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Tuesday
February 23, 2016
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M/V Kennicot
The M/V Kennicot coming in to Ketchikan Saturday evening.
Front Page Feature Photo By STEVEN SPEIGHTS ©2016
New Vote Caster, Click Here. Photo of the Month: The photographer with the most likes on a featured front page photo for the month of FEBRUARY 2016 will receive $100. Send your photos to editor@sitnews.us .
(Enter your likes on the SitNews' FaceBook page or use the Vote Caster link)
All Alaska Regions: Testing detects algal toxins in Alaska marine mammals - Toxins from harmful algae are present in Alaskan marine food webs in high enough concentrations to be detected in marine mammals such as whales, walruses, sea lions, seals, porpoises and sea otters, according to new research from NOAA and its federal, state, local and academic partners.
A stranded humpback whale carcass in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Humpback whales were among the Alaska marine mammals that showed exposure to algal toxins, according to new research.
Credit: Kathy Burek-Huntington, Alaska Veterinary and Pathology Services
The findings, reported this month in the journal Harmful Algae, document a major northward expansion of the areas along the Pacific Coast where marine mammals are known to be exposed to algal toxins. Since 1998, algal toxin poisoning has been a common occurrence in California sea lions in Central California. However, this report is the first documentation of algal toxins in northern ranging marine mammals from Southeast Alaska to the Arctic Ocean.
"What really surprised us was finding these toxins so widespread in Alaska, far north of where they have been previously documented in marine mammals," said Kathi Lefebvre, a NOAA Fisheries research scientist who led the study. "However, we do not know whether the toxin concentrations found in marine mammals in Alaska were high enough to cause health impacts to those animals. It's difficult to confirm the cause of death of stranded animals. But we do know that warming trends are likely to expand blooms, making it more likely that marine mammals could be affected in the future." - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Alaska: BLM Announces Major Clean-up Effort of Legacy Wells in NPR-A - Using special appropriations from Congress, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Alaska is scheduled to clean up more than 40 percent of those wells identified in BLM’s 2013 Legacy Well Strategic Plan in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), a 22.8 million-acre roadless area located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
The wells were drilled decades ago by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Geological Survey and many were abandoned without being properly plugged and remediated. BLM inherited the responsibility to clean up the wells and is making significant progress in doing so this year.
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) secured $50 million for the BLM through the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 to use toward clean-up efforts of the legacy wells. The agency has already spent $10 million of the Helium Act funding in 2015 to plug three legacy wells at Umiat and conduct surface clean up at well sites in Cape Simpson.
“The Helium Act funding will allow us to clean up a significant number of the legacy wells to protect the public and the environment,” said BLM Alaska State Director, Bud Cribley. “Remediation of the remaining wells will require tremendous additional resources over the coming years, but we are committed to doing our part to finish the job.” - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016 |
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Alaska: Veterans healthcare sharing agreement to increase access to services in Alaska statewide - According to the Alaska Dept. of Military & Veterans Affairs, a unique agreement in place that allows Alaskan veterans to receive medical services in more than 100 communities across the state is making it easier for the state’s veterans to get the care they need closer to home.
However, there are still veterans who have not enrolled in the federal Veterans Health Administration and are not able to take advantage of the benefits. The State of Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs is available to help enroll anyone who needs assistance and wants all Alaskan veterans to receive the care they have earned.
In 2012, the Alaska VA Healthcare System and the Alaska Native Health Programs signed a monumental health sharing agreement that increased access to care for veterans residing in rural areas who did not live close to the state’s five VA healthcare facilities (located in Anchorage, Wasilla, Kenai, Juneau and Fairbanks). The agreement allows Alaska’s veterans, both Alaska Native and non-Native, to receive healthcare services in 122 additional medical facilities statewide. Alaska was the first in the United States to have an agreement such as this. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Alaska: New Legislation Would Replenish Permanent Fund in Times of Profit - The Alaska Permanent Fund Divident has been under attack since its inception even thought the intent of the Dividend has always been to provide a means of conserving a portion of the state's resource wealth to benefit all generations of Alaskans.
