Troopers release name of pilot killed in crash of float plane in Ketchikan area
The pilot of a float plane was killed in a crash in Ward Cove near Ketchikan Friday morning.

He's been identified as 38 year-old Josh Murdock.

Beth Ipsen of the Alaska State Troopers says the crash occurred at about 7:30. She says they received a report of an airplane that lost its wing and crashed.

Witnesses reportedly saw the plane owned by Pacific Airways of Ketchikan  lose its wing.

Ipsen says it's a 1959 DeHavilland Beaver float plane that crashed on a grassy knoll  off of the  Tongass Highway in an area  north of Ketchikan.

She says the pilot, who was the  sole occupant,  was found dead.

Ipsen says the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have taken over the investigation.

Stormy weather was reported in the area at the time of the crash.

DEC denies request to review large cruiseship wastewater permit
The Department of Environmental Conservation has denied a request for a review of its Large Commercial Passenger Vessel Wastewater Discharge General Permit.

The permit was issued April 22.

On May 19th, two groups, the Campaign to Safeguard America's Waters and Friends of the Earth requested an administrative review of the permit.

State Assistant Attorney General Lindsay Wolter says the request was denied based on, essentially, two legal issues.

She says the first deals with standing.

The department held that the two groups did not have sufficient standing to bring the case.

Secondly, she says, even if the groups had enough standing they were not entitled to a hearing because they did not raise a disputed and significant issue of law or policy..

DEC Water Division Director Lynn Kent says the permit "faithfully implements the intent and letter of recent legislation" and "provides the high degree of protection of Alaska's waters called for by the law."

Lobbyist cited for fishing without commercial license
Alaska Wildlife Troopers have cited Juneau fisherman and lobbyist Robert Thorstensen, Jr. for fishing without a commercial vessel license.

According to a report on the Troopers' website, Thorstensen was fishing near Hidden Falls on Baranof Island on July 18th in a 32 foot Seasport.

Troopers contacted him and determined the vessel did not have a Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission license -- a requirement to participate in the commercial fishery.

Thorstensen is a well known commercial seiner.

He's also a lobbyist in Juneau for several Alaska fishing groups.

The state's 2010 Lobbyist Directory lists the Alaska Crab Coalition, the Sitka Herring Group and Southeast Alaska Seiners Association amongst his clients.
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(AlaskaReport)

Delegation seeks replacement of helicopter
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's congressional delegation is seeking the replacement of a Coast Guard helicopter following a recent fatal crash off the Washington state coast.

The delegation's written a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, asking that she seek funding to replace the aircraft.

It contends a replacement is critical, given the amount of coastline that must be monitored, the Guard's role in emergency efforts and a desire to avoid diverting a helicopter from another location, thus creating a void in another area.

Three Coast Guard members died earlier this month when their helicopter went down near La Push, Wash. The crew was based in the southeast Alaska community of Sitka. 

Soldier arraigned on murder charges
MARY PEMBERTON -Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A soldier accused of killing his wife and baby daughter has been arraigned on murder charges.

Spc. Kip Lynch entered not guilty pleas in Anchorage Superior Court on Friday.

The 21-year-old Fort Richardson soldier is accused of killing his family in April at their off-base apartment in Anchorage shortly after returning from Afghanistan.

Lynch then turned the gun on himself, shooting himself in the head.

Lynch, a military police officer from Jacksonville, Fla., was treated at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Officials say he has recovered enough to stand trial.

Lynch was arraigned on first and second-degree murder charges Friday, his first court appearance. 

Court gives railroad OK for herbicide spraying
MARY PEMBERTON -Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's highest court has given a green light to the Alaska Railroad to spray weed killers along a section of track.

The Supreme Court issued an order Friday denying a review requested by environmental groups and a Native village.

Plaintiffs' lawyer Austin Williams says the order means that the railroad can begin spraying immediately.

At issue is a plan to spray herbicide along 30 miles of tracks south of Anchorage.

The railroad says it needs weed killers to keep vegetation from forcing apart tracks and concealing problems with fasteners.

