Ketchikan: Crew of Coast Guard Station Ketchikan Honored as Real Heroes - A crew of Coast Guard Station Ketchikan was honored Tuesday at the 7th Annual American Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast held in Anchorage. Chief Boatswain's Mate Chuck Lindsay, Boatswain's Mate First Class Mark Herrick and Boatswain's Mate Third Class Matt Losinger accepted awards for their actions on the Silver King Case last September.

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On the afternoon of September 3, 2005, the 47-foot Coast Guard Motor Life Boat was on patrol in the Tongass Narrows near Ketchikan with five crewmembers aboard. Herrick was the coxswain, Losinger and Seaman Jason Meredith were crew, Fireman Brandon Underwood was the engineer and Seaman Darla George was a crewmember in training.

Station Ketchikan radio watch stander (dispatch) Seaman Joe Lanigan received a distress call on VHF channel 16 on the afternoon of September 3rd at 4:17 p.m from the 32-foot charter vessel Silver King. The Silver King master reported he hit a "deadhead" and was taking on excessive water with six people on board. The master was certain his vessel and crew were in danger and requested immediate assistance. The Silver King had just crossed Clarence Straight headed towards Ketchikan, in the vicinity of Vallenar Point. - More....
Friday - April 07, 2006

National: Giuliani, other witnesses describe 9/11 attacks By GREG GORDON - Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told a jury Thursday that he rushed to the World Trade Center when the first hijacked plane hit on Sept. 11, 2001 then watched in disbelief as people plunged as many as 100 stories to their deaths, two possibly holding hands.

Giuliani, the government's leadoff witness during the final phase of Zacarias Moussaoui's death-penalty trial, retraced the infamous morning in gruesome detail while sitting beside a model of the gleaming, 110-story towers that were a symbol of New York's greatness.

"It was horrible - the worst thing I'd seen in my whole life," Giuliani said in a halting voice. "You would see parts of human bodies - hands, legs . . . and seriously injured people being taken out." - More...
Friday - April 07, 2006

Business-Economy: Web of oil intrigue By DAVID R. BAKER - Iran has a plan to destroy America, and it has nothing to do with the bomb.

Instead, the Islamic republic will use oil and euros to slay the Great Satan, breathless accounts on the Internet warn. The attack will proceed as follows:

Iran will open an oil trading exchange that operates in euros rather than dollars - until now, the world's sole currency for buying crude. Other countries, whose central banks were holding onto dollars largely to buy oil, will dump their dollars en masse.

The greenback's value will collapse. The American economy will tank. The U.S.-dominated New World Order will disappear in a flurry of currency trades. - More...
Friday - April 07, 2006

Washington Calling: 'Augmentees' to the rescue in Iraq ... Pigs at the trough ... More By LANCE GAY - While Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld insists there's no military manpower problem because of Iraq operations, personnel from the Navy and Air Force are being transferred to the Army for front-line duties.

The transferred personnel are called "augmentees" in Pentagonese. According to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Navy is putting about 10,000 personnel - from enlisted through officer ranks up to captain - through 12-day basic-training courses to give them Army uniforms and teach them how to use guns and drive trucks.

"Augmentees" from other services began doing Army tours in Iraq in 2004, but the program didn't go so well initially. One Middie showed up on the front lines of Iraq equipped with a Navy-issued pistol as his sidearm instead of an M-16. - More...
Friday - April 07, 2006

Anthony Arendt exploring a crater on Mount Wrangell, with Mount Sanford in the background. Photo by Martin Luthi.

Alaska: Grad student completes milestone glacier study By NED ROZELL - Traveling from all over the world to study at the Geophysical Institute at UAF, graduate students liven up the place for a few years before dispersing and taking their new, larger brains with them. Anthony Arendt grew up in Edmonton, but during the last five years he has pedaled Alaska on his road bike, climbed mountains in the Wrangells, and studied glaciers all over the state. He recently defended his doctorate thesis in front of an auditorium of his peers and professors, and gave a conclusion that's worth repeating: Alaska's glaciers are getting smaller, fast.

The news has been out for a while. In 2002 the journal Science printed an article that became the first chapter in Arendt's thesis. Back then, big-time reporters quoted him and other members of the Geophysical Institute glacier team, which currently includes Keith Echelmeyer, Will Harrison, By Valentine, Sandy Zirnheld, Craig Lingle, Brent Richie, Chris Larsen, and Reggie Muskett. - More...
Friday - April 07, 2006

Little Moments. Big Magic. Brian & Gabe at Houghtaling Elementary School Photo by Nancy Coggins   Ketchikan: Match of the Month By NANCY COGGINS - "Little Brother" Gabe feels special when his "Big Brother" Brian visits him in school for lunch and/or recess. Though matched for only a short time, after they had been acquainted for a couple of months, these two were off and running as though they had been "best friends forever." Brian greets Gabe, "Hey dude, what's up!" as he either shares a high-five with him or rubs his hair. Gabe glows. Actions speak louder than words about their camaraderie. Whenever Brian goes to help another child, Gabe is looking for him. On the playground Brian makes sure Gabe tells him what activity he wants to switch to before he goes racing off, and they go together, walking hand in hand. Gabe is proud to hold Brian's hand while he's standing in line with his peers. - More... Friday - April 07, 2006