On Monday, Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) introduced SB188, the Protect the Permanent Fund Dividend Act, which would require that any funds appropriated out of the Earnings Reserve Account of the Permanent Fund, with the exception of those used for inflation proofing or issuing PFD checks, must be repaid. This repayment would come from a progressivity surcharge on oil production in times of windfall oil profits.
The next time that per barrel profits exceed $20 per barrel, the surcharge would kick in, increasing the tax rate by .3% for every dollar over the $20 profit. This progressivity surcharge would apply only to the three largest and most profitable fields in Alaska – Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk, and the Colville River Unit.
“There are many proposals being considered by the legislature that contain provisions for accessing the earnings reserve of the Permanent Fund to balance the budget,” said Senator Wielechowski. “If funds are appropriated from the earnings reserve, future dividends will be diminished. Each time oil prices drop, the Permanent Fund becomes a target. This bill would make sure that when oil companies profit, Alaskans profit too.” - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016 |
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Ketchikan: Chinook Shores Lodge Adding Four New 21' Silver Streak Boats - Entering its 11th fishing season, Chinook Shores Lodge will be adding four 21' Silver Streak boats to its unguided and bare boat fleet. Chinook Shores Lodge, an Alaska fishing lodge specializing in guided charters and self-guided fishing, is located approximately 15 miles north of Ketchikan on Potter Road.
One of Chinook Shores Lodge's Waterfront Accommodations
Pictured is the duplex which is built out over the beach.
All units feature the same floor plan and can sleep up to six people.
Photo courtesy
Chinook Shores Lodge
Quoting a news release, the purchase decision is part of management's desire to ensure that Ketchikan-based Chinook Shores Lodge remains a leading destination for those interested in Alaska sport fishing. Chinook Shores' first custom-built Silver Streak entered into service June 2015. Boats two and three will go into service May 2016, the fourth will go into service June 2016.
"These custom-built, aluminum sport fishing boats promise our continued delivery of best-in-class sport fishing to anglers and guests while greatly enhancing the experience for our bare boat renters, unguided anglers, fishing guides and operational staff," said Alaska fishing lodge owner and guide Jeff Wedekind. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Alaska: Alaska Military Youth Academy will continue helping state’s youth - Despite proposed budget cuts, the Alaska Military Youth Academy will continue in helping Alaska at-risk youth graduate with the values, skills, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults.
“We understand the fiscal crisis the state faces, and we support Governor Walker’s budget proposal; we knew cuts would have to be made, so we’ve been leaving positions vacant,” said Bob Roses, AMYA director. “Those cuts have no impact on the 118 cadets who will be graduating from the program next week and should have no impact on future classes. We’re prepared to move forward and continue helping at-risk youth like the academy has been doing for the past 21 years.”
In Gov. Bill Walker’s recently released amended budget proposal, Alaska Military Youth Academy loses 16 positions, all of which are presently vacant. Alaska Military Youth Academy receives matching federal funding for its program, but no federal funds are jeopardized by these state budget cuts.
The current Class of 2016-1 provided more than 6,750 hours of community service; 81 cadets earned their high school credentials; others earned 7.0 transferrable credits each; and overall, this class’s grade-level average increased by 1.6 years. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
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Map shows the location of seawater samples taken by scientists and citizen scientists that were analyzed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for radioactive cesium as part of 'Our Radioactive Ocean'. Cesium-137 is found throughout the Pacific Ocean and was detectable in all samples collected, while cesium-134 (yellow/orange dots), an indicator of contamination from Fukushima, has been observed offshore and in select coastal areas.
