Peninsula Clarion, September 01, 2019

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Guardsman charged with murder of seaman ANCHORAGE — A Coast Guardsman is charged with murder in the January death of a 19-year-old seaman who was found unresponsive along the shore of an Alaska island, Coast Guard officials said Thursday. Ethan Tucker was charged Wednesday with seven violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Charges include murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Ethan Kelch, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The charging document says Tucker showed a wanton disregard for human life when he caused blunt force trauma to Kelch’s head and placed him in water, leaving him there. “Since our shipmate’s untimely passing, we have been in contact with his family to provide as much support as possible throughout this tragic and difficult time,” Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Brickey said in a statement. “The charges today are the result of the Coast Guard’s steadfast desire to gather all the facts and seek justice.” Tucker, of Ludington, Michigan, is in custody in San Diego as he faces court martial proceedings. It’s unclear if the 19-yearold man has an attorney. He will be provided an attorney if he wants one, according to Coast Guard Senior Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi. Kelch was found unresponsive Jan. 27 along the shore of an island when the Coast Guard cutter, the Kodiakbased Munro, was docked in nearby Dutch Harbor for repairs. Responders performed CPR, but Kelch was pronounced dead at a clinic. A search had been launched for Kelch when he failed to return Jan. 26 from liberty hours. The charges say Tucker lied when he said he injured his hand by punching a steel bulkhead after learning of Kelch’s death. After a probe was launched, Tucker was transferred to the Coast Guard base in Alameda, California, in June, according to Cangemi. He was assigned to the security division with such duties as checking IDs of base visitors, making rounds with security and maintaining records and logs, Cangemi said. — Associated Press

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Sunday, September 1, 2019 Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Vol. 49, Issue 273

In the news

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FACES OF THE FIRE

Photo by Brian Mazurek / Peninsula Clarion

Left, a firefighter from the Snake River Valley Type 2 crew points to a tree that is set to be cut down, located near the containment line off of Skilak Lake Road southeast of Sterling on Friday. RIght, Snake River Valley Type 2 crew work to expand a containment line off of Skilak Lake Road southeast of Sterling on Friday.

On the line with firefighters battling the Swan Lake blaze By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion

A day in the life of a wildland firefighter is anything but easy. With hundreds of firefighters currently working to contain the Swan Lake Fire, however, it can be easy to forget that each one has a different background and a different story to tell. The Clarion had the opportunity on Friday to visit several active areas of the Swan Lake Fire and get to know the people underneath the Nomex and the hardhats. The Swan Lake Fire has been burning on the Kenai Peninsula since June 5, and right now 751 personnel are scattered around its perimeter. In some areas, fire crews are actively suppressing flames with hoses and aerial water drops. In others, they are clearing burned trees and spraying down ash pits in order to prevent any future flare-ups. In order to quickly access the areas that need fire suppression, spike camps have been set up at Otter Creek and Quartz Creek. These camps are where many of the firefighters sleep

and eat when they are not directly on the line and act as a staging point for each day’s operations. At the Otter Creek spike camp — located about 5 miles north of Sterling — each morning starts with breakfast and coffee at 6 a.m. followed by a 7 a.m. morning briefing, when crews are given general updates before breaking out into their individual divisions to discuss the day’s assignments and priorities. Cheveyo Munk is a firefighter from Northern California, and for the Swan Lake Fire he is the current division supervisor for Division Echo, which consists mostly of the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area south of the Sterling Highway. Munk was in Alaska about six weeks ago and was part of the contingency group in place south of the highway — before the fire jumped the highway due to a weekend of heavy winds. Now Munk and his team are focused on structure protection for the campgrounds and public use cabins in the area. See faces, Page A2

Hunters advised to be aware of fire conditions By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion

Hunters on the Kenai Peninsula should avoid active wildfires, Alaska Department of Fish and Game said in a Thursday press release. Hunting season is already open, and more openings are scheduled soon for the Kenai Peninsula. Two active fires — the Swan Lake Fire and the Caribou Lake Fire — may impact

hunting areas in Unit 15A and Unit 15C. Alaska Department of Fish and Game has not issued an emergency order, closing hunting opportunities in the area, but hunters in the Swan Lake Fire area should note local land closures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. Portions of the Kenai National Wildlife See hunters, Page A2

Division Charlie Supervisor Kip Shields from Fairbanks can be seen here at a containment line off of Skilak Lake Road.

Rains arrive to help firefighting efforts By Brian Mazurek Peninsula Clarion

Light rains beginning Friday night and continuing into the weekend offered much-needed relief for the firefighters battling the Swan Lake Fire. A low-pressure weather storm system arrived over the area late Friday afternoon and some areas of the fire received about 1/4-inch of rain on Friday night, according to the latest update from the Great Basin Incident Management Team. Intermittent light rain and cooler temperatures are expected Saturday with rainfall and wind conditions intensifying on Sunday. Saturday’s operations were largely a continuation of Friday’s activities. Cooler, moister conditions though the weekend are expected to reduce fire activity and boost progress. Travel delays are to be expected

Assembly looks to establish Kalifornsky Advisory Planning Commission By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly will decide Tuesday if an advisory planning commission will be established for the Kalifornsky area. Advisor y planning commissions are established to provide an additional way for community members to participate in land use planning activities. The commissions help advise the borough on borough-owned lands.

The borough has four active advisory planning commissions — in Moose Pass, Cooper Landing, Anchor Point and Hope. There are also two inactive advisory planning commissions, one in Funny River and one in Diamond Ridge. The borough owns approximately 5,800 acres within the proposed boundaries of the Kalifornsky Advisory Planning Commission and the borough land management officer has indicated that additional community input is needed

for the effective management of these lands, a July 25 memo to the assembly from borough planner, Bruce Wall, said. The idea of forming the commission came from area resident, Robin Davis, who petitioned the borough in March after he and his neighbors decided to oppose a borough land sale in his neighborhood. “Many of the neighbors in my neighborhood were taken by surprise by See ASSEMBLY, Page A3

along the Sterling Highway between Sterling and the Seward Highway junction. Fire has weakened trees along the roadway, and increased winds present an imminent hazard. Both lanes are open with pilot car operations in place, and the Kenai Peninsula Borough said that increased traffic is likely over Labor Day weekend. The rain is expected to reduce the burn potential for some lighter fuels and limit rapid surface spread. Larger fuels will likely not be dramatically affected, and on Friday night personnel observed at least one tree burning in the rain. The Swan Lake Fire is currently at 162,179 acres in size and is staffed by 751 personnel. Around Cooper Landing, moderate fire activity was observed Friday morning, but that activity See rains, Page A2

Service board elections could be changed to appointments By Victoria Petersen Peninsula Clarion

An ordinance changing service board elections to appointments will be introduced at Tuesday’s Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting. The borough has 12 service boards, of which seven boards include elected positions. Historically, it has been difficult to find qualified candidates willing to run for service board seats, an Aug. 22 memo to the assembly from assembly members Willy Dunne and Brent Hibbert said.

“The borough is one of the few boroughs, if not the only, in the State of Alaska with elected service area boards,” the memo said. Earlier this summer, the Election Stakeholders Group — a group established by the assembly to research ways to increase voter participation — published their final report and recommendations. One of their six specific recommendations asks the borough to appoint service board members, rather than hold elections. “Appointed boards have See board, Page A3


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