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P E N I N S U L A
Thursday, March 28, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 49, Issue 152
In the news Alaska seeks to delist Arctic ringed seals as threatened ANCHORAGE — Alaska officials say they are seeking to remove threatened species protection from an Arctic seal species. KTVA-TV reports the state Department of Fish and Game announced Tuesday that it has petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to delist the ringed seal from the federal Endangered Species Act. State Division of Wildlife Conservation Director Eddie Grasser says ringed seals number in the millions, so there doesn’t appear to be a significant case for listing. NOAA spokeswoman Julie Speegle says the agency has received the petition, triggering a 90day deadline for NOAA to publish a determination on if the petition has “substantial information” to proceed. Speegle says a status review process would begin if the petition moves forward, leading to a delisting decision to be made within a year.
Police arrest 3 suspected of crashing 1,800can food display ANCHORAGE — Police have arrested three juveniles suspected of crashing a display of 1,800-food cans collected for an Alaska food bank. The chest-high structure built by 17 engineering students at Anchorage’s Dimond High School was displayed at the Dimond Center mall. The display was the only student structure in an annual “Canstructure” competition, which raises food donations for the Food Bank of Alaska. Architecture and engineering firms entered a dozen other entries. Anchorage police say the suspects slammed their bodies into the display Sunday night and fled. Two suspects are from Dimond High. The third is a home-school student. Police forwarded vandalism charges on all three to juvenile authorities. The food was valued at $2,300. Many of the cans were damaged. The food bank is evaluating whether damaged cans can be accepted. — Associated Press
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Kenai ‘chooses respect’ Dunleavy to pick new
By BRIAN MAZUREK Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai community held its 10th annual Choose Respect March on Wednesday. Organized by volunteers and employees of the LeeShore Center, the event was meant to show solidarity with Alaskans marching all over state in order to raise awareness and promote prevention of sexual assault and domestic violence. More than 50 peninsula residents marched from Leif Hansen Memorial Park to the Kenai Visitor’s Center. Local state troopers and Kenai police also joined in the procession, See KENAI, page A2
judge from council nominees By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
Peninsula residents participate in the annual Choose Respect March in Kenai on Wednesday. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
JUNEAU — Gov. Mike Dunleavy has relented and said Wednesday he now will fill a Palmer Superior Court seat with one of two remaining candidates sent to him by the Alaska Judicial Council. His announcement followed a meeting Tuesday with Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel See PICK, page A3
‘Best of Broadway’ puts spin on theater’s biggest hits By JOEY KLECKA Peninsula Clarion
From “Hairspray,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Music Man” to “All That Jazz” and “West Side Story,” music and theater buffs often have a favorite production that stands out above the rest. For the past three months, the difficult task of compiling all those legendary pieces together for one performance has been the job the producers of “The Best of Broadway.” The show, which will be performed by members of Forever Dance Alaska in collaboration with the Aurora Dance Company, opens to audiences this weekend for a two-night affair. Forever Dance Alaska
about how it’s so fun to see the show come to fruition,” Swanson said. The show opens as the Aurora Dance Company’s annual showcase. Swanson has owned Forever Dance Alaska with her husband Aaron since the company moved from Vergine’s Dance Studio in Soldotna. Swanson said the idea of putting together a Broadway-themed show that combines many of theater’s greatest hits began several years ago. Swanson said she and her choreographers decided to finally take the plunge Youth members of Forever Dance Alaska take part in rehearsal Tuesday, at the Renee in spring 2019. Hendersen Auditorium at Kenai Central High School, for the company’s production of “We thought, ‘This is “Best of Broadway.” (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion) the year to do it’,” Swanson said. “We have the staff and owner Darcy Swanson said ity that began during the dancers will take the stage dancers to do it justice.” the excitement of the final winter holiday season. In this weekend. The show includes “We’ve been thinking See BEST, page A3 show caps a flurry of activ- all, Swanson said 49 youth
Students send a message By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
Students from across the peninsula are working to make sure their voices are heard by lawmakers. On the central peninsula, local parent groups are helping students voice their concerns through letter writing. On Wednesday, March 20, parents and students from River City Academy organized a postcard-writing event open to the public. River City Academy 10th-grader Kaegan Koski See SEND, page A2
Senate votes to roll back conflict of interest restrictions By MOLLIE BARNES Juneau Empire
River City Academy student Molly Koski helps host a postcard-writing event on Wednesday, March 20, at the Soldotna Public Library. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/ Peninsula Clarion)
The Senate voted on Wednesday to roll back some conflict of interest laws that some lawmakers said were too broad and restricted legislators from being able to do their jobs. “It really comes to your constitutional duty to be able to speak freely as a member of Alaska’s Senate or House,” Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole, said. “When do you throttle back the 32,000 people and their voice? And when is it
a real conflict with you? I don’t know that we’ve got the perfect balance … It’s meant to be accountability structures … that if you’re grandizing yourself at the state expense with your authority, you should be held accountable.” Majority Leader Mia Costello said the reason the bill was before the senate was because lawmakers realized they need to return some common sense to unintended consequences of HB 44, a bill which required legislators See ROLL, page A3
White supremacist gang members face federal charges By MARK THIESSEN Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — Filthy Fuhrer and five other members of a white supremacist gang that was spawned in prisons in Alaska, Arizona and Colorado have been charged in the gruesome beating death of a member whose Nazi tattoo was burned off his rib cage with a hot knife. Fuhrer, who legally changed his name from Timothy Lobdell, and the others sporting tattoos like iron crosses, swastikas or Schultzstaffel (SS) lightning bolt tattoos also face federal racketeering charges of kidnapping and assault in the August
Two others, Nicholas Kozorra and Dustin Clowers, have previously pleaded guilty to murder charges in Staton’s death. Those plea agreements were recently unsealed. Bryan Schroder, the U.S. attorney in Alaska, said at a news conference in Anchorage on Wednesday that 14 other members of the 1488 prison gang or its associates have been charged or already sentenced in the Jeffery Peterson, special agent in charge of the Anchor- federal investigation for age FBI office, left, and Bryan Schroder, U.S. Attorney, offenses like being a felon right, announce charges in a racketing enterprise in in possession of a firearm, Anchorage on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen) mail theft or distributing drugs or firearms. The gang got its start 2017 beating death of Mi- Knife. Court documents in 2010 among 50 to 100 chael Staton, who went by did not list attorneys for the prisoners either serving the gang nickname Steak men charged. time in Alaska facilities or
those shipped out-of-state to serve their sentences in Arizona or Colorado. Once members are paroled from prison, they are to report to leaders in what they call “Free Alaska.” “Recently, the 1488s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Alaska,” the court documents say. “If you see those kind of severe tattoos on people in your neighborhood, then maybe you want to let local law enforcement know, because there might be something going on,” Schroder said. The name of the gang, 1488, refers to different
See GANG, page A3