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Ketchikan: Alaska & Ketchikan COVID-19 Case Count Summary By MARY KAUFFMAN - Ketchikan has had no positive cases of COVID-19 in the past eight days. The cumulative COVID-19 case count for Ketchikan, including travelers, remains at 66. The number of positive cases of individuals residing or staying in Ketchikan is 54. Of the 54 cases, 2 are still active, and 52 have recovered according to the latest information released yesterday by the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center.

The current community risk in Ketchikan is at Level 1 (Low).

Under Level 1-Low, the following health and safety precautions are recommended by the Ketchikan Emergency Operations Center:

• Public Health Social Measures:  Recommend masks in specific settings where social distancing can not be maintained; 
• Schools:  Schools open 100% with annex sites and safety measures.
• Travel: Health Mandate 10 plus recommend in-state travelers to test or quarantine.
• Businesses and Offices:  Recommend following all public health safety measures outlined in the Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan. Recommend allowance of telework for employees that are, live with, or care for high-risk population. 
• Bars, Restaurants, Personal Services, Gyms:  Follow all public health safety measures in the Reopen Alaska Responsibly Plan. 

Statewide:

As of yesterday, the total number of people identified with COVID-19 in Alaska since the beginning of the count months ago reached 6,113 cases. According to the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services, of these, 2,152 have recovered, 3,918 are active, 244 were hospitalized, and 43 people have died.

Total nonresident cases as of Saturday reached 911. Of these 704 are presumed active and 207 are recovered according to Saturday's report. There are 0 nonresident deaths reported.

The positive test rate in Alaska for the past week is 1.82 percent. Currently there are 40 people hospitalized statewide and COVID-19 positive.

There have been a total of 394,586 tests statewide. This number is not representative of the number of unique individuals tested as some individuals have been tested more than once. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Ketchikan: Ketchikan Assembly Rejects Religious Freedom Concerns, Overrides Mayor's Veto By MARY KAUFFMAN - In a regular meeting held Monday evening, following a lengthy period of citizens' comments, the Ketchikan Borough Assembly voted 5-2 to override the recent veto by Borough Mayor Rodney Dial of Resolution 2866 which would support action by the Alaska Legislature to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Following comments by citizens, the agenda item was moved to the head of the agenda with no objections. Listen to the full testimony by citizens to the Assembly on September 5th.

Following citizens' comments, the discussion of the motion on the table began with Mayor Dial commenting on why he vetoed the resolution at the Augus 17th assembly meeting.

After discussion Assembly members David Landis, Austin Otos, Sven Westergard, Amanda Pierce and Felix Wong all voting in favor of overidding the veto. Susan Pickrell and Alan Bailey opposed overriding the Mayor Dial's veto. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: New Report Highlights Drop In Alaska Crime - The Department of Public Safety has published the Crime in Alaska 2019 report, noting a decrease in Alaska’s overall crime rate by nearly 10%. The number of reported offenses is the second lowest level in five years, mirroring the national downward trend in crime rates. While Alaska’s reported violent crime rate decreased almost 2%, the reported murder rate increased significantly from 2018 to 2019. Alaska’s property crime rate decreased 11.4% in 2019 and in the last five years, only 2015 had a lower reported property crime rate. Motor Vehicle Theft offenses saw a 34.1% crime rate decrease in 2019.

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is a nationwide cooperative effort by federal, state, city, county and tribal law enforcement agencies to report data on crimes reported in their jurisdiction. The document is a major resource for measuring the trend and distribution of crime in Alaska. In 2019, 32 agencies reported crime data to DPS, and all thirty-two agencies provided twelve months of crime data to the department. These agencies represent 99.5% of the state’s population.

“While it is encouraging that crime, in general, has decreased in Alaska, public safety requires a long-term, comprehensive effort with laser focus on supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable. We know there is still much work that can be done to keep Alaskans safe,” said Commissioner Amanda Price, Department of Public Safety. “The DPS is aggressively working on its recruitment efforts to bring a larger law enforcement presence across Alaska. Additionally, we continue to partner with our federal and local law enforcement counterparts to do what we can to collectively further decrease crime across our state.” - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: Major Tariff Relief for Alaska Fishermen Welcomed - This week U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young (all R-Alaska) thanked President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for authorizing approximately $530 million for fishermen and the U.S. seafood industry impacted by retaliatory tariffs from foreign governments, including fishermen and processers in Alaska.

