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OPEC catches state chief
petroleum analyst by surprise
OPEC has agreed to cut production in a bid to keep oil prices stable when
warmer weather erodes demand in the United States and other major importing
countries.
The State of Alaska's Chief Petroleum Economist Chuck Logsdon calls the
cartel's decision a little bit of a surprise.
As a result, he says the state has averaged close to $30 a barrel this
fiscal year. And he adds if it keeps going in this direction, they're
probably be bumping up their Spring forecast.
The Fall forecast issued in November predicted an average price of $27.70
per barrel in this fiscal year.
Logsdon says they're going to be making their Spring price assessment in
about three weeks. He says there will be a more definitive number in early
April.
OPEC is scheduled to make an additional output reduction in April.
Energy Bill cost reduced
U-S Senate Republicans have pared the cost of a national energy bill.
Now they're looking for a way to move it. They've cut the cost of the energy
plan from 31 billion dollars down to about 14 billion.
Senator Lisa Murkowski says that has not affected provisions aimed at
getting an Alaska natural gas line built.
However, a provision to steer funding for rural energy projects to the
Denali Commission has been changed.
That would be authorized at up to 50 million dollars a year, but the
actual amount would be determined each year by congressional appropriators.
The "T" word uttered at Permanent
Fund conference
The Conference of Alaskans has steered its discussions to an area Governor
Murkowski hoped to avoid when he assembled the panel.
While focusing on the future of the Permanent Fund, delegates have also
brought up the question of taxes.
Special presentations have been scheduled for state Revenue officials to
answer questions about tax proposals.
And former Governor Jay Hammond presented his plan for re-shaping permanent
fund dividends. It calls for paying out higher dividends, but taxing back a
portion for state spending
Today began with a presentation by Budget Director Cheryl Frasca on the deep
budget cuts that would have to be made without new revenues.
Frasca estimates at least 17-hundred state jobs would be cut in that
scenario.
U-A-A Economist Scott Goldsmith added that twice as many private sector jobs
could also be lost, resulting in a recession.
Today's agenda called for discussion of possible uses of the permanent fund,
and the status of the constitutional budget reserve.
the first day of the conference ended with delegates giving a preliminary
endorsement of the "P.O.M.V." plan. That would make the annual
payouts from the fund based on a percent of its total market value.
911 call to Juneau Police
reports shooting, man sustains leg injury
Juneau Police have released details on the shooting of a man near Western
Auto Wednesday morning.
The man, who has not been identified, dialed 9-1-1 at about eight minutes
past three to say he had just been shot while walking in the area.
He told police there were two people in a dark colored, older model, full
size van that passed him. As the van passed, he heard three popping sounds
and realized he had been shot.
The van left the area traveling in the direction of Anka Street on Glacier
Highway. Police say the man was unable to provide additional information.
He was transported to the hospital for an apparent wound to his leg. Police
say the injury does not appear to be life threatening.
An investigation is continuing in an effort to bear out the man's
story. Anyone with information is asked to contact
Juneau Police or Crime Line immediately. The Crime Line number is 586-4243.
Callers may remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward.
Planners okay new high
school plan
The Planning Commission took up the new high school during its meeting
Wednesday night.
Commissioners okayed the city project review. the conditional use permit and
variance were approved, according to Community Development Director Dale
Pernula.
Twenty conditions were added. Many deal with traffic and called for
crosswalks that would let motorists know when pedestrians are present. The
plan also calls for two new bus stops.
Tree removal was addressed, but calls for a buffer between the school and
neighboring homes.
A petition drive has been mounted that would force the project to be scaled
back. The signatures are due by sponsors by March 1st.
Eaglecrest officials to outline business
plan
The Assembly Finance Committee meets tonight to receive an update on the
Eaglecrest business plan.
The ski area's board of directors and management will present an overview of
the plan aimed at providing long term financial stability.
During this evening's meeting the League of Women Voters will present a
draft of the 2004 budget survey.
The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in Assembly Chambers.
Rowcroft sentence handed down
Frank Rowcroft is going to jail for two and a half years.
That was part of the sentence handed down Tuesday in Juneau Superior Court
for the former Kmart employee who absconded with nearly $100,000 from the
Juneau store.
