Juneau delegation asks Palin to override decision of disaster cabinet
Juneau's legislative delegation is asking Governor Palin to reconsider the decision of her disaster cabinet that the Snettisham avalanche electricity crises does not qualify as a disaster.

In the letter sent to the governor yesterday (Monday), the delegation states that the cabinet's decision limits the definition of disaster too narrowly and precludes Palin from exercising the same latitude as previous governors and does not take into account any future decisions made by the federal government.

The delegation also notes that there were no written findings outlining what criteria the disaster cabinet used to make it's determination.

They say the failure to declare a state disaster limits the the state's congressional delegation's ability to request federal aid.

The delegation is inviting Palin to meet with Juneau residents to find out first hand how the huge hike in electrical bills is effecting them.

The delegation notes that in 1997 Governor Tony Knowles declared a state disaster as a result of the Bristol Bay salmon run collapse.

Knowles declared the disaster based on a temporary economic setback for Bristol Bay fisherman and associated workers and businesses.

State assistance totaled more than 2 million dollars.  

AEL&P submits new proposal...new electric rate hike to apply after April 16 avalanches
Alaska Electric Light and Power is delaying sending out the month of May's bills until the Regulatory Commission of Alaska decides on the utility's latest filing.

AEL&P today (Tuesday) filed an amended filing with the RCA to postpone implementation of the increased tariff so it applies only for power consumed after the April 16th avalanches.

In a written statement released tonight, AEL&P president Tim McLeod said the utility is taking the action to respond to the concerns of Juneau residents.

He said "Juneau consumers are rewriting the history books when it comes to energy conservation and it's only fair that they not pay the higher tariff for electricity consumed before the avalanche".

The filing requests RCA approval of the change by tomorrow. (Wednesday)

The emergency cost of power adjustment rate will be the same as previously approved, only the implementation date will change.

The avalanches knocked down two transmission towers and damaged several others interrupting the flow of power from the Snettisham hydroelectric dam.

South Franklin set to be paved
South Franklin Street is scheduled to paved tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

The street will blocked between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. from the Red Dog Saloon to Front Street.

City officials say any vehicles parked on that stretch of South Franklin Street after 11 p.m. Tuesday evening will be towed.

Cowan: School district fund balance will cover electric bill
The huge hike in the cost of electricity has school district administrators projecting the effects on this year's and next year's budget.

Superintendent Peggy Cowan says obviously they have had to adjust this year's anticipated expenditures as well as next year's.

She says the administration budgets for a fund balance that is used to address these kind of unexpected situations.

Cowan says there is enough money in this year's fund balance to cover the district's increased electric bill.

The legislature did approve additional money for the state's school districts before adjourning.

Cowan says that money will be added to the remaining fund balance for next fiscal year.

The superintendent says they won't have as much money to add to programs next year as they had anticipated before the energy emergency, but they will have enough to pay their bills.

She says the school board is expected to finalize this year's budget at it's next meeting in two weeks.

Cowan says the district should have received an electricity bill by then.

She's recommending that that board take up next year's budget at it's first meeting in June.

Power conservation report due to the School Board
The School Board will receive a report tonight (Tuesday) from Superintendent Peggy Cowan on measures the district is taking to conserve electricity.

Another information item is a report on the school district instructional model and support teams that are currently in place.

Cowan says the initiative has been in place for two years.

An action item is a calendar amendment for the Launching Literacy program at Mendenhall River Elementary School.

Cowan says the amendment would allow for early release of students on Friday afternoons to give teachers an opportunity to examine data, look at student achievement, get additional training, and to adjust their instruction to meet the needs of their students.

The School Board meets at 6 tonight at the high school library.

North Slope crude nearly reaches $122 a barrel
Alaska North Slope oil for delivery to the West Coast shot up over $120 a barrel in today's trading.

It closed at $121.84 compared to Monday's close of $119.97.

Ferry schedules out early and available for public comment
Draft schedules for next fall, winter and spring have been released by the Alaska Marine Highway.

That's in contrast to the summer schedules that were late spurring lots of complaints.

Roger Wetherell of State DOT says the schedules are nearly eight weeks earlier than last year.

He says the changes are slight. The schedule does incorporate a few more weeks of scheduled service. The previous year was about 391 weeks. This year amounts to about 407 and a half scheduled weeks of service.

The increased service includes more runs between Juneau and Sitka.

Two mainline ferries, the Matanuska and the Tustumena, will be out of service for overhauls during the winter.

The fast ferry, the Fairweather, will be overhauled from October to May.

The Tustemena will be replaced on the Southwest Alaska run by the Kennicott.

The Fairweather's sister ship, the Chenega, will sail in North Lynn Canal plus Sitka from October to March.