Figure by Jessica Drysdale, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
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Alaska - NW: Higher Levels of Fukushima Cesium Detected Offshore - Scientists monitoring the spread of radiation in the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear accident report finding an increased number of sites off the US West Coast showing signs of contamination from Fukushima. This includes the highest detected level to date from a sample collected about 1,600 miles west of San Francisco. The level of radioactive cesium isotopes in the sample, 11 Becquerel’s per cubic meter of seawater (about 264 gallons), is 50 percent higher than other samples collected along the West Coast so far, but is still more than 500 times lower than US government safety limits for drinking water, and well below limits of concern for direct exposure while swimming, boating, or other recreational activities.
Ken Buesseler, a marine radiochemist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and director of the WHOI Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity, was among the first to begin monitoring radiation in the Pacific, organizing a research expedition to the Northwest Pacific near Japan just three months after the accident that started in March 2011. Through a citizen science sampling effort, Our Radioactive Ocean, that he launched in 2014, as well as research funded by the National Science Foundation, Buesseler and his colleagues are using sophisticated sensors to look for minute levels of ocean-borne radioactivity from Fukushima. In 2015, they have added more than 110 new samples in the Pacific to the more than 135 previously collected and posted on the Our Radioactive Ocean web site.
“These new data are important for two reasons,” said Buesseler. “First, despite the fact that the levels of contamination off our shores remain well below government-established safety limits for human health or to marine life, the changing values underscore the need to more closely monitor contamination levels across the Pacific. Second, these long-lived radioisotopes will serve as markers for years to come for scientists studying ocean currents and mixing in coastal and offshore waters.” - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016 |
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Columns - Commentary
RICK JENSEN: Both Bernie and Hillary Fail Economics 101 - Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have articulated interesting economic agendas that "professional" debate moderators either can't or choose not to pursue in depth in their forums.
Perhaps this modest column can assist them.
Democratic Socialist Sanders insists on raising the minimum wage to a "livable" wage. Either he misunderstands the nature of entry-level, low-paying jobs or he truly believes a fast food retailer will keep as many part-time workers at $15 an hour as $8 an hour.
The largest percentage of minimum wage earners negatively affected by mandated increases are urban African-American teen males and suburban white teen females.
When the federal government raised the minimum wage $0.70 per hour in 2009, unemployment among black teens rose from 39 to 50 percent.
As the minimum wage rose by 41 percent between 2007 and 2009 — it had a disastrous effect on all teenagers. The jobless rate for 16-19 year olds increased by ten percentage points, from about 16 percent in 2007 to more than 26 percent in 2009.
Whether the worker is a teenager or adult, Department of Labor tables prove arbitrarily raising the minimum wage by government fiat alters the hourly wage for too many of these workers from their current hourly wage to zero.
Most constituents don't know this, or they would reject such political dishonesty. They believe the politician who says he or she is going to force the mean, greedy employer to pay them more. Hooray for socialism.
Hillary is also willing to throw a good number of struggling minimum wage earners to the streets with a mandatory $12 an hour minimum wage. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016 |
Editorial Cartoon: OBSTRUCTIONIST
By Rick McKee ©2016, The Augusta Chronicle
Distributed to subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.
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 Be the Change By Christine Furey - In the last few weeks a dark cloud has been painted over our beautiful little town. It happens every year, sometimes more. Drugs, drugs and more drugs! Is it not yet completely obvious that we are dealing with what some may call an epidemic and yet we seem to be doing very little to combat it on a large scale level. I am not in any way trying to discredit those agencies that are working very hard to do what they can and this includes the Ketchikan Police Department, among many others and their efforts don't go unnoticed. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Missing Men in Ketchikan By Irene Anderson - I am a family member of one of Ketchikan's Missing Men, his name is Roy V Banhart and he has been missing since 12/30/14. I am very concerned about the Ketchikan community due to all the missing men that have not been accounted for. In addition to Roy (he would be 40 years old in April), there is Gary Hamilton, 69 years of age, almost blind. Mr. Hamilton was last seen on 11/13/15 at a bank (prev known to be beaten and robbed), Justin Nathan a 20 year old young man that did not make it down from Deer Mountain he ws last seen on 11/11/15. I found a post from a former family member (Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad) from Nov 2015 asking why the Alaska State Troopers would not answer their phone/return calls as that former family member had contacted the Juneau Coast Guard from what I read, it appeared that they were ready and willing to assist in the search for Mr. Nathan (helicopters,etc). Also missing is Thomas Booth, a 30 year old father of 2 children (4 months old and 10 yrs old. Mr. Booth was last seen on 1/2/16 at Safeway buying diapers. And, Angeline Dundas was found in the water in July 2015. She was a young mother. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Marijuana advisory board By Kenneth G. Reese - On February 10, 2016, I provided the following testimony to members of the Alaska House.
