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Announcement on new manager
expected at tonight's Assembly meeting.
The Assembly is scheduled to announce a successor to
City Manager Rod Swope at tonight's meeting
following an executive session Saturday where the
two finalists were interviewed.
Current Deputy City Manager Kim Kiefer and Captain
Norman "Buddy" Custard, the chief of staff for the
Coast Guard's District 17 in Alaska are vying for
the job.
Swope's last day on the job is scheduled to be
March 31.
Eagle nests on Assembly agenda
An ordinance up for action at tonight's Assembly
meeting calls for amending the CBJ Land Use Code as
it relates to development near eagle nests.
City Manager Rod Swope says the change would repeal
current restrictions.
It's in response to state DOT work out the road in
the vicinity of 28 and 29 mile that requires
blasting in the area of eagle nests.
Federal agencies have issued the necessary permits.
Federal regulations in regards to the protection of
bald eagles have changed.
Bald eagles have been de-listed as an endangered
species and Swope says this revision to the land use
code acknowledges the change in status. In addition,
in the future the code will defer to the federal
agency responsible for the protection of bald
eagles.
The
Planning Commission at its last meeting voted to
recommend that the Assembly not make the change.
The Assembly will take up a number of resolutions.
One expresses support for House Bill 184 which
reallocates the way funds are distributed from the
raw fish tax between the state and municipalities..
It's currently divided on a 50-50 basis. The measure
calls for diverting 75 percent to local governments
and 25 percent to the state.
Another resolution calls for full funding of the
state's Municipal Harbor Facility Grant Program in
the Fiscal Year 13 capital budget.
The resolution encourages lawmakers to fund the $23
Million request submitted by Governor Parnell.
Included in that amount is $2 Million for projects
at Juneau's Aurora Harbor.
Another ordinance up for action appropriates a state
grant of $50,000 for lighting upgrades at the Juneau
Arts and Culture Center, known as the JACC.
The renewal of the liquor license for the Sandbar is
being protested and is on tonight's agenda.
The CBJ Finance Department reports the Sandbar has a
delinquent sales tax of $261.85 and is delinquent in
filing returns for August through November of last
year.
The department is recommending the Assembly protest
the continued operation of the liquor license until the
returns and associated taxes, interest and penalties
are paid.
The Sandbar can request an informal hearing before
the Assembly.
The Assembly meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. in
Assembly Chambers at City Hall.
Negotiations between school
district and teachers underway
Contract negotiations between the
Juneau School District and the union representing
its teachers will be open for public comment next
month.
Bargaining between the district and Juneau Education
Association begin January 12.
JEA, a local affiliate of the National Education
Association Alaska, represents more than 400 of the
district's 780 staff members.
The current three year deal expires on June 30.
The district in a release says, "All efforts to
reach a successor agreement will be made in the
upcoming months."
Public comment will be taken at the School Board's
regular meeting February 7. That meeting begins at
6:15 in the Juneau Douglas High School Library.
School Board Budget
Committee moves onto next phase
The Juneau School District's Board of Education
Budget Committee moves on to the next phase of the
budget process at their meeting Tuesday night.
The district's Kristin Bartlett with that word. She
says the Budget Committee is now at a point in the
process where they get a chance to have input into
developing next year's budget.
According to Bartlett, the first meeting of the new
year was reserved for the budget proposal to be
presented by the Superintendent and staff. Bartlett
says last week's meeting was largely reserved for
public comment so this will the first time that the
committee gets to weigh in on what they believe are
the priorities for funding over the next fiscal
year.
There will also be public testimony at this meeting
and Bartlett says there will also be answers to
questions that people asked at last week's that have
been prepared by staff to present to the committee.
The next meeting will be on February 14th, and
Bartlett says at that meeting there will likely be
an amended proposal based on input from the
committee. She says after that there will be another
meeting on February 21st that will also allow for
public testimony. At that meeting the Budget
Committee will finalize their recommendation to the
board.
Bartlett says despite the fact that the board
members are a part of the committee, the
recommendation will go to the formal Board of
Education, where they will begin their action in
creating a final budget to submit to the City and
Borough of Juneau.
Super Intendent Glenn Gelbrich's proposed budget
would cut $5.8 million and eliminate 66 jobs within
the district.
The meeting gets underway at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday in
the library at Juneau Douglas High School.
Bill increasing
education funding moves out of Senate committee
The Senate Education Committee passed out
legislation (Monday that increases K-12 education
funding.
It hikes the base student allocation over three
years.
