Alaska: Alaska asks: Will senator, congressman be indicted? By Richard Mauer - Campaigning under the cloud of federal investigations is tough enough, but could Sen. Ted Stevens or Rep. Don Young have the added worries of an indictment before they face the voters of Alaska?

It's been 21 months since the federal corruption investigation surfaced in Alaska with a series of dramatic raids on legislative and other offices. Eight cases have been brought, resulting in convictions in all but one -- and that matter is still pending.

No one outside the government is privy to where the investigation is headed and whether it will eventually lead to charges against Stevens and Young, who deny wrongdoing but who won't discuss specifics about the allegations.

It remains especially difficult to charge members of Congress for matters related to legislation. The Constitution's Speech or Debate Clause offers a broad shield against interference by the Justice Department and other agencies of the executive branch into how a congressman might have created, for example, an earmark that benefited a campaign contributor, family member or former aide -- matters that are part of the investigations of Young and Stevens.

Last year, that clause was cited by an appeals court in tossing out evidence seized by the FBI in a raid on the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., the congressman famous for keeping $90,000 in marked bills in his home freezer.

Yet the government is pressing ahead, with grand juries continuing to hear evidence in at least Anchorage and Washington, D.C.

Questions about the timing of future indictments, should more be handed up by the grand juries, are being heard with increasing frequency in Alaska as the investigation drags on in relative secrecy and the elections approach. It's just three months to the Republican primary, where both Stevens and Young face opponents, and just over five months to the general election, where strong Democratic challengers await. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Southeast Alaska: Decision Signed on Kuiu Timber Sale Area - The Tongass National Forest Supervisor has signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Kuiu Timber Sale Area Final Environmental Impact Statement published in July 2007.

The Tongass is the largest of the Forest Service's national forests at almost 17 million acres, encompassing most of southeast Alaska.

The Kuiu project area is located on north central Kuiu Island on the Petersburg Ranger District approximately 12 air-miles southwest of the city of Kake. The timber harvest would generate almost 31.4 million board feet (MMBF) of saw and utility log volume from the 46,102-acre project area. The Selected Alternative in the ROD includes only ground based logging systems and use of even-aged management on approximately 1,208 acres.- More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Alaska Science: Raising mosquitos in the name of science By NED ROZELL - Alison Triebenbach is probably the only person in Alaska with the "Manual for Mosquito Rearing" on her bookshelf.

In a windowless room behind two locked doors on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, 1,000 mosquitoes feed on blood ("donated from an unlucky sheep in a lab down south") and artificial plant nectar provided by Triebenbach, a graduate student at UAF. Seven days a week, she feeds adult mosquitoes and their waterborne larvae and pupae (which prefer fish food and rabbit pellets), collects tiny eggs, and nurtures those eggs into mosquitoes.

"When people learn that I rear mosquitoes, first they ask me why. And then they say they want to kill them," Triebenbach said.

"That's worse than being a lawyer," a man said when he heard how Triebenbach is earning her master's degree.

So, why does Triebenbach brood over creatures so annoying that even the gentlest Alaskan murders as many as possible? She's studying disease transmission by the mosquito, a creature that has led to the deaths of millions of people. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Alaska: Increase in Unemployment Benefits Signed by Governor - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin signed Senate Bill 120 into law Wednesday raising the maximum unemployment compensation amount from $248 a week to $370 a week ($992 monthly to $1480 monthly). Workers will pay a slightly higher tax - approximately 71 cents per week - and have to earn $2,500 instead of $1,000 to qualify.

The legislation was introduced by the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee under Chair Johnny Ellis. "This increase is especially needed in light of today's rapidly rising energy and food costs," noted Senator Ellis. "It was long overdue."

Despite repeated attempts to adjust the amount, unemployment insurance benefits had remained static for over a decade, driving Alaska to last place among states in the ability to replace lost wages. The new amount now puts Alaska in the middle. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

George R. Pasley: FIND YOUR VOICE - I just returned from a great conference for preachers, held this year in Minneapolis. It featured five days of preaching and lectures about preaching from some of the best mainline protestant preachers in America.

One preacher immediately grabbed my attention. His name is Otis Moss Jr. and he is the father of Otis Moss III, the current pastor at Trinity United church of Christ in Chicago, the home church of Barak Obama.

