2022 SPECIAL PRIMARY ELECTION Election Summary Report (pdf) June 11, 2022 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS Top Four 1 Sarah Palin 27.02% 2 Nick Begich 19.13% 3 Al Gross 12.63% (withrew 06/21/22) 4 Mary Peltola 10.06% (5 th place finisher will not advance after Gross withdrew. ) Ketchikan: Seattle crew wins 2022 Race to Alaska, reaching Ketchikan ‘days in front of anyone else’ By ERIC STONE, KRBD, www.krbd.org Ketchikan: Ketchikan Chamber announces 4th of July Grand Marshall - www.kinyradio.com COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY June 15, 2022 Reporting data summary for June 8-15, 2022 Statewide Overview: 2,452 new cases - 0 newly reported deaths - 61 hospitalizations  SE Alaska Positive Cases: Juneau (128), Ketchikan (57), KBG (2), Metlakatla (17), Craig (6), Haines (5), Petersburg (7), Sitka (27), Skagway 94), POW (7), Wrangell (4). COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY – June 8, 2022 Reporting data for June 1-7, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY June 1, 2022 Reporting data for May 25-31, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY – May 25, 2022 Reporting data for May 18-24, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY May 18, 2022 Reporting data for May 11-17, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY May 11, 2022 Reporting date for May 4-10, 2022 COVID-19 DATA SUMMARY – Apr. 27, 2022 Reporting data for Apr. 20 - Apr. 26, 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

Ketchikan: M/V Matanuska Returns to Prince Rupert, British Columbia; Service resumes after nearly three-year hiatus. - The M/V Matanuska returned to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, in the late evening of Monday, June 20, 2022, ending a nearly three-year service interruption due to new border requirements and the ongoing pandemic. Eighty-three passengers and 39 vehicles arrived at the port at approximately 11:15 p.m. After unloading, 107 passengers and 55 vehicles embarked for Ketchikan at 2:15 a.m., Tuesday, June 21.

"I'm pleased to announce that, through our department's efforts, and our partnerships with the Canadian government, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, we are sailing to Prince Rupert again," said Commissioner Ryan Anderson, Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF). "Prince Rupert is a valuable mainland link for Alaska, and we intend to keep it open for travelers in the years to come."

A 2019 Land, Rail, Marine and Air Transport (LRMA) agreement, between the U.S. and Canada requires that the Prince Rupert terminal become a preclearance facility, making it the first marine preclearance port in the nation. The new designation allows for ease in travel and trade between both the U.S. and Canada, which share one of the longest borders in the world. Some changes to the facility were needed, however, including high speed data into the terminal, the installation of a U.S. government approved weapon and document safe, and the installation of a security system for the terminal building. Further upgrades to the terminal building and grounds will be required over the next two years.   

“Prince Rupert is an important connection for commerce and passenger traffic in the Alaska Marine Highway System, especially for southern Southeast Alaska,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “There are significant cultural and family ties that will benefit from this service. I anticipate increased service in the future now that federal requirements in both Canada and the United States have been met.”

Prince Rupert is the last stop on Canada's east-west Highway 16, about 900 road-miles northwest of Bellingham, Washington. The community is 91 nautical miles southeast of Ketchikan or approximately six hours by ferry. Prince Rupert was the original southern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway from 1963 until AMHS extended its route to Seattle in 1967.

AMHS ended service to Prince Rupert in October 2019 while both governments were working through pre-clearance requirements. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated efforts to restore the Prince Rupert connection, however AMHS continued discussions with both the U.S. CBP and Canada Border Services in order to resolve the issues. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Indian Community purchases Orton Ranch in Naha - The Tribal Council of Ketchikan Indian Community (KIC) announced the purchase of the Orton Ranch property at Naha Bay, just north of Ketchikan. Quoting a news release, "The property achieves the Tribe’s strategic goal to establish a permanent Culture Camp where we can teach the younger generation about our way of life, on the land. At Culture Camp we encourage children to respect themselves, the natural environment, and traditional Tribal values. By teaching our kids these skills, they become even more proud of who they are."

