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Teenager
missing on Mt. McGinnis
The search is on for a 16-year-old
Juneau boy who's missing on Mount McGinnis.
Alaska
State Troopers were notified this afternoon (Wednesday)
at
about 2-15 p.m. that one of three
teenagers hiking in a group to the
top of the mountain was missing.
Mt.
McGinnis is located on the west side
the Mendenhall Glacier.
Trooper Jeff Landvatter says the
thee hikers were having lunch on top
of the mountain when one set his
backpack down and it slipped over a
ledge.
Trooper Landvatter says the boy
climbed down to retrieve the pack
and didn't come back.
The other two boys searched the area
the best they could and could not
locate him.
Using a cell phone they called one of the boys' father
who then called the State Troopers.
Juneau Mountain Rescue were
dispatched to the top of Mt.
McGinnis and are searching the south
side of the mountain.
Trooper Landvatter says their are
using ropes because the slopes are
fairly steep.
The Trooper is requesting that
residents of the Valley be on the
lookout for a 16 year-old boy
wearing an orange t-shirt, green
shorts and tennis shoes.
It you see him contact Juneau police
at 586-0600.
SEADOGS, TEMSCO helicopters, police
and Capital City Fire Rescue are
also assisting in the search.
State senator files gubernatorial
intent letter
DAN JOLING - Associated Press Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A
Democratic lawmaker who oversaw the
Legislature's Troopergate
investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin
last year has signaled his interest
in her job.
Sen. Hollis French of Anchorage says
he's filing a letter of intent to
run for governor with the state
public offices commission.
French today (Wednesday)
stopped short of calling it a formal
declaration but says it's a way to
continue the exploration process.
French says it's also a way to keep
a dialogue going about what Alaskans
want to see in their next governor.
The 50-year-old French is a former
prosecutor.
He is chair of the
Senate Judiciary Committee, and he
oversaw the investigation of
incumbent Palin.
She has not
announced if she will seek another
term.
Car
rifling case nets one suspect, two
more arrests expected
Police caught a suspected vehicle
rifler and plan to arrest two others
following a case early this morning
(Wednesday) in the Mendenhall Valley.
Sergeant Paul Hatch says a resident
of the 2900 block of Linda Avenue
called police at about 2:20 a.m. to
report he was looking out the window
of his home and saw two juvenile
boys inside his vehicle rifling
through it.
Police responded and found two 17
olds and a 16 year old boy hiding
behind bushes. They caught one of
the 17 year olds while the other two
boys fled.
The suspect in hand was positively
identified by the owner as the
person who had entered his vehicle
without consent and stole items
from inside.
He was arrested on misdemeanor
charges of theft and criminal
trespass and also cited for minor
consuming.
He was released to his parents.
Charges are expected to be filed
against the other two.
Sergeant Hatch says they know who
they are.
Fairweather
is back
As of today (Wednesday) all the
ships in the Alaska Marine Highway
fleet are in service.
Roger Wetherell with the Department
of Transportation says the fast
ferry Fairweather returned to service
this morning.
He says the ferry is carrying about
70 people and about a half a car
deck load of vehicles that
departed
Juneau bound for Sitka.
He says the numbers are slightly
higher on the return trip.
The Fairweather has been at the
shipyard undergoing a federal
capital improvement project to
overhaul it's engines.
For the past few days the Coast
Guard has been conducting a
mandatory inspection to certify that
the Fairweather is ready to sail.
The state ferry Matanuska returned
to service June 23rd after a nine
month overhaul in Portland, Oregon.
Southeast
search suspended
Searching has ended for a Coffman
Cove man who was last seen leaving a
party at the Prince of Wales Island
community early Monday morning.
Witnesses said 24 year old Samuel
Butler left at 3:30 a.m. not wearing
a life jacket. He had been drinking
and was seen operating a powered
canoe erratically.
Operations Specialist Thomas Carella
in the Coast Guard's Juneau Command
Center says it was decided to
suspend the search last night.
He says the decision was based on
the probability of detection. It was
determined the area was saturated.
Am urgent marine information
broadcast was to continue through Noon
today.
Searchers found the canoe and
recovered a float coat and gas tank.
