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P E N I N S U L A
Vol. 45, Issue 9
In the news News orgs sue for sex-abuse records ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Two Alaska news organizations filed a lawsuit late Wednesday against Gov. Sean Parnell over his office’s refusal to release documents related to the National Guard sexual abuse investigation. Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Dispatch News filed the lawsuit after they and other media organizations were denied emails and other documentation last month. The lawsuit says the governor’s office is not complying with the state’s Public Records Act when it refused to release emails. The attorney for both media organizations is seeking an expedited trial ahead of the general election next month, when Parnell stands for re-election. Emails sent to state officials seeking comment weren’t immediately returned to The Associated Press after business hours Wednesday.
Friday-Saturday, October 10-11 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Absentee votes could sway election Navarre needs 667 of the remaining ballots to avoid runoff in borough mayor’s race By KAYLEE OSOWSKI and DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
Nearly 2,000 ballots remain to be counted from Tuesday’s election. The official count of absentee, questioned and special needs ballots totaled 1,964 Thursday, according to an email from Kenai Peninsula Borough Clerk Johni Blankenship. To retain his lead position in the race for borough mayor, incumbent Mike Navarre would have to get to get a minimum of
667 of the remaining votes. Unofficial results from Tuesday’s election show Navarre as the leader of the race for Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor with 4,794 votes or 53. 52 percent. Challenger Tom Bearup captured 36.51 percent — 1,524 votes behind Navarre. Candidate Carrol Martin received 846 votes. To push Navarre’s percentage below the required majority vote threshold and cause a runoff election, Bearup and Martin would need to receive 1,298 of the remaining votes. The runoff
would be held between the top two candidates. However, not all of the 1,964 ballots may qualify. The canvass board will continue to audit the remaining ballots, and the eligible ballots will counted on Oct. 14 prior to certification. Proposition A1 asked voters to advise the borough assembly whether or not the borough should exercise limited animal control. Voters narrowly said no Tuesday with only a 59-vote difference. However, voters also said no to the proposed funding
mechanism, which asked if they would approve a 0.02 mill rate on properties outside of cities. The no vote received 1,606 more votes than the yes side. The advisory vote on Proposition B, whether the borough should move to a by-mail voting system, failed by a large margin — 2,740 votes. Close race in Kenai The race for the last Kenai City Council seat could come down to Henry Knackstedt or incumbent Mike Boyle after the absentee votes are counted. Boyle trails Knackstedt by 20
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Federal investigators are in Alaska this week to visit University of Alaska campuses to see how the UA system responds to sexual violence. The visit is part of a larger national review. The UA system is among 64 higher education institutions being investigated or audited by the civil rights office of the U.S. Department of Education. The federal agency is looking at the schools for compliance with Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding. The agency is putting special emphasis on complaints of sexual violence. UA attorney Mike O’Brien said UA is not being investigated in response to specific complaints. “We’re amongst a group of schools not being investigated for a violation but are just being reviewed to gauge compliance with Title IX,” O’Brien said. Alaska’s “abysmal” rates of sexual violence might be a factor in the inclusion, he said.
Inside ‘We’re not asking him the Pythagorean theorem in Navajo. We’re asking how a resolution becomes a law..’ ... See page A-6
Index Opinion.................. A-4 Nation.................... A-6 Sports.....................B-1 Classifieds............ C-3 Comics.................. C-7 Check us out online at www.peninsulaclarion.com To subscribe, call 283-3584.
See VOTES, page A-12
Binkley Street const. in final phase
Feds review UA response to sexual violence C
votes. Unofficial results in the race for Kenai City Council have Tim Navarre and Knackstedt in the lead for the two vacant atlarge council seats. Tim Navarre received 548 votes for 30.61 percent while Knackstedt received 504 votes for 28.16 percent. Boyle received 484 votes for 27.04 percent. Kenai City Clerk Sandra Modigh said from what she has seen at city hall, there were ap-
By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion
Photo by Kelly Sullivan/ Peninsula Clarion
Shot to the arm Nursing student Taylor James administers a flue shot to Omie Murdoch during a drive-through flu shot clinic on Wednesday at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna. CPH registered nurse Janet Gleason, who oversaw the nursing students giving the shots, said that by 4:30 p.m., they had given out more than 300 vaccines, well over what the clinic dispensed last year.
Kenai students learn fire safety By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
October is a month traditionally associated with falling leaves, pumpkins and shorter days, but elementary school students in Kenai are learning the importance of what to do in the event of a house fire. Nationwide, October 5-12 is Fire Prevention Week and throughout the month Kenai firefighters are visiting classes to remind kids that fire drills are not just something to be practiced at school. So far this year, nine people have died in fires in Alaska, according to the state division of fire and life safety. Kenai Fire Marshal Tommy Carver said that while the schools do a good job of practicing fire drills every month, few children practice escaping from a fire at home. “Our emphasis is to get them thinking about setting up a plan at home and talk to their parents,” Carver said. “It gives them responsibility to bring it up to their family and get everyone involved.” With the changing season and daylight savings approaching, Carver said this is the time each year firefighters tell
Binkley Street Improvement construction is nearing an end. Crews are now tackling the Park Avenue intersection, which is closed to traffic for the final leg of the project. The roadway between Park Avenue and Corral Street are currently the focus of paving, signage installation and striping. The Park Avenue intersection will likely reopen by early next week, city engineer Kyle Kornelis said. Very few closures will be made on Binkley Street up until the end of the season once the work between Corral Street and Park Avenue is complete, Kornelis said. Crews are also working on curbs and sidewalks, Kornelis said. There will be a few punch list items to deal with in the springtime, he said. See BINKLEY, page A-12
Landfill expands checks on gas By KAYLEE OSOWSKI Peninsula Clarion
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Solid Waste Department’s monitoring network has been declared insufficient by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion The announcement came Mountain View Elementary School students from Mandi Vaala’s first grade class practice their after DEC reviewed the borescape out of a fire safety house Thursday, in Kenai. Kenai firefighters are meeting with classes ough’s solid waste department in October to educate kids about fire safety. landfill research reports from 2012 and 2013 the students to ask parents to The review followed the test smoke detectors. Batterlandfill’s move into cell 2 in ies should be changed twice a April, said Jack Maryott, direcyear and it is a good practice to tor of the Solid Waste DepartLearn two ways to escape every room in house change them out when people ment. Establish a meeting place for family to gather afchange their clocks, he said. “So it’s a reasonable assumpter evacuating “We don’t want smoke detion as the landfill continues to tectors to become a nuisance Have smoke detectors and check them once a grow and we put more mass in alarm,” Carver said. “Most of month and change batteries twice a year. that (DEC) may recommend
Tips for escaping a fire
See FIRE, page A-12
See GAS, page A-5 C
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