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Saturday, September 6th, 2008
7:35 pm - Why Arizona Doesn't Have Daylight Savings Time
The state of Arizona listened to the Wise Old Indian.
When told the reason for daylight saving time the
old Indian said, "Only a white man would believe that
you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew
it to the bottom of a blanket and have a longer blanket."

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Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
2:38 pm - In the News
Wednesday, September 3, 2008 6TH EDITION

McCain hugs Palin upon his arrival in Twin Cities
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Sen. John McCain arrived in the Twin Cities on Wednesday as delegates to the Republican National Convention prepared to nominate him for president.

McCain stepped off his campaign plane shortly before 1 p.m. EDT at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. His running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, was among those greeting him.

McCain shared a hug with Sarah Palin and exchanged greetings with Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, and her boyfriend, 18-year-old Levi Johnston. Bristol Palin is five months pregnant and plans to marry her boyfriend, the family says.

McCain hugged Bristol Palin twice and kissed Sarah Palin's 4-month-old son, Trig.

Members of McCain's family and Palin's family boarded a campaign bus on the runway and headed into town.

McCain is scheduled to deliver an acceptance speech to delegates Thursday night.

Palin prepares to introduce herself to the nation
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Sarah Palin (PAY'-lin) spent about 10 minutes on stage this morning, walking through the speech she'll make when she accepts the GOP's nomination for vice president.

The Alaska governor's personal life has been a topic of discussion since Monday when it was discovered her unwed teenage daughter was pregnant. That comes on top of the questions surrounding her experience and readiness for the job, and an ethics investigation currently being conducted at home.

Despite it all, she's got Republicans excited. Rudy Giuliani told ABC's "Good Morning America" that if Palin had been president when the U.S. came under attack on 9/11, he's confident she would have been able to handle the crisis.

He says she appears to have "tremendous confidence," and urged people to "Give her a chance to make her first speech, give her a chance to do her first interview."

Giuliani will give the convention's keynote address tonight.

NEW - McCain predicts America will be pleased with Palin speech
In an exclusive interview with ABC's Charles Gibson, Senator John McCain talked about his vice presidential selection and said America will be pleased with the speech from Govenor Sarah Palin, at the Republican National Convention, tonight.

McCain described Palin as a dynamic person.

"She's been governor of our largest state, in charge of 20 percent of America's energy supply. She's been a mayor. She's done a lot of great things. and so, I think you're going to see that she's really going to have a remarkable impact."

McCain Campaign outlines vetting timeline for Palin it says was complete
The McCain Campaign says its vetting of Sarah Palin was "thorough" before she was named as the Republican running mate. however, the team now acknowledges that the process was "back-end loaded" against the self-imposed deadline last Friday.

The Washington Post reports that Palin had her first lengthy interview with the vetting team last Wednesday, and met with John McCain in Arizona on Thursday.

Up until that time, the other finalist for vice president, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, was still in the running.

The vetting team says it learned some things about Palin last Wednesday, but none of them disqualifying, such as her daughter's pregnancy, her husband's 20-year old DUI, and a fishing violation.

The team also reportedly asked questions such as: Would you launch an assault to kill Osama Bin Laden if you knew civilians would be killed? and, If Democrats announced a surprise press conference with someone who had damaging information about you, who would it be?

The McCain Campaign says the vetting process used all the time allotted up to the planned announcement, which was timed for the day after the Democratic convention ended.
(KENI Radio - Anchorage)

Palin offers details about Troopergate
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has gone on the offensive trying to blunt negative fallout from the so-called Troopergate investigation.

Palin said in a legal filing that she wants the state's personnel board to review the allegations surrounding her firing of the former public safety commissioner.

The Alaska Legislature already is investigating Palin's firing of Walt Monegan for allegedly failing to dismiss a trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister before she ran for governor.

Before Palin was named to the GOP ticket, the legislature launched a $100,000 investigation into whether Palin abused her power in firing Monegan.

Earlier this week, Palin's attorney questioned the jurisdiction of the legislative probe, saying the matter belongs before the personnel board.

Palin's firing of Wasilla Police Chief detailed in network report
ABC News is carrying an account about Sarah Palin firing the police chief of Wasilla when she was the mayor there.

Irl Stambaugh says he was fired because he stepped on the toes of Palin's campaign contributors, including bar owners and the National Rifle Association.

Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross reports the former police chief's lawyer says the chief tried to move up the closing hours of local bars from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. after a spurt of drunk driving accidents and arrests.

In a 1997 lawsuit, the chief also alleged that his stand on restricting concealed weapons upset the NRA.

A federal judge later ruled the mayor, under city law, had the right to fire the police chief for any reason she wanted.
(ABC Radio News)

Palin hometown holds viewing rally
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Fans of Sarah Palin are planning to gather at a sports bar in her hometown of Wasilla to watch the Republican vice presidential choice deliver her awaited speech at the GOP national convention.

The "Rally in the Valley" event will be held at Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill, located at the Parks Highway.

Cheryl Metiva, executive director of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce, says people are expected to begin gathering shortly before Palin's speech, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. AST.

Palin's A-I-P connection was husband
Sarah Palin has never been a member of the Alaska Independence Party, although her husband has.

Those are some of the revelations emerging as national media scrutinize the Alaska governor in the days since being named as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Some members of the A-I-P had claimed that Palin was a member and attended a convention in 1994.

Those claims are disputed by state elections records, which show Palin has always been a registered Republican.

Her husband, Todd, was registered with the A-I-P until 2002.

Palin did make a welcoming video for this year's A-I-P convention that praised political competition.

Palin has reportedly been receiving intense briefings from the McCain campaign ahead of her first solo appearance as a candidate, speaking to the Republican convention in St. Paul tonight.

Frank says Palin's family background relevant
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is among the first Democrats to publicly say Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's family background, including the pregnancy of her unwed teenage daughter, should be fair game for campaign discussion.

Republicans have stressed Palin's conservative family values in announcing her selection as John McCain's running mate.

Frank says the disclosure about her daughter undercuts conservative claims that liberalism harms family life.

Frank said Palin's family is "in great turmoil."

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has said he considers family issues off limits.

Lohan gets political on blog, sounds off on Palin
NEW YORK (AP) - At 22-years-old, Lindsay Lohan (LOH'-un) is apparently expanding her resume.

To actress, cover girl and paparazzi magnet, you can now add political blogger.

On her MySpace blog yesterday, she posted her thoughts on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and the revelation that Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

Lohan wrote that the attention focusing on the issue of teen pregnancy, takes the focus off "getting to know Sarah Palin and her political views" and what Palin can do to make the U.S. "a less destructive place."

Lohan suggests Palin "focus on delivering some words and policy with stronger impact like Joe Biden."

Comprehensive Plan under review by Assembly
The Assembly has begun the process of reviewing the draft update of the CBJ Comprehensive Plan.

Deputy Mayor Randy Wanamaker chaired yesterday's (Tuesday) work session.

He says they'd like to formulate a plan that is not overly restrictive and provides general guidance and
some flexibility within the plan itself.

During the work session the Assembly reviewed the Planning Commission and Docks and Harbors Board recommendations and Thane Neighborhood Association comments.

The Assembly also took a look at new maps which have been extensively updated from the 1996 Comprehensive Plan.

Wanamaker says the Assembly will continue the review the draft plan over the course of the next several weeks.

He says it's a rigorous process that will entail several more meetings to consider other recommendations from city staff, enterprise boards and various groups.

Wanamaker says the Assembly has to distill all the suggested changes to make a unified document that will be used to guide the development of the City and Borough of Juneau.

Assembly approves Rasmuson grant request
The Assembly last night (Tuesday) quickly approved a resolution authorizing a grant request for $1,500,000 to the Rasmuson Foundation to help pay for construction of two components of the Dimond Park Aquatic Center.

A portion would pay for installation of a therapeutic resistance channel.

And the remainder would fund ground source heat pumps.

According to CBJ's sub-consultant the ground source heat pumps would save the city between $160,000 and $190,000 annually in utility costs.

CBJ will submit an additional grant to the Alaska Energy Authority for the remaining cost of the project sometime this month.

Outstanding Primary Election ballots to be counted Friday
There's at least in excess of 25,000 outstanding ballots to count from last month's Primary Election in Alaska with a couple of races still in the balance.

They include the Republican Primary for Congress between incumbent Don Young and Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell.

Elections Director Gail Fenumiai said Tuesday morning that they have over 11,000 questioned ballots that are being reviewed with more due in.

The are over 14,000 absentee ballots with more still possible. They include absentees cast in-person and by mail.

A count is scheduled for Friday, but she doesn't know how many will apply to the Republican Congressional primary where Young leads Parnell by 151 votes.

Fenumiai says they don't have a break down as to what ballot type they are.

The other race hanging in the balance is the House District 36 Democratic Primary where Andrew Lundquist leads Dave Kaplan by seven votes.

The eventual winner will face Republican Alan Austerman in November's General Election.

Absentee by-mail ballots cast by election day within the United States must be received by this Friday. Ballots from overseas must be here September 10th.

Fenumiai figures the election will be certified September 16th or 17th.

At that point, recounts can be requested. For races where the margin of difference is one half percent or less, the state picks up the cost.

The margin of difference in the Republican Congressional and District 36 Democratic races is less than that figure.

Two dead in Petersburg shooting
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Petersburg police say a 44-year-old man walked up to his former boss and fatally shot her with a shotgun before turning the weapon on himself.

Killed were the gunman, Peter Baron, and 40-year-old Helen Shear, business manager of a local storage business.

The motive for the shootings last Friday is unclear.

FBI taped more than 100 Sen. Stevens phone calls
WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorneys for Senator Ted Stevens say the FBI recorded more than 100 of the Republican lawmaker's phone conversations.

