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P E N I N S U L A
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 38
In the news Pence makes brief stop in Anchorage ANCHORAGE — Vice President Mike Pence paid a Veterans Day visit to service members in Alaska’s largest city during a refueling stop en route to an Asia trip. Anchorage television station KTVA reports Pence arrived at Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson Sunday afternoon after his plane was delayed by weather. At the Anchorage base, Pence gave a brief speech before service members. He acknowledged the importance of Veterans Day and said President Trump “is the best friend veterans ever had.” Pence touched down in Tokyo on Monday to discuss North Korea and other issues with Japanese officials before heading to two regional summits. On Tuesday, Pence will attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore and an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea on behalf of Trump.
Anchorage police arrest suspect in fatal hit-and-run crash ANCHORAGE — A 71-year-old man has been arrested in the fatal hit-and-run of a female pedestrian in east Anchorage. Ruti Malietufa was held Sunday on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident with failure to render aid, a felony, Anchorage police announced. He remained jailed Monday at Anchorage Correctional Center. Online court records did not list charging documents or his attorney. Police on Saturday evening took a call involving a woman dead just east of the Anchorage jail. Her name has not been released. Investigators determined the vehicle involved was a yellow SUV with a business logo on the front door, a black roof rack and an inoperative right headlight. They also had a partial license plate description. The Anchorage Daily News reported it was the latest in a handful of similar incidents in recent months. Erin Bailey, 24, was run over by a driver who police said left the scene last month in east Anchorage. His roommate is charged in the case. Cassandra Tinker, 23, died in June after she was struck while crossing a street in midtown Anchorage. No arrests have been made.
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Thousands more ballots to be counted By JAMES BROOKS Juneau Empire
The Alaska Division of Elections will count thousands of absentee and question ballots Tuesday, possibly deciding the outcome of two Fairbanks legislative races that may determine the balance of power in the Alaska Legislature. In House District 1, which covers downtown Fairbanks, Republican Bart LeBon leads Democrat Kathryn Dodge by 67 votes. In Senate District A, which covers House districts 1 and 2, Republican Senate President Pete Kelly leads challenger Scott Kawasaki by 11 votes. Those figures are as of Monday morning. Under the state’s normal ballot-counting
Two Fairbanks races will garner the state’s attention on Tuesday. The race for House District 1 between Republican Bart LeBon (far left) and Democrat Kathryn Dodge (left) and the Senate District A race between Democrat Scott Kawasaki (right) and Republican Senate President Pete Kelly (far right) could be decided by absentee and question ballots. (Composite photo)
schedule, a first round of ad- final round will come next ditional ballots will be tallied Wednesday. “I’m on pins and needles Tuesday. Another round will come Friday, and a third and as we go through this pro-
cess,” Dodge said by phone be watching the counting from Fairbanks. with interest. At the end of She isn’t the only one: Across Election Day, the former the state, Alaskans will See COUNT, page A3
Questions loom over which governor will appoint judicial nominees By JAMES BROOKS Juneau Empire
The Alaska Judicial Council has picked a list of finalists for judgeships across the state, and now it’s time for the governor to have his say. But it remains uncertain whether Gov. Bill Walker or governor-elect Mike Dunleavy will make the final pick for a vacant seat on Alaska’s Court of
Appeals and for Superior Court seats in Bethel, Kenai and Juneau. The Alaska Constitution requires the governor to pick a judge from a list of at least two finalists approved by the Judicial Council, a nonpartisan body of legal experts. State law requires “the governor” to make a pick within 45 days. It doesn’t specify which governor. “Technically, I guess, it could
be either,” said Susanne DiPietro, executive director of the Alaska Judicial Council. Spokespeople for Walker did not return emails and calls seeking comment Friday or Monday (a federal holiday), and a spokeswoman for the Dunleavy transition team was unable to provide an answer by press deadline. The issue is a result of the judicial council’s scheduling pro-
cess, which is “agnostic” with regard to elections, DiPietro said. The week of Election Day just happened to be a time when all seven members of the council were available to meet. As a result of that calendar, the deadline for picking the final judge on the list is Christmas Eve. Dunleavy’s term doesn’t begin until Dec. 3, allowing Walker weeks to interview the See GOV, page A3
Magical Gardens talks CBD business By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Deniece and Ron Isaacs opened their specialty hemp and CBD, or cannabidiol, shop, Magical Gardens, earlier this year in Kenai off the Kenai Spur Highway. Deniece Isaacs said business has been going well since they opened. The two carry products specializing in hemp and CBD, including beauty products, food supplements, oils, lotions, salves, honey, edibles, dog treats and more. “Anything and everything, we focus on CBD,” Deniece Isaacs said. “We focus on sharing knowledge.” How has the response been since you first opened, and was it what you expected? Deniece Isaacs: It’s been pretty good. The response has been really warm. Everyone has been really supportive. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Everyone feels so passionate
