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P E N I N S U L A
Wednesday, January 16, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 91
In the news Alaska Railroad tank car derails; no spill detected ANCHORAGE — A railroad tank car carrying turbine engine fuel derailed south of Denali National Park, but Alaska Railroad officials have not detected a spill. The car was in the middle of a freight train with 71 freight cars and five locomotives. The car derailed at 3:14 a.m. Tuesday about 3 miles south of Cantwell. The community of 200 is 28 miles south of the park. The car carried 23,000 gallons of fuel. The derailment damaged rail ties over nearly 3 miles and on a bridge over the Cantwell River. The railroad estimates repairs will take at least two days after train cars are removed. About half of the cars were moved to Fairbanks.
Eagle rescued after becoming stranded on Sitka power pole SITKA — Officials say an eagle is recovering after it became stranded on a power pole in downtown Sitka. The Daily Sitka Sentinel reports the male eagle was taken to the Alaska Raptor Center after electric department linemen rescued it from the pole Sunday. Center avian director Jen Cedarleaf says the raptor has been named Zappa and appears to be doing fine. She says Zappa does not have any broken bones, but it’s too early to tell if he was injured from contact with the power line. Cedarleaf says Zappa is at least five years old, with a wingspan of about 6.5 feet. Zappa will be moved to the center’s flight area with other eagles when he’s ready and released in March.
Fairbanks city, borough take in $1M in pot taxes for 2018 FAIRBANKS — The city of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks North Star Borough will collect more than $1 million in taxes on marijuana for 2018. The Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner reports the bulk of the tax was collected by the city, which has a larger concentration of stores selling pot. Marijuana sales are taxed at 5 percent, meaning stores within the city and borough did more than $20 million in business. City chief financial officer Carmen Randle says the tax collected exceeded her expectations. The city projected taxes of $600,000 and the city’s final tally will be upward of $900,000 after December proceeds are tallied. Randle says the money collected from pot sales has helped city finances as state support for local governments has decreased. The borough already has collected $138,000 in marijuana tax. — Associated Press
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‘If I don’t laugh, I’ll cry’
4 accused of trying to As budgeting process begins, school district unsure of funding steal water tightening their budgets, the eral fund budget for 2020. at the FY20 budget and we’re heater from school district has more ques“I’m kind of laughing at the really not sure what’s going tions than answers. start of the FY20 budget be- to happen at this point in time The Kenai Peninsula BorAt Monday’s school board cause if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry,” because there are a lot of finan- house of ough School District is begin- work sessions, Assistant Su- Jones said. “Unfortunately for cial questions.” ning to form its next budget for perintendent Dave Jones said the folks in Alaska and the Jones pointed out that Gov. dead man By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
the fiscal year 2020, but with the district does not currently folks in the Kenai Peninsula Mike Dunleavy has plans to See SCHOOL, page A2 both the state and borough have a solid idea for the gen- school district, we’re looking
By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
Four people were charged with felony burglary for allegedly breaking into the home of a deceased man in Nikiski. Bradly Martin Luke, 25, Kenneth Paxton Oder, 49, Alicia Marie Ridge, 28, and Dominic Sunrise Ronellenfitch, 23, allegedly went to a Nikiski residence on Jan. 8 and attempted to steal a water heater. According to an Alaska State Trooper affidavit filed with the court, a neighbor reported that three men in a dark-colored pickup were outside the residence, which the neighbor knew to be unoccupied. When troopers arrived on scene, they identified two vehicles parked outside of the home, with Ronellenfitch standing outside the truck and the three others sitting inside a second car. While questioning Ronellenfitch, the troopers observed a large water heater in the bed of the truck, according to the affidavit. Each of the four suspects gave a different explanation to Construction crews work at the Kenai Municipal Airport on Tuesday afternoon. After workers troopers as to why they were removed siding from the facade, a mural with iconic Kenai images like fishing nets, the St. outside the residence and why Nicholas Russian Orthodox chapel and a dog musher, was revealed. (Photo by Victoria Pe- the water heater was in the back tersen/Peninsula Clarion) See THEFT, page A3
Airport remodel reveals decades-old mural By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
A mural not seen for decades has been uncovered on the facade of the Kenai Municipal Airport. The decades-old mural, which was revealed Tuesday by construction crews working on the airport’s remodel, depicts familiar local icons, such as the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox chapel, fishing nets and a dog musher. The Peninsula Clarion was unable to reach the airport manager, however, Chris Parker of K &A Design said the mural dates to the 1960s and was covered up by metal siding in the 1980s. The airport was built in 1966 and has been renovated three times since. An expansion of the airport took place in 1983, and the restaurant and lounge were added in 1988. In 2004, sidewalks, entryways and parking lots were updated.
