Army Corps of Engineers to join Kensington mine tailings appeal
The Army Corps of Engineers will join Coeur Alaska and the State of Alaska in the U. S. Supreme Court appeal of a lower court ruling banning the use of Lower Slate Lake for the disposal of Kensington Mine tailings.

That word coming from Colonel Kevin Wilson, the corps' Alaska District commander, in response to a question at Thursday's Juneau Chamber of Commerce meeting.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the permit violated the federal government's Clean Water Act.

Coeur is proceeding with a two pronged approach.

It has also submitted a revised plan proposing that tailings be converted into a paste and stored on Comet Beach near Lynn Canal.

When asked how long it would take the corps to grant a permit for that approach, the colonel responded, "Who knows?"

He added that its a very complex matter without clear guidance.

But the colonel added that they can permit that approach as long as the fill is clean fill that goes into Lynn Canal.

He was also asked when the corps will issue its permit for the state's proposed road out of Juneau up the east side of Lynn Canal. He responded by saying, "Very soon. Probably within the next 90 days, if not sooner."

The corps permit would be the final one needed for the Juneau Access project.

It calls for a 50 point 8 mile extension of the Glacier Highway from Echo Cove to just north of the Katzehin River.

A ferry terminal would be constructed at that point with shuttle ferries operating between there and Haines and Skagway.

Legislative Council votes to proceed with redesigned building in Anchorage
The Legislative Council agreed Thursday to proceed with a new state office building in Anchorage that would house the state court system and legislative offices.

The cost of the project has doubled which worried Wrangell Representative Peggy Wilson. "I guess I'm not quite convinced that it isn't the start of a capital move."

But she was assured by an aide to Anchorage Senator John Cowdery that the project could not be expanded to provide offices for all legislators.

Juneau Senator Kim Elton urged a delay in proceeding with the project since the cost had increased so dramatically. "We need some time to absorb the significant changes that we see both in cost and in design."

The council voted 11 to 2 to proceed with the redesigned project.

Palin replaces Somerville on Game Board
Ron Somerville of Juneau has been replaced by Governor Palin on the Board of Game.

There were calls for his resignation last year after making comments some Alaska Natives found derisive.

He stepped down as the panel's chair  at the Governor's urging last March.

But Somerville  resolved to serve out his term on the board which ends March 1st. He is resigning as of February 25th to allow the new member to participate in a board meeting beginning February 29th.

Now that his term is ending, the Governor named Teresa Sager Albaugh of Tok, a former president of the Alaska Outdoor Council, and Lew Bradley of Palmer.

Also replaced on the board was Paul Johnson of Unalakleet. His term also ends March 1st.

Both Sager-Albaugh and Bradley are proponents of predator control to increase moose and caribou populations.

Johnson was the lone Alaska Native on the board and his absence marks the first time since 1976 that there will be no Native representation on the group that sets hunting and trapping seasons.

Palin also reappointed Ted Spraker of Kenai to a third term.   

Tulsequah Chief Mine Taku River proposal subject of public meeting
A public meeting on the proposal to transport mineral concentrates from the Tulsequah Chief Mine in British Columbia through Juneau to Skagway for shipment overseas is scheduled at Centennial Hall Monday evening.

The mine is located along the Tulsequah River 13 miles upstream of the Taku River and 40 miles northeast of Juneau.

The Taku crosses into Alaska from Canada and flows into Taku Inlet south of Juneau.

Redfern is proposing using the Taku River as the primary access and transportation route and utilizing an air cushion barge that would be towed by an amphibious tug.

Fishing and environmental groups are concerned about possible damage to salmon spawning grounds in the lower Taku River watershed.

The company came up with this plan after dropping its original proposal to build a 100 mile long access road from Atlin, B. C. to the mine then hauling equipment, supplies and mineral concentrates by truck.

Tom Crafford, the mining coordinator for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, says the propose of Monday's meeting is to provide information to the public on the air cushion barge and amphibious tug proposal.

Verbal public comment won't be accepted that evening, but Crafford says they can make written comment with forms provided at the meeting.

They can also e-mail comment at a later date prior to close of public comment February 21st.

Monday evening's public meeting is from 7 to 9:30.

370,000 apply for early PFD direct deposit
The deadline for filing to qualify for the first direct deposit of this year's Permanent Fund Dividend on October 2nd was midnight Thursday night.

Amy Skow of the Permanent Fund Dividend Division says there were 370,000 Alaskans apply by then.

That compares with 331,000 last year.

