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Juneau Daily News Online

Monday, February 1, 1999  © Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News

Sex attacker pleads guilty
   Gets seven and a half years
The 18 year old man scheduled to stand trial in Juneau Superior Court beginning today for the sexual assault of a woman last November has pled out. Rex Rowray Panigeo's plea was guilty to Sexual Assault in the Second Degree. Under terms of the plea bargain, Panigeo draws 7 and a half years in jail with five suspended, according to Juneau District Attorney Rick Svobodny. Sentencing is scheduled for April 13th. He was apprehended early on Sunday morning, last November 1 after attacking the woman in the alley behind the old Alaska Electric, Light and Power offices on West Willoughby. A police officer ran him down in the parking lot of the Foodland Shopping Mall after he was spotted by a member of the Juneau Citizen's Patrol.

Drill team finishes in top five in Nationals
The Juneau Douglas High School Drill Team finished fifth overall in the Pom Competition at the National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Florida over the weekend. Juneau was one of 135 teams entered. The squad claimed a third place trophy in the Prop Division earlier in the weekend. That competition was far less crowded with only 13 teams entered. The 30 member Juneau team qualified for the national competition during a camp in Tacoma, Washington, last summer. Its the first time an Alaska team qualified for event.

Snowy winter continues, warning up for tonight
A winter storm warning for heavy snow in effect for Juneau tonight may bring between 6 to 10 inches by morning. Five inches of new snow was reported at the airport this morning. January produced the most snow in Juneau since November of 1994 with 53 point 1 inches. It made for the fifth snowiest January on record. The monthly snowfall was more than the entire previous winter which saw less than three feet. There were ten days that had more than three inches of snow which was a record for the month. The 126 inches of snow atop Eaglecrest this morning rivals some of the biggest in the past. It reached that point with a snowfall of 111 inches last month. Ski Area Manager Paul Swanson says there was 129 inches at the start of January in 1991 which ended up with 139 inches. The snowfall during January of that year only measured 34 inches.

CBJ seeks new lobbyist
The hiring of a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., is up for discussion at tonight's meeting of the Juneau Assembly. Also on the agenda is an appeal of a Planning Commission decision that creates eight residential lots in the Richland Manor Subdivision. Assembly members will decide whether to hear the appeal itself or appoint a hearing officer. The panel will also hear its first presentation from the Y-2-K Task Force appointed by the Mayor last month to determine how the city would be impacted by the computer bug at the dawn of the new millennium.

Poe asks lawmakers for Y2K funds
Administration Commissioner Bob Poe (right) asked the Senate Finance Committee this morning for 19 point three million dollars to solve the state's Year Two Thousand computer problem. He told the committee that without an exhibition of "due diligence" by the state, the cost of litigation could far exceed the cost of fixing problems. The funding request was assigned to a subcommittee. The Commissioner was also scheduled to address the House Finance Committee on the Y-2-K problem this afternoon.

Haines in the ice business
The Haines Borough has voted to purchase a rebuilt ice machine to expand fish processing in the community. Haines Fisheries owner Stan Wood says he can triple his processing capacity if cheap ice is available. The ice machine will produce 12 tons of ice per day. And investors in Haines want to let tourists see a bit of Alaska's cultural history -- an old-style salmon cannery. The group is looking into building a replica of a cannery in Haines.

Local public speakers compete this weekend
It's Toastmasters International Week and the two clubs in Juneau are marking the anniversary as discussed on KINY's Capital Chat today. Peter Bibb of the Taku Club and Sheila Sasek of the Valley Club (left) said the week will culminate with a dinner and "Tall Tales" contest at Mike's Place Saturday evening beginning at seven. The Valley Club meets every Tuesday morning beginning at six at the Airport's Glacier Restaurant. The Taku Club meets over the Noon Monday in Room 150 of the Federal Building. Annual dues are 40 dollars. The public's invited to attend Saturday night's dinner and contest.

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