The Week In Review: Discovery lands safely

In a picture-perfect landing, the space shuttle Discovery returned safely to Earth to complete a 14-day mission. "Houston," said Discovery Commander Eileen Collins, "we are stopped. Happy to be back." It was the first safe re-entry to Earth since the Columbia disaster more than two years ago. Unstable weather forced the shuttle to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California rather than the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Jennings dies of lung cancer

ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, who announced in April that he had lung cancer and never returned to the air afterward, died at his New York home. He was 67. With Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, Jennings dominated network news for more than 20 years. He was known for his suave delivery, and his was the most popular news program from the late '80s to the mid-'90s.

Bush signs energy bill

President Bush traveled from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to Albuquerque, N.M., to sign the 1,724-page energy bill that Congress finally adopted after five years of wrangling. It gives billions of dollars in tax subsidies to energy companies, but won't immediately lower gas prices or America's reliance on foreign oil. "This bill is not going to solve our energy challenges overnight," Bush said. "It's going to take years of focused efforts to alleviate those problems."

Katherine Harris running for Senate

Katherine Harris, famously lampooned for her heavy makeup when she was Florida's top election official during the disputed 2000 presidential balloting, kicked off her campaign for the U.S. Senate. Harris, now a congresswoman, is challenging Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson.

Interest rates go up again

Economic growth is so robust that the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the 10th time in 14 months to try to keep it under control. The economy is so strong that even high gas prices haven't fazed it. Productivity is surging, and unemployment is at a relatively low 5 percent. The Fed raised a key short-term rate by one-quarter percentage point to 3.5 percent. Immediately afterward, commercial banks raised the prime lending rate by one-quarter point. - More...
Friday - August 12, 2005

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters POSITIVE PROGRESS MEANS VOTE YES By Pete Ellis - Friday DO THE MATH, VOTE NO! By William Tatsuda - Friday Let tourists see the real Ketchikan By Neil Gray - Friday Health of community depends on old growth and new growth By Diane Gubatayao - Friday More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Highway Robbers Tab, The Calgary Sun Distributed exclusively to subscribers by Cagle Cartoons, Inc. Political Cartoonists Ketchikan Calendar, Meetings, Events Today's Forecast City Police Report AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Classifieds & Announcements August 2005 Click on the date for stories and photos published on that day... S M T W T F S   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          Front Page Archives

Ketchikan: Listen to this KRBD story... After years of debate, City of Ketchikan residents Tuesday will have their say on the city's proposed port expansion project. As Deanna Garrison report, the city is asking voters for permission to issue up to $70 million in revenue bonds to increase the city's cruise ship moorage capacity.
KRBD - Ketchikan Public Radio - www.krbd.org - Friday - August 12, 2005

Ketchikan: Listen to this KRBD story.... Prince Rupert is seeking to become North America's next big shipping port as it begins to market itself as one of the fastest and cheapest ways to move goods from North America to Asia. Prince Rupert's mayor spoke before the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday about the community's foray into the ever-growing shipping industry.
KRBD - Ketchikan Public Radio - www.krbd.org - Friday - August 12, 2005

Washington Calling: Unpopular politicians ... woozy teens ... other items By LANCE GAY - Lawmakers pondering why the standing of Congress is in the sewer these days need to take a close look at the work of Indiana University's Center on Congress.

The center says its surveys show that Americans have a pretty good idea of how Congress works - and they don't like it.

More than 86 percent told center pollsters that lawmakers lie, and 80 percent agreed that members of Congress spend more time getting re-elected than doing their work for the public. About 57 percent don't like the way this Congress is doing its job, with negative sentiments highest among older and well-educated Americans. - More...
Friday - August 12, 2005

Alaska: Ted Stevens puts the law on Ben's side By ROSEMARY SHINOHARA - U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens has stepped into an ongoing battle between his son, Alaska state Sen. Ben Stevens, and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich over control of federal transportation spending in Anchorage.

The elder Sen. Stevens, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, inserted a provision into the recently approved transportation bill that says in Alaska and Hawaii, legislators may serve on the transportation boards that manage the federal highway money - including AMATS in Anchorage and FMATS in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The five-member AMATS Policy Committee currently includes no legislators. It consists of two state administrators, the mayor and two Anchorage Assembly members - giving the balance of power to local government. The committee decides which roads, trails and air quality projects are to be funded with federal money. - More...
Friday - August 12, 2005

Dave Kiffer: "Too Darn Hot" - It was inevitable.

I was walking down Dock Street one afternoon this week and I passed a good friend.

"This weather is killing me," She said, raising her hand as if to wipe her brow.

"Me too," I sighed as we passed.

We Ketchikanites are a bunch of weather whiners.

I don't mean that we complain about the rain. No, not at all.

We wear our relentless drizzle like a badge of honor. We brag to ourselves and others about how much of the old "Chinese Water Torture" we can absorb. We hold our heads higher because we know that we can get more rain in a day than some places get all year.

But in the Dog Days of August, when the temperature rises above 80 and the water starts leaking out of the walls because the humidity is 150 percent, well.Gentlefolk start your "whingines.".

It seems incomprehensible that someone would ever claim it was "too darn hot" in Ketchikan. After all, isn't the unofficial community motto "Ketchikan Welcomes Global Warming"? - More...
Friday - August 12, 2005