Jurors could hear those calls later this month when Stevens stands trial on charges of lying about hundreds of thousands of dollars in home renovations and other gifts he received from an oil contractor.

The FBI did not tap Stevens' phone but did tap several phones belonging to contractors in the case. Stevens was recorded 105 times.

In court documents filed Tuesday, Stevens' attorneys say they may try to keep jurors from ever hearing those phone conversations.

They say the FBI may have inappropriately taped those calls if they were outside the scope of the government's warrant.

Coast Guard cutter patrolling Arctic Ocean
The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton is patrolling the Arctic Ocean off Alaska's coast.

The cutter is the first of its class to patrol the ocean above Alaska's Northern coastline.

Seventeenth Coast Guard District Commander Rear Admiral Gene Brooks is deployed on the Hamilton.

He says they are testing the Hamilton, a high endurance cutter, as a multi mission homeland security platform to conduct Coast Guard operations in the far North.

The admiral believes the Hamilton has definitively proven that a high endurance cutter can sail into the Arctic environment having successfully conducted helicopter and boat operations.

He says they are determining what resources the Coast Guard would need to meet the U.S. objectives in the Arctic.

Earlier this summer the Coast Guard deployed boats and helicopters to Barrow and Prudhoe Bay to see if those platforms would operate on the Arctic environment.

During Admiral Brooks' deployment with the Hamilton he made visits with community leaders in Little Diomede and met with the Hamilton crew.

19-square-mile ice sheet breaks loose in Canada
TORONTO (AP) - A 19-square-mile ice shelf in Canada's northern Arctic has broken away from Ellesmere Island, surprising scientists who say the floating ice shelf is another dramatic indication of how warmer temperatures are changing the polar frontier.

Dr. Derek Mueller, an Arctic ice shelf specialist at Trent University in Ontario, said today (Wednesday) that the 4,500-year-old Markham Ice Shelf separated in early August and is now drifting into the Arctic Ocean.

Dr. Luke Copland, director of the Laboratory for Cryospheric Research at the University of Ottawa, says reduced sea ice conditions and unusually high air temperatures have hastened the ice shelf loss this summer.

Police seeking missing cruise ship passenger
The Juneau Police Department is requesting the public's assistance in locating a cruise ship passenger missing since yesterday afternoon.

Sergeant Tom Bates says they were contacted late last night by Rhonda Burris that her 62 year old husband John Burris had gotten off the Norwegian Pearl around 12:30 and did not return to the ship.

He says all efforts to locate Burris have been unsuccessful.

Burris is described as a 62 year old Caucasian male, 5’10” tall, weighing 175 pounds. He is balding with dark blond hair.

He was last seen wearing a brown leather jacket over a blue denim shirt and blue jeans.

Mr. Burris was carrying a camera and a cell phone.

Anyone having contact with him is asked to call the Juneau Police Department at 586-0600.

Celebration dates set for 2010
The dates for Celebration 2010 have been set by the Sealaska Heritage Institute.

The 28th year of the event will be from June 3rd to the 5th in Juneau.

The event to celebrate the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures started in 1982.

A record crowd of 6,000, including 2,300 dancers, was achieved during this year's event in Juneau.

New law on text messaging also bans reading while driving
The law that took effect Monday that bans text messaging while driving does also prohibit reading messages from behind the wheel.

The Associated Press incorrectly reported that the law only addresses typing the message.

Alaska State Troopers say the statute does not allow drivers to view messages.

The only exceptions in the law are viewing caller I-D on a cell phone.

The law also does not address talking on the phone while driving.

It is aimed at visual distractions in vehicles, including video screens.

Second bear cub finally caught
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The second bear cub that was orphaned when its mother was shot and killed in Anchorage has been captured.

The bear eluded state biologists for almost two weeks before it was caught Sunday and reunited with its sibling at the Alaska Zoo.

The cubs are suppose to be transported to a zoo in Indiana

Chenega crew rescues kayakers
For the second time this year, crewmembers from the state ferry Chenega have rescued mariners in distress.

Four kayakers were rescued Sunday afternoon in Passage Canal off the shores of Whittier.

Chenega’s captain, Sam Daniels, said a radio call was relayed to Chenega at 2:33 p.m. requesting assistance to help four kayakers who were in distress.

Chenega’s rescue boat was launched from the 235-foot ferry to rescue the kayakers.

In just under 20 minutes Chenega crewmembers had pulled the kayakers aboard the rescue boat and transported them to a nearby dock in the harbor where they were met by medical personnel.

The kayakers are identified as Anchorage residents Katie Longden, Hunter Burton, Kim Uddipa and Mitch Mark.

Daniels says kayakers, who were experienced, said they had checked the weather prior to departing Saturday, but were caught by surprise when bad weather came up about six hours sooner than expected.

Winds were around 30 knots and seas were about three feet.

Earlier this year, Chenega's crew rescued three boaters whose vessel sank June 9th near Whittier.

NEW - Bra Dazzler deadline coming up at end of month
Entries for this year's Bra Dazzler art exhibition sponsored by the Juneau Douglas City Museum and Team Survivor Perseverance are due later this month.

It was described by Alysia McLain, the museum's curator of public programs, on Capital Chat this week as an exhibit of bra inspired art.

It's the third year for the exhibit.

Team Survivor Perseverance provides fitness based support programs for women effected by cancer. In addition to weekly programs, there's seasonal training for events.

Nicki Germain is the director. She says they're sending a running team and four walking teams to the Klondike Road Relay this weekend.

Germaine says the impetus for the organization in Juneau was her experience with cancer.

She heard of the national association while undergoing treatment in Seattle and decided a chapter was needed in Juneau.

Categories include mixed media, painting and prints, photography, sculpture, and new special category this year that is fitness themed.

Entries can be submitted two different times at the Friends of the Alaska State Museum Gift Shop and not at the city museum.

They are Friday, September 26th, and Saturday, September 27th from 12 to 6 p.m. both days.

The exhibit is timed for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

It starts October 3rd, the first Friday of the month, at 4:30 p.m. and closes November 1st.

The artwork must be ready to hang.

The entry fee is $20. It's waived for students who present identification.

Artists are also asked to donate their works which will be sold as part of the group's fundraising efforts.

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Monday, September 1st, 2008
4:14 pm
Monday, September 1, 2008 2ND EDITION

NEW - Palin hires attorney for Troopergate investigation
By STEVE QUINN - Associated Press Writer
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the GOP vice presidential candidate, has hired a private practice attorney to defend her and members of her staff in the investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner.

The state Legislature is investigating whether Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan after he refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister.

Anchorage attorney Thomas V. Van Flein has requested a copy of all witness statements and documentary evidence from the Legislature's investigator, Stephen Branchflower.

Senator Hollis French, an Anchorage Democrat, responded on behalf of Branchflower, saying he instructed Branchflower not to comply with the request.

In July, a legislative oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Palin abused her power in firing Monegan.

Palin accused of using 'Bridge to Nowhere' to gain national prominence
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere" issue is back in the news.

Governor Sarah Palin yesterday was tapped by Senator John McCain to be his presidential running mate. In her acceptance speech in Dayton, Ohio, Palin made reference to the Bridge to Nowhere as she described herself as a champion reformer in the fight against abuses of earmark spending in Congress.

Palin's critics, including former gubernatorial rival Andrew Halcro, said when Palin was a candidate in 2006 she sang a different tune about the bridge during a campaign stop in Ketchikan.

Halcro says Palin said she supported the bridge.

Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein backs up that report.

He says she told Ketchikan she was for the bridge, and then when she became governor and pulled it, she didn't tell anyone in Ketchikan first - instead using the occasion to propel herself onto the national political map.

Palin says 17-year-old daughter is pregnant
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Sarah and Todd Palin say their 17-year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant.

The couple said in a statement released by John McCain's presidential campaign that Bristol will keep her baby.

Sarah Palin is McCain's vice presidential running mate.

The Alaska governor says Bristol intends to marry the father of her child.

She and the campaign also are asking that the media respect the family's privacy on this matter.

McCain concert rally draws thousands to O'Fallon
O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) - Thousands of people turned out Sunday in O'Fallon, Missouri, to hear Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The two flew to Mississippi before the event to tour an emergency management center bracing for Hurricane Gustav. They used the Missouri event to urge residents along the Gulf Coast to evacuate.

McCain also used it to introduce Palin to Missourians. He told the crowd that the Alaska governor has grit, integrity, good sense.

Palin cast herself as a reformer, proclaiming that she has stood up to the old politics as usual and the special interests.

While McCain's event showcased Democrats who are supporting him, Obama's campaign said it planned to launch a "Missouri Republicans for Obama" effort today.

Cindy McCain defends Palin pick, husband, Kerry pans selection
WASHINGTON (AP) - Cindy McCain is saying Republican vice presidential pick Sarah Palin understands what's at stake in national security issues in part because she is governor of Alaska, located some 300 miles from Russia.

The wife of soon-to-be GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain today (Sunday) told ABC-TV's "This Week" says Palin's experience comes from what she's done in the government.

And Cindy McCain says, "Remember: Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia. So, it's not as if she doesn't understand what's at stake here."

Democratic Sen. John Kerry, his party's 2004 presidential nominee, disputed Palin's credentials a few minutes later on the show, saying the Alaska governor has "zero, zero experience in foreign policy."

Evangelicals embrace McCain-Palin ticket
UNDATED (AP) - John McCain's V.P. pick is a relief to conservative religious leaders who worried the Arizona senator would choose an abortion rights supporter.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson calls Alaska Governor Sarah Palin "an outstanding choice." Dobson has said in the past he couldn't vote for McCain, but now says her selection should be "extremely reassuring to the conservative base." Palin calls herself "as pro-life as any candidate can be."

Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, based in Tennessee, says Palin is "straight out of veep central casting."

As a politician, Palin has sided with the majority evangelical view in opposing gay marriage and has expressed a desire to see creationism discussed alongside evolution in schools.

McCain's choice catches Alaska's politicians by surprise
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Governor Sarah Palin's entry into the national presidential race stunned Alaska's political leaders.

And many are divided over whether she's earned her new stature as John McCain's running mate.

House Minority Leader and Juneau Democrat Beth Kerttula says Palin doesn't have the experience to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.

State Senator Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin's hometown, told the Anchorage Daily News that she thought it was a joke when someone called her with the news Friday morning.

Green and Palin have clashed frequently over oil and gas issues.

Sitka Republican and state Senator Bert Stedman says even though Palin faces a steep learning curve, she's proved her mettle as governor.

And many welcomed the choice as being good for Alaska.

They say it will turn attention away from ongoing corruption scandal involving some top politicians in the state. And they say Palin will help focus the nation's attention on Alaska's energy resources.

Obama deals gently with Palin on equal pay issue
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Barack Obama seemed eager to blunt the Republican candidate for vice president's possible appeal to undecided women at a campaign appearance in Toledo Sunday.

Obama didn't mention Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's name, but he did allude to her indirectly, saying she seems like a very engaging person.

He added that Palin is opposed -- like her Republican running mate, John McCain -- to equal pay for women for equal work.

Obama and his Democratic running mate, Joe Biden, spoke and answered questions from about 200 people at an afternoon economic forum.

The McCain campaign says that both McCain and Palin support equal pay for women, but do not believe that the 180-day limit for filing complaints should be changed.

Obama campaign to open two more Alaska offices
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The campaign for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama will open two more offices in Alaska.

The campaign says it expanded their operations to Sitka and Homer today. (Monday)

This gives Obama seven campaign offices in the state, including two in Anchorage, one each in Fairbanks, Palmer and Juneau.

Presumed GOP candidate John McCain has no offices in Alaska, but he's got something else - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Six year boy accidentally shot to death by another boy in Akiak
Alaska State Troopers report a six year old boy was accidentally shot to death by a seven year old boy in the western Alaska village of Akiak Sunday.

Troopers in Bethel were notified shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday.

The boys found a high powered rifle, a Remington model 700, in an abandoned house. Troopers say the weapon went off as the seven year old was handling it striking the younger boy.

No criminal act is suspected, according to the Trooper dispatch. The investigation is continuing.

Names were not released in the dispatch.

Alaska Air National Guard resources sent to Gulf Coast
Two Pave Hawk helicopters and about 30 airmen from the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing are headed the Gulf Coast to help out with possible search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Gustav.

The request for help came from the State of Louisiana.

A C-17 with the helicopters and airmen aboard were scheduled to depart Kulis Air National Guard Base in Anchorage at 6:30 this (Monday) and arrive at its destination by 2 p.m.

Another group of Alaskans, para-rescuemen from the 212th, were already in Kentucky on a training assignment.

They were directed to the Gulf Coast.

Text messaging while driving now illegal in Alaska


ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Driving-while-typing is now illegal in Alaska.

The state's ban on text messaging while driving officially took effect Monday. It's still legal to read text messages while driving, but not to type them.

Like the state's seat belt law, it is considered a primary offense, so an officer can pull a driver over if he or she suspects the driver is typing on an electronic device. But unlike other traffic violations, driving while texting could land a driver in jail.

Texting behind the wheel is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and one year in jail. If a driver hurts or kills someone or causes a crash that kills someone, the offense is increased to a felony.

Alaska is the fifth state to adopt such a law.

Proposed fee for jail calls under investigation
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - State regulators are giving those receiving phone calls prisoners a break, at least for awhile.

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska will take some time to decide if a proposed $2 fee for collect calls from inmates is justified.

An Alaska phone company, General Communications Inc., planned to start charging the fee today (Monday) for each collect call made from a state prison, jail or halfway house. It would be billed to the person accepting the call.

The commission will allow GCI to start billing for the calls starting mid-September, but the company may have to refund the money if it rules that the fee is unfair.

The agency says it received three consumer complaints.

An Anchorage bail bonding firm estimates the fee would cost the industry about $84,000 a year.
(Anchorage Daily News)

CBJ Assembly to ask Rasmuson Foundation for funds for part of Dimond Park Aquatic Center
The Assembly holds a special meeting Tuesday night to authorize the city manager to submit a grant request for $1,500,000 to the Rasmuson Foundation to help pay for construction of two components of the Dimond Park Aquatic Center.

A portion of the money would pay for installation of a therapeutic resistance channel.

The other portion would partially fund ground source heat pumps, which according to CBJ's sub-consultant, would save the City between $160,000 and $190,000 annually in utility costs.

CBJ will submit an additional grant to the Alaska Energy Authority for the remaining costs of the projects sometime this month.

The Assembly meets Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Feds, state may dilute energy assistance
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Some Alaskans may find their $1,200 energy rebate whittled down to nothing.

The one-time cash payout is being combined with the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend in a single payment and, like the dividend, it's subject to federal taxes and garnishments.

That means people who have fallen behind on student loans or child support, for example, will have money taken out to pay back the debt.

Families who haven't established residency in time to be eligible for a PFD payment won't be getting the resource rebate either.

The rebate is intended to assist Alaskans with the high cost of fuel this winter. It was proposed by Gov. Sarah Palin and passed by the state legislature in early August.

The first payments are due out September 12th
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Police arrest man on assault charge in case involving butcher knife
A man was arrested Saturday morning for allegedly attempting to stab a woman.

Police were alerted at 9 a.m. when a woman called to say her neighbors were involved in a domestic dispute at a Valley residence.

Investigation revealed that the 45 year old woman was cut on the hand by a butcher knife allegedly wielded by 50 year old Paul Lopez.

Police says the woman received medical attention from Capital City and Fire Rescue personnel on-scene.

LOPEZ, whose age was not provided, was placed under arrest for assault in the second degree, a class B Felony.

He was jailed at the Lemon Creek Correction Center without bail.

A location of the incident was not provided by police.

Bystanders and police free woman with hand trapped under car
A woman was injured after the car she was riding in rolled on its side early Saturday morning.

At about 3:00 a.m., Juneau police responded to a report of a vehicle on its side with a passenger trapped inside in the 300 block of 6th Street.

When officers arrived on scene the found a 1992 Jeep Cherokee resting on the passenger side over a two foot sidewalk embankment resting against a residential building.

A 29 year-old woman was still in the Jeep with her hand pinned under the vehicle.

Officers and bystanders rolled the Jeep up enough to relieve pressure so the woman could be freed.

Capital City Fire Rescue responded and administered aid to the woman who was transported to Bartlett Regional Hospital for treatment of her injury.

The driver, 33 year-old John Maddox, was arrested for Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Endangerment and lodged at the Lemon Creek Correctional Facility. Both offenses are class "A" misdemeanors.

Ill hunter taken to hospital from high up Sheep Creek Trail
Juneau Mountain Rescue and a Coast Guard helicopter came to the aide of a hunter who fell ill at the 1500 foot level of the Sheep Creek Trail.

Alaska State Troopers say 41 year old John Workman of Juneau went up the trail with a family member Friday afternoon where they set up camp for the night.

During the night, the Trooper dispatch says Workman became ill from an existing medical condition and was in need of emergency medical attention.

The family member and two other members of their hunting party hiked down to the Dog Sled Summer Camp and called for help.

Five members of Juneau Mountain Rescue responded at 1:30 Saturday morning and the helicopter landed at the location just before 4:30 a.m.

Workman was airlifted to Bartlett Regional Hospital.

Big response to Eaglecrest survey
There's been a strong response so far to a Eaglecrest Ski Area survey.

Manager Kirk Duncan says over five days last week they received 540 completed surveys.

The questions range from pricing for the upcoming season to current and possible new services.

He says they'll keep the survey up for several more weeks to gather as much information as possible.

There are incentives to fill out the survey.

There are eight prizes including 10,000 Alaska Airlines miles and a season pass.

Everyone who fills out the survey will be entered to win.

Eaglecrest is working with the McDowell Group on the survey.

The web site address is www.skijuneau.com

Locks of Love produces 265 inches
The first annual Juneau "Locks of Love" hair drive Saturday was a success.

The non-profit organization collects hair to make hair prosthetics for financially disadvantaged children who suffer from medical hair loss.
Jamie Hasselquist organized the Juneau effort.

All together, she says they collected 265 inches, which was way beyond their goal.

She said 14 people came in and a couple of others dropped off a hair donation.

Hasselquist said a number of children were among those donating their hair. "Kids helping kids. That was wonderful," she said.

You can still donate. The number for more information 500-7369.
The "Locks of Love" website is HYPERLINK www.locksoflove.org

Man accused of defrauding the state faces 20 years behind bars
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Federal prosecutors say an Anchorage man has been convicted of setting up a false business to help a graphic designer overcharge the state for copies.

The U.S. Attorney's office says 50-year-old Imad Salim Hereimi was convicted on 20 counts of assisting the other man to commit honest services fraud by mail. Hereimi faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in November.
(Anchorage Daily News)

House panel to investigate high gas prices in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - State lawmakers will start investigating why gas prices are so high in the state.

House Speaker John Harris on Friday sent a letter asking House Judiciary Chairman Jay Ramras to open an investigation.

Specifically, Harris asked Ramras to look at why Alaska prices are not falling as fast as they are in the Lower 48.

