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Ketchikan: A Halloween Journey through Many Lands By SANDRA KINZER - "Chocolate for you, chocolate for you," says Willy Wonka as the judges pass through colorful streamers and enter a hallway filled with huge paper candies and flowers. "Welcome to the Chocolate Factory, where the strawberries taste like strawberries, and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries.

The judges, Bett Union-Jakubek, Rita Menzies, and Roxanne Abajian are board members of the local nonprofit Community Connections, an organization that provides services to individuals who need support to live independently within their community. Staff members divided into teams this Halloween for a competition - the challenge, who could create the best theme, including costumes, decorations, treats, and entertainment for the judges.

"I got a golden ticket!", exclaims one of the judges.

They arrived Halloween morning for their journey into several fantasy lands, starting with the Land of the Golden Ticket, created by the Senior and Disability Services team. Team members were dressed as Willy Wonka, Charlie Bucket, and other characters from the iconic movie. The program director even had an oompa loompa costume.

"Come visit our Fizzy Room!". Lela, as Violet, ushered the judges into a blue-lighted room filled with bubbles, soon to be the organization's sensory room.

Downstairs in the Children's Mental Health department, the judges waded through yellow and red balloons, exclaiming at the emojis pinned up on walls and dangling from the ceiling.

Children's Mental Health Program Director Bill Swift narrowed his eyes as they approached - he was an angry emoji, dressed as a pirate.

After making a few notes on their clipboards, the team of judges visited the Early Learning Program, with staff members dress in track suits and black paper taped on the walls to simulate a running track. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

Ketchikan: Injured Hunter Rescued - The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad was contacted by the Alaska State Troopers Monday at 6:45 PM after a SPOT Beacon activation in the Dude Mountain area was reported. A check of the KVRS SPOT tracking system found the beacon was not registered to KVRS; however, investigation led to speaking with a family member who reported two goat hunters had the beacon and confirmed they had planned a day hunt in the Brown Mountain and Dude Mountain areas and had not returned home.

According to a news release issued by the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, at 7:41 PM, a cell phone contact was established with the missing hunters who advised that one in the party had fallen in steep terrain near Dude Mountain and had injured his ankle. The injured hunter was identified by the Alaska State Troopers as Harold Zurlo, age 36 of Ketchikan.

The steep terrain prevented Zurlo from getting down to his partner but Zurlo was in voice contact with his partner. Zurlo advised the injury to his ankle prevented him from standing and he was at the top of a cliff and unable to move back up the mountain. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

Southeast Alaska: Missing 2008 Plane Found, Remains Recovered - Alaska State Troopers in Juneau received a report from a local hunter last Wednesday that he had located the wreckage of a missing 2008 airplane on Admiralty Island approximately 1.5 mile from Young Lake.

On August 09, 2008, the United States Coast Guard had reported an overdue Cessna 182E, tail #N935OX, in the area of Young Lake on Admiralty Island.  A 10 day search of the area was conducted by Juneau Mountain Rescue, Civil Air Patrol, the Army National Guard, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, and USCG before search efforts were suspended.  - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

Ketchikan: Body recently discovered in Carlanna Lake area - After receiving information on October 24, 2017 that a missing person was last seen in the Carlanna Lake Dam area, the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad and Alaska State Troopers and the Ketchikan Police conducted a search of the area on October 25, 2017.

The Ketchikan Police Department Dive, the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad and the AST had no success on the 25th. Another search of the area was conducted on October 26th by the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad and their K-9 team resulting in the discovery of a female body located about a quarter mile downstream from the Carlanna Lake Dam at approximately 11:55 last Thursday morning.

According to a press release issued by Chief Joseph White, the Ketchikan Police Department was notified to conduct the extrication of the body. Due to the difficult location of the body, a helicopter was utilized to remove the deceased. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31,2017

Southeast Alaska: Alaska Boater Beware: Vessel documentation fraud lurks online By Petty Officer 1st Class BILL COLCLOUGH - Websites offering documentation renewal services for a fee is a new scam that is targeting boat owners looking to save a little time online, but it's costing them hundreds of dollars.

These websites lure boaters with the appearance and convenience of an official government website, but, just because a site looks like the Coast Guard and works like the Coast Guard, that does not mean it’s the Coast Guard. Boaters using these websites can end up spending three times the standard fee, and Coast Guard boarding officers will not accept their vessel’s documentation as valid.       

Why? The U.S. Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center, located in Falling Waters, West Virginia, is the only authorized entity to issue Certificates of Documentation required for vessels engaged in commercial trade and optional for vessels weighing five or more net tons engaged in recreational use and activities.

The NVDC is aware there are commercial entities that offer to manage the certification and renewal process on behalf of vessel owners for a fee. The Coast Guard does not endorse any of these companies, and the companies do not operate on behalf of the Coast Guard in any way. The services they provide are legal, but the certificates issued are not deemed in compliance.

Any fees charged beyond the $26 renewal fee or other agreements offered by such companies are in no way associated with the NVDC certification process. In addition, these companies are not authorized to issue any form of documentation, including travel letters and/or permits that authorize operation of any vessel.

