JUNEAU DAILY NEWS MINUTE

By Kathy Phillips - kiny@ptialaska.net


Tuesday, February 11, 1997 (c) Alaska Juneau Communications

*There has been what is believed to be another bomb threat at the State Office Building. A call came in at 11:15 this morning that gave an unspecified threat. Employees were evacuated from the State Office Building and the Alaska Office Building, after someone pulled the fire alarm. Commissioner of the Department of Administration, Mark Boyer, says that the building is closed, and all employees are asked to call their voice mail or listen to KINY/KSUP for further instructions on when the building will be open.
*Larry Persily says that The Paper will be making it's return in mid-March. This comes after the closure of the weekly publication on January 14, because it was losing money, and Persily was losing backers. He says that he has several small investors lined up, but that he can't identify them until after negotiations are completed. The Paper will come back with a heavier focus on regional issues affecting Southeast, and without the popular television guide, Channels.
*Property that is currently being leased by the Southeast Alaska Guidance Association in Amalga Harbor may become property of the City and Borough of Juneau. The Assembly voted last night to have city manager Dave Palmer enter into negotiations for the 114 acre parcel that is owned by Joe Smith. The land is surrounded by other CBJ holdings, and will most likely be incorporated into a park. The Assembly also approved a change to the water utility rate schedule for seafood processing and export manufacturing, that would amend the property code, and change certain exemptions. There will not be an Assembly meeting next week due to the President's Day Holiday.
*Wrangell Senator Robin Taylor said on this morning's Capital Chat that he is advocating a move of the Alaska Marine Highway offices to help the agency run more efficiently. Citing the 17 mile one-way commute between the ferry terminal in Auke Bay and the offices downtown as one reason, Taylor said it makes better sense for management to be across the street from the workers. As for bills that would move the Capitol to Anchorage, Taylor said he hasn't seen much support, but that such legislation won't go away until the problem of access is finally fixed.
*Juneau International Airport will be getting a very big visitor. The largest plane manufactured in the U.S., the C5 air transport, will be landing at JIA at 5 o'clock this afternoon. The plane is the biggest to come to Juneau, overshadowing even the DC-10 that visited in 1995. The C5 is 248 feet long, and has a wing span of 223 feet, and is used for transporting outsize equipment. It's capabilities range from carrying 345 fully equipped troops or two 16 ton trucks. It is currently scheduled to depart JIA at 11:30 tomorrow morning. You can see the plane tonight, it will be parked on the Alpha runway at the airport.