It would go up $125 in Fiscal Year 13; $130 in FY
14; and $135 in FY 15.
The committee bill was spurred by the legislation
pre-filed by Anchorage Senator Bettye Davis.
Senate President Gary Stevens, who serves on the
Education Committee, said he felt the legislation
was the best they could do and the wisest approach
to ensure an increase gets through the entire
process.
Gov. Sean Parnell has said he's open to
discussing ways to help districts meet fixed costs
but has problems with increases in formula programs,
including raising the base student allocation.
House Speaker Mike Chenault shares the Governor's
concern. He thinks
there will be some type of education funding
increase this session, but isn't sure in what form.
Senate Bill 171 now goes to the Senate Finance
Committee.
Unclear who will take
leadership on coastal zone
BECKY BOHRER,Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) House leadership is seeking a
legal opinion on what "substantially similar" means,
as it pertains to a proposed ballot initiative that
would revive Alaska's coastal management program.
But it's not clear the House will take the lead in
considering any coastal management legislation this
session.
The Legislature can pre-empt the measure, if it
qualifies, by passing a substantially similar bill.
Senate President Gary Stevens said recently that if
legislation is proposed, it should come from the
House. The Senate passed a bill aimed at saving the
program during a special session last year. It died
in the House.
House Speaker Mike Chenault says the House did its
job, sending the Senate a bill during the regular
session. He indicated the better place for a bill to
originate is the Senate.
Chenault: 4 weeks enough to
deal with taxes
BECKY BOHRER,Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) House Speaker Mike Chenault
says four weeks is enough to deal with the oil tax
issue, provided the House isn't sent a "complete
rewrite" of Alaska's production tax regime.
The Senate president's goal is to get a bill to the
House with at least 30 days left in session.
Chenault and other majority members say they want a
"meaningful" tax bill that will help boost
investment and reverse the trend of declining oil
production. Last year, the House approved a tax-cut
bill that stalled in the Senate.
The Senate is writing its own bill.
Chenault says lawmakers can go home without passing
a tax bill if faced with something "hollow." He says
it's possible they could stay past 90 days if work
is being done on a more substantial bill.
Chenault: $2B may be 'top
end' for pension issue
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) House Speaker Mike Chenault
says his initial impression is that $2 billion is
probably the "top end" of what lawmakers would put
toward Alaska's unfunded pension liabilities.
The Senate Finance Committee is looking at the $11
billion in unfunded liabilities. Co-chair Bert
Stedman recently said he couldn't imagine the
committee not dealing with the pension issue with an
infusion of equity of greater than $1 billion and
less than $4 billion. He wasn't sure if the money
would go into the system or a side account.
Legislation has been introduced creating a pension
trust reserve fund and transferring $2 billion from
savings to it.
Chenault says he doesn't think it's a bad idea to
pay down some costs. But he has questions about why
the unfunded liabilities continue to mount.
Decoupling bill proposed in
Alaska House
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Another bill that would change
Alaska's system of taxing oil and gas production
together has been introduced, this time in the
House.
Rep. Mark Neuman says his bill, HB306, is the same
measure that passed from the House Resources
Committee during the decoupling debate in 2010.
Neuman says he intends to propose an amendment to
address a particular gas-tax rate.
He says he disagrees with the governor that the
state should wait until there's an actual gas line
project before talking fiscal terms. He says fiscal
terms are important to moving a project ahead.
The Senate Finance is also looking at the decoupling
issue, which could be included in the larger oil tax
debate.
Neuman, a Republican from Big Lake, says he would
rather see it stand alone.
Parnell overseas trip costs
about $20K
BECKY BOHRER,Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Records show that Gov. Sean
Parnell's first state-sponsored overseas trip cost
about $20,800.
Parnell was away for over two weeks last fall,
visiting Israel and several European countries.
Part of the cost, about $3,900, was paid by the
Israeli government. Parnell has said his trip to
Israel came at the invitation of the Israeli
government, which also has reached out to other
state and federal leaders from the U.S. The gift,
listed on his ethics disclosure form requested by
The Associated Press, was for expenses including
meals, transportation, site visits and a hotel for
three nights.
While in Europe, Parnell promoted Alaska seafood in
London and sat down with leaders of three energy
companies now doing business in Alaska. Parnell and
his wife also visited a military hospital in
Germany.
House to talk resolution on Central Park
takeover
AUSTIN BAIRD,Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) When Alaska state Rep. Kyle
Johansen penned a resolution to urge the federal
government to take over New York's Central Park, he
may not have expected a hearing on the issue let
alone a mention in The New York Times.