“When the Tribal Council heard that the property at Naha was being sold by the White Cliff Church, we knew it was an opportunity for our people that we couldn’t pass up,” KIC President Trixie Bennett said. “Naha is the perfect location for a Culture Camp for our children and to bring Tribal members together for special retreats and gatherings where we’ll be surrounded by all the beauty and serenity of Lingit Aani at the Naha River.”

Orton Ranch - located on the traditional lands of the indigenous people who still live here in the Ketchikan area - is four acres with 700-feet of river frontage in Roosevelt Lagoon, completely surrounded by US Forest Service lands. The property is reachable by boat, followed by a short hike along the Naha Trail. Limited access to the property’s river frontage is also available, but not typically used for larger boats or groups of people due to the river depth at the rapids leading into the Lagoon.

Currently, the property and facilities are in need of significant restoration and renovation. Although logistically challenging, Ketchikan Indian Community plans to make a sizable investment in the property and will begin work to renovate the buildings and water treatment and wastewater utilities as soon as possible. The ambitious goal is to make the space available for use again by 2023 or 2024.

Additionally, this year the US Forest Service will begin reconstruction of Naha Trail, dock, tram, and recreation facilities, utilizing the $850,000 Federal Lands Access Program Transportation Grant received in partnership with Ketchikan Indian Community. - More...
Tuesday - June 21 , 2022

Olson is one of 50 representatives competing for over $150,000 in cash scholarships and the opportunity to represent the program as the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2022.

Throughout their two week stay, the 50 state representatives will take part in community activities and events along with many rehearsals for National Finals performances.

Thursday marks the start of live showcases for Lauren Olson, the Ketchikan, Alaska teen competing in the 65th Distinguished Young Women National Finals. Olson, along with 49 other state representatives, has been in Mobile for the past two weeks participating in community activities and preparing for the national scholarship competition. Ticket and live webcast information can be found at DYWNationalFinals.com

The program’s evaluation process includes scholastics, interview, fitness, talent, and self-expression. During the preliminary competitions Thursday and Friday, each participant will compete in the categories of self-expression, fitness and talent. Olson has completed an individual interview with a panel of five judges and her scholastic performance has been scored through an evaluation process of her high school academic record and standardized test scores.

On Saturday, June 25, eight finalists will be selected from the group of 50 young women and will compete for the opportunity to represent the program as the Distinguished Young Woman of America for 2022. Over the three-night event, all 50 will compete for a share of over $150,000 dollars in total cash scholarships.

For her talent presentation, Olson will sing “Panis Angelicus”. Olson is a 2022 graduate of Ketchikan High School and the daughter of Lillias and Daniel Olson. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Alaska: Answers Demanded From Alaska Division of Elections Regarding 'Unprecedented' Rate of Rejected Ballots - On June 14, the Alaska Senate Democrats sent a letter to the Division of Elections and the Lieutenant Governor demanding answers for what they say is the staggering rejection rates of mail-in ballots in the special primary election for the United States Congress. According to Division of Elections data, one area of Alaska had more than 17% of all ballots received so far rejected.

The Division of Elections currently reports a 9.0% rejection rate in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage, and 15.2% and 17.4% rejection rates respectively in the rural areas of Bering Straits/Yukon Delta and Bethel/Lower Kuskokwim. Mail-in ballots may still be received after the final postmark date of June 11.

“This incredible rate of ballots being thrown out in Alaska’s first mail-in election is absolutely unacceptable,” said Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage).

“These numbers, if verified, mean Alaska Natives and other minorities and residents from less affluent areas have been denied their right to vote. Vote by mail works, but only if implemented so that all citizens have a chance for their vote to be counted,” said Senate Minority Leader Tom Begich (D-Anchorage).