But environmental groups and the village of Eklutna say the chemicals will foul drinking water and harm salmon streams.

The Alaska Railroad is believed to be the last in the nation that is herbicide-free.

Parnell criticizes feds after drilling ruling
BECKY BOHRER -Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's governor is calling a court order halting oil and gas development off the state's northwest coast "another nail in the coffin of offshore development."

Earlier this week, a federal judge stopped companies from developing wells on billions of dollars in leases in the Arctic waters of the Chukchi Sea, finding the federal government had failed to follow environmental law before selling drilling rights.

Gov. Sean Parnell says the judge's findings were troubling. But he says he now plans to press the federal government to get its "act together" and to do things right.

He says further delay only means Alaska jobs are "going to waste" and the country is losing out on developing a domestic energy source that could help ease its reliance on foreign oil.

Construction worker killed in Mat-Su cave-in
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A worker on a water project for the new Mat-Su Borough prison was killed in the cave-in of an old well.

KTUU-TV reports 45-year-old Steven Paul Ziegler of Palmer was operating a dirt compactor Thursday when the well's concrete casing gave way and he fell into a 20-foot void and was buried alive.

Other members of the Prosser-Dagg construction crew were unable to save him.

Alaska State Troopers says the body was recovered by rescuers using heavy equipment to remove the rubble.

The well was on a farm about a half mile from the Goose Creek Correctional Center.
(KTUU-TV)

5 people rescued from boat burning near Homer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Five Kenai residents were plucked from a 36-foot boat that caught fire in Kachemak Bay 13 miles west of Homer.

A Good Samaritan vessel, the Happy Hooker, responded to a call for help relayed by the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard took a mayday call from the stricken vessel just before 11 a.m. Thursday.

The agency issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and the rescue vessel reached the burning boat within five minutes.

The rescued boaters — Greg Lindhartsen, Gloria Adkins, Linda Mullens and two children — were taken to Homer.

The Coast Guard says the cause of the fire is not known. 

Catamaran escapes trouble in Kachemak Bay
A catamaran with 17 people on board was taking on water in Kachemak Bay near Homer this morning. (Friday)

The Coast Guard says the crew of the 34 foot Showtime was able to bring flooding under control with the use of two pumps.

It headed back to Homer.

Alaska man bitten through tent, never saw animal
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A backpacker in Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve was bitten on the hand through his tent by what he suspects was a bear.

Kurt Skoog told National Park Service rangers he never actually saw the animal that bit him while he was camping last week along Easter Creek, about 40 miles west of Anaktuvuk Pass in the Brooks Range.

The 55-year-old Skoog of Glennallen said he heard the animal early the morning of July 16, and when he raised his hand against the tent, the animal took it and held it for a few seconds.

When Skoog attempted to pull his hand back, the animal bit it. Skoog then "played dead" and the animal left after about 30 seconds.

Skoog packed his gear and hiked about a dozen miles to Agiak Lake, where he reported the incident to park employees.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Alaska game managers ask for caribou ruling delay
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Alaska game managers have asked a court to delay a ruling that threatens to nullify permits to hunt caribou from the Nelchina herd.

Superior Court Judge Carl Bauman of Kenai ruled on July 9 that a community harvest hunt for eight villages in the Copper River basin was illegal because it amounted to a rural preference that violates the state Constitution's common-use clause.

The judge also said the state's decision to issue "Tier I" permits to hunters outside those villages was "arbitrary and unreasonable."

The Nelchina hunt is scheduled to open Aug. 10. The state mailed 850 Tier I permits to hunters before Bauman's decision. As of last week, it was determining how many permits would be issued in the community hunt.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Parnell standing behind energy adviser Therriault
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Sean Parnell is standing behind his energy adviser Gene Therriault.

Parnell says the advice he received in hiring the former lawmaker was the same legal advice that's been given for decades.

He says he acted in good faith and is standing on that legal precedent and practice, which he says allows for hiring if the position was created after the legislator left office.

Therriault's hiring last year drew renewed scrutiny recently when Attorney General Dan Sullivan acknowledged shortcomings in the legal analysis and advice his department gave Parnell on hiring another former lawmaker, Nancy Dahlstrom, for a newly created position as military affairs adviser. Dahlstrom resigned.