But he's got both.
The resolution from Johansen, a Ketchikan
Republican, was highlighted in the Times' City Room
blog last week. And the House Resources Committee
planned Monday afternoon to discuss HJR 31, which
argues the federal government's hold on the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge is akin to labeling Central
Park a wilderness area and halting future
development there.
Five other Republicans have signed on the measure,
including House Speaker Mike Chenault. However,
Fairbanks Democrat Scott Kawasaki urged a focus on
what he considers to be more substantive energy
issues.
Snow record established Sunday
A daily snow fall record was set Sunday in Juneau.
The National Weather Service is 6.3 inches was
recorded at the airport which exceeds the record for
the date of six inches set in 1954.
As of this morning, there's 20 inches on the ground
at the airport.
Juneau has recorded 45.1 inches since January 1st
and 59.6 inches since December 1.
There's been 108.6 inches recorded this winter
season.
The record is 197.8
recorded in the winter of 2006 and 2007.
More
snow is in the forecast.
Up to an inch is expected today, 2 to 4 inches
tonight and up to 3 inches Tuesday.
Bus traffic
altered by snow
School buses are operating on snow routes today.
A list of the routes are on the web at
juneauschools.org
Students are reminded to be careful of traffic.
Drivers are urged to use caution when driving near
schools and in neighborhoods where snow banks might
force students off sidewalks and onto streets.
Capital Transit has reverted to its winter route
schedule until midnight.
Cat hunt underway following
burglary
There's news of a cat burglar from the Juneau Police
blotter, literally.
A cat was reported burglarized from a residence in
the 1700 block of Douglas Highway.
A 21 year old woman called police Saturday evening
to say someone entered her home and stole her cat.
Police are investigating.
Derr services set
A service for Romer Derr is scheduled for Tuesday.
The service will be held at Chapel by the Lake at 2
p.m.
Juneau
Representative Cathy Munoz praised Derr and outlined
his accomplishments on the floor of the Sate House
Monday and called for a moment of silence.
Derr passed away at his home Thursday morning.
He was 75.
ASMI to market Alaska
seafood in Brazil
Alaska is about to expand its worldwide marketing of
the state's seafood products.
That's according to Ray Riutta, the executive
director of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
who was a guest on KINY's Capital Chat Monday.
He said they have just opened a contractor's office
in Brazil.
ASMI plans a buyer's trip there in a couple of
months. He says they will take representatives of 10
companies from Alaska with them.
He calls it a great opportunity.
Riutta says Brazil's economy is doing well.
It's primarily a white fish market, so he says the
marketing of cod will the primary focus there,
although they will be pushing salmon and other
products as
well.
Commission cuts most allowable halibut catches,
except Southeast in Alaska
KODIAK, Alaska (AP & KINY) Parts of
Alaska with the exception of Southeast Alaska will
see substantial cuts in the allowable halibut catch.
KMXT reports the International Pacific Halibut
Commission released its catch limits Friday.
Overall, it's down 18 percent from last year, or
about 7.5 million pounds.
Two areas got increases from the commission.
Southeast Alaska had its catch limit increased by
300,000 pounds, or 13 percent. Areas off the
Washington coast will get a 9 percent increase.
The catch limit for the Gulf of Alaska is reduced by
2.4 million pounds, or 17 percent from 2011.
The pound limit reduction is the same for the Alaska
Peninsula southwest of Kodiak Island, but that
equates to a 32 percent drop, to a little above 5
million pounds.
The eastern Aleutian Islands' limit has been reduced
35 percent.
Fuel convoy clears Bering
Sea Ice
The Russian tanker Renda and its escort, the Coast
Guard Icebreaker Healy, are into Dutch Harbor today.
(Monday)
The vessels made it out of the Bering Sea ice Sunday
afternoon after making a delivery of 1.3 Million
gallons of fuel to iced in Nome.
The vessels spent more than a week in pack ice after
leaving the Western Alaska city.
The Renda will sail for Russia after it's stop in
Dutch Harbor.
The crew of the Healy returns to its home base in
Seattle for a long over due rest which was suppose
to happen in time for Christmas until its deployment
was extended.
Conviction and sentence
upheld in Palin email case
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) A federal appeals court
panel has upheld the conviction and sentence in the
hacking of Sarah Palin's email by a Tennessee
student in the 2008 election year.
The three judge panel in a Monday decision affirmed
the conviction of 24-year-old David Kernell for
obstructing an investigation as a University of
Tennessee student at his apartment in Knoxville.