Gird iron poll drops Crimson Bears to fifth
The Juneau Douglas Crimson Bears have fallen to fifth in the latest Alaska State Broadcasting Network football poll of large schools.

The Bears fell from third to fifth following its defeat by Palmer over the weekend. JDHS is now 2 and 2 on the season.

South of Anchorage is ranked number one with a 4 and 0 record. Service is Anchorage is second at 3 and 1.

North Pole, with a perfect 4 and 0 record is third followed by Palmer in fourth at 3 and 1.

Elders working to save Kenai's first language
KENAI, Alaska (AP) - Several local organizations and individuals are working to save Kenai's first language from going extinct.

The Kenaitze Indian Tribe is working with other native American groups to preserve, revitalize and perpetuate the Dena'ina language.

They hosted a "Dena'ina Language Institute" this week with elders teaching about 15 students.

It is believed that of a total population of about 900 Dena'ina people, only about 75 can speak the language.

Dena'ina is an Athabascan language with four dialects in the Cook Inlet area.
(Peninsula Clarion)

ND native who wrote Palin biography in demand
DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) - A North Dakota native who wrote a biography of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin now finds herself in demand.

Kaylene Johnson says the past few days have been a "wild ride."

Johnson's 159-page biography of Palin is called "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down." It was published in April by Epicenter Press of Kenmore, Washington.

The company specializes in books about Alaska. The first printing totaled about 7,000.

After Republican John McCain chose Palin as his running mate on Friday, sales of the book took off.

Johnson is a 1979 graduate of Dickinson High School in Dicksinson, North Dakota. She moved to Alaska with her husband, Todd, who's in the Air Force.

Johnson says that after Epicenter Press asked her to write the book, she had about 10 weeks to do it. She met with Palin twice and contacted her through e-mail.

She says Palin told her later she had not read the book but Palin's family liked it. She says Palin is Alaska's "superstar."
Johnson says she tried to get a job at The Dickinson Press when she was about 14 but was rejected. Four years later, after she graduated from high school, she was hired at the newspaper, and began a journalism career.

Virginia mother navigates continent in 3 months
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - For Melanie Perl, it was her time to see America, including Alaska.

Once she left her Charlottesville, Virginia, home May 15th, she spent the next three months visiting 30 national parks in the United States as well as Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada.

Having just received her associate's degree from Piedmont Virginia Community College, Perl took a much-delayed summer break to go hiking.

The 45-year-old mother of three decided it was the perfect time to fulfill her long-time dream.

She stayed with family and friends some, but mostly camped out.

Perl said each of the parks she visited was special in its own way, and comparing one with another would be impossible.

When Perl pulled into her driveway on August 10th at journey's end, she checked her odometer.

She had driven 16,667 miles, which didn't include going to Alaska, because she had flown there.

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Thursday, August 14th, 2008
12:54 pm - In the News
Break in weather aiding search for Andrews plane
Searchers are using improved weather conditions to mount an extensive search for the missing Andrews float plane. Search and Rescue Coordinator Scott Giard in the Coast Guard's Juneau Command Center told us at 10 a.m. today that a Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka had already made one search and was close to completing a second one. It was scheduled to start another search after that.

Two Civil Air Patrol planes and the Blackhawk Helicopter from the Alaska Army National Guard will also search.

SEADOGS is joining the search today and will conduct a ground search on Mansfield Peninsula on northern Admiralty Island near Young Bay along with Juneau Mountain Rescue.

The Cessna 182 on floats with 56 year old Brian Andrews and his 24 year old son Brandon on board disappeared Saturday afternoon between Juneau and Young Lake on northern Admiralty Island.

Both men are experienced pilots.

The elder Andrews is a Deputy Commissioner in the Alaska Department of Revenue.

Alaska deaths of Rogers, Post remembered
CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) - Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins will help mark the 73rd anniversary of the deaths in Alaska of Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers and aviation pioneer Wiley Post.

Askins will speak and join Doris Coke Meyer, Rogers' oldest living grandniece, in placing a wreath at the Rogers family tomb at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Claremore.

Askins' address is part of the Will Rogers-Wiley Post Fly-In weekend, which takes off when Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Steve Kirby flies over the Will Rogers Museum before the program.

About 50 pilots from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas are expected to land on a 2,000-foot grass strip close to the house where Rogers was born near Oologah on Sunday morning.

Rogers and Post were killed August 15th, 1935, when their airplane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska.

Pioneer aviator dies in Anchorage
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Ray Petersen, a pioneer Alaska aviator, has died at age 96. Petersen died Tuesday morning at his Anchorage apartment.

Petersen ran Wien Air Alaska, then the largest airline in the state. He also built some of the state's first fly-in fishing lodges.

Born in Nebraska, Petersen arrived in Anchorage aboard a steamship in 1934 and took a job with Star Air, flying to the Lucky Shot Mine near Hatcher Pass.

Petersen told reporters he decided to become a pilot as a high school student near Chicago in the 1930s.

He worked in Alaska flying supplies and personnel for the military during World War II.

Funeral plans are under way.
(Anchorage Daily News)

Book signing planned Saturday for third volume of Gastineau Channel Memories
The third volume of Gastineau Channel Memories is out.

Marie Darlin, the chair of the Pioneer Book Committee formed by Juneau's Igloo No 6 of the Pioneers of Alaska was among the guests on Capital Chat Wednesday.

She says a book signing has been arranged for Saturday afternoon at Hearthside Books in the Nugget Mall from 1 to 3. The price is $27.95.

They thought they were done after the second volume, but said they would do a third volume if they received a hundred contributions. Darlin says they ended up with a 141.

Between the three volumes, she says there are a total of 601 stories.

Some copies of Volume 2 will also be available at Saturday's book signing.

Volume one is out of print but that can be printed on demand through Alaska Litho.

Darlin says the committee is disbanding after ten years following Saturday's book signing.

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Monday, August 11th, 2008
12:42 pm - In the News - Alaskan wins Bronze medal
Alaskan takes bronze in women's trap
BEIJING (AP) - An Alaskan has won a bronze metal in the Olympics.

Corey Cogdell of Eagle River nabbed third place today (Monday).

The 21-year-old was the youngest shooter in the finals.

It was a good performance from the Alaskan who finished 50th at the 2007 World Championships.

Taking the gold was Satu Makela-Nummela of Finland. She hit 21 targets in the finals to set an Olympic record.

Zuzana Stefecekova of Slovakia won the silver.

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Sunday, August 10th, 2008
10:56 pm - In the News
UPDATE - Top state Revenue official and son reported overdue from float plane trip
A search is continuing for an overdue float plane with two people aboard on a flight that that left Juneau at about 3:45 Saturday afternoon. Petty Officer Joe Castro in the Coast Guard's Juneau Command Center says they were notified at about 7:30 Saturday night that the Cessna 182 was overdue from Juneau to Young Lake on the northern part of Admiralty Island.

The two men on board are identified as 56 year Brian Andrews and his son, 24 year old Brandon Andrews, both of Juneau. Brian Andrews is Deputy Commissioner for Treasury in the Alaska Department of Revenue. Both men are pilots.
They returned to Juneau from a campaign trip at Young Lake to drop off a family member and camping gear at about 3:45 Saturday afternoon. They then headed back to Young Lake to pick up more gear. The plane was expected to arrive at Young's Lake, about 20 miles southeast of Juneau, at about 4:30 Saturday afternoon.

The son who had been dropped off in Juneau waited two hours before reporting the overdue aircraft to the Federal Aviation Administration who, in turn, notified the Coast Guard.

Petty Officer Castro says the plane is equipped with an ELT, but it has not been activated. In addition, no may day messages were received. A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka searched for about an hour Saturday night before low lying fog forced them to suspend the search until Sunday morning. The helicopter crew stayed in Juneau overnight and searched another hour this morning before fog grounded its search again. The Coast Guard Cutter Liberty started searching at 5:30 Sunday morning and is continuing to search.

Also involved in the search are Juneau Mountain Rescue, the Civil Air Patrol and the Alaska State Troopers.

Juneau Mountain Rescue hiked in to Young Lake to verify whether they ever made it back to their cabin to pick up the remaining gear. Castro says nothing was found in a search of two Forest Service cabins indicating they did make it back to pick up the gear.

The Civil Air Patrol is using two aircraft and the Alaska State Troopers transported the Juneau Mountain Rescue team to Admiralty Cove.

Weather conditions in the area have included temperatures in the low to mid 50's, 15 mile per hour winds from the southwest, and scattered rain with dense low lying fog.

The tail number for the Cessna 182 is N930X. The plan is white with red and silver trim. The men were last seen wearing hip waiters and inflatable life jackets. Both are 6 feet tall with blonde hair. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Brian And Brandon Andrews are asked to notify the Coast Guard.

An overnight search is planned with a Coast Guard helicopter using an infrared camera. The plan calls for continuing the search Monday if necessary. That will include a Coast Guard helicopter, a Civil Air Patrol fixed wing plane, and an Army National Guard helicopter.

******************************

My mom scared the bageezus out of me a few minutes ago with her hollaring downstairs. Turns out she was just yelling in celebration of the Men's 4x100 Relay win in the summer olympics!!!

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2:18 am - In the News: Volcanos in Alaska being busy
UPDATE - Third Alaska volcano is erupting
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A third volcano in Alaska is erupting.

This time it is the volcano on Kasatochi Island in the Aleutians.

The volcano began erupting on Thursday. Scientists were clued in to the activity on Kasatochi by seismic equipment on other islands in the area.

Two federal biologists who were studying birds were rescued, just as the island began shaking. A local fishing boat was able to pick them up and bring them to safety.

The eruption sent an ash plume 35-thousand feet into the air.