10 times more federal workers file for unemployment during shutdown By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
There have been almost 10 times more unemployment filings from federal workers in Alaska than normal since the federal shutdown began.
The Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development received 382 benefit claims from federal workers in Alaska over the last three weeks, Division Director Patsy Westcott said. In contrast, there were only about 40
claims for federal workers in Alaska for the whole month of November. “That’s pretty significant,” she said. The maximum unemployment payout benefit in Alaska is $370 per week, and West-
cott said most federal employees would qualify for that amount. She did not have data on how many of the 382 new filings were from Juneau. Juneau Economic Development Council has been working on collecting esti-
mates for local data. Executive Director Brian Holst said the JEDC estimates there are about 670 federal workers in Juneau, accounting for 4.1 percent of the total workforce in town. The Coast Guard acSee FILE, page A2
Legislature kicks off 2019 session Tensions rise in Alaska House Hello? Cellphones
banned on Senate floor
By KEVIN BAIRD Juneau Empire
It did not take long for the discombobulated Alaska House to get derailed with a disagreement on procedure. Shortly after new Republican Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer swore in 39 members of the House Tuesday afternoon, he and Democratic lawmakers were arguing over whether Healy Republican Rep. Dave Talerico was allowed to read a message on behalf of Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Talerico had been trying to relay a message to the House from Dunleavy about Dunleavy’s desire to appoint Sharon Jackson to House District 13 in Chugiak. That position
By KEVIN BAIRD Juneau Empire
Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, left, congratulates Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, Rep. Gary Knopp, R-Kenai, and Rep. Ben Carpenter, R-Nikiski, right, after being sworn in on the opening day of the 31st Session of the Alaska Legislature on Tuesday. (Michael Penn/Juneau Empire)
was left vacant in December af- Corrections commissioner. ter Dunleavy appointed Nancy Tensions rising, a back and See 2019, page A3 Dahlstrom to be Department of
Sen. John Coghill said Tuesday evening he is considering a revision of a ban on cellphone usage on the Senate floor. Coghill is the Senate Rules Committee chair. Some members of the capitol press corps were dismayed on Monday when they arrived at Coghill’s office to pick up their press pass. Along with their press pass, reporters received a memo that said, “Smart devices such as cell phones are prohibited inside the chambers.” Some reporters use their phones to record the Senate or take photos because they have no other
camera. The memo said the rule would “be strictly enforced by the floor staff” and failure to comply would result in “immediate expulsion.” On Tuesday, Coghill told the Juneau Empire he forbade cellphones for two reason: “inordinate communication and disruption.” Legislators had already been forbidden from cellphone use for similar reasons, he said. Coghill said he learned from reporters who spoke out against the change that sometimes they take pictures of the vote board, or use their phone as a wireless hotspot, or communicate with staff photograSee CELL, page A3
Lawmakers introduce bills to curb crime wave By ALEX MCCARTHY Juneau Empire
With campaign promises in the rearview mirror and the 31st Alaska Legislature now in session, the real work begins for lawmakers who campaigned on addressing public
safety in the state. Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, said in a press conference Tuesday that reducing crime won’t happen overnight and it won’t take just one committee to do it. “I’ve asked my committees
not to operate in silos, and actually to collaborate,” Giessel said. “Many of these issues cross different committees and different subject matter.” Giessel, who was elected as Senate President Tuesday morning, used the opioid crisis as an example of an issue
that spreads beyond the Senate Judiciary Committee’s expertise. While that committee looks into crime issues, the Health and Social Services committee might be the one to work on solutions to the opioid crisis. According to the Alaska
Department of Public Safety’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR) released last year, the statewide total of Part I crimes — such as robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and arson — rose by about 5.5 percent in 2017. JuSee CRIME, page A2