Pastor Otis began to speak and I heard a clear, melodious voice that was deep, down in the range of baritone, and I thought, "Oh, I wish my voice were like his!" - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Daniel Weintraub: California to try old idea again: Rainwater harvesting - With California on the edge of drought and water restrictions already beginning in some areas, the state might soon be looking toward an ancient practice that is attracting renewed interest around the world: rainwater harvesting.

In Australia, rainwater harvesting has been widespread for years, and in parts of the country it is the only source of fresh water. The government of Texas is an aggressive proponent of the idea. And in Washington's San Juan Islands, residents have overwhelmed a state agency that grants permits for the installation of harvesting systems. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Deroy Murdock: The Fed's latest $300 billion baby - Hot on the heels of its $307 billion farm-subsidy orgy, Congress barely caught its breath before plunging back into another multibillion-dollar spend-a-thon. The next targets of its affection are mortgage holders, soon to be seduced with other people's money. Maddeningly enough, part of this courtship will be billed to America's 83 million equity-starved renters who only fantasize about home ownership.

The House has approved and the Senate presently will consider legislation to provide federal insurance for $300 billion in refinanced home loans. Taxpayers will have to shell out hard cash if borrowers default on this government-guaranteed debt. This new program is expected to cover just 500,000 to 1 million homes. Thus, these taxpayer- insured mortgages would average $300,000 to $600,000. This is not exactly low-income housing. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

Maureen Gilmer: Chaos theory and cottage gardens - Being allergic to math, I can't begin to explain the physics of chaos theory, but I think it's happening in the cottage garden. Where else can we find plants randomly thrown together that result in such intrinsic beauty? It brings me to a belief I've held for decades, that there are no ugly cottage gardens.

No matter what flowers you throw together, if there are enough of them it is always charming. This is often the case with a riot of spring wildflowers, which bear the same impact as a carefully designed garden. It is not that some divine hand arranged each serendipitous wild combination, but rather that all combinations are beautiful. The randomness of the wildflowers proves we simply can't go wrong no matter how much we try. - More...
Thursday - May 29, 2008

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Non-Profit Accountability By Agnes Moran - Non-profit organizations that are tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are accountable to the public for how they generate and spend their funds. At a minimum, when requested, they are required to provide tax returns and copies of their letters of determination for nonprofit status along with the supporting documentation the organization used to prove to the IRS that they were qualified for 501( c)(3) status. (For more information see IRS publication 4221 Compliance Guide for 501( c)(3) Public Charities.) Ketchikan-Kanayama Exchange Inc is a 501(c)(3) qualified organization. - More...
Thursday PM - May 29, 2008

Three strikes By Tom Ferry - Thank you Mr. Worrel for the look into your group and your viewpoint on what happened. I believe that some kind of method of written notice needs to be implemented as you suggested so things are more clear cut to the parent, student, etc. - More...
Thursday PM - May 29, 2008

Free spirits By Eileen Small - Many years ago -- and I am 57 now -- when I was 14 I won a state essay contest and got to represesent my state on a big tour of New England landmarks. I got to go to Gettysburg and the NY World's Fair and it was a two-week blast! For a little girl from a one horse town in Oklahoma it was my first look at the world "beyond" and you will notice, I no longer live in Oklahoma! It was the beginning of doors opening to me. - More...
Thursday PM - May 29, 2008

Beautiful sounds of Ketchikan By Trygve Westergard - I have a house on Millar St and a home on Pennock and I have always loved the sounds of float planes taking off. - More...
Thursday PM - May 29, 2008

Teens and Adults Linking in Ketchikan By Karen Eakes - T.A.L.K. (Teens and Adults Linking in Ketchikan) has become a regular PATCHWorks event during the past couple of years. Gathered in small mixed groups of youth and adults, participants have been building understanding and positive communication. Topics have been explored ranging from concerns related to teen drug and alcohol use, to factors that encourage and/or discourage students to stay in school until graduation, to the importance of parental awareness and involvement in the lives of their teens. The continually expressed desire by youth at all T.A.L.K. events for a special place that teens can call their own, helped lead to the current effort by KYI (Ketchikan Youth Initiatives) with the help of the NCCC Americorps group, to begin to restore and develop the Water Warehouse. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 27, 2008

Non -voters are the problem By Edward Brown - A government of "We the People" will not function well if our "lazy electorate" remains at home. These non-voters ignore their responsibility to govern. These non -voting chumps stand by as our governing bodies run things like they do not need our permission or our vote. Therefore non-voters are the real problem. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 27, 2008

