Juneau police bust check theft and forging scheme
A payroll check theft and forging scheme involving a half dozen people has been broken up by Juneau police.

Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the crime.

The scheme began to unravel on November 13th of last year when Juneau police received a report that 45 payroll checks were missing from a downtown business. Police have not named the business.

At the time of the report, nine of the checks, totaling $8,935.61 had been forged and cleared through various banks.

That same afternoon police were notified that Cindy Hotch was attempting to cash one of the checks at a downtown bank.

When police arrived Hotch fled the bank on foot.

After a short foot pursuit she was caught and arrested.

Hotch was lodged at the Lemon Creek Correction Center on no bail for Forgery in the Second
Degree and Theft in the Second Degree, both C felonies.

The subsequent police investigation revealed that the theft of the checks involved Heather Schimanski and Nicole Richert.

Police say Richert was a former employee of the business and provided Schimanski with the keys to the business which she used to gain access and steal the payroll checks.

According to police, the checks were forged and cashed by Hotch, Schimanski, Joycelyn White, and Mark Nash under the direction of Vonnie Williams.

The total amount of the cashed checks was $18,257.60.

On January 3rd, Schimanski was arrested for Forgery 2nd degree while attempting to cash a check taken during another burglary.

After further investigation she was charged with Burglary 2nd degree, Theft 2nd degree and
Forgery 2nd degree.

On Saturday, January 19th, Nicole Richert was arrested for aiding and abetting Burglary 2nd
degree

On Monday, January 28th, Mark Nash was arrested for Forgery 2nd degree.

Palin denies Port Authority's pipeline reconsideration request
By STEVE QUINN
Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The state has turned down the Alaska Gasline Port Authority's request to reconsider its gas pipeline proposal.

The administration announced its decision Wednesday. The authority's plan was officially rejected by Governor Sarah Palin last month.

The authority asked for reconsideration, saying it could not get project cost and other data from industry partners who pulled out of the bid.

The administration reconsidered the port authority's request, but stuck by its original ruling that the group failed to submit a complete proposal by the November 30th deadline.

Earlier this month, Palin said that TransCanada had the only conforming application.   

Lawmakers take up Palin's predator control bill
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Lawmakers got an earful from Alaskans opposing Governor Sarah Palin's proposal to streamline the state's predator control laws.

House Bill 256 had its first hearing Wednesday in the House Resources Committee.

State fish and game officials say the bill is simply a housekeeping measure to merge and simplify two confusing and sometimes conflicting wildlife management laws.

Opponents say it will eliminate most scientific standards and leave predator control decisions in the hands of an ideologically-driven Board of Game.

Public testimony on the measure will continue Monday. Committee members also plan a roundtable with the department and groups opposing the bill.

Sergeant Christensen retiring, JPD promotes Officer Burke
A personnel change is coming at the Juneau Police Department.

Sergeant Steve Christensen has announced his retirement.

Sergeant Dave Campbell said on Capital Chat this morning that Sergeant Christensen will be replaced by School Resources Officer Chris Burke.

The promotion is effective April 1.

Burke is one of the department's two school resources officers.

A replacement for Burke in that role is pending.

22 below wind chill comes in as coldest temperature in Juneau
It was cold, but not as cold as originally forecast this morning. (Wednesday)

Meteorologist Rick Fritsch gathered the low temperatures which included wind chill from sensors around the city and borough this morning.

It hit minus nine at South Douglas near the boat harbor; minus 10 at the airport; minus 13 atop the Federal Building downtown; minus 22 at the upper terminal of the Mt. Roberts Tram; minus 21 at Point Bishop south of Juneau; and two above at the Juneau Forecast Office on the Back Loop Road.

It wasn't as  cold as the 30 to 35 below wind chill that was forecast. The forecaster says they expected to have a little more wind, but the low system driving the wind is little further south than anticipated.

When asked what's in store, Fritsch says he wouldn't exactly call it a massive warming trend, but thinks the area might be seeing some relief over the next couple of days.

Deadline approaches for early direct PFD deposits
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Time is winding down for Alaskans to apply for an early direct deposit of their Alaska Permanent Fund dividends.

Applicants who want to get in on the first distribution of dividends must apply by midnight Thursday.

Those who qualify will get their money October 2nd.

Dividend director Deborah Richter says that as of Monday, more than 315,000 Alaskans had applied online. That's up 40,000 applications from the same time period last year.

