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CLARION P E N I N S U L A
MAY 4, 2014 Soldotna-Kenai, Alaska
Vol. 44, Issue 183
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
Alaska man, 19, shot troopers from behind ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — As two state troopers struggled to arrest his father, a 19-year-old man armed himself with an assault rifle and shot them seven times, killing them outside his home in a remote Alaska village, authorities said in charges filed Saturday. Nathanial Lee Kangas appeared in a Fairbanks court two days after Trooper Gabriel “Gabe” Rich and 45-year-old Sgt. Patrick “Scott” Johnson were shot to death. He was charged with two counts of firstdegree murder and a count of thirddegree assault. Bail was set at $2 million.
AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen
Firefighters stand at attention and salute as the procession for two slain Alaska State Troopers arrives at the State Medical Examiners office in Anchorage on Friday.
After bail was set, the judge asked Kangas if he had anything to say regarding the bail. After a long pause, Kangas replied only, “I’m sorry,” the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. Kangas, wearing an orange jumpsuit, was escorted by officers into the court. Every seat was full, and the walls were lined with law enforcement officers of several agencies as Kangas faced his charges. Officers hugged and consoled each other at the hearing, the newspaper reported. Kangas’ mother, Judy, and younger brother, Albert, each gave brief apologies.
“I want to tell everybody, the families, from the bottom of my heart that I am sorry,” Judy Kangas said as she choked back tears. The slayings of Rich and Johnson on Thursday in the isolated community of Tanana underscored the challenges law enforcement faces in this huge state. Like many troopers assigned to patrol multiple villages, Rich and Johnson were not based in the interior community of 238 people. They worked out of the troopers’ four-person rural service unit in Fairbanks 130 miles to the east, and they had to See DUTY, page A-5
Soldotna gets new postmaster By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion
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Robia Bishop has been performing the duties of Postmaster in Soldotna for a year, but still had trouble sleeping the night before her official installation ceremony. Bishop’s fellow employees, the USPS District Manager Ronald Haberman from Anchorage, and customers, watched on as her long time coworker Sherrill Behm read her the postmaster Oath of office, Thursday, at the Soldotna Post Office. “Now I am going to do even better since I have a certificate now,” she said jokingly. Bishop said she was extremely honored to hold the position. Being a postmaster has always been in the back of her mind through out her 36-year career with the USPS. The job has had Bishop
bouncing among Anchorage, Kenai and Soldotna throughout the years. She has held positions all over the company, such as personnel, human resources and various managerial spots. Bishop said she still gets so consumed in her work that sometimes, at 4:45 p.m. to five she’ll finally notice she is getting hungry because she forgot to get lunch. Switching things around keeps the job fresh and exciting, Bishop said. And random, bizarre scenarios present themselves from time to time. Once, while working as the manager of the distribution plant in Anchorage, she walked in to find a box on her desk. While the sight was common, the attached note was not. A postmaster from an Alaskan village had sent her the container requesting she deal with the rat that had eaten the See POST, page A-2
Redoubt Elem. students learn, graduate D.A.R.E. By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
One hundred-fifty fifth-graders walked across the stage to receive their diplomas after completion of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education course Friday at Soldotna High School. Prior to graduation, students from Redoubt Elementary School put their knowledge to the test with a review game during their final D.A.R.E. class Wednesday. Soldotna police officer Tobin Brennan, a three-year D.A.R.E. instructor, quizzed the students in Jake Eveland’s class on the definition of words they learned during the 10week course. Groups of four responded to answers to words like trust, communication and peer pressure. “Who do you go to when you need help?” Brennan asked the class. Students filled out their final worksheet listing the important people in their lives who they trusted to include in their help network. Parents, teachers, friends and coaches all made the list as people with experience the class went to for advice. Brennan said while one of his lessons is to get students See DARE, page A-2
Today’s Clarion Obituaries..................... A-3 Opinion......................... A-4 Alaska........................... A-5 Nation........................... A-8 World.......................... A-10 Cops/courts................ A-12 Sports........................... B-1 Community................... C-1 Weddings...................... C-1 Dear Abby..................... C-2 Crossword..................... C-2 Horoscope.................... C-2 Classifieds................... C-3 Mini Page...................... C-9 TV...................... Clarion TV
Sunny 63/38 For complete weather, see page A-14 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
Photos by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion
Above: Todd Eskelin, wildlife biologist, holds an eagle’s wings open as Felix Lybarger compares himself to its wingspan and Jessica Croom looks on Saturday during a Youth Game Warden camp at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Soldotna. Bottom right: Dave Bolin, refuge operations specialist at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, uses a tool to check the contents of a shotgun shell.
Ranger games By RASHAH MCCHESNEY Peninsula Clarion
The sun beat down on Dana Gibson as she lifted a magnet into the air carefully lowered it onto a shotgun shell, her brow furrowing in concentra-
tion. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head, as she glanced up at Andy Loranger, Kenai Wildlife Refuge Manager — squinting in the noon sunlight. “What are you looking for there?” he said.
“I have no idea,” she said. Then she giggled and shrugged her shoulders. Gibson handed the shells back to Loranger after Dave Bolin, Refuge Operations Specialist at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge See LEARN, page A-2
GOP candidates rally party support At state convention group focuses on energy, fiscal conservatism Republican nomination. and former Republican nomiSullivan, a former state At- nee Joe Miller. torney General and Department Making their case Sullivan’s pitch to the ReJUNEAU — Alaska’s larg- of Natural Resources commisest political party and its candi- sioner, is running against cur- publican movers and shakers dates for major offices are brac- rent Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell was one about curtailing feding for a fight this fall when the nation’s eyes turn to the 49th state’s U.S. Senate race. The state Republican Party travelled to Juneau over the weekend for its biennial state BECKY BOHRER convention, and delegates representing districts statewide Associated Press seized the opportunity to learn more about the party’s candiJUNEAU, Alaska — The Republican candidates for lieudates vying for state and federal tenant governor sought to make distinctions between themoffice. selves during a candidate forum at the state GOP convention The event kick-started with Saturday. Republican Gov. Sean Parnell Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lesil McGuire, and wife Sandy opening the R-Anchorage, are vying to be Gov. Sean Parnell’s running mansion for tea with visitors, mate later this year. Parnell is not expected to face any real but the focus quickly shifted afprimary challenge. terwards to the elections. The state’s current lieutenant governor, Republican Mead “The road to a Republican Treadwell, is seeking his party’s nomination for U.S. Senmajority in the U.S. Senate runs ate. straight through Alaska, and the The forum — the candidates’ opportunity to pitch themDemocrats know it,” said Dan See LT. GOV, page A-5 Sullivan, a candidate for the By MATT WOOLBRIGHT Morris News Service/Juneau Empire
Lt. governor candidates try to differentiate themselves
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eral overreach and cultivating a climate that is development friendly toward Alaska’s natural resources. It’s for that reason, he said, he would seek a seat on the Environment and Public Works Committee. “There is an overregulation of Alaska and America in every single sector,” Sullivan said. Treadwell focused on similar issues and also said he would want to be on the public works committee. “That’s where we need to be to cut back the (Environmental Protection Agency),” Treadwell said. But rather than focusing on energy development, Treadwell is seeking budgetary reform on the federal level. “I will not vote to expand our country’s debt unless we also have a vote to have a balanced budget,” he told the audience. “We’re spending too much, and See GOP, page A-5