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Thursday, August 7th, 2008
5:20 pm - Stolen from a Friend - Teasing
Teasing

My grandson, Justus, age 10, and his sister Taylor, age 13,
were always teasing each other. One day, Justus was getting
"sensitive" about things his sister was saying to him. I
reminded him that he had said the same types of things many
times in days past.

With quiet reflection, he spoke a gospel truth: "But it
doesn't hurt as much coming out of my mouth as it does going
into my ears."

Received from Sherry Bloom.

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12:46 pm - In the News -- Bears, bears, and Salmon Derby
Thursday, August 7 , 2008 6TH EDITION

House approves $1,200 payout...Legislature has until 11-59 tonight to reach compromise
The state House has approved it's version of an energy assistance bill.

The two-year, $825 million measure consists of a one time $1,200 payout and suspension of the 8 cents per gallon fuel tax for one year.

The final vote of 30 to 7 occurred shortly before 11-30 Wednesday night after hours of comments by House members.

Juneau Representative Beth Kerttula voted for the measure but said the bill will not meet Alaskans needs.

She said "it's the barest of bones."

Juneau Representative Andrea Doll also voted for the bill.

The Senate has approved a $1.3 billion package that includes a $500 payout and assistance with heating and utility bills.

It was passed on Monday night.

The House and Senate have until 11:59 . tonight to hammer out a deal. That's when this special session ends.

Should they fail to agree, Palin can call them back into special session but had not committed to that option as of Wednesday evening.

Today marks the 150th day lawmakers have been in session this year, and the 301st day in this two-year legislative cycle

Beaufort Sea search ends with discovery of boy's body
The search for a 13 year old boy who dove in to the Beaufort Sea after his father fell overboard ended Wednesday night.

That word from Petty Officer Jeremy Dawkins in the Coast Guard's Juneau Command Center. He says volunteers located the body within a mile of where the older man fell overboard Sunday evening in Camden Bay.

The boy and his father and mother were headed from their home in Kaktovik to Demarcation Point when the man fell overboard Sunday evening as he was trying to secure his 20 foot boat in stormy waters. His son dived in after him.

When neither reappeared, the woman drove the boat back to their campsite on shore about a mile away.
No names have been released at this report.

The Coast Guard was contacted by North Slope Borough Search and Rescue to provide helicopters to assist in the search.

4 die in helicopter crash in Canada
VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) - Four people died Wednesday after a helicopter crashed into an icy and fast-flowing river in remote British Columbia.

The Victoria Rescue Coordination Center said the chartered Hughes MD-500D helicopter plunged upside down into the Kitsault River near Alice Arm. That's about 90 miles east of Ketchikan, Alaska.

The rescue team initially thought two people survived the crash but found them dead after struggling to retrieve their bodies from the dangerous terrain.

The crash involved a Hughes MD-500D helicopter, owned by Prism Helicopters, which is headquartered in Pitt Meadows, near Vancouver, and has bases in northern B.C. and Alaska. A Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka was called in since it had hoisting capability. But it never got a chance to utilize that capability.

A Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka was called in since it had hoisting capability. But it never got a chance to utilize that capability.

NEW - Garrison preparing for 62nd Golden North Salmon Derby
Near past champion Dick Garrison will go fishing in his 62nd Golden North Salmon Derby this year.

That's all of them since the first one in 1947, the only person to compete in every one of them.

He says he went out to Tee Harbor for that derby. Garrison says there were about a dozen skiffs there will five horsepower Johnson motors.

About half would fish in front of Tee Harbor and other half would go to Aaron Island in Favorite Channel which he says was the hot spot in those days.

Garrison certainly remembers the '57 derby which he nearly won. It was the two highest weighed fish in any derby. Garrison says it was just his luck that he came in second with a 52 pound King which he caught off Portland Island.

But within an hour, Henry Tacholsky caught a 59 pound, three ounce fish off Shelter Island.

He plans to fish the first day down south around Salsbury and Dupont. Garrison says he understands the gill net fleet has been doing pretty good down there.

He'll be on the KINY Derby Boat Saturday.

Garrison's hope for the derby is that it brings enough fish for the Territorial Sportsmen's Scholarship Fund.

And, of course, Garrison would like to win a derby, but says it would be a stroke of luck if he did.

The fishing gets underway Friday morning and continues through 6 p.m. Sunday

Construction worker severely hurt in hit-and-run
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A construction worker suffered serious injuries in a hit-and-run accident in Wasilla.

Police say 25-year old Lacey McDaniel was working as a flagger when a car hit her and drove away.

officials say both her legs and one arm were broken, and she underwent surgery to have her spleen removed.

Wasilla police say they have impounded a car they believe was involved in the accident. Police also have identified a suspect, but no arrests have been made

The hit-and-run happened at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. McDaniel was working on a crew repaving the road near Parks Highway and Lucas Road.
(KTUU-TV - Anchorage)

Bootleggers lead troopers on 25-mile boat chase
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Two men are in custody after leading an Alaska State Trooper on a long-distance boat chase.

The chase started Saturday near Aniak, and ended 25 miles later at Upper Kalskag.

During the chase, troopers say the two men being chased repeatedly tried to ram the troopers' boat. The two also changed off driving more than halfway through the crash.

Troopers say that happened when one of them either passed out or slumped out from behind the wheel.

David Passamika of Kalskag and Thomas Napoka of Tuluksak were charged with driving under the influence, eluding, third-degree assault, importing alcohol and reckless operation of watercraft.

Troopers also charged Passamika with felony driving under the influence because he has two prior DUI convictions, harassment and disorderly conduct for spitting at the trooper and taunting him.
(Thanks, Anchorage Daily News)

Trooper plane damaged on roadway
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The pilot of an Alaska State Troopers small airplane was not injured after it crashed Tuesday about 50 miles west of Nome.

The plane was traveling on a road when the tire hit a soft shoulder and flipped on its top.

The pilot was the only person board. The plane suffered substantial damage.
(Thanks Anchorage Daily News)

Jury convicts Anchorage man of attempted murder
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - An Anchorage man faces up to 119 years in prison after being convicted of attempted murder and felony assault.

A Superior Court jury yesterday (Wednesday) found 41-year-old Earl Bates guilty in the 2007 assault of a woman in the city's Spenard neighborhood.

Prosecutor Alan Goodwin says police found Bates covered in blood and clutching a handful of hair from the victim of a near-fatal beating in February 2007.

Officials say the victim spent 12 days in intensive care after suffering broken ribs and bleeding in her brain.

Judge Patrick McKay scheduled sentencing for November. Bates faces between 5 years to 99 years on the attempted murder charge, and up to another 20 for felony assault.

NEW - Sitka police kill bear after it was twice run over
SITKA, Alaska (AP) - Sitka police euthanized a brown bear that was severely injured when it was twice run over by vehicles.

The male bear was hit by the first vehicle late Tuesday as the animal was running across a road from the entrance to Sitka National Historical Park.

Lt. Barry Allen says the driver was unable to stop and ran over the bear with both left side tires.

As the bear tried to return to the park, a sedan heading the other way struck it a second time.

A crowd started to gather, watching the bear as it struggled to escape up an embankment. Police killed the injured bear with a single shot as it came down the embankment toward people.

The hide and skull were turned over to the Department of Fish and Game, and the meat was sent to the Alaska Raptor Center.
(Daily Sitka Sentinel)

Bear killed in Wrangell-St. Elias
KENNECOTT, Alaska (AP) - Rangers killed a black bear in the Donoho Basin of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park after it confronted humans.

Officials say the bear did this after obtaining the campers' food, which had not been properly stored.

Park personnel say the improper storage has led to food-conditioned bears in the area, prompting officials to close the basin seven miles northwest of Kennecott.

Authorities say there have been numerous incidents of black bears accessing human food in the basin, one of the park's most used areas. This has led to aggressive behavior from some bears.

Since there are likely bear-conditioned bears still in the area, officials have closed the Donoho Basin to overnight use for the rest of the 2008 season.

Recreational day use and subsistence use will reopen Sunday.

Noncombat injuries claim Montanan in Iraq
DILLON, Mont. (AP) - The Department of Defense says a soldier from Montana with ties to Alaska has died in Iraq, from injuries not related to combat.

The department says 21-year-old Army Pvt. Timothy J. Hutton of Dillon died Monday in Baghdad. Information about the circumstances of his death was not released. The military says an investigation is under way.

Hutton's grandfather is Dillon Mayor Marty Malesich. He says the soldier had been in the military for less than a year.

Among the survivors are his father, Albert Hutton of Fairbanks.

Arrangements for a military service in Dillon are pending. A family member says his cremated remains will be taken to Alaska later.

Fed court get lawsuit against Fairbanks, police
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - A lawsuit filed against the city of Fairbanks and its top two police officers has been moved from state to federal court.

Two officers, Doug Whorton and Al Hutton, filed the lawsuit last month. In it, they claim they were demoted after complaining of faulty equipment, lack of training and nepotism.

The city's answer to the lawsuit is due Friday.

Court documents show the case was moved to federal court because of federal constitutional claims, including that the officers' free speech was violated.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Pacific Air Force breaking in new F-22s on Guam
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AP) - The U.S. Air Force has been breaking in its new fleet of F-22s this summer by sending five of the planes from cool and dry Alaska to hot and humid Guam for the first time.

The F-22 Raptors, which have unrivaled ability to fly at supersonic speeds for long periods and travel undetected by radar, have been operational for less than three years.

Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage has been home to two F-22 squadrons since last year. It's only the second base to house the stealth fighters, after Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

The deployment that ended Saturday of five Raptors from the Elmendorf's 90th Fighter Squadron to the U.S. territory marked just the second time the F-22 has ventured outside the 50 states.

