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Small fires at high school
under investigation
Authorities are looking for a suspect or suspects believed to be setting
small fires at the high school.
What is described as the fifth small nuisance fire since the first part of
December was discovered this morning.
Fire Marshall Rich Etheridge says a small fire was discovered just after
school started in one of the stair wells. That was just after eight o'clock.
Etheridge says he's working with the police department and school officials
on the investigation. Evidence is going to the Crime Lab in Anchorage as
part of the probe.
Principal Deb Morse says they are working with investigators. They've
instructed staff to pay closer attention to students in the halls and to
limit passes. Morse says there was another incident earlier this week.
They also want students to be more observant and to report any information
they have to the school or the police and fire departments.
SEIS out for Kensington
gold mine
The Forest Service has released the draft supplemental environmental impact
statement for the Kensington gold mine near Juneau.
The agency has scheduled public hearings in Juneau and Haines for late next
month, according to Coeur Alaska Project Manager Rich Richins..
He says a final decision on whether to begin construction this spring will
be made after the permit process is complete.
Construction would take 18 months, with potential production startup as soon
as 2006.
The project contains 1.8 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves
and 1.4 million ounces of resources. Richins says they believe that
significant exploration potential exists at Kensington that could materially
increase the project's total resources.
The mine is projected to create 325 construction jobs and about 225
full-time permanent jobs.
Exxon Mobil ordered to pay
up
A federal judge in Anchorage today ordered Exxon Mobil Corporation to pay
nearly seven billion dollars in punitive damages and interest to
thousands of fishermen and others affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil
spill.
Plaintiffs' attorney David Oesting says the end of the dispute is
near at 15 years of litigation.
Exxon Mobil has 30 days to appeal the ruling by U-S District Judge Russel
Holland, which ordered the Irving, Texas-based company to pay
four-point-five billion dollars in punitive damages and about
two-point-two-five billion dollars in interest.
The money is to go to 32-thousand fishermen, Alaska Natives, landowners,
small businessmen and municipalities affected by the eleven million
gallon spill in Prince William Sound.
Airport terminal plan presented to public
tonight
The airport terminal study is the subject of a special meeting this evening.
(Wednesday)
Airport Planner Ben Mello says airport and city staff along with a
consultant have come up with what they feel is a feasible concept. He says
this will be the first time its been presented to the general public.
Mello says "Concept 3-E" is the one they would like to forward to
the airport board for approval, but they're open to ideas. It calls for a
major renovation of the terminal and includes construction of a covered, two
story parking garage.
Mello says they're looking for public comment tonight and are hoping for a
great turnout.
The meeting begins at 7 tonight in the Aurora Room at the Airport.
Committee developing
waterfront plan to hold initial meeting
The Assembly Waterfront Committee meets this evening. (Wednesday)
Committee Chair Jeannie Johnson says its an organizational meeting.
She says they'll develop an aggressive schedule aimed at forwarding a
recommendation to the full Assembly by the first part of April.
Today's meeting begins at 5 p.m. in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.
The full Assembly sitting as the Waterfront Committee will listen to a
presentation by the consultant next Monday beginning at five.
The consultant will also address meetings of the Planning, Commission, Parks
and Recreation Advisory Committee and Docks and Harbors Board next week.
There will be presentations to the Planning Commission and PRAC Tuesday
evening and to Docks and Harbors Wednesday evening.
Dock extension okayed
A proposed dock extension was approved by the Juneau Planning Commission at
its meeting last night.
The conditional use permit was requested by Alaska Glacier Seafoods. The 80
by100 foot dock will adjoin the company's processing plant at Auke Bay.
Ketchikan to receive state grant for cold
storage project
A state agency says it's backing a proposed seafood cold storage project in
Ketchikan with a one-point-four million dollar grant.
The Department of Community and Economic Development's Fisheries Economic
Development Grants Program notified the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of the
funding decision.
Borough officials and a local Fisheries Committee have developed the
proposal for building a ten million pound capacity cold storage at Ward
Cove to serve the entire region
The total cost of the project is estimated to be about eight million
dollars.
Borough officials hope the facility will provide an economic benefit to the
fishing industry.
It could keep frozen products stored within the region and save
transportation costs associated with shipping overflow volume south and then
shipping it back for processing.
The borough says fishermen could use the facility to market their own catch.
Fund panel members increase
Governor Murkowski has excused four lawmakers from voting during a three-day
panel studying whether to fund state spending using portions of the Alaska
Permanent Fund.
The panel of 55 is scheduled to meet in Fairbanks beginning February Tenth.
Murkowski appointed the House majority and minority leader and their Senate
counterparts to the committee on January 14th.
They would be asked -- along with other panel members -- to ultimately vote
yes or no on the question of using a part of the 28 billion fund to
close chronic state budget deficits.
But more recently, lawmakers told the governor they didn't want to be
required to vote on the issue while in Fairbanks.
Senate Majority Leader Ben Stevens says lawmakers can introduce legislation
now that would answer the question. He says the governor intended this to be
a panel of citizens, so the lawmakers' involvement should be limited.
Stevens, House Majority Leader John Coghill, Senate Minority Leader Johnny
Ellis and House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz will serve on the committee
as non-voting members.