A public meeting is scheduled in Juneau Thursday, May 15th beginning at 10 a.m. at the offices of Southeast Conference on West Willoughby Avenue.

Wetherell says people may also call in during the teleconferenced portion of that public meeting.

Another public meeting will be held in Kodiak the morning of May 13th.

Bears slower than usual
Juneau's black bears seem to be sleeping in.

That's the read of Area Management Biologist Neil Barten of State Fish and Game who says it seems like the bears are slow to wake up.

"I think all of us would agree it's a pretty cold Spring and I think the bears are following suit."

He says they haven't heard of anything at this point, but he expects bear activity will pick up any day now.

When they do wake up, Barten says they're going to be real hungry.

He out today (Tuesday) in the Lemon Creek area and didn't like the look of it in some places where he saw garbage cans out next to homes.

Local law only allows cans to out on garbage pick up day. "People need to sharpen up this time of year," Barten says.

Public to provide feedback on draft pool design
A public meeting on the design of the Dimond Park swimming pool is planned for this evening.

CBJ Parks and Recreation Director Marc Matsil says draft schematic designs will be presented.

They'll include a recreational pool with a slide, a possible resistance channel, a competitive lap pool and diving board, and other features.

That meeting gets underway at 6 p.m. in Assembly Chambers at City Hall.

Spring King Derby leader at nearly 33 pounds
It's official.  The new Spring King Derby leader tops out at nearly 33 pounds.

Norman Zura turned in his 32.9 pound King to Jerry's Meats about six Monday evening.

The other leading fish were also turned in to that weigh in station.  


Noel Algarbre also turned in a 29.7 pound King Monday.

Thomas Aberle  turned in a 29.36 pounder this morning,  (Tuesday)

Phillip Selleck turned in a 24.3 pounder Monday.

Chris Baldwin entered a 24.05 fish this morning. (Tuesday)

The other check points are DeHarts and the Alaska Seafood Cannery.

The fishing continues until the end of the month.  Entered fish must be gutted and gilled.

The tickets are $40 and are available at outlets all around town.

A complete list or prizes, rules and the latest standings among other information is on the web at HYPERLINK www.springkingderby.org 

Stevens wants United Nations to take action on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
Senator Ted Stevens is urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the State Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard to meet with Congress and bring the issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing to the United Nations.
He says the threat of IUU fishing is pillaging the world's ocean especially off Alaska's coast.

Stevens made the comments at a committee hearing Tuesday with retired Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, Jr. the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator.

Stevens called on NOAA and the Commerce Committee to come together to form a task force with other federal agencies to discuss IUU fishing and raise the issue with the United Nations.

Stevens said there has to be legislation that's non-partisan directed towards ending IUU fisheries, and if there isn't, the fish that is harvested off of Alaska are going to be gone.

Senator Stevens and Senator Dan Inouye recently introduced the International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act of 2008.

The bill would close the gaps in United States law that currently allow IUU fish products to enter the country.

It would also strengthen United States’ fisheries law enforcement programs and would assist developing countries with fisheries monitoring and enforcement.

Small plane crashes soon after takeoff
KENAI, Alaska (AP) - An Anchorage pilot was injured after being involved in a plane crash in Soldotna.

John Hanson, the pilot, sustained injuries to his head and foot on Monday afternoon when the plane went down soon after taking off from a private air strip near the Soldotna Municipal Airport.

Alaska State Trooper Kyle Carson said it appears Hanson, 73, was flying close to the ground and struck some trees before crashing. His Champion 7ECA went down just after 4 p.m.

Friends and family were able to pull Hanson out of the wreckage before paramedics arrived. He was treated by paramedics at the scene.

The plane looked to be a total loss.
(Peninsula Clarion)

Bethel area residents ask for elections assistance in Yup'ik
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - The state division of elections says it is beefing up efforts to provide better language assistance to Alaska Native speakers at the polls.

The state was slapped with an injunction today (Monday) by Yup'ik residents in Bethel and five Kuskokwim River villages. They say translators are often unavailable at the polls. And even when available, their efforts are sometimes confusing and ineffective.

But division director Gail Fenumiai (pr. Fuh-NEW-mee-eye) says voters should see an improvement this year as a result of the state's newly revised minority assistance plan. The plan is currently under review by the Department of Justice.

She says the plan includes special training and better materials for bilingual election workers as well as CDs containing election information translated into several Alaska Native languages and Tagalog.

Fenumiai said the state was already working on the plan when the original lawsuit was filed last year.  

Second man convicted in Anchorage drug killing
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A jury has found a second person guilty in the killing of a man during a robbery for prescription painkillers.

Twenty-one-year-old Trevor Stefano was convicted Monday for the murder of 32-year-old Walter Joe Brantley in August 2006.

Brantley was shot in his trailer home during a robbery of the painkiller OxyContin.