Lawmakers are barred from taking posts created when they were in office. She and Therriault resigned their seats before taking the new jobs.

Democrat McAdams raises about $9,200 in first month of U. S. Senate campaign
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams, a late-entry into Alaska's U.S. Senate race, ended the quarter with about $4,500 on hand.

The Democrat announced his candidacy June 1, the filing deadline. The reporting period ended June 30; he received nearly $9,200 in contributions.

His candidacy follows an effort by state Democrats to recruit someone they considered a viable contender against Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Murkowski, who ended the quarter with nearly $2.4 million on hand, faces a primary challenge from Joe Miller, who had about $125,000 on hand. Miller's also getting support from a third-party group, the national Tea Party Express.

Two other Democrats are running, Frank Vondersaar and Jacob Seth Kern, but reported little or no financial activity during the quarter.

Begich has about $263K in campaign war chest
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — U.S. Senator Mark Begich raised nearly $138,000 between April and June — and he's not up for re-election until 2014.

As of June 30, the Alaska Democrat reported having about $263,000 on hand.

Filings were due to the Federal Election Commission last week, though it's taken time for the agency to post some of the reports online.

Alaska merit scholarship program rules developing
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Alaska regulators have released the first batch of rules for a new scholarship program approved by the Legislature this year.

The Department of Education and Early Development is working on proposed regulations that schools and students would need to meet in order to receive money from a future scholarship fund.

The Legislature approved a scholarship plan by Gov. Sean Parnell in April but it has not yet been funded. It will give college aid to high school students who stay in Alaska for college or technical school.

The rules would require students to attain minimum grade-point averages and SAT scores and to take certain classes. They also require school districts to monitor student eligibility and outline a specific process for home-school applicants.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Junk Round-up nets 364 vehicles
Results are in for the most recent Junk Vehicle Roundup sponsored by the City and Borough of Juneau in the ongoing effort to ride the town of junks.

City Manager Rod Swope said on KINY's Capital Chat Friday morning (Friday) that the roundup brought in 364 junks this time.

They included 52 Chevrolets, 31 Dodges, 83 Fords, 15 Hondas, 15 Jeeps. 13 Plymouths, 19 Subarus, and 27 Toyota's.

The junks also included two Audis, a BMW and two vehicles whose makes could not be determined.

In addition there were two boat trailers, two travel trailers, a fifth wheel, a motor home, and a motorcycle.

The roundup of junks, done a couple of times each year, is contracted out to Tonsgard.

Indian settlement bill turned down by Senate
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Senate has rejected a $3.4 billion government settlement with American Indians that had been added to a much larger war-funding bill.

The Senate's approval would have given the Obama administration the authority to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in 1996 over Native Americans claims that the Interior Department mismanaged billions of dollars held in trust by the government.

Alaska Airlines tests 'greener' landing at Sea-Tac
SEATTLE (AP) — Alaska Airlines says it's flown another test flight of landing procedures at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport that can save fuel, reduce noise and cut emissions by a third.

The procedures, already used in Alaska and at several Lower 48 airports, use satellite technology to guide a plane to a landing. That permits the aircraft to fly a shorter, more direct and slower approach.

Alaska Airlines is working with the Port of Seattle, Boeing and other airlines to get Federal Aviation Administration approval to use the techniques at Sea-Tac.

If so, Alaska Airlines estimates that more than 2 million gallons of fuel could be saved each year.

The project began last summer, and this week's test involved a 737 jetliner making eight approaches to the airport.

Juneau plays for regional Majors crown
Juneau's entry at the Majors Baseball tournament underway in Sitka plays for the championship Friday.

They'll play Sitka following Sitka's narrow 4 to 3 victory over Ketchikan Thursday.

Juneau earned a berth in the championship contest with a 6 to 3 win over Sitka Wednesday.

If Juneau wins, they advance to the state tournament in Anchorage. 

Sitka would have to defeat Juneau a second time on Saturday  to win the regional tournament and advance to state.