Kernell's attorney, Wade Davies, contended at trial
that Kernell had no criminal intent and that
guessing his way into the email account when the
then-Alaska governor was John McCain's running mate
on the Republican presidential ticket was a prank.
Kernell was released in November after serving less
than 11 months and Davies said he is doing well.
Davies said he will seek a review by the full U.S.
6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
UPDATE - Stabbing suspect
turns himself in to Anchorage Police
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Anchorage police say a
suspect in a weekend stabbing has turned himself in.
The Anchorage Daily News reports that the stabbing
occurred early Sunday morning in an east Anchorage
neighborhood after a man pounded on his neighbor's
door, saying he needed help.
The suspect has been identified as 21-year-old
Richard Smith who is wanted on assault charges.
Police say he turned himself in late Sunday evening.
The woman first thought 56-year-old Thomas Atkinson
Jr. was having a heart attack, but it was soon
discovered he had been stabbed several times in the
back. Police say Atkinson had been drinking with
some other people when one of the men allegedly
started stabbing and punching him.
Police spokesman Dave Parker says Atkinson underwent
surgery and remains hospitalized.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Troopers say men hurt in
accidental shooting
WASILLA, Alaska (AP) Alaska State
Troopers say two men have been treated for injuries
from an accidental shooting in a Wasilla home.
Troopers say
29-year-old Jason Edward Goodrich was trying to
clean his firearm and accidentally fired one round.
According to
troopers, the round struck Goodrich and 28-year-old
Michael Joseph Fierley of Wasilla.
The men were treated
at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center and released.
Troopers say no foul
play is suspected in the shooting.
Thieves plague Fairbanks health center
construction site
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) Fairbanks
police say the construction site of the Chief Andrew
Isaac Heath Center continues to be a target for
thieves.
Lt. Matt Soden tells the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
that there are no suspects in the theft this week of
nearly $4,000 in tools from the site in south
Fairbanks.
Thieves last week stole five spools of copper wire
worth an estimated $3,500.
The new $68 million health center is scheduled to
open in early 2013. It will serve Native Alaskans
from a region that covers about 185,000-square miles
of Interior Alaska.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
AK hearing to be set for
attempted espionage case
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) U.S.
Army officials could decide in February when to
schedule a court hearing for an Alaska-based soldier
charged with attempted espionage.
Army officials say 22-year-old Spc. William Colton
Millay of Owensboro, Ky., transmitted national
defense information to someone he believed was a
foreign intelligence agent.
Officials decline to say what country Millay
believed the so-called agent represented or the time
period involved.
The Army's equivalent of a preliminary hearing is
anticipated to be scheduled next month. Lt. Co. Bill
Coppernoll says it's too soon to know when the
hearing will be held.
Millay was arrested in October and is being held at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
Defense attorney Steve Karns of Dallas says Millay
has not entered a plea in the case, but tells him he
is innocent.
'Woman charged with firing
gun outside home
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) Alaska State Troopers say a
North Pole area woman is accused of firing a pistol
outside her former boyfriend's home and trying to
kick down the door.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says 25-five-year-old
Diana M. Andre faces misdemeanor charges of criminal
trespass and weapons misconduct. Troopers say the
woman's ex-boyfriend called troopers to report Andre
was outside his house Wednesday evening. Troopers
say that her 8-year-old son also was there with what
looked like a rifle.
Troopers say the former boyfriend told troopers that
Andre sent him a threatening message after he turned
down a lunch invitation. The woman told troopers she
fired the shots because her former boyfriend had
threatened her and handed over a Glock
semi-automatic pistol.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
2 men injured in AK home
explosion identified
SOLDOTNA, Alaska (AP) Officials have released the
names of the two Soldotna men burned when a house
exploded in Soldotna, Alaska.
Central Emergency Services Safety Officer Brad
Nelson tells KSRM the injured men were 51-year-old
Frank Hopper and 47-year-old Ken Griffith.
They were transported to a Seattle hospital after
the explosion. Hopper was in serious condition
Friday in an intensive care unit. Griffith was
listed in satisfactory condition.
Hopper owns the home, which suffered flooding damage
earlier in the week. KSRM reports they were in the
home trying to repair damage when the explosion
occurred.
Nelson says there was a natural gas buildup in the
house, and the explosion was triggered when the men
turned on breakers in an electrical panel. The
source of the gas leak hasn't been pinpointed yet.
