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Surprise
Ice time
Movies more, less than expected
Soldotna headed to state tournament
Arts & Entertainment/B-1
Sports/A-8
CLARION
A little bit? 13/-3 More weather on Page A-2
P E N I N S U L A
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 115
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Jack kings up for debate
Question Do you think the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend program should be protected in the state constitution? n Yes; or n No. To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com. Results and selected comments will be posted each Tuesday in the Clarion, and a new question will be asked. Suggested questions may be submitted online or e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com.
By RASHAH McCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
In the news More than 5,000 Alaskans sign up for insurance
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JUNEAU (AP) — New government figures show more than 5,000 Alaskans have signed up for private health insurance since the launch of the online marketplace. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 86 percent of those who had selected plans were receiving federal help in paying premiums. Nationwide, nearly 3.3 million people had signed up for plans either via state or federally run marketplaces between Oct. 1 and Feb. 1. The open enrollment period is scheduled to end March 31. In Alaska, about 52 percent of those who’ve signed up are female, compared to 48 percent male. The most popular coverage option in the state continued to be the silver plan, which covers about 70 percent of expected medical costs. Sixty-three percent of Alaskans chose silver plans.
Inside ‘Everybody here in Southcentral is really excited about this opportunity and what it means not only to Seward and the Kenai (Peninsula), but all of Southcentral.’ ... See page A-5
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Business................ A-5 Nation/World.......... A-6 Sports.....................A-8 Arts........................ B-1 Classifieds............. B-3 Comics................... B-6 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion
Healthy conversation
Tyler and Kelly Orender from Soldotna talk with a volunteer about child safety at the Kenai Peninsula College Health Fair Wednesday afternoon. The Orenders received information on how to properly install child car seats for their infant daughter. The health fair included health and nutrition products, hearing tests, weight and blood pressure analysis, community service booths and blood testing.
Assembly considers nonprofits By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly heard from two nonprofits at its Tuesday night meeting. First Linda Swarner, executive director with the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, presented information about the organization’s operations to the assembly. On its $500,000 budget, the food bank distributes about 1 million pounds of food annually.
While the food bank has 12 paid employees, it sees about 2,000 volunteers annually and most of its revenue comes in the form of donations, corporate grants and U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities. Central Area Rural Transit System Inc., a central peninsula transportation system incorporated in 2000, is mainly funded through grant money. Jane Stein, who serves on
CARTS board of directors, spoke to the assembly after assembly member Charlie Pierce requested to remove a consent agenda item supporting CARTS transportation priorities and efforts seeking state and federal funding opportunities. Stein said the projects CARTS is requesting funds for through the Federal Transit Administration will be used to not only maintain its current ser-
vices in the central peninsula, but also to grow to serve other communities. She said organization is working to extend its services to better serve the Homer and Seward areas. According to the resolution, CARTS is requesting $105,000 to leverage $131,800 of FTA funds for service areas, $5,644 to leverage $56,856 of FTA funds for branding and marketing, $81,081 for central peninsula Independent Living Center Transportation Voucher See FUNDS, page A-10
ANCHORAGE — Despite support from setnetters and at least three Cook Inlet seafood processors, a proposal to measure the length of commercially harvested king salmon failed Wednesday during the triennial Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting on the Upper Cook Inlet. After nearly an hour of deliberations — including two amendments to the original proposal that would have required different sizes to be recorded — just two board members voted in support of the proposal which proponents say would have provided the public with a better idea of types of king salmon caught by area commercial fishers. “It’s pretty interesting that an industry comes to government to ask for regulation to provide data that, it’s hard for me to believe, wouldn’t be useful in season,” said Paul Dale, owner of Snug Harbor Seafoods and president of the Alaska Salmon Alliance. The alliance, which also has members of Pacific Star Seafoods and Icicle Seafoods on its board, submitted a written record of support to the board, despite the potential of fines if the regulation in the proposal were not carried out accurately. “We recognize the risk and we’re happy to take it on,” Dale said. “We wanted to help develop a number that is more or See FISH, page A-10
Justice warns of backlog By MIKE COPPOCK Associated Press
JUNEAU — Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Dana Fabe told lawmakers Wednesday that state agencies that handle appeals are becoming overwhelmed, with attorneys taking up to two years to file briefs in criminal appeals. Fabe delivered her State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Legislature. She said that during the first half of this fiscal year, criminal appeals were up 33 percent compared with last year
While the Public Defender Agency, Office of Public Advocacy, and state attorney general’s office “are making diligent efforts to discharge their duties, it appears that they don’t have the capacity to keep up with this striking increase in appeals, and they will no doubt continue to be stretched by the rising trial rates and resulting heavy appellate caseloads,” she said. “And there is no end in sight.” She said at a minimum, some form of relief will be necessary to break the log jam, though she did not specify what that relief should be.
The delays are occurring during the briefing stages of appeals. That is the stage before the cases are submitted to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for decision. She said the court is responsible for enforcing rules that protect the rights of those involved — defendants and victims — to see a timely resolution. Fabe also told legislators that to ease case loads and costs for Alaska’s rural courts coordination with tribal judges has been taking place along with shifting minor cases to tribal court.
AP Photo/Becky Bohrer
Dana Fabe, the chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, delivers the State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Wednesday in Juneau. Shown behind her are Senate President Charlie Huggins, left, and House Speaker Mike Chenault, right.
Legislators: Large-scale mining can be done right By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU — Several state lawmakers — including the Senate president and House speaker — have told the owner of the proposed Pebble Mine that they believe large-scale mining “can be done right” in Alaska. In a letter to Ron Thiessen, president and CEO of Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., the legislators say Alaska is open to safe and responsible development. “We appreciate the project team’s approach in making ongoing investments in environmental science and engineering
studies prior to initiating permitting to ensure that any project at Pebble can co-exist with clean water, healthy fisheries and traditional ways of life,” the legislators wrote in the letter, dated Feb. 3 and released Wednesday. “As elected leaders of the State of Alaska, we want you to know that Alaska is open to investment from those who seek to develop our state’s natural resources safely and responsibly, and in a manner that respects and benefits its citizens and our country for generations to come,” they wrote. The massive gold-and-copper prospect is near the headwaters of a world-premier salmon
‘It is important for state leaders to express our confidence in mining as a way to bring Alaskans jobs, revenue and economic diversity.’ — Rep. Dan Saddler fishery in southwest Alaska. The letter comes as critics of the mine urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to act to protect the watershed. EPA, in a recent report, found large-scaling mining in the region posed significant risks to salmon. The letter was signed by C
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Senate President Charlie Huggins, Senate Majority Leader John Coghill, and Sens. Cathy Giessel and Kevin Meyer. Giessel chairs the Senate Resources Committee, and Meyer is cochair of the Senate Finance Committee. The letter also was signed by House Speaker Mike Chenault,
and Reps. Eric Feige, Craig Johnson and Dan Saddler. Feige and Saddler are co-chairs of the House Resources Committee. Senate Minority Leader Hollis French said those lawmakers do not speak for the full Legislature. He said there is deep division in opinion on Pebble. French, D-Anchorage, said many Alaskans support other mine projects around the state but believe Pebble is “too dangerous a proposition to support.” He said he would be an “enthusiastic yes vote” on a ballot initiative that would require legislative approval for a large-scale metallic sulfide mining operation in the Bristol Bay See MINE, page A-10