The Alaska Congressional Delegation has been working to address multiple sources of stress on Alaska’s fishing industry, such as urging the U.S. Trade Representative for a national trade policy that supports seafood producers and coastal communities, pushing the USDA to stabilize the seafood sector through the purchase of surplus seafood, and securing $300 million in the CARES Act to make direct assistance available to subsistence, commercial, and charter fishery participants, fishery-related businesses, and fishery-dependent communities that have been negatively affected by the market and other impacts of COVID-19.

 “Working alongside Alaska fishermen across our state, I have been relentlessly pushing the administration to ensure that our fishermen are provided relief from retaliatory tariffs imposed by foreign governments who do not play by international trade rules,” said Senator Sullivan. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: Murkowski Debunks False Claims about Rare Earths R&D Language - U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), spoke on the Senate floor this week to address inaccurate claims being made about her bipartisan American Mineral Security Act, which is included as Title X of Republicans’ targeted coronavirus relief package. 

Rather than acknowledging the importance of rebuilding U.S. supply chains, particularly in light of the vulnerabilities exposed during the coronavirus pandemic, one Democratic Senator declared that part of the minerals title could “fast-track coal mines” and is “targeted to corporate donors.” Another Democratic Senator asserted, on Twitter, that the provision amounts to “corporate welfare to the coal industry during a climate emergency.”

Both of those claims are false and misleading. The reality is that the minerals title has broad support and addresses a growing threat to our security and competitiveness. The provision in question, initially authored by ENR Ranking Member Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has been reported by ENR three separate times with bipartisan backing. It does not grant any permitting authority to the Department of Energy; it authorizes limited funding but does not actually provide it; research grants from the Department of Energy do not qualify as “corporate welfare,” particularly if they go to National Labs and universities; and the Obama administration previously supported this type of work – which has been undertaken by a number of national laboratories and universities. 

Extracting rare earth elements from old coal tailings has significant potential to lessen the United States’ near-total dependence on foreign nations, especially China, for these essential minerals. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and a first step would be for certain members to stop making false claims about it.  - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time By Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, ADN & ProPublica - As the elevator rose, Jody Potts wondered at the possibilities.

It was late on a Sunday afternoon, Oct. 14, 2018, in downtown Anchorage. Potts was in town on business and had skipped her evening run to attend this hastily arranged meeting with the governor of Alaska, Bill Walker, and Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott.

As a former village public safety officer sergeant and an outspoken voice for justice in Alaska villages, Potts said she knew they might want her help with the election, which was weeks away. She’d had a hard year, charged by troopers with damaging a vehicle in a case that was later dismissed but that had placed her law enforcement career in jeopardy. Maybe, she thought, the governor and lieutenant governor planned to offer her a job within state government.

The polished brass doors of the elevator opened and Potts, 41 at the time, stepped onto the seventh floor of the Hotel Captain Cook. She knocked on the door to Room 704.

Looking her up and down, Mallott told her about the powerful attraction he had for her and hoped she felt the same. When she rose to leave, he reminded her of the effort he’d put into advocating for her over the years. Potts rejected the advances and left.

The story of what happened in the hotel room has never been publicly told. But within 48 hours, Mallott had resigned as lieutenant governor, and within a week, Walker dropped his campaign for reelection.

Mallott died of a heart attack this May, but variations of the misconduct that ended his career continue to plague state government. Since 2017, five Alaska officials have resigned or abandoned their reelection campaigns following harassment or sexual misconduct allegations.

It was the Clarkson resignation that indirectly led Potts and her family to come forward publicly. Potts said that when she reported Mallott’s misconduct to Alaska Native leaders within minutes of it happening, she sought to remain anonymous. She nearly went public when blog posts stated, incorrectly she said, that Mallott’s victim was not Potts but her then-16-year-old daughter.