Its first such trip was early last year, when Pacific Air Forces sent 12 Langley-based F-22s to Okinawa in southern Japan for three months.

The Guam deployment offered the Elmendorf crews a chance to grow accustomed to flying and maintaining the F-22 in the territory's climate.

It also signaled to countries in the region how important the Asia-Pacific is to U.S. security interests.

Guam is about 3,700 miles west of Hawaii, and sits near key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea.

UAF hosts Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - The University of Alaska Fairbanks will be the site for the eighth Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians.

The two-day conference starts next Tuesday.

Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski will be the U.S. representative to the conference.

Her office says more than 150 guests are expected to attend, including members of national parliaments of all eight Arctic Council member states.

Those members are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Other members are the European Parliament, indigenous people's organizations and international organizations.

Murkowski says she has set three major themes for discussion at the conference: human health in the Arctic, adaptation to climate change and development of rural energy resources.

Troopers step up patrols at Tanana Valley Fair
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Alaska State Troopers have increased their presence at the Tanana State Fair after a pair of incidents last weekend.

Trooper Michael Wery says about 20 juveniles and adults were attempting to fight Sunday night.

Troopers were able to disperse the group, but came back a little while later to break up another fight among 12 people. A security guard for the fair had a minor injury from that fight.

No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed. No other incidents have been reported since

Troopers stepped up foot patrols.
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

Bore tide surfer rescued from inlet
GIRDWOOD, Alaska (AP) - A Girdwood man surfing the bore tide was rescued after being trapped in an inlet.

Alaska State Troopers say the Girdwood Fire Department launched its rescue boat to pick up 41-year-old Paul C. Wiersema.

Troopers say Wiersema was surfing the bore tide Friday, but got pulled into an inlet. He wasn't able to get back to shore because of the strong tidal action.

The Girdwood fire department reached Wiersema, who was found floating atop his surf board.

Troopers say he reported no injuries other than being tired.

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Saturday, August 2nd, 2008
12:53 pm - In the News - Coldest Alaska Summer ever!!
Saturday, August 2 , 2008 2ND EDITION

Lawmakers award gas line license to TransCanada
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Governor Palin achieved what her predecessor Frank Murkowski could not: she got the Legislature's support on natural gas pipeline legislation.

Friday, lawmakers approved a state license for TransCanada Corporation to pursue a natural gas pipeline project.

The approval ends a decades-long battle to open up North Slope natural gas for use on the North American market.

The state Senate approved the bill 14-to-5. The House gave its OK last week. The bill awaits the signature of Palin, who has backed the Canadian proposal from the start.

The license does not guarantee construction, but it means TransCanada must move forward on federal permitting applications for the 1,700-mile pipeline. The project is estimated to cost between $26 billion and $30 billion.

The approval comes with up to $500 million in state seed money. It also sets up a race with a competing pipeline venture established by oil giants BP PLC and ConocoPhillips.

Former Anchorage DA to investigate Monegan firing
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - A retired Alaska assistant district attorney will investigate Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of the former public safety commissioner.

Legislative Council Chairman Kim Elton, a Juneau Democrat, says Steve Branchflower was appointed special counsel on Friday.

Branchflower will investigate the events surrounding the July 11 dismissal of former Commissioner Walt Monegan.

Monegan says he doesn't know why Palin fired him, but adds it might have had something to do with his failure to fire a trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.

Palin says she wanted the department to go in a different direction. She denies the trooper was an issue, and said she welcomes the investigation.

The Legislative Council approved up to $100,000 dollars for the investigation.

Palin appoints public safety committee
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Gov. Sarah Palin has appointed a new review committee to help in the search for the next public safety commissioner.

Palin says the six-member panel announced Friday will look for qualified candidates from within the Department of Public Safety and from across the state.

Palin fired former commissioner Walt Monegan July 11, replacing him with Kenai Police Chief Chuck Kopp.

Kopp resigned last week after an undisclosed reprimand that stemmed from a sexual harassment claim against him came to light.

Plane runs out fuel, crashes near Gravina Island
Two men escaped with minor injuries after their small plane crashed into the water near Ketchikan Friday evening.

The pilot, 66 year-old Robert C. Davis, and passenger, 58 year-old Glenn B. Davis, of Beulah, Colorado were flying from Pueblo, Colorado.

The plane departed Bellingham, Washington after refueling and as the aircraft made its approach to Ketchikan it ran out of fuel about 5 minutes outside of the Ketchikan International Airport.

The aircraft crashed into the water off of Gravina Island and sank.

The pilot and passenger were rescued by a passing float plane that landed in the water nearby.

The float plane later transported the victims to Ketchikan General Hospital where the pilot was examined and released with no injuries and the passenger was admitted for treatment of mild hypothermia and then released.

Two hurt in trailer explosion
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Two Kenai residents are being treated for injuries sustained when their travel trailer exploded on the Seward Highway.

Alaska State Troopers say Frank and Corey O'Brien had been camping Friday morning in their 22-foot trailer near mile 69 of the highway.

Troopers say a propane leak is suspected in the explosion, which was triggered when the O'Briens tried to light a burner on their propane stove.

According to troopers, the walls and roof of the trailer were blown off in the blast.

The O'Briens' dog also was injured and treated at an Anchorage veterinarian clinic.

Stevens releases statement following arraignment
The Senator Ted Stevens' office issued the following his arraignment in federal court in Washington, D. C. Thursday.

"I am pleased that the Judge has set a speedy trial date, which should allow ample time for a decision before the general election. I am looking forward to this trial as a way of finally showing the truth – that I am innocent.

We have a Bill of Rights and a trial by jury in our country to protect our citizens – so that every person has their day in court.

I am humbled by all the outpouring of support, expressions of friendship, and offers of prayers. This process has lasted for more than a year, causing great distress to my family and confusing the Alaskans who have put their trust in me for more than 40 years.

When all the facts come out at the trial, Alaskans will know that I continue to be a dedicated public servant and that I am working hard for them every day."

Sexual assault under investigation by JPD
The Juneau Police Department is investigating a reported sexual assault.

Police says they were contacted by staff at the hospital's emergency room Tuesday afternoon that a woman was there being treated for an alleged sexual assault.

The 26 year old Juneau resident told police that she was assaulted by two men while attending an after hours party in the 1600 block of Douglas Highway.

She was treated for minor injuries and released.

The investigation is continuing.

CBJ Docks and Harbors Board delays election of officers...takes action on several items
As expected, the CBJ Docks and Harbors Board of Directors, Thursday night, delayed its annual election of new officers

Port Director John Stone says some members were absent so that item will be before the board again at its August 28th meeting.

The board approved a request for an amendment for a professional services contract to continue with permitting work related to mercury found in Douglas Harbor.

The amendment to the contract amounts to $98,715.

Stone says they will be moving forward with testing over the next several months.

He says they hope to have it completed and submitted to the regulatory agencies for a decision by the end of the year, so work can get moving on replacing the old boat harbor.

The board approved regulations governing leases and how lease rents are established.

Those regulations will be out for public comment this month

Public hearings are planned on August 21st and 28th. Following the hearing on the 28th, Stone says the board is expected to take final action on the regulations.

The board approved a tidelands lease renewal held by Fishermen's Bend Marina.

The lease is for 35 years at $35,000 a year.

The board okayed a request to the Assembly to award a state grant of one and a half million dollars for repairs to the retaining wall near the tram at the cruise ship terminal.

The legislative appropriation is from the passenger fee assessed on cruise ships by the state.

In addition to the retaining wall, the contract calls for resurfacing the parking lot that's between the Mt. Roberts Tram Building and Taku Smokeries.

The board approved a contract award to P-N and D Engineers for that work.

Stone says they hope to get the work designed this winter and complete the project by next Spring.

The board also awarded a design contract to Jensen, Yorba, Lott.

The plan calls for tearing down the old ferry terminal building and replacing it with a small visitor's center and a separate building that would house the port and customs staff.

Agreement bars LAB from flying for a year
LAB Flying Service is not eligible to fly again for a year.

That in an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration which revoked the regional air carrier's certificate to operate last month.

Glenn Brown is the senior attorney in the Office of the Regional Counsel in the Alaska Region of the FAA.

He says that means the airline is not eligible to reapply for its certificate until next July 24th.

Brown says they started noting problems as early as 2000.

He says a real big problem surfaced last December which led to the revocation order last month.

That's when the airline showed a magneto to the FAA that had failed. The agency official discovered that it was the second magneto that had failed and the company had not reported the first one.

In addition, LAB had used the second one long after its required inspection time.

In May of this year, the agency discovered that company mechanics were installing an engine in another plane that caught the previous July shortly after taking off from Kake.

Brown said they found the situation with the company's maintenance "shocking."

July 2nd wettest and 3rd coldest ever in Juneau
It was a cold and very wet July in Juneau and that's born out by the statistics released today by the National Weather Service.

The month started out warm with high temperatures in the low 70s, but Meteorologist Corey Van Pelt in the Juneau Forecast Office says they quickly fell below normal after the 5th when a series of wet and cold weather systems moved into Southeast Alaska and continued through the rest of the month.

The average high temperature of 58 degrees was the lowest average high for the month of July ever recorded since records began in 1943.

The overall average temperature of 53 point 3 degrees makes July 2008 the third coldest July on record.

A record low temperature of 39 degrees was set on the 21st which was just above the all time record July low of 36 degrees set in 1950.

Precipitation totaled 8 point 25 inches which is 4 point 11 inches above normal.

The forecaster says that makes July 2008 the second wettest July ever recorded.

The greatest 24 hour rainfall was on the 18th with 1 point 90 inches which set a record for the date.

Two other daily rainfall records were established. There was 1 point 55 inches on the 8th and point 66 inches on the 25th.