In the 2020 primary, 1,240 ballots were rejected out of 62,455 mail-in votes cast. That was a rejection rate of 2%.

“Every Alaskan, who is registered to vote, deserves to participate in our elections and their votes must be counted. While the Division of Elections has done a good job running our elections in the past, Alaskans need to know why so many ballots were discarded in our first, statewide by-mail election in this June election. We need answers now so Alaskans can maintain their confidence in future elections,” said Senator Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks).

The target certification of the special primary election result is June 25, 2022.

Prior to Alaska Senate Democrats demanding answers, Native Peoples Action (NPA) called on Governor Dunleavy, Lt. Governor Meyer and all legislators to prioritize fixing Alaska’s election system. The latest statistics of the preliminary results for the special election primary showed that out of nearly 140,000 ballots in hand, the Alaska Division of Elections rejected 4,830 by-mail ballots with inexplicable disparities in rejection rates across the state, with disproportionate rates of rejected ballots coming from rural Alaska and BIPOC or English as a second language districts. Rejection rates of the first by-mail election to fill Alaska’s sole congressional seat is unacceptable and solutions need to be implemented.

Kendra Kloster, Native Peoples Action, said,“By rejecting an astounding number of special election primary ballots, the State of Alaska is silencing the voices of our people who turn out to vote, many who are already facing increased barriers to voting access. We call on Alaska’s leadership to heed the call from Alaskans: take action to ensure that when our people turn out to vote that all our voices are heard and our votes are counted. Without a voting system that will ensure all Alaskan voices are counted and heard, the State of Alaska is failing our people.” - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Alaska: Alaska's 2020-2021 Excess Deaths Report Released - The Alaska Health Analytics & Vital Records Section announced the release of the 2020-2021 Excess Deaths Report. 

This special report provides a brief update on Alaska resident mortality in the context of “excess deaths” since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excess deaths (defined as the difference between observed and expected deaths) provides insight into both the direct impact of COVID-19, as well as indirect effects from the disease’s impact on other forms of disease and injury. The 2021 death data reported here should be considered provisional and subject to change.

• In 2021, there were 6,194 Alaska resident deaths, 1,421 more deaths than expected based on model predictions.

• All sexes, and nearly all races, regions, and age groups experienced statistically significantly more deaths than expected in 2021.

• COVID-19 was the 3rd leading underlying cause of death in 2021 (742 deaths; up from 231 deaths in 2020).

• Heart disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and unintentional injury (unintentional drug overdose in particular) deaths were all significantly higher than expected in 2021. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Southeast Alaska: NPFMC, State and Federal decision makers fail to act, as some Alaska salmon runs at reach an all time low - Last week in Sitka, Alaska, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council failed to take action on Chinook and chum salmon bycatch, despite the pleas of a broad array of Alaskans and overwhelming evidence from state and federal scientists that some runs are on the verge of collapse. 

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game fewer Chinook Salmon have passed sonar counters on the Yukon River than any other year on record.. In a normal year tens of thousands of Chinook should be countered by this date but ADF&G has counted only 2,460 fish, compared to 20,282 by this time last year.  

Meanwhile, new reports on trawl bycatch and western Alaska salmon population status recently released by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) paint a devastating picture.  While subsistence fisheries on the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers have seen closures due to low runs, the pollock trawl fleet continues to catch and discard a significant number of Chinook and chum salmon that originated in those river systems.  

“Simply put, the system is broken and the public has completely lost trust in the Council process,” said SalmonState Executive Director Tim Bristol. “The time for action is now, Alaska is on the verge of losing something that doesn’t really exist anyplace in the world anymore. We believe in science, we believe in sound management and thoughtful and careful decision making but this process has been captured by the biggest and the richest and does not work for the rest of us anymore.” - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Alaska: More than 90 percent of Bristol Bay residents, fishermen, supporters urge EPA to finalize Clean Water Act protections at public hearings - Nearly one hundred Bristol Bay residents and other supporters urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize strong permanent protections for the region during the agency’s public hearings last week.

