Colberg steps down
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP and KINY) - Alaska Gov. Palin's office says Attorney General Talis Colberg has resigned.

A release from the Governor's Office says Governor Palin accepted his resignation.

Colberg is quoted as saying, “I determined that it was in the best interest of the State of Alaska to move on and pursue other opportunities."

Palin is quoted in the release as stating, "“Talis is a highly intelligent, thoughtful and reserved scholar who brought considerable legal knowledge and great personal integrity to the position. “I appreciate his willingness to serve and as the search for a new attorney general begins, I will look for someone with the same strong moral character as Talis. I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Colberg was appointed to office when Palin was elected in 2006.

Bill McAllister, Palin's Communication's chief said it was a personal decision on Colberg's part and that Colberg was neither fired nor forced out of office.

In the Troopergate investigation last fall of Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner, a legislative panel had subpoenaed nine state employees and Palin's husband. They all initially refused to testify.

Colberg, who represented seven stat employees, said he advised them of their options, then went to court to challenge the subpoenas, an argument he ultimately lost.

Earlier this session, the House Judiciary Committee raked Colberg over the coals for his role in the employees' initial decision not to honor the subpoenas.

Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Division Rick Svobodny has been named acting attorney general, according to the release.  Svobodny served as Juneau's District Attorney in the past.

Elton and French comment on Colberg resignation
Anchorage Senator Hollis French was in charge of the Senate's Troopergate probe.

"As to what led to his resignation, I'm not going to speculate on it", he said. "I don't see any point in it and from my perspective, its time to move on."

When asked if Troopergate led to Colberg's demise, Juneau Senator Kim Elton said he didn't have the slightest idea.

Elton co-chaired the Legislative Council that voted to conduct the investigation.

He added that he thought it was good for Colberg, the Governor and the Legislature. He thinks it kind of clears the way toward restoring communication on some issues that are important to the state.  

Kohring says he asked Bush for pardon
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A convicted Alaska lawmaker sought but didn't receive either a pardon or reduction in his federal prison sentence from former President Bush.

Former state Rep. Vic Kohring tells the Anchorage Daily News in a handwritten letter dated Feb. 2 that he knew the odds were against him. But, Kohring says, he needed to ask or he'd always wonder if either would have been granted.

The Wasilla Republican was convicted of taking bribes to push legislation for a major natural gas pipeline and oil taxes. He is serving a 3 1/2-year prison sentence in California.

Kohring insisted in the letter to the newspaper that he is innocent. He is awaiting word on an appeal.

Kohring is one of four former Republican state lawmakers convicted in the ongoing federal probe of corruption in Alaska politics.
---
Information from: Anchorage Daily News

Could Permanent Fund losses preclude dividend payment?
There was a question raised during this morning's meeting of the Finance Committee in the State Senate on whether a Permanent Fund Dividend will be issued because of losses in the stock market this fiscal year.

The question was raised by Michael O'Leary of Callan Associates, the state's principal investment advisor, during a performance review of the Permanent Fund.

Anchorage Senator Hollis French said afterwards that the question is whether a dividend can be paid when the value of fund is less than the investments that were put in to it.

A legal opinion issued during the Murkowski Administration said the issues is whether unrealized profits or losses can be counted. Greg Renkes, the Attorney General then, determined they did not count and that an unrealized loss doesn't lower the value of the fund.

French thought that until there was an opinion to the contrary, the Legislature is working under the assumption that the law allows payment of a dividend despite the significant losses the fund took in the stock market this year.

Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Bert Stedman said the question hasn't been raised during audits in past years. He expects there will be no problem paying a dividend this year.

Governor Palin's Department of Law is reportedly reviewing the Renkes opinion.

Assembly finds funds to ship recycled paper and cardboard out of town
The Assembly has decided on a course of action to deal with the paper and cardboard piling up by the container van load at the landfill.

The recycling center in Seattle where it's sent now is no longer paying for it.

At last night's (Monday) work session the panel agreed to use funds set aside for a CBJ recycling center in the Hazardous Waste reserve fund to pay the shipping costs for up to one year.