Palmer jury convicts shooter
A man who fired his rifle at an Alaska State Trooper in September of 2006 has been found guilty of attempted murder by a Palmer Superior Court jury.

The verdict was returned Wednesday afternoon against 51 year old Donald B. Voorhis.

He shot at the Trooper after the law enforcement official entered his Rampart Road trailer home on September 10, 2006.

The Trooper was investigating reports that Voorhis had pointed a gun or fired at three citizens and Troopers in incidents that occurred between September 6 and 10 of 2006.

Voorhis was also found guilty of seven counts of assault in the third degree for those incidents as well as violating conditions of court release, reckless endangerment, and resisting arrest.

The jury acquitted Voorhis of two counts of attempted murder, but determined his conduct did constitute assault.

During a separate hearing Thursday, it was decided by the same jury that four of the counts involved aggravated conduct which allows the judge to hand down a more severe sentence.

Sentencing was scheduled for November 3.

Judge orders Alaska to help Yup'ik voters
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A federal judge is requiring state elections officials to provide Yup'ik-speaking voters in the Bethel area with election language help.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess issued the order late Wednesday.

The judge's ruling stems from a lawsuit filed last year alleging a failure to satisfy provisions of the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.

The ruling requires the state to provide language assistance, including trained poll workers who are bilingual in English and Yup'ik. Sample ballots will have to be written in Yup'ik. A glossary of election terms also written in Yup'ik will have to be provided.

The judge also has ordered that local tribes be consulted to ensure the accuracy of Yup'ik translations. A Yup'ik language coordinator also will have to be provided.

The court is requiring both pre-election and post-election reports to track the state's efforts to comply with the order.

Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, says the upcoming August primary in the Bethel area will be closely watched for compliance.

Poverty fighter visiting Juneau, trip to Hoonah planned
The President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA is visiting Juneau.

Father Larry Snyder arrived Wednesday and joined Rosemary Hagevig, the executive director of Catholic Community Services based in Juneau, and John Greely, who is vice president of her board of directors, on Capital Chat Thursday.

He identified five factors needed to fight poverty. They include housing, health care, proper nutrition, economic stability, and job training and education.

He said if people are missing any one of those, chances are they're going to have a tough time.

When asked if its possible to wipe out poverty, he said that's a very lofty goal. "I'm not sure we can ever wipe out poverty, so our task has been to at least reduce poverty."

Father Snyder thinks an achievable goal is to reduce poverty in half within a timeframe of 10 to 12 years.

He visits Hoonah Friday.

Father Snyder came to Juneau after a stop in Anchorage.

More Block captains wanted to host Night Out Against Crime parties
Block captains are still being sought for Juneau's first National Night Out America's Night Out Against Crime.

The event will be staged in Juneau for the first time next week.

The Juneau Police Department's Public Safety Systems Coordinator Dee Ojard says they're trying to "sweeten" the deal.

Block captains will be given a coupon for one free gallon of ice cream.

She says, right now, they have four confirmed parties. Three in the Valley and one at Sunny Point.

Block captains send out invitations and host the party.

Once you register to be a block captain, the department will ask what kind of party you want to have, issue you a hat and then arrange to have police and fire department personnel to visit your party.

The purpose is to educate residents about crime in their neighborhood through an event that allows them to get to know their neighbors and law enforcement authorities.

It's scheduled for Tuesday, August 5 from 7 to 10 p.m.

Todd Palin to host former first spouses
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - First gentleman Todd Palin will host a reception for other first spouses to occupy the Governor's Mansion in Juneau.

Expected to attend Saturday's reception are former first ladies Neva Egan, Ermalee Hickel, Bella Hammond, Susan Knowles and Nancy Murkowski.

Governor Sarah Palin will also be on hand, as will some children of former governors who lived in the mansion and former residence managers.

Todd Palin says it will be an honor to host the families who have been part of so much of Alaska's history.

The event is organized by Capital City Celebrations to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of statehood.

(Copyright ©2008 Alaska Juneau Communications)

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Sunday, July 27th, 2008
10:58 pm - My weekend
Let’s see how much I can remember here – Friday night right after work I met Boo out at Kathy’s shop and we transported wedding balloons down to the Cedar Park Rec Hall. We had to tape the ribbons together for each cluster of balloons so they wouldn’t float around and get tangled. Kenny and Weston came out and helped us unload them. Spent a few moments untwisting ribbons until each bundle of balloons floated pretty again.

Then it was off to the movie theatre. Boo and Terry were on the phone with each other the entire time I drove. The end result was he wanted to see Dark Knight again, so he started driving into town. Blain called on his way with Brianna and Crystal. The theatre doors finally opened and the line quickly moved to the counter, leaving me right inside the doors. Boo had gone down to the drug store. Bought our 6 tickets, then went into the theatre to claim our seats. Spread out coats and sweaters and purses to show the seats were taken, then I sat guard while she went out to give ticket stubs to everyone as they arrived. Amazingly enough, neither the girls or Terry wished to move, so the 6 of us ended up sitting together for the entire movie. Blain switched seats so Boo could mooch my nachos and share her candy with me. The movie was great - the 2 ½ hours went past so fast!

Home. Spent a little time with mom. Set alarm for the morning. Alarm went off in the morning and had a hard time getting up. Finally up and dressed and out to Blain’s. Got there and just could not go back to sleep. Was comfortable but awake. LOL. So his alarm went off and off he went to take a shower. I laid out on the couch and still could not fall asleep. Picked at MTG cards, found another idea for a deck I want to try. Then his step-dad arrived to do the garbage run. I left at the same time.

Went to the bank and pulled out the money for the car payment and the storage unit. Got gast at Fred Meyer’s. Went down to pay the storage unit and they were closed. Went home and got the laptop, did a little work on the driveway, then headed back out to Blain’s. Did some internet work on the laptop while he snoozed and watched tv. Then Boo was ready to go to Miranda’s wedding rehearsal. Stopped at Gotchalks and picked up wedding gifts, then at Fred’s for recording tapes and batteries. Then I dropped Boo off and went home to change. Collected the camera gear and went to the Hall to set up. The wedding was small and nice. The recording went well.

Boo and I went to visit Rob afterwards. Had a little sock exchange to do so she could visit with him. Then dropped her off at Isaac’s and went back to the Hall for the backpack left there. Picked her up from Isaac’s where she was promising to hang out with him next weekend. Off to Wal-Mart where indeed they had a replacement bulb for my headlight. Boo got kitty supplies for Sean – and Terry’s new kitty, Whiskers. Long haired tiger stripe. Dropped her off at home and went to Blain’s. Once there took some Advil and laid down on his couch while he figured out how to replace the headlight bulb. I woke up a couple times when he came inside. Then he sent me off home.

Home and Mom, after turning the lights back on, was waiting in the living room, dangling a little medal from her hand. She and her team took first place in the canoe race over at the Kake Dog Salmon Festival. She’s never paddled a native canoe before, along with several of her teammates, so they were very proud of themselves. She showed me pictures of the festival and her day, and I showed her the pictures of the wedding and my day with Boo. Told her about the sock exchange to vist Rob and she thought that was a ridiculous requirement. Then we finally went off to bed.

This morning wasn’t ready to get up. Headed off to the shower and Blain had texted me when I got back out. Got dressed and headed out to Heritage in the Mendenhall Mall. I was ten minutes late and there was no Keith, so I called his cell phone. Ruthann answered. He was there about 20 minutes later and we sat for almost two hours, B.S.ing and playing on the web. Went over to Blain’s afterwards and he said it was too late to try to get down to the USS Juneau. I went to his bathroom and did some thinking. I could do a) say I was going to try anyway, and have a good rest of the day or I could do b) settle in for a short time and make sure I don’t get bored. After thinking about it, I decided to do b.

So I sat on the couch, watched the rest of his NASCAR race with him, then we went to Costco in my rig, with a stop at the Lemon Breeze In for coffee for him. The shopping trip was nice, and there were packages of fresh garlic bread – the loaves, not the spaghetti type. So he bought one for me to take to ceremony along with the one for him to take home. Then I took him and his groceries home, dropped him off, stole kisses, and headed for home with my bread snuggly wrapped up in my sweatshirt to keep warm. Mom and I started ceremony and we were almost done when Judy arrived. She apologized for being late, she had just gotten off work. We finished the pipe, then the cooking and sat and ate and visited.

Met Blain at the Viking to shoot pool. He was nice and let me win most of the games. Now it’s bedtime and that, my friends, was my weekend!!!

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Saturday, July 26th, 2008
12:35 pm - HIV virus faster than originally thought...
News Article - July 21, 2008
HIV Conquers Immune System Faster than Previously Realized
7/18/2008 - originally published by DUMC

New research into the earliest events occurring immediately upon infection with HIV-I shows that the virus deals a stunning blow to the immune system earlier than was previously understood. According to scientists at Duke University Medical Center, this suggests the window of opportunity for successful intervention may be only a matter of days – not weeks – after transmission, as researchers had previously believed.

Appearing in the August issue of the Journal of Virology, the finding may make the challenge of designing an effective HIV/AIDS vaccine appear daunting. But researchers say the study has also yielded a blueprint for what a successful vaccine should look like, and moreover, when such a vaccine would need to work.

Until now, scientists believed that the window of opportunity to intervene in the process of HIV-1 infection lay in the three to four weeks between transmission and the development of an established pool of infected CD4 T cells. HIV-1 cripples the immune system by invading and killing CD4 T cells, key infection-fighters in the body.

“But this new study shows that HIV-I does a lot of damage to the immune system very early in that time frame, and now we feel that the opportunity to intervene most effectively may range from about five to seven days after infection,” said Barton Haynes, M.D., the senior author of the study and director of the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI) at Duke University Medical Center.

