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CLARION
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P E N I N S U L A
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2015 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Vol. 45, Issue 82
50 cents newsstands daily/$1.00 Sunday
District looks into Nikiski incident
Question How do you feel about the low price of oil? n I’m worried about the negative impact on the state budget. n I’m happy about the positive impact on my personal budget. n I have a mixed opinion.
2 middle-high administrators, 2 teachers put on paid leave
To place your vote and comment, visit our Web site at www. peninsulaclarion. com.
By KELLY SULLIVAN Peninsula Clarion
In the news Walker wants commissioner input on budget cuts
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JUNEAU (AP) — Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has asked his commissioners to look for places to cut agency operating costs. In a recent letter, Walker called for state agencies to plan for and implement operating cost reductions for the rest of this fiscal year. He said the state would begin looking longer-term at the proper level of government services in the context of existing programs, needs of Alaskans and financial sustainability. He also asked commissioners to evaluate operating budget cuts of 5 percent and 8 percent from the placeholder budget for next year proposed by his predecessor. In line with that, Walker asked them to assess such things as fee structures and opportunities to privatize service delivery. Walker requested a list of capital project funding that could be redirected toward other needs.
Photo by Dan Balmer/Peninsula Clarion
JoAnna Ray Hadassah Chatham, born on Jan. 2, was the first baby born at Central Peninsula Hospital in 2015. JoAnna is the second child for Issac and Amber Chatham of Soldotna. Their first daughter, Mary-Katherine Chatham, 4, is on the right.
‘Blessed and happy’
First baby of 2015 born at Central Peninsula Hospital By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
After 10 hours of labor, Amber and Issac Chatham of Soldotna welcomed their baby girl into the world as the first born at Central Peninsula Hospital for 2015. JoAnna Ray Hadassah Chatham was born at 5:17 p.m. on Friday and weighed in at 8 pounds, 0.4 ounces, 20 inches long. While mother Amber’s
By DAN BALMER Peninsula Clarion
JUNEAU (AP) — U.S. Rep. Don Young will miss Tuesday’s vote for House speaker due to a death in his family. Young spokesman Matt Shuckerow said Young’s brother, 84-year-old Russell Young of Meridian, California, has died, and the congressman will spend time with family ahead of a memorial service in the Sacramento area. Shuckerow said Don Young, who is 81, will be sworn in upon his return.
With the rising cost of health care set to have a major impact on the Kenai Peninsula Borough budget, Mayor Mike Navarre has made it one of his top resolutions to address in 2015. Navarre has introduced an ordinance to appropriate $200,000 to hire consultants to help the borough determine the best course of action to reduce health care costs for its employees and protect the borough’s interests in its two hospitals. The ordinance is on the consent
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“We are blessed and happy to have her.” JoAnna is the Chatham’s second child. Four-year-old Mary-Katherine ‘Magpie’ Chatham said she is excited to be a big sister. “I can’t wait to play with her,” she said. “All she does now is sleep.” JoAnna Ray’s name comes from her mother’s and uncle’s middle names. Hadassah is the female Jewish name of Queen
Esther, Amber’s favorite Bible character. Issac Chatham, 27, said his brother Ivan “Ray” Chatham held his niece before he was deployed to East Africa with the Alaska Air National Guard out of Joint Base ElmendorfRichardson. JoAnna has earned the nickname “Johnny,” after John Wayne. Her father’s middle name is Wayne. See BABY, page A-10
See NIKISKI, page A-10
Navarre ready to tackle health care costs
Young to miss 1st day of new Congress
Index
due date was set for Dec. 26, 2014, JoAnna decided to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps. Amber, 26, said her mother, Faith Hall, was the first baby born in the state of Alaska in 1960, just two minutes after midnight. JoAnna is the third generation in her family born in Alaska. “We were hoping she would come before Christmas but she had other plans,” Amber said.