(KSRM-AM)
2 Hell Angels bikers convicted
of assault in SD, one is from Fairbanks
STURGIS, S.D. (AP) Two members of
the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have been convicted
of assault in connection with a stabbing at last
summer's Sturgis, S.D., motorcycle rally.
The Rapid City
Journal reports that 48-year-old Mark Allen Duclos,
of Fairbanks, Alaska, has been convicted of
aggravated assault, which is a felony.
Fifty-seven-year-old
George James Caruso, of Shirley, Mass., has been
convicted of simple assault, a misdemeanor.
Duclos is scheduled
to be sentenced on Feb. 21 and Caruso on March 5.
Police say two
people were treated for knife wounds after the
confrontation between the Hells Angels and the
Mongols Motorcycle Club during the annual Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally that draws hundreds of thousands of
bikers to South Dakota's Black Hills.
Secretaries name 2 Alaskans to Subsistence
Board
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Two longtime Alaskans have
been appointed to the Federal Subsistence Board.
The Department of the Interior says Anthony
Christianson of Hydaburg and Charles Brower of
Barrow have been appointed to represent subsistence
users.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar made the appointments
with the concurrence of Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack.
Christianson is mayor of Hydaburg and natural
resources director for Hydaburg Cooperative
Association, a federally recognized tribe.
Brower is special assistant to the vice president of
Barrow's village corporation, Ukpeagvik (ook-PEHH'-vik)
Inupiat Corp. He is the former wildlife department
director for the North Slope Borough.
The board oversees the Federal Subsistence
Management Program. The program provides rural
Alaskans with opportunities for a subsistence way of
life on federal public lands with an eye toward
maintaining healthy fish and wildlife populations.
Vehicle owners in
Fairbanks may be paying new tax
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) A new tax is being proposed
for vehicle owners in the Fairbanks North Star
Borough.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner says two Assembly
members have introduced an ordinance to allow for a
motor vehicle registration tax. Ninety percent of
the proceeds would go to reducing the area-wide
property tax mill rate. The remaining 10 percent
would be used to fund fire service area capital
expenditures.
Assemblywoman Nadine Winters says the tax would
primarily benefit homeowners.
Assemblyman Matt Want also is proposing the new tax.
The ordinance received its first reading at the
Borough Assembly meeting Thursday, and was advanced
to the next regular assembly meeting February 9,
where it will be up for public hearing and assembly
debate.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Medicare clinics need
more patients
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) When two clinics opened for
Medicare patients in Anchorage last year, they were
initially flooded with patients.
But the Anchorage Daily News says demand has tapered
off and clinic officials are beginning to wonder
where the rest of the Medicare patients have gone.
Providence Senior Care Center opened just about a
year ago and the Alaska Medicare Clinic in south
Anchorage opened in May. Combined, the clinics have
seen nearly 3,000 patients. That is far less than an
estimated 8,000 to 10,000 Anchorage Medicare
recipients who were believed to be without a primary
doctor last year.
Officials say the two clinics will need more
patients to break even.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Measures taken to
earthquake-proof hospital
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
is undertaking a project to make the hospital even
more earthquake-proof.
The Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital
Foundation's Board of Trustees says the hospital was
built to withstand a very powerful earthquake but
they weren't sure it would be operational.
With that goal in mind, the Fairbanks Daily
News-Miner says that the foundation has started a
$1.7 million project to upgrade the structure of the
building, providing an extra dose of insurance for
the only public hospital in the Interior.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Alaska
hospitals expand to keep up with growth
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A growing
population has created a boom in Alaska hospital
construction.
Providence Health and
Services is renovating and expanding a facility in
Anchorage, upgrading the maternity ward, operating
rooms and other sections.
The Chief Andrew Isaac
Health Center in Fairbanks is replacing its hospital
with a new 150,000-square-foot building.
And a number of other
projects are planned or already in the works around
the state.
Hospital
administrators tell the Daily Journal of Commerce
that they're trying to modernize and keep up with
expected demand.
Mushers battle cold to get dogs
to vet check
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) Some mushers
say they had a tough time getting their dog teams to
the pre-race veterinarian checks for the Yukon Quest
International Sled Dog Race.
The Fairbanks Daily
News-Miner says some mushers had vehicle problems
Saturday in temperatures of nearly 50 below.
Lance Mackey,
four-time champion in both the Quest and the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, plugged his truck in
the night before, but had trouble starting it.
Veteran musher Hugh
Neff says during his drive from Tok to Fairbanks, a
fuel hose snapped in half at a gas station.