Small
plane makes belly landing at
Anchorage field
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — There
were no injuries when a small plane
with landing gear problems made a
belly landing at Merrill Field in
Anchorage.
National Transportation Safety Board
investigator Clint Johnson says
neither the pilot nor the instructor
on the training flight was injured
Wednesday when the Cessna 177 landed
with its gear up, off to the left of
runway 34.
He's assessing damage to the plane
and investigating the problem with
the landing gear failed.
He says the student is already a
pilot who is working on her
certified flight instructor
certificate.
Ketchikan-bound
cargo goes overboard
KETCHINKAN, Alaska (AP) — Three
40-foot cargo containers bound for
Ketchikan went overboard in what was
described as a weather-related
mishap in British Columbia's
Milbanke Sound.
Salvage operations are being
conducted by Northland Services, the
marine transportation company that
operates the barge involved in the
weekend incident.
Shawn Richardson, Northland's
operations manager in southeast
Alaska, says the tug Kirsten H was
towing the barge Hunter Bay on a
regular run when the containers of
"various cargo" went
overboard. He says all the customers
have been contacted.
(Ketchikan Daily News)
Moe
set for arraignment in connection
with Little League embezzlement
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A woman
accused of stealing more than
$40,000 from a little league will be
arraigned Thursday on theft and
check forgery charges.
Juneau Police say Arlene Moe wrote
herself unauthorized checks from a
Gastineau Channel Little League bank
account.
Moe participated in a court hearing
Tuesday via telephone in Anchorage
where she has moved.
Superior Court Judge Patricia
Collins granted the 51 year old
Moe's request for a court appointed
attorney.
Obama
team members to fan out on summer
rural tour that includes Alaska
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack
Obama is dispatching top
administration officials and Cabinet
members on a "rural tour"
this summer to explore ways to
strengthen rural America.
The tour started today in
Pennsylvania, where Vice President
Joe Biden, Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke and Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack discussed rural broadband
service.
The White House says other events
will be held in Alaska and seven
other states. In addition, Vilsack
will hold "listening
sessions" in other states with
local and state elected officials.
Obama says "a healthy American
economy depends on a prosperous
rural America."
Denali was once home to flying
reptile
Scientists found evidence of
prehistoric reptiles that once flew
over Denali National Park in Alaska.
An article in the July issue of the
journal "Palaios" details
the finding last year of a pterosaur
hand print.
The single impression is the first
sign of the flying reptiles in
Alaska, and the northernmost
occurrence of pterosaurs.
Steve Hasiotis of the University of
Kansas found the hand print while
hiking in Denali National Park last
summer.
Tony fiorillo of the Museum of
Nature & Science in Dallas
identified the track as a pterosaur.
Fiorillo says the animal may have
weighed about 35 pounds with a
wingspan of 25 feet.
He says it flew 70 million years ago
over a landscape that looked much
like Interior Alaska does today.
(KENI- Anchorage)
$1
million in stimulus funds to pay for
Alaska coast clean up...salmon
habitat repairs also funded
A Juneau based organization will
receive $1 million in federal
stimulus money to clean up marine
debris along Alaska's coastlines.
The Marine Conservation Alliance
Foundation will get the funds from
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration to remove 466 metric
tons throughout rural coastal
Alaska.
Lost and abandoned fishing gear
makes up a large portion of the
debris along Alaska's remote
coastlines.
A large derelict vessel will also be
removed.
The Marine Conservation Alliance
Foundation is the non-profit arm of
the Marine Conservation Alliance, an
Alaska-based fishing industry
association.
The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked a
total $167 million for U.S. coastal
habitat restoration.
----
There are three other projects in
Alaska that were funded.
$992,000 for Southeast Alaska Salmon
Habitat Restoration for removing a
barrier on the Klawock River to
restore passage for migrating salmon
to 460 acres of estuarine eelgrass
habitat.
$973,900 for Eyak Lake Restoration
near Cordova to open 1.5 miles of
upstream river habitat, as well as
restore 2,400 acres of Eyak Lake
salmon spawning, rearing and
wintering habitat. That also
includes restoring 20 percent of the
lake's fresh water circulation.