“I asked to remain anonymous to protect my family, and it ended up that my family got attacked,” Potts said.

She later signed a nondisclosure agreement, as part of a 2019 civil settlement, at the request of Mallott. (Mallott’s family says he respected Potts and voluntarily resigned but disputes that he lured her to the meeting under a false pretense.)

Potts said she is coming forward today anyway out of concern for her daughter, who she says has been harassed by people who mistakenly think the daughter was propositioned by Mallott. Potts is sharing her first-hand account in an episode that underscores the intense pressure on victims of sexual harassment to stay silent and the high price of reporting the bad behavior of a powerful man.

Walker and other former officials agreed to be interviewed for this story, describing what they knew and when, and why the public has known so little until now. All expressed sympathy for Mallott’s family, given his recent death, and acknowledged that he can no longer tell his side of the story.

Here is what happened according to Potts, as well as interviews with her daughter and father, Walker, chiefs of staff for both Walker and Mallott, Mallott’s son Anthony and others who watched the resignation unfold. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Southeast Alaska: SEITC Responds to UN Special Rapporteur’s Report - The United Nations Secretariat has released the report of the Special Rapporteur Baskut Tuncak on “the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes (toxics)”. In the report, submitted pursuant to the Human Rights Council resolution 36/15, Mr. Tuncak, a chemist and lawyer, shares his findings and recommendations from his official country visit to Canada from May 24 th​ to June 6 t​h​, 2019.

The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission (SEITC) praised Mr. Tuncak for his visit to Canada and his report. “We wrote a letter in January of 2019 asking that a Special Rapporteur make an onsite visit to investigate and confirm threats to us in Alaska,” said Rob Sanderson, Jr., SEITC Chair and Vice President of Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. “Though we don’t learn a lot of new information in this report, it’s always good to know that non-biased observers see what we see.”

Special Rapporteur Baskut Tuncak hailed the November 2019 legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples passed by British Columbia as “a tremendous achievement” to be “emulated in other provinces and federally”. “The Special Rapporteur mentions how BC’s “landmark” legislation was developed with Indigenous peoples’ participation,” said SEITC Vice Chair Jennifer Hanlon from Yakutat Tlingit Tribe. Noting how indigenous peoples in Alaska have not yet been involved in BC’s implementation process, Vice Chair Hanlon said “Gunalchéesh, Thank You, Mr Tuncak for acknowledging the “jurisdictional quagmire” faced by us across the border, a “toxic divide”, as he put it.”

In his report, Mr. Tuncak mentioned the 2014 Mount Polley tailing dam disaster. He pointed out that Canada has the second highest number of tailing dams in the world and has the 5t​ h highest number of upstream dams categorizes as high-risk. “We have great concern here in Wrangell for our Stikine River,” said Lovey Brock, SEITC Treasurer and Tribal Council member of Wrangell Cooperative Association. “The Red Chris mine currently operating upstream is many times bigger than Mount Polley with a much larger Lake of Poison (tailings storage facility).” Mr. Tuncak said Canada recently has had a significant increase in accidents, in fact “the second highest number of known mining accidents from 2007-2017." - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

UAF-led study will examine long-term mercury levels in Bering Sea
By JEFF RICHARDSON
An archaeological screen sifts out the soil but captures bones and artifacts from an excavation. This screen contains bones from multiple species of fish from an archaeological dig on the Bering Sea coast in 2014.
Photo by Nicole Misarti

Alaska: UAF-led study will examine long-term mercury levels in Bering Sea By JEFF RICHARDSON - The National Science Foundation has awarded a University of Alaska Fairbanks-led research team a five-year, $2.6 million grant to better understand changing mercury levels in the Aleutian ecosystem during the past 3,000 years.

The project will look at modern, historic and ancient bones from Steller sea lions, northern fur seals and cod — species that gradually accumulate mercury in their bodies throughout their lifetimes. Because those species are top predators, they are considered “ecosystem sentinels.” The mercury levels in their bones should reflect amounts of the contaminant found in the Aleutian region when they were alive.