Many of those filing for the early direct deposit also elected to electronically sign their application. They amount to 266,000 which Skow says is about 40,000 more than last year.

From her calculations, figuring two applications to an envelope, Alaskans saved over $50,000 in postage. Those not signing the application electronically must mail a signature page to the division.

Alaskans can qualify for the second direct deposit October 16th by applying on line or submitting a paper application by midnight March 31st.

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

The amount of this year's dividend will be announced in mid-September.

Coast Guard continues search for missing hot-air balloonist off Aleutians
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Coast Guard is searching in stormy seas again today (Friday) for a Japanese hot-air balloonist missing on a trip from Japan to Oregon.

Michio Kanda -- a world-record holder -- vanished Thursday over the North Pacific about 435 miles south of Adak Island in the Aleutians chain.

Two C-130 aircraft were unable to detect the missing balloon on radar Thursday night.

Coast Guard search and rescue controller Scott Wilwert says an aerial search has resumed.

Two Coast Guard cutters, the Rush and Jarvis, are also heading to the site, where the 58-year-old balloonist last made contact with his support team.

The search is being conducted in high winds and seas.

Kanda's assistant, Chika Edgar, says the balloonist was flying from Tochigi, Japan, to Portland, Oregon, to try to break distance and duration records.

He was reported missing after he failed to check-in by satellite phone.

The black and red balloon is about 15 stories tall and nearly 150 feet wide.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Hearings begin over bill rolling back some oil tax increases
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Lawmakers started discussions on stripping key provisions from an oil tax increase and returning more than $800 million to the North Slope producers - just hours after one major producer posted record profits.

The fact was not lost on some members of the Senate Finance Committee Friday.
Democrat Kim Elton of Juneau said he felt awkward asking about the bill's hit to the state treasury in light of the $40 billion in profits last year announced by Exxon Mobil Corp.

But committee Chairman Bert Stedman of Sitka said changes may be necessary to make sure the tax hike passed in November does not unintentionally squelch oil production.

Bill returns habitat division to Fish and Game
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A bill that returns the Division of Habitat to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is on the move.

House Bill 41 would reverse former Gov. Frank Murkowski's controversial decision to move the division to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Critics, including five former Fish and Game commissioners, say the move eroded the state's ability to protect its salmon streams.

The bill passed out of the House Special Committee Friday.

Governor Sarah Palin's administration has been reviewing the issue for the last year and plans to announce a decision next week.

Sponsors of a ballot initiative also are collecting signatures on a petition to put the issue before voters statewide.

Kootznoowoo shareholders receive dividend
Shareholders of Angoon’s village corporation, Kootznoowoo, were issued a dividend of $3.27 per share Thursday  in the first distribution of 2008 from the shareholder's settlement trust.

With most shareholders holding 100 shares in the trust, that works out to $327 dollars.

Chair of the Kootznoowoo Permanent Fund Settlement Trust, Carlton Smith, says two more distributions will be made this year, with the per share total expected near $10 for 2008, nearly $1,000 for the year.

Smith says that the ending balance for 2007  was nearly $14 million, an increase of nearly $1 million over the previous year.

He says the trust averages returns over a 5-year period to provide more predictable dividends throughout the year.

The trust was created by Kootznoowoo in 1991 and funded in 1994 with $9.5 million.

The trust was authorized by an amendment to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

The shareholders of Kootznoowoo each hold equity interest in the trust equal to their shares in the corporation.

The trust and the village corporation are separate and are presided over by separate boards.

Since its inception, the trust has distributed over $8 million to shareholders.

New lease okayed for DeHarts boat yard
The DeHarts boat yard will have a new operator in about two months.

CBJ Docks and Harbors Board approved the new lease at Thursday night's meeting.

Port Director John Stone says Juneau Marine Services will be taking over operation of the DeHarts boatyard around the beginning of April.

The company currently operates the boatyard downtown near Aurora Harbor.

The board awarded the bid to construct the Auke Bay Commercial Loading facility to Trucano Construction.

Trucano Construction was the low bidder at $7,076,664 which was below the engineer's estimate of $7,331,857.  The only other bid from Swalling Construction amounted to $8,830,016.

Stone says as soon as the company gets approval, it will start on the project, most likely the beginning of this spring.

The company has about a year to finish the facility.

Stone says parts of the facility are very large and have to be fabricated down south.

The board awarded a bid for construction of eleven new booths for the waterfront venders. Tom Matheson Carpentry was the low bidder at $23,851.30.Stone says the architect's estimate was $30,000.

