COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY Apr. 20, 2022 (Weekly) Reporting data for Apr. 13 - Apr. 19, 2022 SE Alaska Positive Cases: Juneau (86),  Ketchikan (23), Metlakatla (1), Petersburg (14), Prince of Wales-Hyder (2), Sitka (75), Skagway (2) , Wrangell (10) Statewide: 7 new Alaska resident hospitalizations and 7 new Alaska resident deaths reported. COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY Apr. 13, 2022 Reporting data for Apr. 5 - Apr. 12, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY Apr. 6, 2022 Reporting data for Apr. 1 - Apr. 4, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY APRIL 01, 2022 Reporting data for Mar. 30 - Mar. 31, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY – Mar. 30, 2022 Reporting data for Mar. 25 - Mar. 29, 2022 Alert Levels Case Counts Dashboard Information Hub Alaska: Statewide COVID-19 Alert Levels, Updates, Active Cases, Hospitalizations, etc. Ketchikan: Public Meetings Ketchikan: Upcoming Events Ketchikan: Announcements Ketchikan: Classifieds CLASSIFIEDS Publish Your Ad Click Here Historical Ketchikan June Allen Dave Kiffer Louise B. Harrington Ketchikan Weather Ketchikan's Forecast Ketchikan Dec. Weather Ketchikan 2021 Daily & Monthly Data (Choose the Location of Interest) Nat Weather Service KTN Ketchikan Tides & Currents Tideschart Sunrise - Sunset Ketchikan Search the News Ketchikan Alaska SitNews Search

Alaska: 27 Million Acres Opened for Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Seeking Land Allotments; Sullivan Says Announcement Creates New Delays & Complications for Alaska Native Vietnam-Era Veterans Seeking Allotments Posted & Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN - During a roundtable discussion today with Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning announced that the Interior Department will open approximately 27 million acres of federal lands to selection by eligible Alaska Native veterans.

“We have a sacred obligation to America’s veterans. I honor the sacrifices made by those who serve in our military, and I will not ignore land allotments owed to our Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans,” said Secretary Deb Haaland, whose father served during the Vietnam War. “I am grateful to the veterans we met with today for their patience as we have worked through the needed analyses, and to the BLM team that moved expeditiously to deliver on this promise.”

The Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Program was established by the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act of 2019 and was championed by the Alaska Congressional delegation. Through this program, the Bureau of Land Management can provide eligible individuals the opportunity to select an allotment of up to 160 acres from available federal lands in Alaska. Currently there are approximately 1.2 million acres of available federal lands open to allotment selection.

This represents the third time that federally managed land has been offered to Alaska Native Vietnam veterans, who did not have access to land allotments while serving during the Vietnam War.

The BLM recently completed an environmental assessment and issued a finding of no significant impact on the effects of opening of federal lands within the Kobuk-Seward Peninsula, Ring of Fire, Bay, Bering Sea-Western Interior, and East Alaska planning areas to selection under the 2019 Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment program. 

The Environmental Assessment documented the environmental analysis of three action alternatives:

Alternative B, BLM’s Proposed Action, which would open approximately 27.8 million acres of additional BLM- administered land to allotment selection under the Allotment Program.

Alternative C, which is the same as Alternative B, except that the BLM would not open lands to allotment selection that top filed lands which the State of Alaska has identified as Priority 1 or 2

Alternative D, which is the same as Alternative B, except that the BLM would not open lands identified by the Calista Regional Corporation during public scoping. Alternative C would open approximately 27 million acres and Alternative D would open approximately 25.7 million acres .

The Bureau of Land Management announced today the selection of Alternative C which would open approximately 27 million acres of land to allotment selection under the Alaska Native Allotment Program. Lands opened to allotment selection under Alternative C would not include lands within a quarter mile of important cultural resource sites, including lands applied for by regional corporations pursuant to ANCSA section 14(h)(1) and known cultural resources that the BLM identified as needing protection. Similarly, Alternative C would not open lands for allotment selection within a minimum of 500 feet of the Iditarod National Historic Trail (EA, Section 2.2.1).2 Finally, Alternative C would not open areas with top-filings that have been identified as Priority 1 or 2 by the State of Alaska (roughly 840,000 acres).

The Bureau of Land Management will now complete the legal descriptions to open the lands to selection. Lands are available for selection through December 29, 2025.

However, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) today disputed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s claim that she is “[moving] expeditiously to deliver on [her] promise” to Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans to take steps to swiftyly approve the public land order the Biden administration inherited.