Public computers are available for filing online in the PFD Information Offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Applicants who file for direct deposits after Thursday will get their money October 16th.  They can apply on-line or on paper.

The balance start going out in the mail November 14th.

The 2008 PFD application period closes March 31st.

The 2008 dividend amount will be announced in mid-September.

Coeur employs two pronged approach on Kensington tailings dispute
The developer of the Kensington mine indicated last year it might take  a two pronged approach in response to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling invalidating its tailings disposal permits for Lower Slate Lake.

One approach was working with litigants to come up with another plan.

As reported Friday, Coeur submitted a proposed modified plan of operations to the Forest Service for an alternative site and approach.

It calls for using paste technology at a site near Comet Beach rather than the disposal of tailings in Slate Lake.

The company also filed an appeal of the 9th Circuit ruling the same day seeking to reinstate the Army Corps of Engineers permits for the Slate Lake plan.

The State of Alaska has joined Coeur in that appeal.

Murkowski returns to push natural gas pipeline
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Governor Palin has long said her office doors are open. And that includes former Governor Frank Murkowski, whom she trounced in a primary 16 months ago.

Murkowski says he wants to help push a natural gas pipeline project for Alaska, and he's back in the state to meet with major petroleum producers.

Murkowski met Monday with officials of ConocoPhillips.

Murkowski also plans to meet with BP, Exxon Mobil and TransCanada, the only gas line bidder the Palin administration says has met guidelines of state legislation.

So, when asked if she welcomes Murkowski back to the Capitol, Palin says, quote -- "sure."

Murkowski says the state can't wait for a long period of litigation.

In the final months of his own term as governor, Murkowski's pipeline deal with the major producers fell apart.

Critics said his proposed tax breaks to producers were too generous and there was no guarantee a pipeline would be built.
Don't look for Palin to change her mind and resume the negotiations which failed under Murkowski.

Palin says, quote -- "we are on two different roads."

Juneau residents charged with illegal brown bear hunts in Southeast Alaska
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A father and son from Juneau have been charged for illegally hunting practices of brown bears in southeast Alaska.

The U.S. Attorneys Office says Larry Hooton and his son Shawn Hooton were charged with felony violations of the Lacey Act for illegally taking brown bear on Admiralty Island National Monument.

The information alleges that in 2004, the Hootons illegally guided out-of-state hunters on the island.

Officials say an arraignment date hasn't been set.

Senators question delays in listing polar bear under Endangered Species Act
CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Senators are accusing the Interior Department of putting the interests of oil companies ahead of Alaska's polar bears.

They're reacting to the statement from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chief Dale Hall that a decision on whether the bears will get protection under the Endangered Species Act may not be made before the government opens a major habitat to oil leases.

Lawmakers charge Hall is stalling to make it easier to drill in the Chukchi (CHOOK'-chee) Sea, where a fifth of the Arctic's polar bears depend on sea ice in their hunt for food. A large chunk of the sea is to be opened to leasing February 6th.

Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer demanded "a commitment to take immediate action" to protect the bear and wanted to know why the agency is "dragging its feet." She noted that by law the agency had a January 9th deadline.

Hall said he couldn't promise a decision before February 6th, only that a recommendation will be sent to the Interior Secretary "in the very near future."

Supplemental budget out for review
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Governor Sarah Palin's supplemental budget, which covers unforeseen spending in the current fiscal year, is ready for lawmakers' review.

Initial comments have been positive.

Senate Finance Committee co-Chairman Bert Stedman of Sitka described the spending request as "much more reasonable than in past years."

Half of the $250 million budget will pay for tax credits to oil companies that lawmakers approved last year.

The budget also includes an extra $80 million for agencies, more than $18 million to pay for increased senior benefits and more than $7 million to cover fuel increases.

Palin's budget office is working with agencies to better foresee their needs in order to cut down on supplemental spending requests.

Former actuary denies responsibility for Alaska pension shortfall
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The former actuary for Alaska's retirement systems says it is not responsible for the state's $8.4 billion pension shortfall.

Mercer (US) Inc. filed a response Tuesday to the state's multibillion dollar lawsuit.

The state claims that the company's mistakes in calculating future medical costs contributed to a massive unfunded liability in Alaska's public employee and teacher retirement systems.

