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SOB library drying out
after bursting of water pipe, no asbestos detected
Its all clear today at the State Office Building following the bursting of a water pipe in the ceiling of the State Library on the 8th floor Wednesday morning.
Testing has ruled out the possible danger of asbestos, according to Vern Jones, who is the state's Chief Procurement Officer.
He says they didn't expect it to be otherwise, but its a precaution that must be taken when there's a potential exposure.
Emergency repairs were made and the water turned on in the building again Wednesday afternoon.
Two inches of standing water was found in the circulating library on the 8th floor when employees showed up Wednesday morning.
There's also water damage in the library's area on the 7th floor and in Retirement and Benefits on the 6th floor.
Jones says a damage estimate could take a couple of weeks.
Bruce Kato, the Chief Curator of the Alaska State Museums in the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums says an area of about 25 feet by five rows of books were damaged.
He says they're trying to avert mold damage and are looking at drying out damaged books and wrapping them.
He says the work will be done at the State Museum.
Kato says the circulating library will be closed until further notice.
Charges pressed against suspected drunk driver from January 30th accident
Juneau Police are pressing drunk driving charges against the 21 year old man seriously injured in a single vehicle roll over on Glacier Avenue on the night of Sunday, January 30th.
He's identified as Adam Christopher.
He has since been released from the local hospital after receiving treatment for serious injuries.
Capital City Fire Rescue had to extricate Christopher from the wreckage. After losing control of his vehicle near the 2000 block of Glacier Avenue, it left the roadway and stuck a utility pole.
The charges were forwarded by police to the City Attorney's Office.
Port development fee proposal challenged
The constitutionality of the port development fee proposed by the City and Borough of Juneau is being questioned by cruise ship officials and the owner of a private dock.
The concerns were voiced at last night's Assembly work session.
A memo was submitted to the Assembly by Franklin Dock Manager James Reeves last night.
He says the fee violates the Tonnage Clause of the U. S. Constitution which says no state shall, without the consent of Congress lay any duty of tonnage.
City Attorney John Hartle
will review the matter, according to City Manager Rod Swope.
A public hearing is scheduled on the proposal March 14.
The city is proposing to increase the fee this year from 18 cents to $1.18 per passenger per day at a private dock and from $2 to $3.18 at a public dock.
The proposal further calls for the fee to increase to three dollars for both by 2007.
But Swope says those figures are tentative at this point. He says determining that amount will require an appraisal of both private and city docks.
He says he expects that work would take until mid or late summer. So he says they don't expect the regulations would go into effect until the first of the year.
Assembly advised to renew hospital contract following audit
The audit of Bartlett Regional Hospital has passed muster with the Assembly getting a recommendation from the auditor to approve an extension of the contract with
the hospital's operator.
The audit was presented by Max Mertz at last night's work session, according to City Manager Rod Swope.
He says the Assembly wanted to hold off renewing the contract with Quorum, the operator of the facility, until the audit was submitted and reviewed.
So, he adds, the auditor recommended renewing the contract for another three years.
Ceremony to mark signing of
golf course lease
Today [Thursday] marks a milestone for supporters of the golf course
on Douglas Island.
City Manager Rod Swope and Peter Metcalfe, President of Totem Creek
Incorporated, this morning signed a 35-year lease for a site to build an 18-hole golf course on the west
side of Douglas Island.
Metcalf says the project is unique, in that they have created a complete
package that's ready to go.
He says he believes that it's the first time that's ever been done with a
project of this size in Juneau.
They have all the permits in hand and he says, if they could get financing,
they could break ground in 30 days.
Metcalf says Totem Creek has begun soliciting interest from possible
investors.
He says there are investors that are showing interest and are coming to
Juneau to talk about financing the project.
Although, he says, Totem Creek has not made any commitments yet and their
doors are open to any proposals. He says he would personally like to see as
much local financing as possible.
And if you're interested in investing, Metcalf says the estimates that
they've gotten for construction are within the 6 to 10 million dollar range.
He says that will build a tournament quality 18 hole golf course.
The signing ceremony is the culmination of a process that began in 1994
when the Assembly issued a request for proposals to build a golf course on
land the city owns on Douglas Island.
The site was designated for future growth.
The golf course site is located about one mile beyond the end of the North
Douglas Highway.
Juneau agrees to EPA settlement for air, water violations
SEATTLE (AP) - The municipality of Juneau will pay nearly
37-thousand dollars to settle two complaints by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The E-P-A says the city violated by Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act at it Mendenhall and Douglas wastewater treatment plants.