Man to go on trial in death of bus driver
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage District Attorney Adrienne Bachman says that opening statements will start this week in the trial of a man who was allegedly involved in a vehicle crash that killed a bus driver.

She says 27-year-old Adam Milazzo is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 62-year-old Gene Burch, who worked on Anchorage's People Mover bus system.

Machete murderer to enter insanity plea
PALMER, Alaska (AP) - The trial for a man accused of killing his father with a machete and seriously injuring his father's fiancée has been delayed.

Palmer Superior Court Judge Vanessa White has given the defense until July 28th.

Defense Attorney John Richard has said he will use an insanity defense to defend Chris Rogers.

Plea deal blocked by alleged Anchorage football game shooters
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Three men charged in a shooting that occurred during a football game in Anchorage have said no to a plea deal.

The men now are expected to go on trial Friday.

They are charged with attempted murder and numerous counts of assault.

One of the players was shot in the face but has since recovered.

Stevens fetes late Ketchikan publisher
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens kept a promise to a friend.

During a Senate floor session Tuesday, Stevens paid tribute to Lew Williams Jr., a longtime Alaska journalist and statesman, who died of cancer at age 83 on Saturday.

Honoring an earlier pledge, Stevens touted Williams' work as a publisher and columnist for several southeast Alaska communities.

Williams was known best for his work at the Ketchikan Daily News.

Stevens notes Williams' voice may have come from the state's farthest southern corner, but it resonated statewide.

Stevens said he always looked up Williams whenever he stopped in Ketchikan, noting his friend had not only news but also advice for him - and Stevens says he usually followed it.

Alaska teachers union backs Begich in Senate race
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich has his second major endorsement in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.

The Democratic candidate received support from the National Education Association's Alaska chapter on Monday.

The organization represents 13,000 teachers and education staff throughout the state.

It's probably fitting as both of Begich's parents were teachers as are two of his sisters and a sister-in-law.

Last month, Begich made it official that he will go head-to-head against the Republican incumbent.

Last week, the Alaska State Employees Association/American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 52 declared its support for Begich.

Ice jam causes Tanana River to flood
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - It's happened again.

An ice jam on the Tanana River is causing water to back up, pushing the river over its banks again in Salcha. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning on Sunday night. Minor flooding is reported about 40 miles southeast of Fairbanks.

Jennifer Yuhas, special assistant to Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker, says by Monday afternoon, the water level in some flooded areas was dropping. Yuhas says the situation is stabilizing.

Ice jams in the Tanana River are an annual springtime concern for Salcha residents.

The ice jams occur when the river breaks up and ice shards create dams in different spots, backing water up until it flows over the river banks.

The current jam was likely caused by the breakup of the Salcha River on Sunday, which pushed a mass of ice into the Tanana River.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Alaska gets $260,000 in HUD housing grants
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The Alaska Housing Finance Agency is getting some federal help to give 35 homeless veterans permanent homes.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding the Alaska authority more than $260,000 in grant money for the effort. It's part of about $2.6 million that the department is giving to housing authorities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to provide permanent housing for 440 homeless veterans.

Regional Director John Meyers says the program demonstrates the department's commitment to serve veterans as they once served the country.

In Alaska, the program will be served by the VA in Anchorage.

DZ Lego League team wins international honors
The Irrationals, Dzantik'l Heeni Middle School's First Lego League team, took second place in Innovative Robot Design at the International First Lego League Competition in Minneapolis over the weekend.

Team members Josh Rauwolf, Fiona Brown, Zeb Bodine, Sam Adam, Matthew Staley, and Ian Andrews competed against more than 60 teams from eight nations.

There were teams from as far away as Mexico, Israel and Iceland.

D-Z teacher Dawn Momblow coached the team that qualified for the international open during state competition in Anchorage in January.

High school vice principal Dale Staley and Leora Houtary, an engineer with Murray and Associates of Juneau served as coaches.

Elton John sold out...2nd show scheduled
It took less than an hour for the Sullivan Arena to be sold out for the Elton John concert, prompting the addition of a second show for the legendary pop performer.

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Monday for the May 28 concert.

All 8,100 were sold out 58 minutes later. A second Anchorage show has been added on May 30.

Alaska Wild owner ousted following firing of coach
By the time the Alaska Wild take to the field inside the Sullivan Arena next Sunday, the team could be under new management.

The intense football league is pushing wild owner David Weatherholt to sell the franchise.

I-F-L President Chad Dittman says fans are unhappy with how the team is being run, and that goes for the players and cheerleaders too.

The Wild are performing well on the field, with a 4-and-2 record and a chance at the playoffs. In spite of that, Weatherholt fired head coach Hans Deemer last Friday.

Dittman says Anchorage is the best market for his nine-team league, so he wants to make sure the new owner can run things smoothly