If the recycling market does not rebound by then, the Assembly will look at another means for handling the problem.

Using the funds will mean that the waste disposal fee charged to property owners and businesses will not increase.

According to city officials, residents recycle about one container load worth of paper and cardboard every week.

Each container costs about $2,000 to ship to Seattle.

At last night's meeting, Assembly member Randy Wanamaker urged the Assembly to fund a feasibility study on a gas plasma facility or a new incinerator.

The Assembly decided that funding a feasibility study would be premature. First they want to review the hazardous waste study that was completed last year.

The panel will take up waste management issues again in about a month.  

Senate passes Obama's economic recovery plan
WASHINGTON (AP) -KINY- President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan has passed the Senate and is on its way to difficult House-Senate negotiations.

Just three Republicans helped pass the plan on a 61-37 vote and they're already signaling they'll play hardball to preserve more than $108 billion in spending cuts made last week in Senate deal making.

Alaska Senator Republican Lisa Murkowski voted against the bill saying the plan was excessive, not sufficiently stimulative and leaves states on the hook for future spending.

Alaska Senator Mark Begich voted for the bill. He said the measure include funds for Alaska infrastructure projects and tax relief for many Americans in the middle class.

Obama wants to restore cuts in funds for school construction jobs and help for cash-starved states.

Those cuts are among the major differences between the $819 billion House version of Obama's plan and a Senate bill costing $838 billion. Obama has warned of a deepening economic crisis if Congress fails to act. He wants a bill completed by the weekend.

CBJ submits more than $226 Million in projects for stimulus package
The City and Borough of Juneau has submitted possible projects to be funded under President Obama's economic stimulus package at the request of the state's congressional delegation.

City Manager Rod Swope says they dug out the six year capital improvement program and pulled out shovel ready qualified programs.

He says the list exceeds 226 million dollars worth of projects.

Basically it includes everything from A to Z, the Augusta Brown swimming pool to the Zach Gordon Center.

In between are the Transit Center, the Consolidated Public Works facility, the DZ Middle School covered playground area, as well as airport, sewer, hospital and street improvements.

Anchorage compiling stimulus list
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage is compiling a list of potential projects that could benefit from the federal economic stimulus package being considered by Congress and President Obama.

The projects include expanding the port to hiring young people to work on summer jobs in the parks.

Permits and Subport rezone before the Planning Commission 
A couple of permits and a downtown rezone are among the items before the Planning Commission tonight. (Monday).

The rezoning is for the property owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority that's now used for parking near the former Support building.

The rezone would be from water front commercial to mixed use.

There's also an application for a conditional use permit to allow for fill and rock to create new land for outside storage and staging for Channel Construction at 2691 Channel Drive.

And right next to that is an allowable use permit to allow fill and rock to create land to support a storage building and other faculties by DIPAC.

Also on the agenda is an application for a conditional use permit to remodel Chilly Willy's car wash.

Southeast Extinguisher Service would utilize most of the building with the rest to be leased out.

The Planning Commission meets at 7 tonight in the Assembly Chambers.

Weather advisory issued for Juneau as snow inches toward winter record
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Juneau from Noon today until Midnight.

A snow accumulation from 2 to 4 inches is forecast today and another 1 to 3 inches tonight.

There was 4.7 inches recorded at the airport Monday.

Meteorologist Paul Suffern  says that will add to the total for the winter season as it strives to be the top winter on record for snow in Juneau.

Through midnight Monday there was 142.6 inches recorded at the airport since July 1st.

The record is the winter of 2006 - 2007 at 197.8 inches. There was over five feet of snow in March of that winter.

Alaska Ear - Elton to D. C.?
The Alaska Ear gossip column in the Anchorage Daily News Sunday had Juneau Senator Kim Elton all but packed and moved to Washington, D. C. to take a job with the Obama Administration.

The job is special assistant to the Secretary of Interior for Alaska.

Elton says the gossip is wrong, although he's under consideration for the job.

