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Juneau Daily News Online

Friday, February 12, 1999  © Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio News

Highways reopened this morning
   Drifts had closed Haines and Klondike
The Haines and Klondike Highways were reopened today after being closed yesterday afternoon. Visibility was down to ten feet and the drifts were as high as four feet yesterday. The roads opened again at about nine this morning. (At left, the General Telephone office on the corner of Second and Main in Haines. The snow on the roof of Howser's IGA Market came down on the front of the GTE building and that, coupled with drifting and plow berms literally buried them. Photo was taken on Saturday, February 6, 1999.)

Capital City snowfall now above normal
As of this morning, Juneau had recorded 108 inches of snow this winter. That already surpasses the normal winter snowfall of 95 inches. A snow advisory in effect today promises up to another five inches. The top snowfall came during the winter of 1964-65 when 194 inches were recorded.

Plowing budgets melting away
The men in charge of plowing roads in the Juneau area were guests on KINY's Capital Chat this morning. Gary Hayden (left in photo), the Director of Construction, Maintenance and Operations for the Southeast Region of the State Department of Transportation, and CBJ Public Works Director Ernie Mueller (right in photo) both said their snow removal budgets are being rapidly depleted. Hayden says he can make up the difference by cutting back on summer projects. Mueller says his summer time work will have to go forward as scheduled. He said such things as the striping of crosswalks is most important with the throng of tourists that will be visiting Juneau again.

Cars bang together on North Douglas
No one was hurt in a two vehicle accident on North Douglas Highway before eight this morning, but both suffered about four thousand dollars damage. One driver was cited for backing out of a driveway into the path of the other.

Collins, Lorenson make short list for judgeship
The Alaska Judicial Council (left) forwarded the names of Ketchikan District Court Judge Patricia Collins and Juneau Attorney Ron Lorenson to the Governor today for his consideration in filling a Juneau Superior Court vacancy. The vote on Collins was unanimous with Lorenson approved on a 5 to one tally. The Governor now has 45 days to make his selection. His choice will take the place of Judge Walter Carpeneti who is being sworn in today as the next justice of the Alaska Supreme Court.

Delegation splits on Clinton vote Alaska Senators Frank Murkowski (left) and Ted Stevens (right) split on today's impeachment vote. Both voted for the article on obstruction of justice, but Stevens voted no on the perjury charge while Murkowski voted for it. All in all, Republicans were unable to gain a simple majority on either vote. The closest vote was a 50-50 tie on the perjury charge. Sixty-seven votes were needed for conviction.

Hillary comes home to teach kids skiing
Juneau's most famous skier will be sharing her skills at her home town ski area this weekend. Hilary Lindh returns to Eaglecrest to ski with 50 young skiers ages 6 to 17 on President's Day Monday. On trips home in the past, Lindh has skied with Juneau Ski Club's racers. But this year she'll coach the non-racers. Dubbed "Kids Take Off Day," Lindh says she expects the kids to be all over the hill, just as she was as a youngster at Eaglecrest. On Saturday and Sunday, Lindh will coach women skiers in the ski area's first women's clinic. The Olympic silver medallist is on her way to Juneau from Vail, Colorado, where she was covering the world ski championships for ESPN. Lindh retired from downhill racing last year and is completing her bachelor's degree at the University of Utah.

Mayors warn of trickle-down taxes
Mayors from around the state (left) delivered their "State of the Municipalities Address" during a meeting in Juneau today. Kenai Mayor Make Navarre, President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors, said the public must realize that actions taken by the state have consequences at the local level in tax rates and local services. Juneau Mayor Dennis Egan said all of Alaska's local governments are in the same boat as they face reduced state funding, and increasing demands for services.

Drivers warned to be on lookout for deer
There was no sign of that deer this morning that had to be shooed off Egan Drive yesterday morning near the state D-O-T regional headquarters complex on Glacier. Police called Fish and Game Assistant Area Biologist Neil Barton to the scene who said they found the deer hunkered down under a tree. It looked like it was doing okay and they determined to leave it alone and to check again this morning to determine if a capture was necessary. But Barton says there was no sign of the deer, although he'll check again today. He figures the snow up high is pushing the deer down to the beaches. He warned motorists to be on alert for deer in that area and out North Douglas.

"It's Magic" Sunday night
Anchorage Magician Mike Robbins (right) is the headliner for Sunday evening's Fourth Annual Magic Show sponsored by the Juneau Gastineau Rotary Club. Gerry Snow, who appeared during last year's show, returns this year, and, also on the bill, local magician and balloon artist, Jeff Brown. The magic starts at 6 that evening at the high school auditorium. Tickets are ten dollars for adults and seven dollars for senior citizens and kids.

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