The E-P-A says the Mendenhall plant used and stored large quantities of chlorine and sulfur dioxide and did not file a risk management plan as required by the Clean Air Act.
Both substances are considered hazardous.
The risk management plan is a tool to aid emergency responders in protecting the public from accidental chemical releases.
The E-P-A also found the city failed to develop a long-term control plan for its Douglas plant.
Under terms of its pollution discharge permit, Juneau was required to develop such a plan by December 27th, 2002.
The E-P-A says that without a plan, there is no schedule to eliminate combined sewer overflow outfalls that allow untreated wastewater to be discharged into surface waters such as Gastineau Channel.
City Manager Rod Swope was
surprised to hear of the A-P account since the settlement was made early
last year.
The Associated Press says the
source for the account was an EPA press release issued today. (Thursday)
Three sisters die in plane
crash in Lake Clark
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Three sisters are
dead after their family's plane went down Wednesday near Port Alsworth.
The girls were traveling with their parents, 38 year-old Jeremy Davis of
Port Alsworth and 31--year-old Michelle Davis, in a Cessna 206.
Alaska State Troopers say the family was returning from Anchorage when the
plane either crashed or made a hard landing on the lake, which is north of
Iliamna.
According to Troopers spokesman Greg Wilkinson, the parents managed to climb
out of the plane, which slipped through the thin ice into the deep water of
the lake.
The girls never made it out and are presumed dead. They are identified as
nine-year-old Samantha, seven-year-old Jesse and six-year-old Katie.
The family had left Anchorage with another Port Alsworth resident who was
flying his own plane.
Wilkinson says the Davises were expected back at 11-45 a-m. When they failed
to show up, their friend called the Alaska National Guard, which launched an
air search.
A private pilot flying over in the area spotted debris from the wreckage.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and Michelle Davis reached a nearby lodge, where they
phoned for help.
Wilkinson says there are no plans to recover the bodies.
Two perish in traffic
accident
ANCHORAGE (AP) - A Soldotna couple is dead in a two-vehicle crash on the
Seward Highway.
Alaska State Troopers say 40-year-old Teresa Stafford and 49-year-old Jay
Stafford died in the accident yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon at Mile 57
near the Hope cutoff.
Troopers say the crash involved a northbound commercial tractor trailer rig
and the Stafford's minivan, which was heading south.
Investigation determined that tractor trailer
lost control when it entered onto the Canyon Creek bridge. The truck skidded across the center line and into the south bound lane of travel.
The driver of the rig, 50-year-old Gilbert Montiel of Chugiak, was not
injured.
The Troopers' Greg Wilkinson says he doesn't know who was driving the van.
He says weather conditions at the time were described as poor.
FERC rules on access to proposed
Alaska gas pipeline
JUNEAU (AP) - Federal regulators today issued its final rules on how
exploration companies would tap into a gas pipeline from the North Slope.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission members say the rules will make sure
the competition for capacity is fair when smaller companies try to access
the proposed pipeline.
The three major North Slope oil producers -- B-P, ConocoPhillips and Exxon
Mobil -- are negotiating to build a 35-hundred-mile pipeline through Canada
to the Midwest.
Smaller companies say they are concerned about fair access to a pipeline
that is built, owned and operated by the same companies that will be using
the line as shippers.
The rules were outlined today at a FERC meeting in Washington, D-C.
Mark Hanley of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation says it appears many concerns
of the explorers have been addressed.
B-P released a statement that says the company is reviewing the rules and
can't comment until they have been reviewed in their entirety.
FERC spokeswoman Tamara Young-Allen says there will be a 30-day period from
Wednesday in which the new rules can be appealed.
Nordstrand to be named
interim AG
JUNEAU (AP) - The governor's office says Scott Nordstrand will take over as
interim attorney general when Gregg Renkes steps down on Friday.
Nordstrand is a deputy attorney general with the Department of Law's civil
section.
Murkowski spokeswoman Becky Hultberg says Renkes and Nordstrand will have a
couple of days together to work out the transition before Renkes'
resignation takes effect.
Renkes announced his resignation last Saturday amid continuing questions
about his stake in a company that stood to gain from an international coal
deal he helped shape as attorney general.
Hultberg says Nordstrand will fill in as acting attorney general until a
permanent replacement is found.
Shelton named acting state
Library director
Education Commissioner Roger Sampson has named long-time Chief Librarian of
the Alaska State Historical Library Kay Shelton as Acting Director of the
Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums.