The Week In Review By THOMAS HARGROVE - Tom Delay quits Congress after a season of scandals

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay said Tuesday he'll resign rather than seek re-election amid a swirl of scandal that threatened his own seat and the GOP's control of Congress. Delay said he wanted to avoid a "nasty" campaign against challenger Nick Lampson, a former Democratic congressman. Delay is stepping down while under indictment for violating Texas campaign finance laws and following a guilty plea last week by former aide Tony Rudy, who confessed to taking bribes from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Libby says Bush ordered leak of classified information

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney ordered former White House top aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby to leak information from the highly classified National Intelligence Estimate to a reporter, according to court papers filed Thursday by a special counsel investigating the leaking of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Libby said he was ordered to tell a New York Times reporter that Iraq was "vigorously trying to procure" uranium. The court documents do not say Bush or Cheney ordered the release of Plame's identity, but do indicate Libby was concerned about releasing classified material.

Violent thunderstorms ravage Midwest, killing 28

A violent line of thunderstorms spawned tornadoes and softball-sized hail storms across the middle of the country Sunday, killing 28 people and damaging hundreds of homes. Worst hit was Tennessee, where tornadoes touched down in five counties, killing 24 along a 25-mile path of destruction from the towns of Newbern to Bradford. Among the fatalities were an infant and a family of four. "The wrath of God is the only way I can describe it," Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said after a helicopter inspection of the scene.

Charles Taylor faces war crimes tribunal

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor made his first appearance Monday before a U.N.-sponsored international war crimes tribunal meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He faces 11 counts for crimes against humanity and war crimes including sexual slaver and mutilation. He is the first former African president to face war charges, an event human rights groups say could help stabilize the continent.

Iraq charges Saddam with genocide of 100,000 Kurds

Iraqi investigative judge Raid Juhi charged Saddam Hussein with genocide Tuesday, accusing him of a bloody campaign in 1988 that killed up to 100,000 Kurds in northern Iraq. At issue is "Operation Anfal" in which the Iraqi military moved brutally to suppress an independence movement among the Kurds during the final months of the bloody Iran-Iraq war. That operation included the March 1988 gas attack of the Kurdish village of Halabja in which 5,000 men, women and children died. - More...
Friday - April 07, 2006

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Be positive and vote Yes! By Mike Holman - Friday PM Please vote YES on April 11th for the Port Improvement Bond. By Lance Moyer - Friday PM Vote YES on Port Improvement Bond By Chris Parks - Friday PM Drugs - Bondage By John Maki - Friday PM Clarification of facts regarding Mr. Warner's Bond Vote Letter By Chris Parks - Friday PM Immigration: Letter to Senator Murkowski By A. M. Johnson - Friday PM Discussion of Simple By Kevin Mackey - Friday PM Port Bond. Risk or investment? By Dennis Pope- Thursday The Draft- Another View By Jerry Cegelske- Thursday The courage to vote NO! By Robert D. Warner- Thursday Open letter to Klukwan Inc. Shareholders By Rob Sanderson Jr.- Thursday Drugs-Freedom By Catlin Rettke- Thursday A warning collects no fines. By Hunter Davis- Thursday Clarification with Senator Elton By A. M. Johnson - Thursday Thank you Senators and Representatives By Frances Natkong Why the draft would be insulting By Rick Grams - Tuesday PM Sex Offender Bill By A.M. Johnson - Tuesday PM Vote no By Patti Fay Hickox - Tuesday PM Big Oil... By Marty West - Tuesday PM Thank You By Dawn Hockett - Tuesday PM A DISCUSSION OF SIMPLE By David G. Hanger - Tuesday PM Expiration notices By Chris Elliott - Tuesday PM Child Abuse Laws By Terri Haught-Sirbaugh - Tuesday PM "Taxes are bad" ads by Big Oil By Samuel Bergeron - Monday PM Sex Offender Bill Reflects Alaska's Values by Senator Con Bunde & Senator Gretchen Guess - Monday PM Benefit Dinner For Jessie Chapman By Pat Chapman - Monday PM North Tongass Community Club By Tony Yeisley - Monday PM Dead lefties? By George Miller - Monday PM Thank you Ketchikan By GAYLOR SMITH-HORTON - Monday PM Vehicle registration By Jerry Cegelske - Monday PM Was war with Iraq our nation's only course?  By Sam Osborne - Monday PM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Political Cartoonists Political Cartoons Ketchikan April 6, 2006, 7:00 pm - City Council Meeting - City Council Chambers Agenda & Information Packet April 7, 2006 @ 2:00pm - Teleconference meeting Friday, at the Legislative Information Office, 50 Front Street, Suite 203. The Senate Finance Committee will meet to discuss HB365 - "An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government, for certain programs, and to capitalize funds; making appropriations for state aid to public schools, centralized correspondence study, and transportation of pupils; and providing for an effective date." April 11, 2006 Special Election Port of Ketchikan Improvements Project - Detailed Project Description; Ask A Question, Get an Answer; Special Election Information; and much more... April 13, 2006 at 5:30 - Democratic caucus for those interested in developing a local platform and organizing the local democratic party - IBEW building on Stedman, contact Micheal Hyre 617-0238 for information. March Calendar Arts This Week Today's Forecast Ketchikan Weather Data Current AK Weather Map City Police Report 04/04/06 AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Classifieds & Announcements April 2006 Click on the date to read the stories published on that day. S M T W T F S 26 27 28 29 30 31 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31            Front Page Archives

