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Ketchikan - Statewide: Governor Murkowski Outlines FY07 Budget Proposal; Education, Gas Pipeline and Bridge Projects in Budget - Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski Thursday proposed a Fiscal Year 2007 budget that increases K-12 education funding and preserves most of the nearly $1.2 billion FY 06 windfall for education and gas pipeline activities.

Delivering his fourth budget address, Murkowski said the state's fiscal picture has changed dramatically from 2002 when he entered office. In a speech to the Commonwealth North Forum at the Anchorage Marriott, Murkowski said this year's budget continues building the state's infrastructure while making good investments in quality education and resource development opportunities.

"We want to help Alaskans build a better future. I am confident that our continued investments in quality education and in resource development that creates job opportunities and a stable economy are key to reaching that goal," Murkowski said. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Alaska: Stevens seeks to tie ANWR drilling to Katrina relief bill By LIZ RUSKIN - Sen. Ted Stevens says he hopes to win votes for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by putting it in the same bill as Hurricane Katrina relief money.

"It's going to be awfully hard to vote against Katrina," the Alaska Republican said.

ANWR oil leasing would raise federal revenue, and Stevens said he wants the House to agree to spend some on the hurricane-damaged states.

"And if it's in there, maybe disaster-area people will vote with me on ANWR," he said. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Alaska: State senator wants to give each Alaskan $250 By SEAN COCKERHAM - State politicians might send every Alaskan a $250 check this winter.

That's right. Free money.

North Pole Republican Sen. Gene Therriault plans to introduce a bill that would give $250 to every person who qualified for an Alaska Permanent Fund dividend last year. He said the idea is to use a chunk of the state's projected jumbo budget surplus to help Alaskans cope with higher energy costs.

"Whether they are commuting or heating with oil, everybody from month to month has fairly high energy needs," Therriault said. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Alaska: Coast Guard aids to navigation vandalized - A crew from Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) Sitka discovered nine vandalized aids between Olga Strait and Whitestone Narrows Monday.

The crew received a report from a boater who stated he almost hit one of the navigational aids due its extinguished light.  The ANT crew located the buoy, damaged with bullet holes. After surveying the surrounding area, the crew found two additional buoys and six shore aids with bullet holes. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

National: U.S. Commerce Committee Approves the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2005 - The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today approved the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2005 by voice vote.
 
The Magnuson ­Stevens Act (MSA), originally enacted in 1976, was most recently amended through the Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) in 1996, and establishes a national framework for conserving and managing marine fisheries within a 200-mile wide zone contiguous to the United States through eight Regional Fishery Management Councils. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Singing Christmas Tree 2005 Front Page Photo By Carl Thompson Ketchikan: Singing Christmas Tree 2005 - The annual performance of the Singing Christmas Tree which has over the decades reached the level of a holiday tradition for families was presented last weekend at the Clover Pass Community Church. - More... Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Alaska: Stevens and Inouye Receive 2005 American Patriot Award - Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) received the 2005 American Patriot Award from the National Defense University Foundation.  The Senators were honored jointly on December 1st for their bi-partisan cooperation and dedication to our nation's security.
 
Described as a "celebration of the unique American spirit of patriotism" by the National Defense University Foundation, the American Patriot Award is the highest honor awarded by the Foundation.

"'Respond, serve, and sacrifice.' For over 200 years, these principals have guided the most committed and faithful of American citizens - citizens who possess a dedication to preserving the American way of life, regardless of the cost to themselves and with no expectation of reward," stated master of ceremonies, Paula Zahn, host of CNN's Paula Zahn Now.  "These are the principles that the National Defense University Foundation recognizes tonight with the presentation of the American Patriot Award." - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