Shelton replaces George Smith,
who was acting director for the past two years and was deputy director of
the division since 1985.
She has been the chief
historical librarian since 1987.
The department will conduct a
search for a permanent division director in the spring.
Cleanup of Selandang Ayu
ends for winter
ANCHORAGE (AP) - The Department of Environmental Conservation says cleanup
efforts have ended for the winter for the freighter that grounded off
Unalaska Island in December.
Spokeswoman Leslie Pearson says that with fuel removal complete and the
worst of the spilled oil shoveled off nearby beaches, work is largely over
until weather improves.
Spill experts estimate that nearly three-fourths of the fuel carried by the
738-foot Selandang Ayu spilled into the Bering Sea.
The freighter lost power in the Bering Sea and ran aground off Unalaska
Island on December 9th.
Six crewmen died when the Coast Guard helicopter trying to rescue them
crashed.
The total spill is estimated at about 320-thousand gallons.
The salvage firm SMIT America pumped more than 145-thousand gallons of oil
and water out of the ship's fuel tanks since early January.
When workers return, efforts will focus on cleaning up beaches and hauling
off the freighter's remains.
Survey says Anchorage had
lowest gasoline prices
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Last week was a good time to take a drive in Anchorage.
The Lundberg Survey reports that Alaska's largest city featured the
country's lowest gasoline prices.
The survey concluded that a blended price of one dollar, 74 cents per gallon
for regular to premium grades was the lowest among seven-thousand gas
stations across the country.
Gas prices nationwide have been rising but not in Anchorage.
The Lundberg survey says they rose six cents a gallon elsewhere in the last
two weeks.
Steve Hansen is manager at Tesoro Alaska's Nikiski refinery.
He says January in Anchorage is a low-demand month and competition is tight
among Anchorage gas stations.
E. Coli blamed for redpoll die-off in Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS (AP) - Bird experts believe they have found out what's been killing redpolls in Fairbanks.
Department of Fish and Game veterinarian Kimberlee Beckmen says the cause is E. coli and it's the first time the bacteria have been documented in the red-capped finches.
Beckmen says there's only one published report of this particular type of E. coli bacteria killing wild birds and that was in Scotland.
Tests from the state public health lab and a state lab in Washington confirmed that the birds were most likely infected.
She says seed-eating birds such as redpolls should never have any E. coli in their gut but both labs detected high numbers of organisms with the same culture.
After a record 82-hundred redpolls were counted in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count last month, biologists warned of a possible salmonella outbreak.
Like salmonella, the E. coli bacteria is passed at bird feeders.
Feces left around the feeders infects other birds and the disease can spread rapidly.
Wal-Mart to shut down unionized store in Canada
NEW YORK (AP) - Wal-Mart has decided to close a store in Canada where workers have come closest to winning a union contract.
The world's largest retailer says union negotiators at the store in Quebec have made unreasonable demands that would make it impossible to operate efficiently and profitably.
Wal-Mart says the store will shut down in May.
Some employees cried as they left the store today and said they believed the planned closing was the result of their agreement to join the union.
The store became the first unionized Wal-Mart in North America last year, after the bargaining unit was certified by government officials.
Since then, workers at a second Quebec location also have been granted union status. Neither has reached a contract.
California company recalls 102,000 pacifier necklaces
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 100-thousand pacifier necklaces are being recalled because they pose a choking hazard to young children.
The Los Angeles company that makes the items says the nipple can detach from the pacifier. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says so far there have been no reports of incidents or injuries.
The Flashing Pacifier with Whistle Necklace and Flashing Pacifier Shock Baby Necklace were sold through the Internet, distributors and small retail stores from January 2004 through November 2004 for about a dollar.
Consumers should return the pacifiers to the store where purchased to receive a refund.
(For more information, consumers can call Todo Dollar Wholesale at 866- 325-4732 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m PST Monday through Friday.)
Schwan's Food recalls more egg rolls, pizza, tacos after glass fragments found
WASHINGTON (AP) - Schwan's Food Manufacturing has announced a recall on thousands of frozen egg rolls, spring rolls, tacos and pizza twists because they may contain glass fragments.
The Agriculture Department says the products are made at the company's plant in Pasadena, Texas.
This is an expanded recall following an initial recall issued on January 19th after six complaints about glass shards were received.
Today's action was prompted by a recent complaint about a product that wasn't included on the original recall list.
So far no injuries have been reported.
Schwan's urged consumers to not eat the food and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
(More information is available by contacting Schwan's at 1-800-551-5961, weekdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST)
(Copyright ©2005 Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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