Dave Kiffer: Suddenly Over the Hill - I had a weird experience in the aisles of Safeway recently.

Yes, I know that's not usual, but this was even more disconcerting than the normal, run-of-the-mill run ins with the usual wackos and miscreants that grocery shop after normal hours.

A couple of missionaries, female ones, flirted with me.

Okay, maybe they were just being really friendly.

I was in the cold remedy aisle, pondering just how it could be that a single medicine could cure both runny and stuffy noses.

Suddenly, I noticed a young woman was standing fairly close to me. In fact, she was staring over my shoulder and at the package I was holding in my hands. I looked up and she gave me a great big smile. I smiled back, she smiled back. I smiled. She smiled. I got nervous and dropped the cold medicine into my basket. - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006

Michael Reagan: The USA - Love It or Head South - There's a constant drone about the "Nation of Immigrants" America has always proudly claimed to be, but now it's being used as a slogan for those who believe we should accept absolutely anybody - even if they have absolutely no legal right to be here.

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants - all our ancestors came here from someplace else - but the difference is they all came here legally and came to be American citizens.

The illegals that come here for a job or for some other reason don't come to become American citizens.

In 1919 Theodore Roosevelt said it best: "In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American," Roosevelt said... - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006

John Hall: Finding the door knob in Iraq - U.S. casualty rates in Iraq leveled to about one a day in March - better than any month in two years.

But 14 died in the first three days of April. The sight of the smoking body of an American helicopter crewman being dragged out of the wreckage by gleeful Mujahideen insurgents last week was posted on the Internet. In New England another young mother was left to raise her daughter alone.

A departing British general created a stir in Iraq when he said withdrawal of United Kingdom troops would begin in weeks and most could be home by summer. It proved to be a contingency plan based on many optimistic scenarios.

Nonetheless, it is clear that the British are thinking in terms of strategies to garrison their troops and turn matters over almost entirely to their Iraqi replacements. They are looking for the first opportunity to pull out. - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006

Preston MacDougall: Chemical Eye on the Atomic Deficit - The first rule of holes is: If you are in one, stop digging.

This bit of folksy wisdom came to mind when I heard that President Bush selected the current Director of the Office of Budget and Management, Joshua Bolten, to be the new White House Chief of Staff.

You have probably also heard that, in order to accommodate continuing near-record budget deficits, Congress was recently obliged to raise the federal debt ceiling to $9 trillion.

Any more digging, and we will have to add another zero to the federal debt. For those who are counting, that would be the thirteenth.

There isn't a superstitious bone in my body, but something tells me that 13 zeros on the federal debt will not bring good fortune to future generations. Cost them a fortune? Undoubtedly.

As astronomical as this debt is, it is the atomic deficit that has me more concerned. I refer to the teeter-tottering imbalance in the international trade of the U.S. chemical industry. - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006

Bob Ciminel: Drivers' Test - The traffic problems around Atlanta are monumental. I've been driving through Atlanta for over 30 years and have lived in the metro Atlanta area for 12 years, and it has only gotten worse with every passing year. Atlanta's roads and streets are in much better condition than most cities, and particularly cities in the northeast, because it is a young city, relatively speaking. Many of our most heavily populated areas only recently transitioned from dirt roads to paved roads, but not so much because of progress. It's difficult to sell land for $350,000 and acre and homes for $500,000 and expect people to drive around on gravel-topped red clay roads, particularly people who routinely drive through residential areas at 55 mph.

What follows are some of the unwritten rules I've learned to live with while driving in Atlanta. - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006

Dick Morris: Hillary Leaves Room For Gore - Hillary Clinton made a fundamental decision in 2002 to support the invasion of Iraq. In doing so, she sought the center of American politics, reacting to issues much as her husband had throughout his ascent to the presidency.

But times have changed, and the center is not what it used to be. In the highly partisan and charged environment of politics in 2006, what has become of the centrist doctrines that reelected Bill Clinton and brought George W. Bush, the compassionate conservative, to the White House? Is the center still the place to aim in getting votes?

At the White House, I described the Clintonian brand of centrism as triangulation, with the polarized, partisan participants in the dialectic aligned to the left and the right at the base of the triangle and the centrist synthesis atop the apex, embracing the best of both arguments and rejecting the worst. - More...
Sunday - April 09, 2006