“The Biden administration inherited a commonsense solution to the land issues that have plagued our Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans for the last fifty years,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said from Fairbanks, “They received a public land order from the Trump administration that simply needed to be published into the Federal Register. Secretary Haaland should have immediately issued the public land order prepared by the Department of the Interior’s professional Alaska-based staff."

Today, Haaland accepted a “Finding of No Significant Impact” from the acting Alaska Bureau of Land Management director on the Environmental Assessment for the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Allotment Program. Quoting a news release from Sen. Sullivan, "In accepting the “Finding of No Significant Impact”, Secretary Haaland again declined to take steps to approve and send the public land orders completed by the prior interior secretary, David Bernhardt, an action supported by a broad coalition of Alaskans. "- More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

Ketchikan: Face Masks Now Optional on AMHS vessels and in Terminal Buildings Posted & Edited by MARY KAUFFMAN - The Alaska Department of Transportation announced on April 19, 2022 that face masks are no longer required on Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) vessels or inside AMHS terminal buildings.

A recent federal court order ended the US DOT mask requirement for public transportation. AMHS staff and passengers may choose to continue wearing masks, and the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.

A U.S. District Court Judge in Florida on April 18th struck down a federal mandate requiring mask use on public transportation and at transportation hubs. April 18th struck down a federal mandate requiring mask use on public transportation and at transportation hubs.

On April 19, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement from spokesman Anthony Coley: “The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) disagree with the district court’s decision and will appeal, subject to CDC’s conclusion that the order remains necessary for public health. The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health. That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve."

The Center for Diseas Control on April 20 announced that it had asked the U.S. Department of Justice to proceed with an appeal of the court ruling, as it “is CDC’s continuing assessment that at this time an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health." - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2020

Ketchikan: M/V Kennicott Delayed Coming Out Of Overhaul - The M/V Kennicott's scheduled return to service on April 22 will be delayed due to supply chain issues, labor constraints, and an unexpected mechanical failure. The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) has been working with all eighty Alaska-bound travelers on alternative transportation options to accommodate their individual travel needs and timeline.

The Kennicott was scheduled to depart Bellingham for a northbound voyage on April 22. AMHS anticipates the ship will pick up its original schedule on April 25, departing northbound from Ketchikan.

Like the rest of the nation, AMHS and its contractors are grappling with supply chain and tight labor market issues, and 2022 has marked several delays in return to service for Marine Highway vessels. Once repairs are complete, Kennicott will be Coast Guard inspected and recertified for sailing. - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

Ketchikan: AMHS Adds a Matanuska Sailing to Bellingham to Relieve Waitlist of Passengers - The Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) is adding a sailing to Bellingham, Washington, on May 23, 2022 to provide transportation for a waitlist of passengers. The M/V Matanuska and its crew will make the run to pick up approximately 260 passengers, many with accompanying vehicles.

AMHS experiences an increase of demand for the Bellingham sailings in the spring as people traveling to Alaska return home, report to jobs, visit family, or move their households. AMHS anticipates the May 23 sailing will fill up quickly as there is no other mainline space available until late July on the Matanuska, and late August on the Kennicott.

When the summer schedule was developed, placeholders were included in each month for a planned resumption of Prince Rupert B.C. service. While AMHS ultimately scheduled Prince Rupert trips from June through September, the May placeholder was left unscheduled to allow time to finish up diplomatic agreements required for visiting the international port.

As a result of this schedule change, a few passengers in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Kake and Juneau will be rescheduled. The LeConte will cover the Matanuska’s May 23rd sailing to Sitka. - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

Alaska: Alaska Department of Public Safety Hires MMIP Investigator - The Alaska Department of Public Safety has hired former Alaska State Trooper Anne Sears to lead the Department’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Initiative.  Investigator Sears will work on unsolved murders and missing persons cases that involve Indigenous persons across the Alaska State Trooper’s area of responsibility. 

“The State of Alaska is pleased to have Anne Sears lead the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative to address the gap in unsolved cases surrounding Indigenous persons in Alaska,” said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.

Dunleavy said, “With her ample experience in rural areas and background as a State Trooper, we hope to reverse these troubling trends in our rural communities. Public safety is our number one priority – Alaskans deserve to feel safe in our communities, and this new initiative will lead us in the right direction.”

Investigator Anne Sears was the first Alaska Native woman hired as an Alaska State Trooper, and she honorably served Alaskans for over 22 years as a law enforcement officer.  She retired from the Troopers in October 2021 after working in a variety of roles in both urban and rural Alaska including patrol, major crimes investigations, and narcotics interdiction.

