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Vol. 49, Issue 206
In the news 2 Alaskans killed in airplane crash outside Whitehorse ANCHORAGE — Two Alaska men who worked for the National Park Service were killed in Canada while flying north in a private airplane purchased in Minnesota. The Anchorage Daily News reports 56-year-old Charles Benson of Palmer and 58-year-old Jeffrey Babcock of Wasilla died Monday night after taking off from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Yukon chief coroner Heather Jones in a prepared statement says the men took off at about 5:30 p.m. for Anchorage in the 1952 Cessna 170. They crashed in trees about 2,000 feet off the end of the runway. They died at the scene. National Park Service spokesman Peter Christian says Babcock was in charge of the agency’s aviation program and oversaw about 15 pilots and 20 aircraft. Benson was regional safety manager for the agency in Alaska.
Notices sent to employees with Alaska budget unresolved JUNEAU — Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he’s hopeful the Legislature will pass a budget next week but says his administration is preparing in case that doesn’t happen. State employees got a letter Wednesday warning that notices of possible furloughs or layoffs would be sent if a budget isn’t passed during the special session, which could last until June 14. The new fiscal year starts July 1. The letter says that state law and collective bargaining agreements address the notice requirement and require that most employees get 10 working days’ notice from the end of the fiscal year. In late May 2017, then-Gov. Bill Walker’s administration sent letters with more explicit detail on when layoffs would occur if a budget didn’t pass by the start of the fiscal year. Such layoffs were averted. — Associated Press
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Sprucing up Soldotna Applications for storefront improvement grant due June 14 By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
The city of Soldotna is accepting applications for the Storefront Improvement Program, which awards grants to local businesses seeking to revitalize their storefront. Since 2012, the city has been using the grant program to meet its goals of improving the aesthetics of Soldotna’s downtown district, John Czarnezki, the city’s director of economic development and planning, said. Another goal of the program is to increase foot traffic into local businesses. Czarnezki said the improvements need to be transformative and in line with the city’s comprehenSee STORE, page A3
Showers
Orange Poppy, one of several businesses that have improved their storefronts with the help of Soldotna’s Storefront Improvement Program, is photographed Wednesday. The improvement program awards grants to local businesses wanting to beautify their building’s exterior. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)
Gray whale found dead in Clam Gulch By VICTORIA PETERSEN Peninsula Clarion
A gray whale was found dead near Clam Gulch late Thursday. It’s the fourth gray whale found dead in Alaska and the second gray whale found dead in Cook Inlet this year. The cause of death is still unknown. Since Monday, a team of biologists have been waiting for a minus tide to reach the whale so they can perform a necropsy, Julie Speegle, public affairs officer with the Alaska regional office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said. The Clam Gulch whale is the most recent in a series of whale beachings this month, including one spotted last week near Kodiak, one near Cor-
See GRAY, page A2
Mueller’s public statement fuels impeachment calls By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Mueller’s first — and possibly last — public statement on the Russia investigation is fueling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted. Surprising Washington with brief remarks Wednesday, Mueller indicated it’s up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings. The special counsel reiterated that, bound by Justice Department policy, charging a sitting president with a crime “was not an option.” But he also stressed he could not exonerate Trump. Instead, he cited that same policy to say, “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal jus-
president. “It’s clear that the House must begin impeachment proceedings. No one is above the law.” But top Democrats, with almost no support from Republicans, are hesitant to go it alone on an impeachment inquiry that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned would be divisive for the nation. They prefer to continue the work of investigating the president and building, as Pelosi said Wednesday, a case that’s “very compelling to the American people.” “We are legislating, we’re investigating and we are litigating,” Pelosi said at an event in San FranSpecial counsel Robert Muller speaks at the Department of Justice Wednesday, in cisco. Washington, about the Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) “Nothing is off the table,” she said. “We want to ment proceedings. Committee, the panel with do what is right and what tice system.” “He’s asking us to do impeachment power. With Mueller closing gets results.” “We have one remainhis office and not expected what he wasn’t allowed to Staying the course, Rep. to comment further, it all — hold the president ac- ing path to ensure justice Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the amounted, for some, to an countable,” said Rep. Val is served,” said Sen. Cory chairman of the Judiciaopen invitation for Con- Demings, D-Fla., a mem- Booker of New Jersey, a ry Committee, at a news See CALL, page A2 gress to launch impeach- ber of the House Judiciary Democratic candidate for
Alaska Supreme Court rules against couple in PFD case FAIRBANKS (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled against a military couple seeking permanent fund dividends because they were out of state during required periods, a report said.
The court denied an appeal by Donald Jones and Annette Gwalthney-Jones, The Fairbanks Daily NewsMiner reported Monday. The couple sought permanent fund dividends for 2014
and 2015 even though they were not physically present in Alaska for several years prior due to Donald Jones’ Air Force assignment. In the ruling released Friday, the court upheld an
Barr in Alaska to talk Native violence, not Mueller remarks By RACHEL D’ORO Associated Press
ANCHORAGE — Tribal representatives in Alaska told U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday that rural Alaska Natives suffer from multiple public safety problems, including no law enforcement presence in multiple villages, substance abuse and alarmingly high rates of violence and sexual assault. Barr is at the start of a four-day visit to Alaska. Among his first actions in
the visit, Barr heard from Alaska Natives Wednesday who participated with him in an Alaska Native justice roundtable in Anchorage. His visit came the same day special counsel Robert Mueller countered criticism from Barr and others that he should have decided whether to charge President Donald Trump with obstruction of justice during his investigation into Russian election meddling. In his first public comments since the investigation began two years ago, Mueller said indicting a
sitting president was "not an option" because of a Justice Department legal opinion. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein decided the evidence didn't support an obstruction charge against Trump. At the roundtable meeting, Barr did not address Mueller's remarks or take questions from reporters. As he left the discussion, he didn't respond to a question from The Associated Press about Mueller's remarks. See BARR, page A3
administrative ruling that found the residency requirement for them to be physically present in Alaska for 30 days in the five years preceding their applications is clear and inflexible.
The dispute over the couple’s dividends arose out of a change in state law. The couple’s argument “ignores that the Legislature was aware of and chose to
See PFD, page A3
Sullivan requests tariff exemption for Alaska seafood KODIAK (AP) — An Alaska senator has written to the U.S. trade representative asking for Alaska fish species to be removed from a list of goods facing tariffs, a report said. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last week, The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday. As part of an ongoing trade dispute with China, earlier this month the Trump Administration
announced an increase in tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of products and tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports. Sullivan said he asked Lighthizer to consider removing tariffs from seafood fished in Alaska including salmon, some species of rockfish and flatfish, Pollock, and Pacific cod. The increase in tariffs is “creating tremendous uncertainty” for the industry and “is deeply See SEA, page A3