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P E N I N S U L A
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 108
In the news Second person dies following shooting at Anchorage home ANCHORAGE — A second person has died of injuries suffered in a weekend shooting at an Anchorage home. Anchorage police on Monday said 47-yearold Brenda Smalley died of injuries suffered early Sunday. A man whose name had not been released also died. Police responding to a call of shots fired at about 2 a.m. Sunday found the shooting victims inside a bathroom of a home on east Sixth Avenue. Both Smalley and the man were shot in the upper body. Two other adult family members were in the home. Police say the shooting was isolated and related to domestic violence. Detectives are not looking for suspects.
Fire heavily damages east Anchorage sushi restaurant ANCHORAGE — Fire heavily damaged an Anchorage sushi restaurant Monday morning. KTVA-TV reports the Anchorage Fire Department was summoned to Yakitori Sushi House at around 4:30 a.m. Capt. Jay Bird tells KTUU-TV that heavy flames were visible from the right side of the building when the first fire engine arrived. Firefighters said no injuries were immediately reported. By 5 a.m. heavy smoke stilled poured out of the restaurant and signage on the front of the building appeared to be melting. The restaurant is in a strip mall with two other businesses across from the Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission on east Tudor Road. Police closed eastbound lanes of the busy east-west road from 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. — Associated Press
Index Local................A3 Opinion........... A4 Nation..............A5 World...............A6 Sports..............A7 Classifieds...... A9 Comics.......... A11 Pets...............A13
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Leaderless House on track to break record Ice fishing derby kicks off Healy Republican Rep. By KEVIN BAIRD Juneau Empire
Dave Talerico’s nomination for House Speaker failed with a 20-20 vote on Monday afternoon, the 21st day of session. This broke a two-week streak of uneventful House floor sessions. The House remains adjourned until 10 a.m. Tuesday. If the House is not organized with a speaker Tuesday, it will tie a record for the longest the House has gone without organization. The record of 22 days was set in 1981. Given Monday’s drama, organization is unlikely. It started when Wasilla Republican Rep. David Eastman nominated Reps. Talerico and Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, to be Speaker of the House. Talerico was prematurely tagged by House Republicans to be Speaker of the House in November, before a majority was clear.
By KAT SORENSEN Peninsula Clarion
Former Speaker of the House Rep. Bryce Edgmon, D-Dillingham, right, shares a laugh with Speaker nominee Rep. David Talerico, R-Healy, at Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Neal Foster, Nome, resides over the House on Monday. The House continues in a stalemate to organize permanent leadership. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Edgmon was speaker during the last legislative session, and has been the defacto leader of the mostly Democratic House Coalition this year.
Rep. Chris Tuck, DAnchorage, responded to this with a point of order, saying that Eastman could not submit two nominations per Mason’s Rules.