"Anne Sears was one of our top Troopers and I am glad that she has agreed to return from retirement to this new position and continue to serve Alaskans," said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. "This new MMIP Investigator combined with the six new major crimes investigators based in Western Alaska will ensure that all Alaskans receive the world class law enforcement service that the Alaska State Troopers provide regardless of their zip code, race, gender, or ethnicity." - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

Alaska: State files Amicus in Support of State Authority in Managing Waters - The State of Alaska filed an amicus brief this week asking the United States Supreme Court to consider Alaska’s unique interests as it reconsiders the extent of federal authority under the Clean Water Act.

The Clean Water Act prohibits discharges to “navigable waters,” which it defines as “waters of the United States.” In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court is considering how to determine whether a wetland is a “water of the United States,” a significant issue for Alaska given that almost half of Alaska’s landmass has been estimated to be wetlands. With more land, water, and wetlands than any other state—and a unique need to build infrastructure and develop and protect its resources—Alaska is disproportionately harmed by the federal agencies’ expansion of power.

“When read too expansively, the Clean Water Act unnecessarily hampers the State’s ability to manage its own land and water and responsibly develop its resources as promised at statehood,” said Attorney General Treg Taylor. “With more wetlands than the Lower-48 combined and unique areas such as permafrost, an overly broad, one-size-fits all approach does nothing to improve water quality. All it does is create another layer of regulation simply for regulation’s sake with no economic or environmental benefit.” - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Meets with Tribal, Community Leaders and Residents in King Cove
King Cove, Alaska
Photo courtesy Aleutians East Borough

Alaska: U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Meets with Tribal, Community Leaders and Residents in King Cove - Posted & Edited by MARY KAUFFMAN - U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, accompanied by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) , traveled to remote King Cove, Alaska Wednesday to learn more about the need for a land exchange and ultimately a small gravel road leading to the Cold Bay Airport. That road corridor, if approved, would pass through a tiny portion of the Izembek Refuge, to the nearby all-weather Cold Bay Airport, which has a paved 10,000-foot long runway. 

In 1980 the Alaska National Lands Interest Conservation Act passed, creating 300,000 acres of Wilderness in the Izembek refuge – where the road must pass through. Those opposed to the road feel it would set a pattern for other conservation lands and hurt the environment. The King Cove Airport is a 3500′ gravel strip, there’s an average of 100 bad weather days a year, and it operates only in the daylight. It’s a precarious location between volcanic mountains and notorious winds. Last month, a court panel sent the final approval documents to the desk of Secretary Haaland to proceed with the King Cove road. Alaska awaits her signature of approval.

King Cove is often plagued with stormy weather, including hurricane-force winds and dense fog, preventing plane and boat travel about 30% of the time. During urgent medical evacuations, patients must be stabilized at the King Cove Clinic until either an air ambulance plane or the U.S. Coast Guard can travel to the isolated community.

The group, which included Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski toured the health clinic and visited with medical providers to learn more about medevac challenges experienced in King Cove. 

This region and their ancestors have been here for thousands of years, long before the Wildlife Refuge,” said Governor Dunleavy. “With little to no consultation, they woke up one morning, and there was a Wildlife Refuge established by Washington D.C., thousands of miles away, without any consideration of the needs of the people. The courts have ruled that the Secretary herself can right this historical wrong. It was obvious there was overwhelming support in King Cove for the road. Here’s the irony: there is a road from Cold Bay into the Refuge in which hundreds – if not thousands – of tourists and hunters access every year to their advantage. The federal government needs to consider human safety and quality of life factors for residents in King Cove. The locals deserve to be heard by the federal government.”

 King Cove residents plead for a road connecting to Cold Bay Airport and residents shared their testimonies, voicing the need for a safe, dependable, and affordable way to access the Cold Bay Airport.

“We’re not asking for a lot. We’re just asking for the federal government to care about our people enough to permit a dirt road across our ancestral land so that we can get our patients over to a medevac plane (in nearby Cold Bay, the hub airport in the Aleutian Islands, about 25 miles away),” King Cove community health-aide practitioner Bonita Babcock told U.S. Secretary Deb Haaland during her visit.

Wood bison calves arrive at LARS
A group of young wood bison are temporarily staying at UAF's Large Animal Research Station.
Photo by Laura Whitehouse/USFWS

Alaska: Wood bison calves arrive at LARS - Forty eleven-month-old wood bison from Elk Island National Park in Canada have a new home in Alaska.

Parks Canada, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the federal Bureau of Land Managementhave facilitated the transfer of 40 11-month-old wood bison to the UAF Large Animal Research Station in Fairbanks. The bison were transported by truck across the border, leaving Elk Island National Park, near Edmonton, Alberta, the morning of April 13 and arriving in Fairbanks the evening of April 14.