Viewpoints Opinions/Letters Times a changing! By A.M. Johnson - Friday Christmas Toy Drive By Tyla Williams - Friday Bridge By Virginia E. Atkinson - Friday Hope for Ketchikan's Bridge By Rick Grams - Friday Retort: Bridges? By Don Hoff Jr. - Friday AM Bending Towards the Light By Peg Travis - Friday AM A Bigger Picture By Scott Heyworth - Wednesday PM ANB-ANS Christmas Party By Cecelia Johnson - Wednesday PM Mr. Ahmadinejad, Iran's dictator and his threats By Mark Neckameyer - Wednesday PM Bush has a plan By Mark Neckameyer - Wednesday PM A Dark and Stormy Night By Jerry Cegelske - Tuesday PM Alaska has to Define Eminent Domain by Rep. Lesil McGuire - Tuesday PM Bridges? By Kevin Mackey - Tuesday PM All or nothing? By Jos "GUS" Govaars VI - Monday PM "Bridge or nothing!" attitude ludicrous By Don Hoff, Jr. - Monday PM Winter Concert By Tom LeCompte - Monday PM Budget hypocrisy By Nancy Duff Campbell - Monday PM How about a vote? By Virginia Atkinson - Monday PM More Viewpoints/ Letters Publish A Letter Political Cartoonists Political Cartoons Ketchikan Monday, December 19, 2005 5:30 pm - The Ketchikan Borough Assemby will hold a regular meeting in the City Council Chambers. Agenda & Information Packets Thursday, December 22, 2005 Noon: The Assembly/School Board Liaison Committee scheduled to meet on Thursday, December 15, 2005, has been changed to Thursday, December 22, 2005 at noon in the City Council Chambers. December Calendar Ketchikan Arts This Week Today's Forecast Current AK Weather Map City Police Report 12/12/05 AK Troopers Daily Dispatch Classifieds & Announcements December 2005 Click on the date for stories and photos published on that day... S M T W T F S   28 29 30 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Front Page Archives

Alaska: Three hunters rescued from the water near Juneau - Coast Guard Station Juneau personnel responded to an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) at about 9 a.m. Thursday and rescued three hunters from the water.

Three 19-year old men were duck hunting at Fish Creek on North Douglas Island near Juneau when their 14-foot john boat capsized.

Using a cellular telephone they contacted the Coast Guard Command Center in Juneau. The command center crew issued a UMIB. Coast Guard Station Juneau personnel were underway in Auke Bay on their 25-foot response boat. They heard and responded to the UMIB pulling the wet, cold men from the water minutes later. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

National: Iraqis excited about future, Cantwell says By LES BLUMENTHAL - To the sound of a large explosion near the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad where she was staying, Sen. Maria Cantwell headed out Thursday to visit polling sites as millions of Iraqis cast votes amid tight security.

Along with all women entering the polls, Cantwell, D-Wash., said she was searched by Iraqi forces looking for weapons and bombs. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

National: Immigration bill is costly By JAMES W. BROSNAN - Taxpayers and businesses would pay a lot more to stem the tide of illegal migrants coming across U.S. borders under the border-security bill before the House.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would cost the government nearly $2 billion over the next five years.

The agency also estimates that costs to business will exceed $123 million in one of the next five years. That meets the legal definition of an unfunded mandate, which could lead to procedural problems for the bill in the Senate.

Much of the cost comes from the bill's controversial provision to force employers to use a government hotline to verify the Social Security numbers and identities of all new employees, starting in 2008, and verify all their employees, old and new, by 2012..- More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

National: Financial concerns about planned spaceport By KATE NASH - State lawmakers who support the planned spaceport in southern New Mexico say they want more information about the cost and who will pay it.

The $225 million project in Sierra County could be among the larger undertakings before the Legislature in January during the 30-day session to craft a budget.

"I haven't seen any kind of a financial presentation," said House GOP leader Ted Hobbs. The Albuquerque lawmaker says he supports the spaceport anyway.

"All I know is what I read from you all," he said, referring to the media.

On Wednesday, Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, and British billionaire Richard Branson announced a deal to locate the headquarters of Branson's Virgin Galactic at the spaceport. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005

International: Chinese stonewall on baby smuggling By GEOFFREY YORK - Chinese officials have imposed a wall of silence on a baby-trafficking scandal in which orphanages and child-welfare agencies were implicated in a scheme to buy and sell at least 100 children.

The case, in which some of the smuggled babies were reportedly adopted by foreign families, raises new questions about corruption in China's adoption system.

Many of the suspects arrested were child-welfare officials and employees of an orphanage in Hengyang county in Hunan province in southern China. For years, the orphanage has been selling children to other orphanages in Hunan and other Chinese provinces, such as Guangdong and Guangxi, according to a Chinese newspaper report. - More...
Friday AM - December 16, 2005