EPA held hearings in Dillingham, Newhalen, and virtually, regarding the revised proposed determination that outlines potential prohibitions and restrictions on the development of the Pebble Limited Partnership’s 2020 mine plan at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. During the three hearings, more than 90 percent of the public testimony supported EPA protections. 

At the Dillingham hearing June 16, over 50 public testifiers from more than a dozen communities unanimously supported EPA using its Clean Water Act 404(c) authority to protect the headwaters of the fishery, calling for stronger protections than outlined in EPA’s current proposal.

“The people of Bristol Bay have been clear for decades: the EPA must protect our lands and waters for future generations,” said UTBB Executive Director Alannah Hurley. “No version of Pebble belongs in Bristol Bay’s headwaters and EPA’s action needs to stop this toxic project once and for all and these protections must be finalized this year.”

The EPA’s proposal would prevent Pebble from building the mine it proposed in 2020, putting about 15 percent of the deposit off limits, and would restrict development of the deposit at certain levels. 

Bristol Bay leaders, fishermen, residents & supporters made the following statements during testimony:

Curyung Tribal Council First Chief and Dillingham resident JJ Larson said,  “It takes a lot to come out and speak to government officials about how much we don’t want this mine, how much it affects us, and how harmful it would be. …This mine would be the death of our culture. We’re not just fighting the mine, we’re fighting a spiritual fight. This mine would be the death of our way of life. …It’s not just the fish, it's the wildlife that surrounds the rivers that we subsist on. …The things that we do are go out and explore the land, when you’re not from here you might not understand that- but that’s what we do. And having a mine like this in our area would be so devastating.” - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Rugged science on the Southeast coast
By NED ROZELL
A scientist with a heavy backpack hikes the Lost Coast north of Lituya Bay to reach his study areas.
Photo By NED ROZELL

To the woman wearing earbuds and sitting next to me in seat 7E: 

I’m sorry; I did not get to shower before boarding the plane after 12 days of accompanying four scientists in the hills north of Lituya Bay. I will try to keep my arms pinned to my side and lean toward the window.

That’s probably not good enough, but it’s only an hour-and-a-half from Juneau to Anchorage. There, you will be free from the scent of the wild.

If you were available for conversation, I would explain. The leader of our expedition, Quaternary geologist Dan Mann of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has guided just a dozen people to the spongy terraces north of Lituya Bay in the last 45 years. One reason few have visited is that the high benches are very hard to reach.

We just flew over those plateaus, the 737 passing by them in 10 seconds. On the ground, it took a lot longer.

If you were to pull out those earbuds, ma’am, I would tell you something I found notable about this trip: Over the years, I have gotten wet with scientists on the island of Attu at the far reach of the Aleutians, snowmachined to the giant snow-covered lake called Teshekpuk, and hiked the Valley of 10,000 Smokes as tiny, wind-blown rocks smacked our raingear. 

And the last 11 days trumped ’em all for toughness.

At this point, if you weren’t listening to music, your eyes would dart to the gray hair curling from beneath my baseball cap. Without saying it, you would think, “Yeah, dude, it was hard because you’re old.”

Good observation. There is a lot of mileage on the chassis. But I would offer a slight rebuttal. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

Analysis: Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States’ 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too By KRIS MANJAPRA - The actual day was June 19, 1865, and it was the Black dockworkers in Galveston, Texas, who first heard the word that freedom for the enslaved had come. There were speeches, sermons and shared meals, mostly held at Black churches, the safest places to have such celebrations.

The perils of unjust laws and racist social customs were still great in Texas for the 250,000 enslaved Black people there, but the celebrations known as Juneteenth were said to have gone on for seven straight days.