The purpose of my testimony was to to persuade the reconsideration of the current legislation the State is trying to pass in regards to A.S 17.38. The first priority is to pass an amendment to allow more time to work on current legislation. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Tired! By A. M. Johnson - The following piece by a Robert Hall, whom I have no information on his validity, I fully agree with. I have adjusted Mr. Hall's piece to reflect my age and work history and an opinon which I believe is shared by many in my age group. - More...
Tuesday AM - February 23, 2016
Gas Prices in Alaska By Rep. Dan Ortiz - A daily goal of mine, as your House District 36 representative, is to create avenues for constituent communication. A belief in “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, motivates me to make constituent communication easy and inviting. - More...
Monday PM - February 16, 2016
IF THE TOILET IS OVERFLOWING AND YOU REPAIR THE SINK, THE TOILET IS STILL OVERFLOWING By David G Hanger - The very first thing everyone needs to get a handle on in this Alaska financial crisis is that the price of a barrel of oil is not the primary cause of this disaster. Nor have production levels on the North Slope in the past two years declined significantly. 200 million barrels went through that pipeline in 2013, and somewhere between 380 million and 390 million barrels of oil have gone through that pipeline in 2014 and 2015. For the last six months of 2015 the oil companies produced 20,000 more barrels per day. In 2015 oil industry employment in the state of Alaska actually increased marginally throughout the year. And the state of Alaska did not collect a dime in oil taxes from those rats, their buddies, in 2014 and 2015. - More...
Monday PM - February 15, 2016
Proposed legislature pay cuts By Charlie Freeman - The proposal to cut legislative pay, while sounding noble, is a really bad idea and here's why. Most people have to work for a living and cannot take 120 days off to go to Juneau for free. We already pretty much limit the legislative gene pool to lawyers and the retired, and that does not make for a representative government. What it does do is get you a government with a limited idea of what it takes to live here. - More...
Monday PM - February 15, 2015
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! By Robert B. Holston Jr. - H & R Block is giving away $32,000,000 in one month to lucky folks who file taxes through them. I’ve seen the ads and done the math. I called the local office and asked, “So where does the $32,000,000 come from?” She had no idea. I told her, “From your customers.” - More...
Monday PM - February 15, 2015
Wearable Arts By Dan Ortiz - Another year has passed and another successful Wearable Arts weekend has come. This is the 30th year of the famous Wearable Art Show, fondly referred to as simply ‘wearable’ by its seasoned participants. Thank you to the coordinators, artists, models and backstage volunteers who dedicated their time (and late nights!) to this Ketchikan tradition. I would like to extend a special thank you to Diane Palmer, who has participated in every one of Ketchikan’s Wearable Art Shows for the past 30 years. The hard work and cooperation a large event like this requires is an annual show of special dedication to the life of our community. - More...
Monday PM - February 15, 2016
State budget & assumptions By Al Johnson - I sent in a letter to both Senator Stedman and Representative Ortiz specifically asking that they do not use the assumptions that oil prices will increase to cover budget numbers passed prior to oil price decreases. - More..
Thursday AM - February 11, 2016
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