Murkowski Press Secretary John Manly says four other people will be picked
to replace them, expanding the committee to 59 people.
Effort to locate missing Mountain Village
man ongoing
A search is continuing for a Mountain Village man nearly a week after his
disappearance.
Twenty-seven-year-old Dennis Ulak was traveling from Saint Mary's to
Mountain Village early last Thursday. He never arrived home and was
reported missing a day later.
Alaska State Troopers say volunteers and troopers have searched the area
between the villages but have found no sign of the missing man.
There's an open lead (LEED) in the Andreafsy River where it meets the Yukon
River and snowmobile tracks headed toward the lead.
Troopers on Saturday were able to hook onto a large object at the bottom of
the river about 75 deep but they were unable to retrieve the object.
Mountain Village is a community of 750 people on the north bank of the Yukon
River about 20 miles west of Saint Mary's and 470 miles northwest of
Anchorage.
Volunteers from Mountain Village, Saint Mary's, Pilot Station and Scammon
Bay have been heavily involved in the search.
Kodiak described as "mess"
following storm
Kodiak is digging out from a storm that dropped seven to eight inches of wet
snow and knocked out power for a while overnight Monday and Tuesday. Kodiak
Electric Association general manager Darren Scott describes the situation as
``a large mess.''
Scott says the main power line from the Terror Lake hydroelectric project
went down Monday night either from a tree falling on it or from heavy icing.
The utility switched to diesel power but other problems at a distribution
substation caused by freezing spray and snow left parts of downtown in the
dark as late as noon today.
The Coast Guard took measures in anticipation of the storm. Petty Officer
Sara Raymer says two C-130 aircraft were pre-staged in Anchorage in
anticipation of bad weather. If a search and rescue call comes in, they can
be deployed from there.
Knik Arm Crossing project progressing
Plans are moving forward for a Knik Arm bridge north of Anchorage.
Promoters say they are preparing to hire consultants to help map out the
engineering, environmental and regulatory hurdles to building a
one-and-a-half mile bridge across Knik Arm.
The Anchorage Daily News says the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority plans
to request proposals for the work in the next few weeks.
The authority's chairman, former Anchorage Mayor George Wuerch, says the
reports will cost up to one million dollars, and be financed by federal
funds already in hand.
Supporters say a Knik Arm bridge would be an economic boost to Anchorage,
and would ease congestion on the Parks Highway for Mat-Su commuters.
Expert says Alaska economy growing
An economics consulting firm says Alaska's economy is likely to keep growing
this year.
Pat Burden, president of the Anchorage-based consulting firm Northern
Economics, says the state's economy is on track to grow by six-thousand
jobs.
Burden says most of those will be in government, with many of those
positions in the military as the Army adds troops to its newly-formed
Stryker brigade at Fort Wainwright and Fort Richardson.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, Burden says the state's natural
resources industries are likely to add about 700 jobs.
Burden says the state's economy is being helped by higher oil prices, a
weaker U-S dollar and an economic recovery in Asia.
Burden spoke yesterday at the World Trade Center Alaska.
Airline reports loss
Alaska Air reports a 21million dollar fourth quarter loss. That compares with a 43 million dollars loss in the same quarter a year ago.
For the year, the Seattle-based parent of Alaska and Horizon air lines reports a nine million dollar profit. That compares to a 119
million dollar loss in 2002.
The company says the 2003 results include 71 million dollars in government emergency wartime assistance.
C-E-O Bill Ayer says it's the first annual profit since 1999. He says Alaska will continue taking steps to manage costs.
Earth moves near Tyonek
An earthquake occurred this morning near Tyonek.
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says the quake measured 4.0 and was centered 13 miles south, southeast of Tyonek, or 41
miles west, southwest of Anchorage.
The quake struck shortly after ten a-m.
There were no reports that the quake was felt or caused any damage.
Parasite attacking Yukon salmon
Scientists say a marine parasite is leaving some Yukon River salmon
inedible.
According to the Anchorage Daily News, the illness is caused by a common
microorganism that targets ocean fish. In salmon, the parasite leaves the
meat ruined, and with an unpleasant fruity odor.
Fish pathologist Richard Kocan says the microorganism was detected in about
35 percent of Yukon River king salmon sampled in 2002 and 2003.
He says that's a big increase over the number infected in previous years.
Kocan, a scientist with the federal Office of Subsistence Management, says
global warming may be a factor. The parasite spreads faster in warmer water.
The disease was first noticed in just a few fish in the mid-1980s, but grew
much worse in the late 1990s.
Mushers will find checkpoint open
A popular checkpoint in the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog race will be
open this year. Crabb's Corner roadhouse at Central closed in December. It
will reopen from February 13 to 16 when the long-distance mushers come
through from Fairbanks on their way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.
Internet security program available from
federal government
The Department of Homeland Security is offering a new program aimed at
increasing Internet security.
The National Cyber Alert System will send free e-mails to subscribers about
major virus outbreaks and other Internet attacks as they occur. Users will
also be given detailed instructions on how to protect themselves.
The program begins today and represents an ambitious effort by the
government to develop a trusted warning system that can help home users and
technology experts.
The new alert system puts the government in direct competition with dozens
of companies and organizations that already transmit similar cyber warnings.
(Copyright ©2004
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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