood Utilization Center in Sitka next month. A five person staff is expected to be in place by September. The center will be part of the agency's Pacific Northwest Research Station and work on "value-added activities" aimed at enhancing employment and developing marketable products.

SE projects get dubious award
A number of Alaska initiatives, including proposed projects in Southeast, have made the "Green Scissors '99" report. The report is published annually by Friends of the Earth, Taxpayers for Common Sense and the U-S Public Interest Research Group. The report claims the University Lands Bill sponsored by Senator Frank Murkowski could end up costing the American taxpayer anywhere from 100 million to 4 point 8 billion dollars.

SBA says no to disaster assistance
The Small Business Administration has turned thumbs down for a second time on a state request for funds to help residents of Southeast who suffered damages during last October's wind and rain storm. The state Division of Emergency Services says the SBA didn't think there was enough major damage to warrant low-interest loans for repair bills. The state received 66 applications for disaster assistance, mostly from Juneau, Haines and Klukwan. Eight applications for state assistance were granted paying $5,000 each. The Division of Emergency Services will now process the remaining applications.

KPU project moves forward
Ketchikan Public Utilities has received nearly ten million dollars for the Swan Lake - Lake Tyee Intertie and is seeking another 45 million to complete construction. The utility's original plan was to take out a loan and pay for the project itself, but that would have spurred a rate increase, according to the report. Another project identified as a boondoggle by Green Scissors was the road building program in the Tongass National Forest. The report concludes that the road building doesn't make sense for a timber program that lost 33 million dollars last year.

Deer keeps authorities busy
Juneau Police called in state Fish and Game biologists at about one this afternoon to help corral a deer that ended up between Channel Drive and Egan Drive. Traffic on Egan foiled their efforts to chase the deer back into the woods. The biologists planned to trap it and take the deer back to its wooded home.

MD-80s are focus of investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration's investigation into maintenance practices at Alaska Airlines is reportedly focused on the throttles of the company's MD-80 jetliners. A report in the Seattle Post Intelligencer says investigators are trying to figure out if the company's mechanics failed to follow strict maintenance procedures.

Man injured cleaning gun
An accidental shooting was reported aboard a boat docked at Float Five in Harris Harbor after ten last night. The 26 year old man was taken to the hospital. The bullet broke the bone just above the knee. Police say there's nothing suspicious about the shooting and that alcohol wasn't involved.

Permanent Fund has near-record earnings
The Alaska Permanent Fund earned 1 point 375 Billion for the first half of the fiscal year ending December 31. It's projected to end the fiscal year with over two billion dollars in earnings. That would would make three years in a row with over two billion in earnings. Last year's 2 point 6 billion dollars represented a record. Projections reveal dividends will be up by nearly 100 million. Eight hundred and 93 million was distributed last year and 989 million is the projection for this year. Corporation officials expect to have 2 point 1 billion transferred to the Earnings Reserve Account once funds are deducted for the dividends and inflation proofing The Permanent Fund was worth just over 25 Billion as of December 31.

Lynx to be trapped for relocation
Ten Yukon trappers have been selected to trap 20 lynx for transplant to Colorado. The Rocky Mountain state will pay trappers 12-hundred dollars for each of the 13 females it wants, and 800-dollars for each of the seven males. Colorado is attempting to revive a population that's all but extinct. The last lynx tracks were seen there in 1991, and the last known cat was trapped illegally in 1973. In addition to the Yukon lynx, there will be 15 cats from British Columbia and 20 from Alaska. A Yukon official says the trapping could start in early February. After a lynx has been caught, a veterinarian will inspect the animal and if the cat is healthy, it will be on a southbound plane within a few days.

Get your two-cents worth in the budget
If you don't like the way the Governor and lawmakers are working to craft a spending plan, you now have your chance to go on-line and show them up. Any Alaskan with access to the Internet can learn more about the Governor's Balanced Budget Plan by downloading the spreadsheet to their own computer and playing with the numbers to determine how to make up the billion dollar revenue shortfall. The Governor (right) provided a demonstration of the interactive computer model during a press conference in Juneau yesterday afternoon. He invited Alaskans to download the program and send their budget plan to state leaders. To check out the site, just click here.

More snow
A snow advisory in effect for Juneau today calls for an accumulation of 3 to 5 inches before ending tonight. Some windy weather is in the forecast tonight with northeasterly gusts to 40 miles per hour in the downtown area and Douglas.

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