The 29 year-old Rowcroft was also directed to complete 500 hours of
community service and placed on probation for ten years.
Lawmakers likely to
increase school funding
Lawmakers are starting to respond to reports of projected deep budget cuts
in school districts throughout the state.
House Finance Co-Chair John Harris says he thinks legislators will try to
gives schools more money when they write the state budget this year.
He guesses they could get anywhere from eight million to 100 million
dollars more.
Senate Finance Co-Chairman Lyda Green also says there'll probably be more
money for schools. She says it could be one-time money to help with rising
retirement system costs.
But the Republican leaders say they haven't figured out yet how they would
pay for an increase.
They're constrained by a state budget deficit that's expected to be about
573 million dollars unless new revenues come in or state spending is cut.
And Governor Murkowski doesn't want to use anymore than 400 million
dollars from the state's budget reserve account to fill that budget gap this
year.
Kayaker returns on his own
The Coast Guard was notified of an overdue kayaker in Craig on Prince of
Wales Island Wednesday night.
Search and Rescue Controller Paul Webb in the Juneau Command Center says
they were notified by State Troopers at about nine o'clock.
He says they were told Carl Tempe left home at about four p.m. for a short
trip around the island on which Craig is located. He was expected home an
hour later.
After the local harbormaster conducted an unsuccessful search, the Coast
Guard was called in. As a helicopter was being readied, the Coast Guard
learned from a relative that Tempe showed up. He had suffered injuries after
his kayak capsized. He had to swim to shore and walk home. Tempe showed up
at about 10:30 and received medical attention for his injuries, and is
reportedly okay.
Tempe is about 50 years old, according to Webb.
Roof collapses under
rain-soaked snow
Seward authorities say workers escaped injury when the roof of a large
storage building collapsed under the weight of rain-soaked snow.
People inside the building had just left when roof caved in yesterday
morning.
Deputy fire chief Jeffery Austin says the collapse caused extensive damage
to front-end loaders, tractors and other vehicles stored inside the
structure.
The flat-roofed building is 600 feet long and 200 feet wide. Austin says the
former saw mill is about 15 years old.
He says reinforced vertical columns held up the heavy metal beams supporting
the roof, and all of it had been designed for extreme loads.
But the snowpack on the roof and the rain it absorbed over the previous 12
hours exceeded the roof's carrying weight.
The building is owned by Juneau-based Goldbelt Industries and has been used
by two Seward companies for storage.
Lady Bears hit the road
The women's basketball team from Juneau Douglas High School is on the road
for a three game swing beginning tonight.
The Crimson Bears are in Anchorage tonight to play the Bartlett Golden
Bears. West Anchorage
is the opponent Thursday night. On Friday night the Bears move to the Mat Su
to take on the Moose of Palmer.
Sea lion with bullet in its
head is rescued
Veterinarians haven't decided whether to remove a bullet from the head of a
sea lion that was found flopping along a California road.
The 300-pound sea lion was rescued after a motorist saw him Monday in
central California, about 60 miles from the ocean.
Animal rescue workers think the mammal may have swum from the ocean to the
San Joaquin River looking for food. They say the bullet in the back of its
skull may have caused it to be disoriented.
A spokeswoman with the Marine Mammal Center says the sea lion ``looks
good.'' She says it wasn't malnourished so it obviously found food along the
way.
Cynthia Schramm says it's under observation at the animal hospital in
Sausalito. Schramm says authorities will probably never know who shot it.
Vancouver tops in reported
UFO sightings across Canada
An annual report says Vancouver and Toronto are the top Canadian cities with
sightings of unidentified flying objects.
According to the 2003 Canadian U-F-O Survey, there were 673 U-F-O sightings
across Canada last year -- 39 percent more than in 2002.
Of the sightings reported last year, 41 were in Vancouver and 34 in Toronto.
The report was released yesterday by Ufology Research of Manitoba.
Survey author Chris Rutkowski says the increase could arise from more people
willing to admit they've seen a U-F-O because they see other people
admitting it.
Of the total sightings, 17 percent remain unexplained.
Rutkowski says the other objects were likely stars or aircraft.
(Copyright ©2004
Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio)
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