The board also awarded a survey services contract for a piece of CBJ owned tidelands to R and M Engineering of Juneau for $6,140 dollars.

The panel approved the budgets for fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

Stone says, in general, it's a status quo budget very similar to last year.

The spending plan will be forwarded to the Assembly.

January in Juneau saw below normal snow, and normal temperatures
Snowfall in January was below normal during January in Juneau.

Meteorologist Kimberly Vaughn in the Juneau Forecast Office says it amounted to 23 point 1 inches, 5 point 8 inches below normal.

The snowiest day was on the 25th with 7 point 3 inches.

She says precipitation was near normal with 5 point 1 inches, just point 29 inches above normal.

There were four days with more than a half-inch precipitation. The 18th was the wettest day of the month with
1 point 17 inches.

Despite the cold weather toward the end of the month, temperatures were near normal with an average of 26 degrees.

The coldest day of the month was on the 27th when it hit zero. The warmest came on the 18th when it reached 40.

The peak wind at the airport was 66 miles per hour on the 13th.

Young challengers report fundraising totals
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Congressman Don Young's campaign is spending nine times more than its taking in and most of the expense is for lawyers, according to campaign finance reports filed today. (Thursday)

Young, who is facing an FBI investigation, spent nearly $595,000 for a three-month period that ended December 31st.

About $400,000 was on legal feels. He took in just over $62,000 in donations and other income.

Also the campaign for Republican Senator Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican, reported receiving $207,206, which includes donations and interest income. Details of his campaigns spending and income were not available.

Ethan Berkowitz and Jake Metcalfe, two Democratic candidates looking to unseat Republican incumbent also announced campaign fundraising efforts.

Candidates for federal offices had until just before midnight tonight to file 2007 year-end reports with the Federal Elections Commission.

Berkowitz, a former Alaska House minority leader, announced raising nearly $125,000 in the final quarter of 2007.

Berkowitz said he collected money from 577 contributors.

Metcalfe, a former head of the state's Democratic Party, said he raised $92,000 last year and another $33,000 this year from more than 500 donors.

Criminal charges won't be filed in airport shootout
HOMER, Alaska (AP) - Federal attorneys say they're not filing criminal charges against law enforcement officers involved in a fatal shootout nearly two years ago at the Homer airport.

Authorities say Jason Karlo Jacob Anderson of Duluth, Minnesota, killed himself after badly injuring his two-year-old son by shooting the child in the face.

Authorities were trying to serve a federal arrest warrant on the 31-year-old Anderson just before the incident in March 2006.

United States Attorney Jeffrey Sullivan says there's no reason to believe that any law enforcement officer acted willfully to violate the civil rights of Anderson or his son.

Witnesses say Anderson started shooting first.

Authorities say Anderson was hit nine times by bullets before shooting himself in the head.

Police say Anchorage man kills brother
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Police say an Anchorage man killed his brother during an argument.

Thirty-seven-year-old Vincent Wilkerson has been charged with first-degree murder in the death late Wednesday of his brother, Gregory.
Police say the brothers were with other people at an East Anchorage mobile home when the Wilkerson's began arguing.

Officials say Vincent Wilkerson produced a gun and shot his 34-year-old brother several times. Gregory Wilkerson was pronounced dead at the scene.

Vincent Wilkerson initially fled, but returned to the mobile home early Thursday morning, when police interviewed him.

Besides murder, he also faces charges of weapons misconduct and tampering with evidence. He was being held at the Anchorage Jail with bail set at $650,000 plus a third party custodian.  

Sentencing of former VECO execs postponed
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Federal prosecutors want to continue postponing the sentencing dates for two former VECO Corporation executives whose testimony has helped convict two former lawmakers of bribery.

In a status report filed Thursday, federal prosecutors say both former CEO Bill Allen and Rick Smith, a vice president, continue to cooperate with investigators.

They say the "current investigation is exceedingly complex due to a variety of issues and is ongoing." They also say a substantial amount of work remains in the government's investigation, and say the next status report on sentencing is expected by April 30th.

Both Allen and Smith have pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska lawmakers and were star witnesses in the government's successful bribery trials against former state Representatives Vic Kohring and Pete Kott.

Crimson Bears men in Ketchikan, Lady Bears host King ladies
Ketchikan provides the competition for Juneau Douglas High School basketball teams this weekend.

The men are on the road in Ketchikan.

Tip off both tonight (Friday) and Saturday on KINY is 8 p.m.

The women, meanwhile host Ketchikan.

Those games begin both evenings at 7 p.m.