Julie Avery, Nicole Misarti and Lorrie Rea, research faculty at UAF’s Water and Environmental Research Center, will lead the project with Caroline Funk, an archaeologist from the University at Buffalo. Avery, the principal investigator, said the grant will also fund the work of two UAF graduate students.

The bone specimens they study will mostly be from Indigenous archaeological sites in the eastern and central Aleutians, including collections housed at the Smithsonian, the University of Alaska Museum of the North, and the Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska. The research team will also excavate in the western Aleutians, a region that is underrepresented in museum collections. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: Experts tell lawmakers public health measures are essential to Alaska’s economic recovery - Economists at a joint hearing of the Health and Social Services and House State Affairs committees urged the state to implement public health measures that will contain the COVID-19 virus and enable economic recovery. 

“By successfully fighting the virus, we’re more likely for people to return to normal economic activity,” said Professor Kevin Berry, PhD, of the Institute of Social and Economic Research. “You can't have economic recovery until the virus is contained.”

“As long as people are afraid of getting infected, you won't have recovery,” added Center for Economic Development Executive Director Nolan Klouda.

Alaska currently has higher infection rates than many other urban and rural states, including Washington, Oregon, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and others. Anchorage's infection rate has been cut in half since Mayor Ethan Berkowitz issued public health mandates. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Alaska: Regents approve discontinuation of four UAA athletics teams, address budget challenges - During its full board meeting Sept. 10, the University of Alaska Board of Regents agreed to maintain men’s and women’s nordic (cross-country skiing) programs based on a revised recommendation from UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen. The regents approved the elimination of men’s hockey, women’s gymnastics, and men’s and women’s downhill (Alpine) skiing at UAA with the caveat that the board will consider reestablishing the teams if supporters raise enough private money by February 2021. This decision reduces UAA athletics to 11 sports teams. The recommendation is expected to save UAA approximately $2.2 million in FY22.

"These decisions aren't taken lightly, but dealing with $120 million reduction in base funding and the costs and revenues associated with each program, they are a necessary consideration as we go forward," said UA Interim President Pat Pitney.

“If you look at how much has come out of academics and administration proportionally to support our academic and research mission, and how little has come out of athletics, it's hard for me as the chancellor responsible for the entire UAA university, to justify protecting one aspect to that level,” UAA Chancellor Cathy Sandeen told the regents.

The athletics decision was a component of the discussion on the university’s budget challenges. - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

DAVE KIFFER: The Rise and Fall of Homo Ad Hominum - I spend some time on Social Media.

Okay, okay, I spend the vast sum of my time on Social Media.

No, not Tweeter or Bumblr or Crapchat, mostly the Book of Face. First thing each morning (well second, after the "constitutional") I log on.  Last thing at night (after the constitutional, my day has multiple constitutionals, I am old) I log off.

Well, technically, I fall asleep with my IPad on my chest. And the device logs off on its own. Sort of. Actually, I checked its browsing history one day and noted that my IPad usually logs on to a site called "Sexy CPU's of China" for a couple of hours after I doze off, but I don't mean to pry).

Anyway, I "spend" most of my time (which explains why I am broke) on Social Media.

This is despite the fact that the average person on the Book of Face seems to be 150 years old and really angry (you'd be angry too if you just dropped your "large print" Go Phone into your Depends).

So much anger out there. Anger about politics, anger about religion. Anger about the weather, anger about the use of Nutella and Miracle Whip.
It just goes on and on and on.

People even get angry about the number of cute kitten and puppy memes.

No, I just made that up.

No one gets angry about the number of puppy and kitten memes, Post more. Please!!!! Really. 

Next time you think a good thought or a bad thought about the President, just post a cute puppy or kitty meme. Otherwise, I swear, I will finally unfriend you. And I mean it this time!!! - More...
Saturday AM - September 12, 2020

Political Cartoon: Facebook Arguing
By Rick McKee ©2020, CagleCartoons.com
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.