Mercer calls the lawsuit a "misguided and meritless attempt to blame Mercer for investment losses, escalating health care costs and funding policies over which it had no control."

The unfunded liability is the gap between the retirement systems' assets and the amount in benefits that would be required to pay all people in the system.

Troopers release findings of sexual abuse study
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A report released yesterday (Tuesday) shows that rural children in Alaska are being molested at alarming rates.

The study shows that in 13 percent of the cases studied over a two-year period, the victims were younger than 13 years old while their suspected abusers were at least 31.

The study was conducted by the University of Alaska Anchorage's Justice Center.

It looked at 989 sexual assault cases reported statewide to Alaska State Troopers in 2003 and 2004.

Researchers did not look at cases reported during the same period to municipal police departments.

According to the study the average age of the victims was 16. The average for suspects was 29.

Just under half of the cases studied occurred in the troopers' immense, sparsely populated western area known as the C Detachment.

The largely native region contains more than one-third of the state's land mass where few communities are connected by roads.

Police charge man with armed robbery at pull tab shop
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - An Anchorage man is in custody, charged with robbing a pull-tab shop.

Anchorage police say 30-year-old Ricky Laupola on Monday pulled a shotgun out of his trousers at Rippie World on Arctic Boulevard and demanded money from a clerk.

She fled to a convenience store and police say the suspect used the butt of the shotgun to smash a glass counter and steal a cash box.

K-9 Officer Derek Hsieh (SHURE) and his police dog "R.C." found the armed suspect hiding in nearby woods.

Police say they recovered the stolen property.

Laupola is a felon on probation.

He is now charged with assault, weapons misconduct, criminal mischief, theft and robbery. His bail was set at $20,000.

Suspect in Anchorage pull tab robbery apprehended
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - An Anchorage man is in custody, charged with robbing a pull-tab shop.

Anchorage police say 30-year-old Ricky Laupola on Monday pulled a shotgun from his clothing at the shop and demanded money from a clerk.

When the clerk fled, the suspect smashed a glass counter and stole a cash box. Police and one of their trained dogs ran the suspect down in nearby woods.

Anchorage lawmaker treated for chest pain
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - State Representative Bob Lynn is recovering from heart surgery at a hospital in Anchorage, according to his staff.

Lynn's aide Mike Sica said the Anchorage Republican suffered a partial blockage in an artery leading to the heart. He was initially treated at Juneau's Bartlett Regional Hospital before he was flown to Anchorage Providence Hospital for surgery.

He had a stent inserted in the artery on Tuesday.

Sica said Lynn was in good spirits. He is expected to return to the legislative session after a short recovery period.

Lynn is one of several legislators who have been absent recently due to illness.

Anchorage proposal for "citizenship checks" rejected
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Anchorage Assembly has again rejected a proposal that could have led to police checking on a person's citizenship during traffic stops and arrests.

Assembly members last night (Tuesday) refused to consider Assemblyman Paul Bauer's plan for an advisory vote on the matter.

Bauer could not get three votes to bring the advisory vote up for discussion.

Compassionate gift bill on fast track
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A legislative staffer who wants to donate a kidney to an ailing lawmaker will not run afoul of new ethics rules under a bill being fast-tracked through the state Legislature.

Sue Stancliff, an aide to a Fairbanks lawmaker, was barred from donating a kidney to Nome Democrat Richard Foster because of the expense surrounding the donation.

A new ethics law last year put a $250 limit on compassionate gifts.

The kidney itself has no monetary value under federal law but the bill would lift the limit on donations of expenses such as travel and medical costs.

House Bill 317 moved out of the House State Affairs Committee yesterday. (Tuesday).

The bill is next scheduled to go to Judiciary, but Chair Jay Ramras says he intends to waive it on to the House floor.

Learn to Ski winners announced on KINY
The names of the 45 winners for the 27th Annual Learn to Ski Weekend at Eaglecrest were announced on KINY Radio this morning.

The first time skiers in grades three, four and five were selected through a random drawing of applications.

The names were posted by this afternoon (Wednesday) at  www.skijuneau.com 

Winners will also be notified by telephone by tomorrow.

The weekend is February 2nd and 3rd.  But it will actually start Friday evening, February 1st with an orientation. The orientation begins at 6:30 p.m. in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.

All winners receive bus transportation, ski rentals, lift tickets, ski lessons and lunch.

Again, additional information is available at the ski area's web site.