Haynes said the findings suggest that an optimal vaccine strategy would have to pack a double punch: First, establishing as much immunity as possible before infection, much as classic vaccines do, and then following a few days later with a mechanism to provoke a strong, secondary, broad-based antibody response. “Vaccine candidates to date have pretty much followed a single strategy. Now we know that we need to activate multiple arms of the immune system and we have a better idea of when to do it.”

The conclusion comes from the study of 30 people who were newly-infected with HIV-1. Plasma from these individuals was sampled every three days for several months – before, during, and after the “ramp-up” phase of infection, when HIV-1 is multiplying rapidly and heading toward its peak viral load. In measuring the levels of four products of CD4 T cell death during this period in these samples, they were able to track and establish a timetable of the virus’s destructive path.

The four byproducts of CD4 T cell death include TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), Fas ligand, TNF receptor type 2 and plasma microparticles, tiny bits of cell membrane that are broken up and left floating around in the plasma when the cell dies and breaks apart.

The researchers found that TRAIL levels increased significantly a full week (7.2. days) before peak viral load, which is approximately 17 days after HIV-1 transmission, suggesting that during the earliest period of infection, called the eclipse phase, TRAIL may actually initiate or hasten HIV-1’s destruction of CD4 T cells. In contrast, they found that the levels of the other three cell death products were most significantly elevated during peak viral load.

“What this demonstrates is that significant T cell death is occurring much earlier during this period than we previously believed, and that TRAIL itself may be a co-conspirator in enhancing cell death,” Haynes said. “This leads us to believe that the time frame for successful intervention has to move even close to the point of infection.”

Researchers also examined the effects of cell death products upon B cells, another arm of the immune system responsible for the creation of antibodies. Previous studies have shown that the antibody response to HIV-1 is “too little, too late” – appearing after the virus has peaked and after the reservoir of infected T cells has already been established.

Through a series of in vitro laboratory experiments with peripheral blood cells, scientists found that microparticles suppressed levels of IgG and IgA, two classes of antibodies that normally would protect a person against infection. “This is important because many scientists believe that a fast-acting memory B cell response as well as a T cell response will be necessary to fight HIV-1” said Nancy Gasper-Smith, PhD, the lead author of the study.

Daniel Douek, M.D., PhD, chief of the Human Immunology Section of the National Institutes of Health, said the study sheds new light on key events in the earliest phase of infection. “The cohort is a gem. It is clear from the raised levels of TRAIL that the body senses the virus before plasma viral loads have peaked. This suggests that the virus begins to cause damage in ways that may be unrelated to the well-described massive depletion of gut CD4 T cells that becomes apparent around peak viral load. For clinical practice, this means the window of opportunity in which antiviral therapies and vaccines must act is becoming ever narrower.”

“These and other studies that recently revealed more about the singular nature of HIV-1 have given us valuable information that is helping us move closer to establishing a basic science foundation that can lead to novel technologies for vaccine design, Haynes said. Haynes. “It is becoming clearer why we have failed in our efforts to date, and what we need to confront to succeed in the future.”

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health

Colleagues from Duke who contributed to the research include Deanna Crossman, John Whitesides, Nadia Mensali, Janet Ottinger, Steven Plonk, M. Anthony Moody, Guido Ferrari, Kent Weinhold, Sara Miller and Thomas Denny. Additional co-authors are David Pisetsky and Charles Reich, from the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital; Li Qin and Stephen Self, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Statistical Center for HIV-AIDS Research and Prevention; George Shaw from the University of Alabama: and Laura Jones, from Cornell.

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Thursday, July 24th, 2008
12:17 pm - Elder's Meditation for the day
"Life is like a path...and we all have to walk the path... As we walk...we'll find experiences like little scraps of paper in front of us along the way. We must pick up those pieces of scrap paper and put them in our pocket... Then, one day, we will have enough scraps of papers to put together and see what they say... Read the information and take it to heart."
--Uncle Frank Davis (quoting his mother), PAWNEE

The Creator designed us to learn by trial and error. The path of life we walk is very wide. Everything on the path is sacred - what we do right is sacred - but our mistakes are also sacred. This is the Creator's way of teaching spiritual people. To criticize ourselves when we make mistakes is not part of the spiritual path. To criticize mistakes is not the Indian way. To learn from our mistakes is the Indian way. The definition of a spiritual person is someone who makes 30-50 mistakes each day and talks to the Creator after each one to see what to do next time. This is the way of the Warrior.

Today let me see my mistakes as a positive process. Let me learn the aha's of life... Awaken my awareness so I can see the great learning that You, my Creator, have designed for my life.

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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
8:54 pm - New Baby
"Timothy Charles Drake II Born at 1:26am on 7-23-08 6lbs 11oz 18 1/2 inch!!!! "

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Saturday, July 19th, 2008
8:22 pm - Elder's Meditation
"We were taught to believe that the Great Spirit sees and hears everything, and that He never forgets, that hereafter He will give every man a spirit-home according to his deserts: If he has been a good man, he will have a good home; if he has been a bad man, he will have a bad home."
--Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE
I cannot hide my true spirit and intent from the Creator. He created a system of justice. This system of justice says we will get back whatever we plant. If I plant good then good returns - if we plant bad, then we will suffer the consequences. Whatever we think about another person, the same things are thought about us. Whatever we send out is sent back. Man cannot alter this system of justice. It doesn't matter what we say or do. What really matters is what we really, really did.

Oh Great Spirit, guide me today to do good, to have good thoughts. Let me remember the things I do are to honor Your way of life.

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Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
12:58 pm - USS Torrent update --- --- ---
Artifacts pulled from 140 year vessel wreckage near Homer
State and federal agencies, including the United States Coast Guard recovered 140 year old artifacts from the wreck of the USS Torrent Monday from Coal Bay near Homer.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Levi Read (Reed) says a dive team from the Cutter Hickory used a crane to bring up things such as a brass mountain howitzer canon, a fragmented canon ball, several portholes and other small items.

Read says the artifacts have been cataloged and taken to the Pratt Museum in Homer where they will be displayed to the public beginning today.

The vessel went down 140 years ago in 1868, one year following the purchase of Alaska by the United States.

It was transporting troops to secure the new territory when it struck a rock in the vicinity of Port Graham as it was traveling through Cook Inlet.

Reed says everyone made it safely to shore in the vicinity of Coal Cove and were rescued by a passing ship months later.

The exact location of the Torrent was a mystery until the summer of 2007 when a private dive team led by Steve Lloyd discovered the wreck near Port Graham.

The Coast Guard was assisting the Alaska State Archeologist and Historic Press Office and the Government Services Agency in the recovery of the artifacts.

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6:26 am - Elder's Meditation
"Grandfather says...you must not hurt anybody or do harm to anyone. You must not fight. Do right always. It will give you satisfaction in life."
--Wovoka, PAIUTE

The question one should ask themselves is: Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy? If you want to be right, this is a request from your ego. If you want to be happy then this is of the Great Spirit. The only meaning anything has is the meaning we give it. Maybe we should develop a philosophy of: Today is the last day of the rest of my life. If this were true, how easy it would be to let things go - how easy it would be to forgive.

Oh Great Spirit, let me live today as if it was my last. Let me express Your joy and be happy today. Let me see the joy and honor of living on the Red Road.


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Not so sure that I completely totally agree with this one..... There are time when it doesn't matter if you are right, but you do have to stand up for your rights...I suppose it can be done in a happy loving way though.

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Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
12:49 pm - Elder's Meditation
"We are nothing compared to His power, and we feel and know it."
--Black Hawk, SAUK
Inside of every man and woman is a place of knowing. In this place is the knowing that there is a Great One, the Great Mystery, the Holy One, the Great Spirit. We can deny this all we want but we know what we know. This place of knowing is at the very center of our being. It is gratifying to know that God cannot leave us. It is said we are spiritual beings trying to be human. With this power in our lives, we can accomplish much. We can do many good things for our people.

Oh Great Spirit, I know of Your power. I love the days when I can feel Your presence. Let today be one of those days. Let me walk today in Your beauty.

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Monday, July 14th, 2008
6:59 am - Elder's Meditation - the children know, why do we forget?
"It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth... The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing."
--Chief Luther Standing Bear, TETON SIOUX

Touching the earth - getting grounded, centered. There is magic in touching the earth and feeling her healing power. This is especially healthy to do during a troubling time when our minds are racing or can't stop thinking or are locked onto fear or resentment. When I need to feel free I can go to the Mother Earth. The Mother Earth is full of life and love. She always gives her powers to those who come to her. The Mother Earth is alive.

Today, my Great Spirit, let me remember to touch the earth. Let me slow down and live just for today. Let me be gentle, patient and kind.

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Saturday, July 12th, 2008
10:31 pm - In the News.......
Alaskan volcano erupts with little warning, flings ash plume 30,000 feet in the air
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A volcano erupted Saturday with little warning on a remote Alaska island and sent residents of a nearby ranch fleeing from falling ash and volcanic rock.

The Okmok Caldera erupted just hours after seismologists at the Alaska Volcano Center began detecting a series of small tremors.

Geophysicist Steve McNutt says the explosion flung an ash cloud at least 50,000 feet high.

Local flights have been canceled.

Nine people, including three children, were at Fort Glenn, a private cattle ranch six miles south of the volcano on Umnak Island, located in the western Aleutians. They were later picked up by a vessel responding to a Coast Guard request for emergency assistance.

The Coast Guard says the ranch residents had managed to call authorities on a satellite phone before losing their connection, according to the Coast Guard.

After the nine were picked up, the Coast Guard canceled plans to send a cutter to the island.

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