Mason’s Rules dictate procedure and are commonly used by government bodies. Speaker Pro Tempore Neal Foster then overruled See HOUSE, page A2
Receiving and giving Local thrift store sees uptick in donations, shares with community By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
The donation-receiving room at Bishop’s Attic in Soldotna is filling up. Donations have been increasing this year, as has the community need, according to the thrift shop’s manager, Jean Warrick. “I almost could truly say that we have doubled the donations this winter, from the previous winter,” Warrick said. “I cannot tell you how many donations we’ve gotten but they’re all appreciated.” According to the nonprofit’s 2017 public tax records, the Christian-based organization gave $119,000 worth of donations to a number of community organizations with the goal of helping residents in need. Alex Zerbinos is on the board for Bishop’s Attic. The board is comprised of volunteers who work
From left, board members Jackie Swanson and Alex Zerbinos and manager Jean Warrick pose at Bishop’s Attic in Soldotna on Friday. The thrift shop has seen an increase in donations and uses the items to give back to the community. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
to find worthy causes in the community to support. Zerbinos said in 2018, the shop was able to donate an unprecedented $164,000
worth of donations to the community. Donations to the community come in the form of vouchers for people who
might need winter boots or maybe a bed. Bishop’s Attic also donates cash to support organizations, like See THRIFT page A3
The ice is in and the augers are out. February is here and so is the annual Trustworthy Hardware Ice Fishing Derby. The annual winter fishing derby kicked off on Feb. 1 and will run all month long. Those interested in participating can sign up for free at Trustworthy in Soldotna or by liking their Facebook page. The competition spreads across all age groups, with divisions for kids, men and women. The minnows division is for children 6 years and younger. There is also a junior’s division for 12 years old and younger. “That’s a little more competitive than the minnows,” said Scott Miller, co-owner of Trustworthy. The minnow division participants will all receive a prize for participating, while the junior’s division compete for trophies for largest rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, grayling and Dolly Varden. “We try to focus on the kids. We really want the families to get the kids out there,” Miller said. “But, the adult competition is pretty competitive this year.” This year’s competition brings one major change. “The one thing we did this year is take out Northern Pike since Fish and Game did such a good job getting rid of just about all of them,” Miller said. Northern pike populations have nearly been eradicated since Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists netted and used piscicides to eradicate the invasive fish from the lakes in the area. Fish in the adult division include rainbow trout, lake trout, kokanee, Dolly Varden, burbot, white fish and grayling. There is a prize in both the junior’s and adult’s diSee DERBY, page A2
As House falters, committees take new shape By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
Just seven House representatives sat in the House Finance room for a presentation about state debt — the same presen-
tation given to a fully organized and legitimized Senate Finance Committee earlier Monday morning. Four of the normally filled committee seats were empty. Debt Manager Deven
Mitchell treated the room as if it were the normally functioning House Finance Committee, addressing Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, as chair even though no one can chair a committee that
Woman accused of stealing rental car By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
A Soldotna woman has been charged with theft for allegedly renting a car two years ago and never returning it, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Soldotna police on Jan. 31. Kimberly McCray, 38, was pulled over by Soldotna police for a routine traffic stop on Jan. 30. According to the complaint, McCray was unable to produce vehicle registration or proof of insurance, and she allegedly told the police that she was shop-
ping around for an insurance provider. After checking the license plate, police reported that the 2016 Chrysler 200 had been reported stolen two years ago. According to the complaint, Budget Rental Cars reported that they had rented the Chrysler to McCray — who identified herself as Kimberly Webb at the time — on Jan. 27, 2017 and that the car was due back on Feb. 8, 2017. McCray initially told police that she purchased the car from someone named “Mike” a few months ago.
McCray eventually said that she rented the car from Budget in January of 2017 and never returned it, according to the complaint. Budget Rental Cars estimated $25,920 in lost income for the Chrysler, based on a rental rate of $36 per day over the 720 days that the vehicle was not returned. McCray faces one charge of second-degree vehicle theft, a class A misdemeanor, one charge of second-degree theft, a class C felony, and one charge of not having motor vehicle liability insurance.
doesn’t technically exist. Wilson sponsored the presentation, calling it an “informational meeting.” “We have to call them informational meetings since we’re not organized,” Wilson said to the
Empire after the meeting. “But these are meetings that we would have had in finance at this point, which keeps us on track as far as when the budget comes out, we won’t have See SHAPE, page A2
Man allegedly takes snowmachine for test drive, never returns By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
A Kenai man has been charged with theft after allegedly taking a snowmachine for a test drive and never returning it, according to an affidavit filed at the Kenai Courthouse by the Soldotna State Troopers. Jacob Barrett, 22, allegedly stole a 2013 Arc-
tic Cat XF 800 snowmachine as well as a trailer on Jan. 30. According to the troopers affidavit, a man handling the sale of his father’s snowmachine was approached by Barrett, who expressed interest in purchasing the machine. The man told police that Barrett had requested to take the snowmachine See TEST, page A3