Two administrators and two teachers have been placed on paid administrative leave from Nikiski Middle-High School following allegations from a group of parents of inappropriate behavior. Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Interim Superintendent Sean Dusek opened an investigation into faculty members, whom the district has declined to name citing personnel reasons, after receiving complaints about a schoolwide assembly that was held right before winter break, said school district spokeswoman Pegge Erkeneff. The investigation is being conducted through the school district’s Human Resources Department, Erkeneff said. The issue will be resolved internally, and will include an interview process with those involved and anyone wishing to contribute information, she said. The district’s investigation began on Dec. 19. The teachers and administrators were placed
agenda for Tuesday’s assembly meeting and will be up for public hearing at the Feb. 10 meeting. The borough estimates in fiscal year 2016, it would spend $24,384 per covered employee and $22,316 per school district employee, according to a memo from Navarre to the assembly. Navarre said long term planning for health care funding needs to start now. “It is a huge cost not just for the government and borough but the public as well,” he said. “(Health care costs) are complex with lots of special inter-
‘My plan is to develop a task force and evaluate how the hospital delivers care and what the borough can do to help reduce the cost.’ — Borough Mayor Mike Navarre ests with lots of money in it so it’s a big thing to tackle but we have to do it. It’s the biggest issue we have on our horizon.” Increased health care costs have also driven up the cost of Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and the Teach-
ers Retirement System (TRS). Navarre said any ways that can help reduce the cost could also benefit borough residents. The borough assembly appropriated the same figure in 2011 to go toward health care consultants, but Navarre let the
funding lapse at the end of FY 2014. Navarre said because of the uncertainty of the future of the Affordable Care Act depending on the outcome of the 2012 presidential election, if the act would have been repealed, the money would have been spent for no reason. Now in his second term, Navarre said his focus is on how to save costs on health care. “We need to take a more proactive role in looking at health care,” he said. “My plan is to develop a task force and evaluate how the hospital delivers See HEALTH, page A-10
Special investigator Dispute leaves viewers hanging will look into Guard Fox station hopes to be back on satellite network soon By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU — Alaska’s new attorney general is in the process of hiring a special investigator to look into the handling of sexual assault complaints within the Alaska National Guard, Department of Law spokeswoman Cori Mills said Monday. Attorney General Craig Richards is vetting five candidates who have strong criminal investigation backgrounds and are in good standing with the Alaska Bar, said Grace Jang, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bill Walker.
Jang did not have a set timeline for the hiring but expected it to be soon. She said the choice will have to be approved by Walker. Jang said the investigator will look into allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and coverup, as well as whether the response of law enforcement was appropriate and whether proper procedures were followed. The issue isn’t being handled in-house by the Department of Law because of the large scope, “and we want to make sure that we have a fresh set of eyes,” Jang said. “This person’s going to be focusing exclusively on See GUARD, page A-10
By IAN FOLEY Peninsula Clarion
Since January 3, KTBY Fox 4 in Anchorage has not been available on Dish Network due to a contract dispute between Coastal Television, the channel’s operator, and the satellite provider. Scott Centers, general manager of Coastal Television based in Anchorage, said that Dish Network is responsible for the channel being removed. Centers said that his channel approached Dish Network weeks before the previous contract was set to expire in order to start new negotiaC
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tions, but Dish Network only responded days before the deadline. Centers said that there has been plenty of vitriol aimed at his channel over the pulled programming — something he feels is unwarranted. “People accuse us of being greedy and that’s just not the case,” he said. “Most of the backlash that I get is the viewers asking for both of us to work out a deal.” Centers said Coastal Television hasn’t had any problems with other providers, save for Dish Network. “We have been able to negotiate contracts for all pro-
viders. Dish is the only one we haven’t.” Meanwhile, Dish Network has created a website, www. dishstandsforyou.com, to inform people about the trouble the company has had over negotiations with various channels. In some disputes, according to the website, Dish Network has offered to extend current contracts while new deals are negotiated. The lack of programming has caused repercussions for some businesses around the Kenai Peninsula. Because KTBY Fox 4 carries some NFL games, many See FOX, page A-10