Tuesday, January 27, 1998
House
committee discusses Legislature move
Representatives Norm Rokeberg and Joe Green of Anchorage said that the state Capitol
Building is in disrepair, and has overcrowded committee rooms and unsafe ceilings.
The comments came during a meeting of the House State Affairs Committee. Both
Rokeberg and Green are sponsoring a bill to move the Legislature to Anchorage.
Juneau Mayor Dennis Egan testified that Juneau is working hard to become a better
Capital City, and that every time the town must face down capital move threats it takes a
toll. Representative Kim Elton said that lawmakers need to take care of other
deferred maintenance priorities, before working on the Capitol. Committee chair
Jeanette James says she isn't sure if the bill will make it out of committee this session.
"Capital
creep" may continue
Dane Larsen, the top candidate for the Legislature's top auditing job says he'll turn it
down -- unless the position is moved to Anchorage, where he claims the bulk of the
workload is. Larsen currently is head of the Legislative Audit Division in
Anchorage. Representative Kim Elton says the job should remain here in Juneau, where
the chief auditor can be near the majority of the administration's top officials and the
majority of the audit division's employees, sentiments echoed by Randy Welker, who retired
from the position last year.
Questions
arise over Tongass roadless exemption
Senator Robin Taylor says that the Tongass will not be exempted from a moratorium on
building roads in national forests, as had been announced last week. Taylor and a
contingent of other Western lawmakers have developed a plan to fight what he calls the
irresponsible and unreasonable policy. But according to Tavia Hollencamp with the
Forest Service, the Tongass will remain exempt, along with other forests in the Pacific
Northwest, that have management plans finished, and that represent the best available
scientific information.
Armed
robber hits motel
Juneau Police received an E-9-1-1 call from the manager of the Super 8 Motel just after
midnight that an armed robbery had occurred. A white male brandishing a
semi-automatic handgun demanded money of the night clerk, who handed over an undisclosed
amount of cash. The suspect is described as 19 to 21 years of age, 5 foot 8 inches
and 160 pounds, wearing a red jacket, black jeans and a dark hat.
AML loses
containers at sea
Alaska Marine Lines reports that heavy seas and bad weather caused some containers and
equipment to be lost off the barge Taku Provider Saturday night. 14 containers that
contained mail and freight were tossed overboard. AML says most of the cargo was
bound for Ketchikan. The incident took place 150 miles south of Prince Rupert in
Milbanke Sound.
JDHS
enrolls a nerd
Juneau Douglas High School presents a comedy that shows what happens when a nerd moves in
on you. The Nerd will show Friday and Saturday at 7, with a benefit performance
Thursday at 6.
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