Shop Talk about it. They think it’s good for us, or think it’s not. Ron Isaac: The nice thing is so many people come in and thank us for doing this. … There are so many testimonials. We’ve heard people who say they try it and it doesn’t work for them. We don’t ever tell anybody this will help you because nothing’s ever been researched. We just go by what they say. We hear so many stories. Are there other specialty shops like yours in the area? Deniece Isaacs: No, there is not. There are a lot of places that sell CBD, but we specialize in it. We share what we learn, whether you get it here or not. Most places have CBD as part of one of their many, many products. It’s all we do here. What prompted you to get involved in the business of
Magical Gardens, located off of the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, specializes in CBD and hemp products for pets and people. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
hemp and CBD? Deniece Isaacs: Pain, anxiety, Parkinson’s, drug addiction and my love for the cousin plant. There is no other industry that has been repressed as strongly as cannabis if you consider the textile and cotton industry, pa-
per industry, clothing industry, food industry, your pharmaceutical industry… I mean I could go on and on about how many industries cannabis or the cousin plants can affect. People are opening their eyes and seeing
See SHOP, page A3
— Associated Press
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Indictments filed in crime spree case By MICHAEL ARMSTRONG Homer News
A Kenai Grand Jury on Oct. 17 indicted two Homer men who were previously charged with burglary and theft in a spree of home and vehicle break-ins in August. Travis K. Catron, 25, was indicted on two counts of firstdegree burglary and three counts of second-degree theft. Niko E. Mogar, 27, was indicted on three counts of first-degree burglary and two counts of second-degree theft. All the charges are felonies.
The theft charges include theft of a firearm. Homer Police officers arrested the two men on suspicion of a crime spree Aug. 21-27 involving stolen cars, stolen guns, East End Road burglaries, and numerous petty thefts from vehicles in downtown Homer and on the Homer Spit. As part of the indictment, Catron had charges dismissed of first-degree burglary, second-degree theft, seconddegree criminal trespass, violating conditions of release, fourthdegree theft and third-degree theft. Mogar had charges of first-
degree burglary, second-degree theft and third-degree theft dismissed by the prosecution. All of the previous felony charges were submitted to the grand jury and indictments returned. The new felony cases were transferred to Kenai Superior Court. Kenai District Attorney Scot Leaders explained in an email that when cases are consolidated like that and indictments filed, the original court cases are dismissed. “The conduct/charges are prosecuted in the surviving case,” he wrote. “… My office under-
stands and respects the high interest these cases have to the Homer community, and will continue to diligently do our best to prosecute the conduct in the furtherance of justice for all involved.” A trial for Catron has been set for the week of Nov. 26. No trial date has been set for Mogar, who was also found guilty on a charge of unlawful conduct in a jury trial held last week in Homer. Mogar is in custody at Wildwood Pretrial Facility in Kenai. Catron is in supervised custody. Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com.
Military contract info session draws strong interest FAIRBANKS (AP) — Construction at military facilities in interior Alaska is attracting strong interest from contractors. The Procurement Technical Assistance Program in Fairbanks announced a presentation, scheduled for Wednesday, on how to do business with the military, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported . Organizers expected about 30 people to sign up, said contract specialist Pierre Thompson. Instead, they quickly filled reservations last week for the planned venue with responses from 135 people. “This blew up in my face,” Thompson said. “I put it out on Monday, and it was pretty much filled on Tuesday.” Likewise, by the weekend, there were only a few seats in Anchorage for a live-stream version of the presentation at the office of Associated General Contractors of Alaska. The meeting will feature Army and Air force military contractor officials. “It’s going to be all-encompassing, so if you are an electrician, or if you cater, or if you do anything that would be involved with doing a lot of construction, then these contracts will be something that you will be interested in,” said Jacqueline Summers, a program specialist in Anchorage for the Procurement Technical Assistant Program. The meeting is planned as the Defense Department continues $500 million in construction projects at Eielson Air Force Base south of Fairbanks in preparation for the arrival of F-35 fighter jets in 2020. Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks has an upcoming environmental remediation project. Fort Greely at Delta Junction is installing additional missile defense interceptors, and Clear Air Force Station is installing a new longrange radar system. The meeting will include staff from the 354th Contracting Squadron at Eielson and the 715th Contracting Team at Fort Wainwright. “Usually those contracting officers are really hard to get a face-to-face meeting with, so the fact that they’re coming out and actively recruiting is kind of a sign that there’s a lot going on,” Summers said.