Elton headed the Obama campaign in Juneau and is a friend of former Alaskan Pete Rouse who serves as chief of staff of Obama's transition team.

Salazar rejects Bush drilling plan
By H. JOSEF HEBERT - Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has rejected a Bush administration plan to open vast waters off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts to oil and gas drilling.

Salazar criticized what he said was "the enormous sweep" of the Bush drilling proposal announced four days before President Barack Obama took office. He said it did not take into consideration the views of states and coastal communities.

Instead Salazar on Tuesday directed studies into how much oil and gas might be found off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. He also plans to hold regional meetings to get comments from the public before proceeding with an offshore energy plan.

Congress lifted a broad ban on offshore oil and gas drilling last fall. But the Interior Department must issue the a plan for oil and gas leases.

Slide blocks a main Ketchikan thoroughfare
A land slide closed the North Tongass Highway at Mile 5 in Ketchikan this morning. (Tuesday)

Zak Young of KTKN in Ketchikan said both lanes of traffic were blocked.

He says resident Dodie Morrison said it sounded like someone was blasting across the street until she realized it was a rock slide.

Ketchikan Police told Young the roadway would probably be closed most of the day. They said there were rocks bulldozers couldn't move so they would have to be broken up.

Young says officials thought the road should be opened to one lane of traffic later today, but clearing the road entirely could take longer.

No injuries were reported.

A house remains close to the edge of a slope, but is not in danger of falling onto the road, according to State DOT.

Bus service was also disrupted.
(Thanks to Zak Young of KTKN Radio - Ketchikan)

New ambulances are red
Two new ambulances have been delivered to Capital City Fire Rescue.

There's a noticeable difference between the new ones and the current pair, according to Fire Chief Eric Mohrman, who says they are red and not white in color.

The current ones will be put in reserve status once the new ones are pressed in to duty in about two weeks time, he says.

The new ambulances were manufactured by Braun Northwest of Chehalis, Washington.

Gas line resolutions approved by State House
The State House approved a series of resolutions Monday related to the construction of a natural gas bullet pipeline from the North Slope to Cook Inlet.

One dealt with obtaining federal approval to export the natural gas.

The others called for reopening the Agrium fertilizer plant in Kenai; working with a private entity such as Enstar to participate in a project to help supply demands in Anchorage around 2014 when the current supply is expected to decline dramatically; and to identify a gas producer in the Gubik area or other parts of the North Slope to commit to producing natural gas.

Stimulus resolution rushed through the Legislature and sent to Governor
The State Senate Monday approved a House resolution regarding the economic stimulus package now pending in Congress.

The resolution, asking for Alaska's "fair share" of any stimulus package was initially approved 16 to zero.

It was also taken up on reconsideration on the same day and passed by the same tally.

The House later concurred with Senate changes on a 32 to 1 vote and sent the resolution to the Governor.

Lawmaker wants to rename Mt. McKinley, Denali
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A move is under way to change the name of North America's tallest mountain from Mount McKinley to Denali.

Fairbanks Rep. Scott Kawasaki has filed a House resolution, that, if approved, would urge Congress to make the change. The mountain was named for President William McKinley of Ohio, who never visited the territory, which later became Alaska.

Kawasaki says the people of Alaska should have the right to name their own monuments. He says "Now is our opportunity to reassert our authority over our mountain ... the name Denali means something, culturally, to most Alaskans."

Since 1975, Ohio Rep. Ralph Regula has blocked legislation in Congress to rename the mountain. Regula's district includes McKinley's hometown. Regula retired this year, but two other Ohio representatives have pledged to continue the name-change battle.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Palin names new rural advisor
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has named a new rural affairs adviser. John Moller began his new post in late January.

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister says Moller was hired before the state's current hiring freeze went into effect. The 47-year-old Moller will earn just over $89,000 annually in the position.

He is based in Juneau.

Troopers: Man kills himself after attacking girlfriend
NEW STUYAHOK, Alaska (AP) - Alaska State Troopers say a New Stuyahok man accused of attacking his girlfriend fled and then killed himself as authorities approached.

