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P E N I N S U L A
Monday, March 18, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 143
$1 newsstands daily/$1.50 Sunday
In the news Two groups taking to Capitol steps this week Two groups are taking to the Capitol steps this week in an attempt to make lawmakers hear them. At noon Monday, the University of Alaska Coalition of Student Leaders will hold a rally on the steps. It’s expected to last an hour, and Fourth Street between Main Street and Seward Street will be closed to vehicular traffic during that time span. Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget would cut the university’s budget almost in half. Forty-eight hours later, the steps will be the site of another rally from a group that would be affected by the governor’s proposed cuts. At noon Wednesday, the Alaska Public Employees Association will hold a “Save the Alaska Marine Highway System” rally on the steps. The event is expected to last an hour, and the block in front of the Capitol will again be closed to vehicular traffic. Dunleavy’s proposed budget would cut the ferry system’s budget by 75 percent, a proposal that has elicited record amounts of public comment in opposition. — Juneau Empire
Forest service plans large sale of old growth timber JUNEAU (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service is planning the largest sale of Alaskan old growth timber in years. KTOO reported Saturday that the Prince of Wales Island Landscape Level Analysis project will harvest as much as 225 million board feet of old growth lumber from Prince of Wales Island in Tongass National Forest. The service says the process will be gradual as it will not allow more than 100 acres of clear cutting at one time from the southeastern Alaska region. The logging industry group Alaska Forest Association says harvesting the trees will keep remaining mills open. Critics say the deal is a retreat from the forest service’s 2016 announcement it would largely phase out old growth timber sales in the Tongass over 15 years.
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Green for a day A parade participant passes out candy at Soldotna’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday. Crowds lined up along the Kenai Spur Highway to watch a procession of floats, vehicles and marchers make their way from Bailey’s Furniture to the intersection of the Kenai Spur and Sterling highways. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Shamrock Shuffle benefits Whalers wrestling Man charged in Alaska cold case due in court
By JEFF HELMINIAK Peninsula Clarion
Kurt and Tammy Strausbaugh promoted a healthy community lifestyle Sunday, times two. The Strausbaughs put on the first Shamrock Shuffle at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. The 1.5and 3-mile runs were organized to align with St. Patrick’s Day and drew about 90 competitors. Proceeds benefited the Soldotna Whalers Freestyle Wrestling Club. For Josiah Martin, the overall winner of the 3-mile run with a time of 17 minutes, 29 seconds, it was easy to see how the Whalers and the community fun run joined together. Martin was a member of the Whalers program when he was 8 years old before moving to the Kenai Kavemen Wrestling Club. “I’m happy to support exercise and activity,” Martin said. “So many kids these days don’t have an outlet for those things. This
Runners take off at the start of the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
gives them that outlet.” Martin said he has always appreciated being active, whether that was backcountry adventures with his family, basketball at the Kenai Recreation Center, fat tire biking or cross-country skiing. His YouTube channel, youtube.com/c/josiahmartin, is devoted to being outside and being active.
All those hours of activity came in handy for Martin during the race when Jordan Strausbaugh, a freshman at Soldotna High School, streaked into the lead in the 3-mile race. Strausbaugh finished 16th in the Class 4A state race for the Soldotna girls in the fall. This winter, she took up skiing for the first
time and won the junior varsity Region III title. Lately, she has been staying in shape with her favorite sport — soccer. Though she never wrestled for the Whalers, Jordan’s brother, Jacob, does. Jacob is a sixth-grader and Soldotna Montessori Charter School and Jordan See RUN, page A11
AUBURN, Maine (AP) — A Maine man who is fighting extradition to Alaska for a murder charge is due back in court for his fugitive from justice case. Steven Downs has been charged by Alaska authorities with the 1993 sexual assault and murder of 20-year-old Sophie Sergie at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He’s due in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn on Wednesday morning. Downs was a Fairbanks student at the time of Sergie’s death. She was a former student. He was linked to the crime by DNA and has been charged with being a fugitive from justice. Downs’ defense lawyer has said Downs completely denies any involvement with the crime. Downs is a resident of Auburn, Maine, and is contesting his extradition back to Alaska.
What are the options to extend Dog that ran Iditarod ferry service past October? dies of pneumonia By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
Hundreds of people testified on Tuesday in support of the ferry system. Many fear it will shut down after Oct. 1. The people’s fears aren’t coming out of nowhere. People are looking for scenarios that could keep the ferry system open past the October deadline the governor has proposed in his fiscal year 2020 budget. As it stands, the ferry system is facing a $97 million cut — 75 percent of its budget — under Gov.
Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2020. The ferry system may only operate seasonally instead of year-round. The Alaska Marine Highway System has already stopped taking reservations after Oct. 1. Many who testified Tuesday said just the prospect of closing the system in October has already began to hurt them. One tour business operator said she relies on the reservation system to help customers book travel. So even though nothing has been finalized regarding how much or how little the ferry
system will run after the summer season, people are already feeling the effects. But, Dunleavy’s office says stopping service in October isn’t the end goal. “There’s been a lot of focus about the end goal here — the need to reform the system and reshape the system to make it work in a way that works for Alaskans,” said Matt Shuckerow, Dunleavy’s press secretary, in an interview with the Empire. “I don’t think the governor is saying wholesale eliminate the ferry system altogether, he’s saying we need to find a See FERRY, page A2
ANCHORAGE (AP) — Iditarod race officials say a dog on a racer’s team has died of pneumonia, and the musher has been withdrawn from the event. In a statement, the Iditarod organization announced that Oshi, a 5-year-old female on the race team of Richie Beattie, died Saturday evening at an animal hospital in Anchorage from aspiration pneumonia. Beattie and his team finished the race on Thursday. The organization says that while carrying out postrace checkups, Iditarod
Trail Committee veterinarians examining Oshi noticed signs of pneumonia. The dog was transported by emergency charter flight to Anchorage on Friday. The dog died the next day. The Idiatord says a necropsy will be conducted by a board-certified veterinary pathologist to determine the official cause of death. The 2019 race came during a bruising two-year stretch for the Iditarod that included a dog doping scandal and the loss of national sponsors amid See DOG, page A3