A couple dozen
mushers are signed up for the 1,000-mile Yukon
Quest, which begins Feb. 4 in Fairbanks and heads to
Whitehorse in in Canada's Yukon Territory.
Alaska road-kill moose
retrieval program renewed
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A moose conservation group
has renewed a program to salvage the meat of moose
killed by vehicles.
The Anchorage Daily News says the Alaska Moose
Federation expanded its Anchorage moose salvage
program to the Mat-Su area and plans to also set it
up in the Fairbanks area and the Kenai Peninsula.
The program was suspended more than a year ago
because of lack of funding. The program restarted in
Anchorage Jan. 1 after funding was restored through
a $700,000 grant from the state Legislature.
The state allows nonprofit organizations to salvage
the meat of road-kill moose. Moose collected by the
federation is delivered to designated charities for
off-road butchering.
Federation director Gary Olson says the group has
two trucks in Anchorage and just added five in
Mat-Su.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Southeast
weekend basketball roundup
The Juneau Douglas
Crimson Bears Boys Basketball team upped their
record to 12-1 over the weekend by sweeping the
Kodiak Bears in a 2 game series at JDHS High School.
The Bears eeked out a close win 59-56 on Friday
night and came away with a 61-50 win on Saturday
night against a strong opponent.
The Thunder Mountain
Falcons Boys Basketball team split a weekend series
with the Kay-hi Kings in Juneau Friday and Saturday
nights. The Falcons lost 51-46 on Friday night.
Thunder Mountain rebounded in a big way on Saturday,
coming away with a 59-53 victory.
The Juneau Douglas girls basketball team played a
weekend series against their Ketchikan counterparts
on the road Friday and Saturday as well. The lady
bears lost 54-47 on Friday and won an overtime
thriller on Saturday 77-72. Gabi Fenumiai scored 28
points in Saturday's win.
The Sitka Wolves put a hurting on Metlakatla over
the weekend. The Wolves showed their Southeast
opponents what's what on the hardwood Saturday,
winning by a score of 81-58.
Cim Smyth wins Tustumena 200
KENAI, Alaska (AP) Cim Smyth is the winner of this
year's Tustumena 200 sled dog race.
The Peninsula Clarion reports Smyth of Big Lake
edged musher Jeff King of Denali Park by seven
minutes to win the race Sunday.
The Tustumena 200 started Saturday just south of
Kasilof. Mushers went to Homer, and then finished at
the start point.
(Peninsula Clarion)
January may be coldest for
Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)
Meteorologists say January is on track to be one of
the most frigid months on record for Anchorage.
The Anchorage Daily News reports the average
temperature in Anchorage so far this month is 2.7
degrees. That's chillier even than the legendary
winter of 1989, when it was so cold that police
officers couldn't even start their cars one morning.
The deep freeze has prompted schools to hold recess
indoors, and sapped car batteries and cancelled
Anchorage Nordic League practices. So many people
have dead car batteries that it can take three to
four hours for a tow truck to respond.
(Anchorage Daily News)
January to go down as one of
coldest in Fairbanks
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) The temperature in
Fairbanks has not reached 50 below zero but this
month may be one of the coldest Januaries in
community history.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the average
temperature through Wednesday was 24.6 below.
That's the coldest since 1971, when the January
averaged minus 31.7. The coldest average on record
was 1906 a chilly 36.4 below zero.
National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Berg
describes the cold this year as "persistent," with
temperatures about 15 degrees below normal for much
of the month.
The thermometer hit 48 below on Jan. 14 and 15.
Fairbanks had 12 days when the low at the airport
was 40 below or colder, including a six-day stretch
from Jan. 13-18.
The daily high has been above zero for just three
days.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Daffodil
Days underway
It's not too early for a sign of Spring. That sign
is the start of the American Cancer Society's annual
daffodil sale in Juneau called Daffodil Days.
Volunteer Wanda Fleming says sales begin today
(Monday) and continue through February 10th.
She says pre-sales volunteers will be contacting
people and businesses for orders during that time.
The cost is $10 per bundle. Fleming says there are
10 blooms to a bundle.
A minimum order of 10 bundles is required for
delivery which occurs on March 14th. Otherwise they
can be picked up March 14th at the Nugget Mall near
Shear Design or in the Goldbelt Building downtown...
Some extra bundles will be available that day at A
and P Grocery downtown for those who didn't
pre-order.
The money raised from the sale goes towards travel,
education and research for the American Cancer
Society.
Fleming says they raised $26,000 last year.
For more information call Fleming at 364-3617.
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