$1.5 million for Kenai Peninsula
Salmon Habitat Restoration near
Mosse Pass to restore 10.7 miles of
river and 11.4 acres of a manmade
channel into a natural stream to
benefit Chinook, coho, pink and
sockeye salmon.
FedEx lobbying in Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) —
Executives from FedEx took their
campaign against chief rival UPS to
Anchorage.
Federal legislation supported by UPS
would make it easier for FedEx
workers to unionize. FedEx claims
that could potentially allow minor
labor disputes to disrupt the
company's entire operation.
Persuading Sen. Mark Begich to
oppose the legislation is a key
reason why the executives were in
Alaska on Tuesday. Begich serves on
the Senate Commerce Committee, which
will take up the legislation that
has already passed the House.
Begich says he's spoken individually
with both company's CEOs, and hopes
to meet with them together. He says
it's important to be careful with
any legislation that could affect
the Alaska's cargo industry.
FedEx employs about 1,500 workers in
Alaska.
(KTUU-TV)
Coast
Guard plans memorial for petty
officer
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — The Coast
Guard has scheduled a memorial
service for a petty officer who died
in a fishing accident.
The service for Petty Officer Sefton
Reid will be held Thursday in
Ketchikan, where the 11-year guard
member has been stationed for a
year.
The Coast Guard says Reid was
fishing from the shore in Herring
Cove eight miles south of Ketchikan
on Saturday. He was hit by a wave,
pulled into the water, and did not
resurface.
Reid was pronounced dead after his
body was recovered by the Ketchikan
Fire Department.
The Coast Guard says Reid leaves
behind four children.
Kodiak
land dispute comes to conclusion
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — The U.S.
Supreme Court has denied a request
to review a land dispute between a
Kodiak rancher and a village Native
corporation, effectively ending a
court battle that has dragged on for
more than three decades.
The decision Monday affirms a ruling
by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals' last year in favor of
Leisnoi (LESS'-noy) Inc., the Native
corporation of Woody Island.
Rancher Omar Stratman sued in
federal court two years after
federal officials in 1974 certified
Leisnoi as a Native village and
conveyed to it 160,000 acres of
public lands as an aboriginal land
claim under the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act.
Stratman contended Leisnoi did not
have the required population as
stipulated under ANSCA and could not
claim land he leased from the U.S.
Bureau of Land Management.
----
Information from: Kodiak Daily
Mirror
Pro-Palin Web site attacks
Fairbanks Rep. Ramras
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — A
pro-Palin Web site has accused Rep.
Jay Ramras (RAM'rass) of a conflict
of interest for owning BP stock. The
Fairbanks Republican denies any
breach of ethics and says he has
made a full disclosure of his stock
trading.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
reports Conservatives4Palin.com
posted a blog entry on Monday saying
that an August 2008 stock buy is a
likely violation of legislative
ethics rules, because Ramras could
stand to gain financially if BP's
stock goes up.
That's possible if the BP and
ConocoPhillips-backed gas pipeline
project prevails over a competing
line by TransCanada.
Ramras calls the allegation
far-fetched.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
Bus
mechanics union strikes at Denali
MARY PEMBERTON- Associated Press
Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A union
representing 16 bus mechanics, radio
technicians and warehouse workers at
Denali National Park say the
employees have gone on strike.
IBEW Local 1547 spokeswoman Melinda
Taylor says employees are walking
off the job Wednesday afternoon.
That occurred when wage and pension
negotiations broke down with the
employer, Doyon/ARAMARK Joint
Venture.
The strike occurs as the national
park prepares for the busy July
Fourth weekend.
The company has said it had a
contingency plan in place to keep
the buses moving if a strike were
called.
Juneau weather stats for June
released by National Weather Service
June in Juneau was warmer and drier
than than normal.
Meteorologist Paul Suffern in the
Juneau Forecast Office of the
National Weather Service says the
month began with well above normal
temperatures.
The first seven days were in the mid
to upper 70's. The warmest of these
days was June 3 when it reached 79
degrees. That tied a record for the
date initially set in 1954.
But temperatures fell back to normal
and below normal in the second half
of the month.