“These are legitimate companies similar to the DMV [Department of Motor Vehicles] that have satellite offices open on the weekends and after hours. They’ll give you your tags, but it’s going to cost you twice as much because you’re paying for their service,” said Russell Hazlett, commercial fishing vessel examiner for Coast Guard Sector Anchorage. “These companies are not issuing the certificate, but rather, they are the middleman who charges a fee for processing the paperwork on your behalf.”

According to Hazlett, many fishermen in Alaska sign up with a company to handle their annual documentation and end up paying hundreds of dollars. They often realize too late they are not dealing directly with the Coast Guard. 

During dockside safety examinations, Hazlett provides operators with a copy of the marine safety advisory bulletin sent by the NVDC May 16, 2017, which advises vessel operators to be aware of third party service providers.

”Just this year alone I have come across probably eight people who have fallen victim to it,” said Hazlett. “I have warned them: When you go to renew your documentation, just be aware there is another company that provides that service.” - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

Southeast Alaska - Canada: U.S. and Canadian Scientists Explore Major Undersea Earthquake Fault - An international team of scientists just finished probing the depths of the Pacific Ocean offshore of Alaska and British Columbia, to better understand the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault. During the past century, the 700-mile-long fault has generated at least half a dozen major earthquakes, and future shocks threaten coastal communities in both the United States and Canada.

Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, joined by colleagues from Natural Resources Canada, the University of Calgary, and the Sitka Sound Science Center in Alaska, spent 20 days at sea aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship, “John P. Tully.” The expedition covered more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the southern Haida Gwaii islands in British Columbia to Cross Sound near Juneau, Alaska. They were looking for clues to the future of a fault often compared to a more famous one in California.

“We can think of this fault system as the San Andreas of the north,” said Danny Brothers, a USGS research geophysicist. “It appears to be the fastest moving continent-ocean strike-slip fault in the world.” Speedy faults like the Queen Charlotte can trigger earthquakes and tsunamis more frequently than slower faults.

The scientists worked remotely through thousands of feet of water. Their tools included seismic-reflection surveys that use sound to reveal rock layers beneath the seafloor, piston cores that bring up the top several meters of ocean sediment for further scrutiny, and cameras with powerful lights dragged just above the seabed. The researchers plan to spend years analyzing their newly collected data to help regional residents, businesses, and governments prepare for the future.

“Development of large-scale infrastructure, such as ports and [liquefied natural gas] plants in British Columbia and Alaska, need the best possible information on earthquake and tsunami risk,” said Vaughn Barrie, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, “and this collaborative project provides answers to many of these questions.”

As with many scientific expeditions, the researchers uncovered more than they planned. “We’ve discovered some incredible features,” said Jamie Conrad, a USGS geologist, “such as methane seeps and chemosynthetic communities, large submarine landslides, offset seabed morphology from fault motion, and volcanic edifices.” - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

DAVE KIFFER: Boo Who? Boo You! - It's that scary time of the year!

No, it's not tax time.

Although the scariest Halloween costume I ever wore was as "Someone Who Could Raise Your Taxes (elected official)!"

No, it's that "wonderful" time of the year when - because life in general isn't scary enough - we make of up things to be worried about.  And no, I am not talking about private email servers or Russian election interference. I am talking about Halloween.

Seems logical enough. Let's all dress up in creepy costumes and run around seeing who can collect the most atomic sugar bombs!

Speaking of which, when did wearing costumes become such an "adult" thing to do?

I sure don't remember my parents getting all decked out. 

Oh yeah, there was always one family on every block that went a little overboard with the decorations and maybe the Dad put on a Frankenstein (more likely Herman Munster) mask to scare the kiddies at the door.

So far this year, I have turned down about half a dozen invites to "grownup" costume parties. Fine, I get the idea that grownups should have some fun too.- More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017

GLENN MOLLETTE: How to Know If You Are Alive -  We applaud people who feel like doing something.   

In an age where so many people spend so much time sitting or who are doing nothing let's celebrate the people who are doing something. Celebrate their living.

I've always been blessed with energy. Energy is a good asset. As a young adult growing up I wanted to be in the middle of whatever was going on.  I always enjoyed playing sports, swimming in the lake or creek, riding a bicycle for miles or being in the middle of the dance floor. I've always enjoyed movement. Trust me, I can sit for three hours and read, meditate and write and actually tremendously enjoy it. There is something beautiful about life between two and five 0'clock in the morning when you can be more creative than you've ever imagined. Try it sometime. It's quiet and you can hear God a little better.

 For years I would occasionally go to the local Shake N' Steak restaurant at about two and write until five in the morning. I was only one of two or three people in that place at that hour. They would pour coffee and pour coffee for me while I wrote myself into almost oblivion some nights. I wrote a lot of stuff that didn't amount to a hill of beans as some of us country folks might say. However, I enjoyed it at the moment and a lot of books came out of those early morning sessions of writing. I've heard from people around the world that have read some of my books and they've told me about how much they enjoyed them. Thus, such compliments are my reward. - More...
Tuesday PM - October 31, 2017