In late 2021, ADF&G and BLM formalized a long-term partnership that includes BLM staff, logistics, environmental analysis, and funding to support the project. This past winter, ADF&G officially applied to receive surplus wood bison from Parks Canada and Elk Island National Park. In February, Elk Island staff confirmed that surplus wood bison calves would become available to travel to Alaska in April. In early April, final health screenings were completed, and 40 bison were approved for travel. Elk Island National Park has provided healthy wood bison that have helped initiate and recover wild populations throughout their original range.

The almost-yearling bison will reside temporarily at UAF LARS, a research facility that is currently home to reindeer and muskox that helps support research, education, and outreach focused on Alaska animals. The wood bison must be isolated for a minimum of 30 days after traveling to make sure they remain healthy, disease-free, and ready for potential release. After the isolation period these bison will become a part of the captive wood bison population that ADF&G has available for release into the wild.

“Most of these bison will likely be used to augment the Lower Innoko-Yukon Rivers population, but some may help in future efforts to start new wild populations,” said ADF&G Wood Bison Biologist Tom Seaton.

Seaton said these imported bison have the potential to increase the population of wild wood bison in the U.S. by as much as 30 percent while adding to their genetic diversity.  “This constitutes a massive contribution to the restoration of wood bison,” he said.

In 2015, after decades of preparation, 130 wood bison were released to the Lower Yukon-Innoko Rivers area. Those animals were also originally from Elk Island and were held prior to release at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, 45 miles southeast of Anchorage. About 30 wood bison, mostly bison born at the center, still live at AWCC.

“Many of the wood bison at AWCC are too old for release at this point, but future attempts to start new populations in the wild could include the younger individuals from AWCC and some from this most recent import,” Seaton said. - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

DAVE KIFFER: Not So Dirty Dancing Days - Recently one of my friends reminded me of that time honored tradition, having to square dance in elementary/junior high school.

Looking back, I'm not sure there was anyone in my sixth-grade class in Houghtaling Elementary School who really wanted to square dance. Our teachers, of course, couched it as "physical exercise." But we knew better. It was all part of the "socialization" process.

Prior to about fourth grade or so, there wasn't much difference between boys and girls. Sure, some girls did really girly things and some boys tried desperately to be "he men. " But for the most part, kids were kids.

Now, of course, fourth graders are about as "mature" as high school seniors were in my day. Which is to say, not really that mature in the grand scheme of things. But they are expected to be able to file taxes, drive a car and operate the TV unsupervised.- More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

RICH MANIERI: THESE THINGS I SAW: A FEW RANDOM OBSERVATIONS - I never had the Easter Bunny pegged for a PR flack, but he can now add it to his CV.

Shortly after the White House Easter Egg Roll, the basket-toting Easter Bunny intervened and led President Biden away from a reporter who asked the president about Afghanistan. The funny thing was Biden actually followed the Easter Bunny’s instructions as if it were all perfectly normal. Additional questions on international affairs were referred to the Tooth Fairy.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) fired off an Easter tweet taking issue with a viral video that showed a Christian worship leader playing his guitar and singing with several other passengers on a commercial flight. It was, after all, Easter Sunday.

“I think my family and I should have a prayer session next time I am on a plane. How do you think it will end?” Omar tweeted. - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

FINANCIAL FOCUS: What should you do with a tax refund? Provided By BEN EDWARDS, AAMS® - Are you expecting a tax refund this year? If so, what will you do with it?

Of course, the answer largely depends on the size of your refund. For the 2020 tax year, the average refund was about $2,800, according to the Internal Revenue Service. But whether your refund this year will be about that size, smaller or larger, you can find ways to benefit from the money.

Here are some possibilities:

• Contribute to your IRA. You’ve got until April 18 to fully fund your IRA for the 2021 tax year. But if you’ve already reached the maximum for 2021, you could use some, or all, of your refund for your 2022 contribution. Assuming you did get around $2,800, you’d be almost halfway to the $6,000 annual contribution limit. (If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute up to $7,000.) - More...
Thursday PM - April 21, 2022

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Political Cartoon: Cancel culture
by Rivers©2022, CagleCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Clothing Optional Freedom
by Christopher Weyant©2022, The Boston Globe, MA
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Wages Overrun by Inflation
by Dick Wright, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Student Loan Cancellation
by Dick Wright©2022, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Globalist Masters Meltdown
by Rivers©2022, CagleCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Freedom of Speech
by Guy Parsons©2022, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com