The average high temperature for the
month ended up at 63.4 degrees which
was 1.8 degrees above normal.
June's average low temperature was
46.3 degrees which was only point 2
degrees above normal.
The average total temperature
turned out to be 54.9 degrees.
That was one degree above normal.
The forecaster says the above normal
temperatures in the first half of
June made it relatively dry, however
as the temperatures cooled and the
marine layer pushed on shore, rain
began to fall in the second half.
Precipitation for the month totaled
2.83 inches.
Most of that rain, point 79 inches,
came on June 16th.
The strongest winds occurred on June
27 as a strong front pushed across
the area.
A peak wind of 35 miles per hour was
recorded at the airport. It reached
26 miles per hour at South Douglas
Island.
Bike
rider killed in Anchorage
intersection
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Witnesses
told police a bicycle rider was
talking on his cell phone when he
ran a red light at an Anchorage
intersection and was struck by an
SUV.
The man was fatally injured in the
Tuesday afternoon accident at Tudor
and Elmore.
He died at a hospital.
Police have identified the victim as
44-year-old Jason Hustead of
Anchorage.
Police say no citations will be
issued, and the investigation
indicated he failed to obey a
traffic signal.
(with information from Anchorage
Daily News, KTUU)
Kodiak Island sport fishery
closing
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — A Kodiak
Island salmon fishery will close
Wednesday because of a faltering
run.
The Anchorage Daily News reports
that biologists will close the king
salmon sport fishery on the Ayakulik
River because fewer than 1,800 kings
were recently counted past the weir.
It was only two years ago that more
than 6,000 made it upriver to spawn.
Elsewhere on the island, the Karluk
River had already been closed to
king salmon fishing.
Many fisheries biologists say sparse
runs from Kodiak Island all the way
to the Stikine River in southeast
Alaska indicate there may be a
problem in the ocean.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Sullivan takes over reigns of
Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Dan
Sullivan will be sworn in this
afternoon as Anchorage mayor.
Sullivan defeated former state Rep.
Eric Croft in a May run-off
election.
Sullivan replaces Mark Begich who
resigned after defeating Ted Stevens
in the U.S. Senate race.
Federal funding flowing to state
airports
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state
Transportation Department's aviation
division has executed grants of
federal stimulus money for
improvements at five airports.
The total is nearly $61 million for
projects at Ouzinkie, Fort Yukon,
King Salmon, Akiachak and Allakaket.
Boozer staying with Jazz
Juneau's Carlos boozer will remain a
member of the Utah Jazz for now.
He has told the team he would honor
the final year of his contract
rather than opt out to become free
agent.
Palin: I'd come out ahead in run
against Obama
MARY PEMBERTON - Associated Press
Writer
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska
Gov. Sarah Palin is doing a bit of
trash-talking on President Barack
Obama in Runner's World magazine.
Palin says in an interview published
online Tuesday that she'd come out
ahead if she went one-on-one in a
long run with fellow jogger Obama.
She tells the jogging aficionado's
magazine that "I betcha I'd
have more endurance."
The former Republican vice
presidential candidate says her
determination and endurance help her
overcome what she lacks in physical
strength or skill.
The August issue with Palin's
interview goes on sale July 7.
___
On the Net:
Palin interview with Runner's World,
http://www.runnersworld.com/palin
Boozer
staying with Jazz
Juneau's Carlos Boozer will remain a
member of the Utah Jazz for now.
He has told the team he would honor
the final year of his contract
rather than opt out to become free
agent.
Gomez
now a Canadian
Anchorage's Scott Gomez is skating
north, as part of a six-player trade
from the New York Rangers to the
Montreal Canadians.
The Anchorage hockey pro will start
his 10th National Hockey League
season in Montreal after playing for
the Rangers since 2007.
He still has 5-years remaining on a
7-year, 51-point-5 million dollar
contract.
Gomez was part of a rangers trade to
Montreal that included forward
Christopher Higgins as the star
player.
Also on Tuesday, Gomez received his
invitation to the USA hockey 2010
Olympic orientation camp.
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(Copyright ©2009 Alaska
Juneau Communications -
KINY Radio)
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