The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Bobby Pavela.

He shot himself in the head Saturday night as the village public safety officer approached.

Constitution delegate dies
By ANNE SUTTON -Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A moment of silence was held on the state House and Senate floors Monday to honor a delegate to the 1955 Alaska Constitutional Convention who has died.
George Sundborg Sr. died Saturday of pneumonia in Seattle, according to his family. He was 95.

A former newspaperman, Sundborg was in charge of the style and drafting of the Alaska Constitution.

Friends and colleagues remember Sundborg as a dignified and scholarly man who played a key role in making the Alaska State Constitution a model document.

George Sundborg Jr. says his father always described the convention as one of the greatest events of his life.

The elder Sundborg was one of four remaining delegates from the original group of 55 members.

Sundborg later worked as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Ernest Gruening, D-Alaska.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Volcano quiets after emitting steam
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska's Mount Redoubt has been relatively quiet today (Tuesday) after emitting a steam plume several hundred feet above the crater the previous day.

Allison Payne, a geologist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, says overall the tremors at the volcano 100 miles southwest of Anchorage had decreased in the past 24 hours.

Payne says on Monday the volcano was steaming "pretty vigorously" but there was no obvious steam on Tuesday.

In late January, the observatory began detecting a sharp increase in earthquakes beneath Mount Redoubt. Geologists have since warned that an eruption could occur.

Alaska Air questions Virgin America's US status
ATLANTA (AP) - Alaska Airlines is questioning Virgin America's ownership status, asking the government to determine whether the fledgling airline continues to meet the qualifications for being a U.S. air carrier.

Burlingame, Calif.-based Virgin America, which launched in 2007, has said it is a U.S.-controlled and operated airline and is a separate company from Virgin Atlantic, which is controlled by British billionaire Richard Branson. The privately held airline has said Branson's Virgin Group is a minority holder in Virgin America.

But Alaska Airlines, a unit of Seattle-based Alaska Air Group Inc., said in a statement Tuesday that recent media reports call into question Virgin America's compliance with U.S. foreign ownership and control restrictions on domestic carriers.

Alaska Airlines and Virgin America compete largely in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Alaska Airlines said it has petitioned the Department of Transportation to conduct a public inquiry into the citizenship status of Virgin America.

Under U.S. law, foreign ownership in a U.S. air carrier is limited to 25 percent. Alaska Airlines asserts that the carrier must also be effectively controlled by U.S. citizens.

Alaska Native consortium gets federal grant
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium will use a $1 million grant to study Hepatitis B.

The National Institutes of Health grant is one of 12 offered nationwide.

The consortium treats about 1,350 Alaska Natives who have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B, which officials say puts them at risk for liver cancer.

The grant will help researchers detect those patients who need antiviral medications, evaluate markers for liver cancer at an early and treatable stage and find out which drug combinations are best for treating hepatitis.

31 apply for open Anchorage School Board seat
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - One vacant job in Anchorage is attracting a lot of applications.

Thirty-one people have applied for the open seat on the Anchorage School Board.

The vacancy was created when Chris Tuck was elected to the Alaska House.

School board members will choose a winner from the applicants on Saturday, and that person will serve until April.

Then voters will choose someone to complete Tuck's term, which ends next year.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Stamp prices to go up 2-cents in May
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID - Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The post office will be getting an extra 2-cents worth when you mail a letter starting in May.

The Postal Service announced Tuesday that the price of a first-class stamp will rise to 44 cents on May 11.

That gives plenty of time to stock up on Forever Stamps, which will continue to sell at the current 42-cent rate until the increase occurs. They will remain valid in the future regardless of rate hikes.

Postage rates go up annually in May, with the new prices announced in February. The overall change is tied to the rate of inflation in the year before.

While the new 44-cent rate covers the first ounce of first-class mail, the price for each additional ounce will remain unchanged at 17-cents.
---
On the Net:
U.S. Postal Service:  http://www.usps.com