Kanayama: Staying with the Group By Tony Hatano-Worrell - I'm glad to hear from Mr. Tom Ferry. First of all, you are right about the student in question. The student is indeed smart, loves reading, bright colors, and (I'm told) the dramatic arts. These are only some of the reasons this student was originally chosen to be an exchange member. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 27, 2008

Obama By Mark Neckameyer - Barack can't get away with bald faced lies like he told yesterday! Barack Obama is in big trouble again with Jewish voters and with any and all voters who expect some level of truthfulness from national political candidates. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 27, 2008

Noise Polution By Heidi Entwit - Are you seriously complaining about float planes buzzing your house? You live in Southeast Alaska, better yet on Pennock Island. Did you not see the float planes when you landed on this island. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 27, 2008

Memorial Day: A day of remembrance By Sen. Lisa Murkowski - A few years after our Civil War, General Order 11 was given that designated the 30th of May as a day to remember those in both the North and South who had died in the Civil War. - More...
Sunday - May 25, 2008

Memorial Day By Rep. Don Young - Every year at this time we enjoy a three-day weekend in honor of Memorial Day. But how often do we actually stop and remember why we have the extra day off from work? This country is home to millions of courageous men and women who have served their country with honor and bravery, and Alaska is where many of them call home. - More...
Sunday - May 25, 2008

Can we avert an economic meltdown? By Sen. Kim Elton - We are in desperate need of a series of unaffiliated solutions -- neither Democrat nor Republican -- to the looming U.S. energy crunch. - More...
Sunday - May 25, 2008

Voters are the real problem By Mike Isaac - Many voters are too simple to vote for change regardless of their education level. They whine and cry about all the money they spend on gas, food, utilities, property, income and sales taxes but turn around and vote or support someone who will raise their taxes, stand in the way of any domestic energy development which will cause food and all other prices to go up. Even though these issue are real and affect many people on a daily basis,the same voters turn around and vote for someone who is pro life, for gay marriage, builds a new school in their town but have no kids, or buys the whole global warming spin as they look for their snow shovel on this first big weekend of summer to dig out their Prius. - More..
Sunday - May 25, 2008

Democracy By Charlotte Tanner - I was stunned in 2004, when my children who were attending college were not able to vote, BECAUSE Loren Lehman, the Lieutenant Governor at that time, put all absentee ballots in the mail with insufficient postage. They were held in the Post Office until the correct amount of postage could be added. - More...
Sunday - May 25, 2008

If only cars ran on political hot air ... By Mark Neckameyer - Washington would be supplying the world instead of begging hat in hand for the kind Saudis to rescue us. The TV shows are in re-run, football season hasn't started and I don't like baseball so I am stuck watching the buffoons who pass for our Senators and Congressmen (sorry, the Democrats are the dumbest ones!) make believe that they are asking "hard questions" of oil execs to somehow prove that the oil companies are "profiteering", whatever that means. They are so incredibly stupid in real life. They all look so clever in the ads they run all Summer to get re-elected but they are so much dumber than dirt trying to think on their feet or on their ample behinds is more accurate. If they were smart they would stay off live TV. - More...
Sunday - May 25, 2008

Taking Care of Our American Heroes By Senator Ted Stevens - This weekend, we must take time to remember and honor those who have worn our country's uniform, particularly those who paid the ultimate price to preserve our freedoms. It is a chance to show our gratitude and deepest respects for generations of American heroes. - More...
Friday - May 23, 2008

Noise Pollution By Sharon Preston - Short term or impulse noise is becoming a bigger problem in Ketchikan all the time. Some examples include: whistles, horns, bells, sirens, fireworks, gunfire, blasting, pile-driving, aircraft flyovers, and dogs barking. - More...
Thursday PM - May 22, 2008

No Democracy among Democrats By Anita Hales - The Democrat primary has me feeling very ill at ease and leaving me wondering where the media is to protest the gross disenfranchisement that is happening in this primary. - More...
Thursday PM - May 22, 2008

Safety Issue for Kanayama Eject a Ruse By Kathleen Svenson - The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. The child who was not allowed to go to Japan has never "disappeared" from school, nor anywhere else. I checked her attendance records. I also checked with the Troopers. No report of her missing. - More...
Thursday PM - May 22, 2008