The spontaneous jubilation was partly over Gen. Gordon Granger’s General Order No. 3. It read in part, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

But the emancipation that took place in Texas that day in 1865 was just the latest in a series of emancipations that had been unfolding since the 1770s, most notably the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln two years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863.

As I explore in my book “Black Ghost of Empire,” between the 1780s and 1930s, during the era of liberal empire and the rise of modern humanitarianism, over 80 emancipations from slavery occurred, from Pennsylvania in 1780 to Sierra Leone in 1936.

There were, in fact, 20 separate emancipations in the United States alone, from 1780 to 1865, across the U.S. North and South.

In my view as a scholar of race and colonialism, Emancipation Days – Juneteenth in Texas – are not what many people think, because emancipation did not do what most of us think it did.

As historians have long documented, emancipations did not remove all the shackles that prevented Black people from obtaining full citizenship rights. Nor did emancipations prevent states from enacting their own laws that prohibited Black people from voting or living in white neighborhoods.

In fact, based on my research, emancipations were actually designed to force Blacks and the federal government to pay reparations to slave owners – not to the enslaved – thus ensuring white people maintained advantages in accruing and passing down wealth across generations. - More...
Tuesday - June 22, 2022

CARL GOLDEN: JANUARY 6 PUBLIC HEARINGS AREN’T CHANGING MINDS - As the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U. S. Capitol heads into its final public hearings phase, early indications are that – despite compelling testimony – the needle on the public opinion meter has barely budged, and the impact on the congressional midterm elections as well as the 2024 presidential contest will be minimal.

In short, despite predictions the much-hyped committee’s findings would shake the nation to its core, it’s been neither a mind changer nor a game changer.

National Democrats overwhelmingly continue to demand former president Donald Trump be held accountable in a court of law for his role in egging on his supporters to storm the Capitol and prevent the certification of Joe Biden as the next president. Meanwhile, Republican leaders for the most part are adamant that the committee is a blatant politically-driven effort to blame their party for an assault on democracy itself and prevent Trump from seeking to regain the office in 2024. - More...
Tuesday - JUne 21, 2022

TAYLOR KOVAR: Ask Taylor: Is the housing market slowing down? - Hi Taylor: I’ve been holding off on buying a house because the prices have been so steep, but I’m reading stuff about a market correction. Any idea if my time has come? - Erica

The effect of interest rates. By design, the fed raised interest rates in hopes of stopping inflation. The housing market has been a key factor in our red-hot economy, and when mortgage rates are higher, people are less eager to buy. It’s a double-edged sword - you have to pay more in interest but you hopefully won't have to pay $100,000 above asking for the house you want. The rate hikes may cool the market but we’re still waiting to see those effects. However, some analysts think we’ve entered a full-blown correction. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

FINANCIAL FOCUS: What’s your investment risk tolerance? Provided By BEN EDWARDS, AAMS® - Risk is a normal part of investing. If you didn’t take on any risk, you wouldn’t have the potential to achieve higher returns. But how much risk should you accept?

You don’t want to incur unnecessary risk. So, you’ll need to assess the amount of risk you’re comfortable taking and then determine if this risk level supports your ability to achieve your long-term goals.

Here are some of the key factors in determining your own capacity for investment risk: -

• Personality – We all have different personalities. And your individual personality can certainly affect your comfort level with risk. If you enjoy taking chances or pushing yourself outside your comfort zone in other aspects of your life, you could be more likely to accept greater investment risk, too, because you know that greater risk means greater potential reward. Conversely, higher-risk investments also carry greater potential for volatility, including steep short-term declines. - More...
Tuesday - June 21, 2022

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Political Cartoon: Soft and Furry Landing
by John Darkow©2021, Columbia Missourian
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Interest Rate Hikes
by Monte Wolverton©©2022, Battle Ground, WA
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Vacation flights canceled
by Dave Granlund©2022, PoliticalCartoons.com
D istributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com

Political Cartoon: Dogs Can Detect Covid
by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by CagleCartoons.com