Are Halibut, Chinook, and Coho Salmon populations in Southeast Alaska heading for a crash? By Andy Rauwolf - There are serious issues with the Southeast Alaskan marine ecosystem that have been steadily getting worse. For instance, the 2007/2008 winter King troll fishery just closed after harvesting only 45% of the 45,000 fish quota. Furthermore, for the first time in history both the halibut and summer Chinook commercial quotas have been cut by 48%. Sport and guided sport fishing have been severely restricted as well. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 20, 2008

Today is a Gift By Louise Clark - If you missed the Friday, May 16 band concert "Today Is A Gift" at Kayhi, you really missed something. The music was superb. I'm a big Glenn Miller fan so it was almost impossible not to get up and jitterbug during the "Glenn Miller in Concert" and "Wilson Suite For Euphonium And Band" was so incredibly beautiful, and "Today Is The Gift" was absolutely wonderful. - More...
Tuesday PM

We all wish Ted Kennedy well but he is no paragon of virtue! By Mark Neckameyer - When Senator Ted Kennedy had his stroke scare Saturday morning, all the TV networks including FOX News went on the air with a glowing obituary sounding retelling of the Senator's life. They lionized the man, made him sound like combination of George Washington and Saint Peter. Fortunately Kennedy's health issue was not as serious as it first appeared but I can't help comparing the reality of his life and works with the flowery garbage we have been hearing on TV all day. Here are the facts about his "accomplishments". - More...
Tuesday PM - May 20, 2008

Thanks for a Great Year By Patrick E Johnston - I just wanted to say thank you to all the people I have had the pleasure to work with and serve this past year. - More...
Tuesday PM - May 20, 2008

In support of Kanayama! By Amber Williams - Most of my friends will tell you how much I love Japan. Their points of view, clothing, music ect. are wonderful. That trip changed my life for the better. If I could, I would love to move there forever. Long have I said "If I go missing, I'm in Japan, don't come and find me" - More...
Tuesday PM - May 20, 2008

A GRADUATION MESSAGE FROM YOUR ALASKA STATE TROOPERS By Captain Kurt Ludwig - This is graduation time for high school seniors in Southeast Alaska. Most teens enjoy parties and other get-togethers, especially around graduation. And while celebrating this time is appropriate and natural, there are often decisions made by some parents and teens that are cause for concern for the public's safety. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

Getting Spammed! By Scott Willis - Are you getting UCE or Unsolicited Commercial Email, better known as SPAM? Well, if you are a KPU customer with a .KPUNET.NET email account, then maybe I can help you filter some of that out. Here's what you do: - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

Stop the secrecy By Thomas Ferry - Regarding the participant that was just kicked out of the Kanayama program, Mr. Worrell cites that some unthinkable negative things have been said about the program in retalliation. This child had supposedly broken some rules of commitment and safety set down by the controlling committee. I, like many others would like to know exactly what transpired to get this child kicked out. As people gossip and retell stories, the truth sometimes gets lost in translation on both sides. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

There's Nothing to Do in Ketchikan? NOT! By Bobbie McCreary - Come out Sat nite to have FUN & support our Youth Try this on for size: Skateboard contests, capture the flag, paintball target range, pie eating contest, kids corner with face painting, balloon animals, go fish, BBQ dinner, and a theme based auction. Fun for the whole family. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

THANK YOU By Mindy Lloyd - I want to thank the gentleman who contacted the Shelter (animal )after my dog was hit. I'm sorry that you were the one. But I thank you so much that I know how she passed. To let you know the wind blew our front door open and our little dogs got out. They do chase cars that's why we normally have them tied out or in our home. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

Attention dog walkers By Julia Guthrie - I have lived on Alaska Avenue for about 7 years now. I would just like to say that I am really tired of dog walkers letting their animals use my front yard as a dumping stop. My children play in my yard. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

What he's trying to say By James Greenberg - I have a couple of places to find an answer to your question, first go into your bible and read Luke 21:10-11 also Mark 13:8. Another scripture of interest is 2 Timothy 3:1-5, it shows how people will be during what the bible calls the last days. - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

Is Somebody trying to tell us something? By Charlotte Tanner - In reply to another one of Mark Neckameyer's wonderful letters, I can only reply that perhaps we are being told to be better Stewards of the Earth, as the Bible commands us.  - More...
Saturday - May 17, 2008

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