Juneau News

Homer High School student John Sarmiento of Homer is the second runner-up in the Alaska State Poetry Out Loud competition.

Members of an Alaska House committee said Tuesday they would act on a federal report that singled out the state for failing to protect its rural residents against violent crime, sexual assaults and suicides, though they weren't yet sure what they could do.

Bob S. Huber, 32, already pled guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault.

City Manager Kim Kiefer and Finance Director Bob Bartholomew deliver bad revenue news to the Juneau Assembly Committee of the Whole.

The Homer City Council opted Monday night to move forward with plans to build a more substantial fire station with room for storage of several pieces of apparatus rather than original plans for a large, insulated tent-like structure on the ridge above Homer.

The Inter-Island Ferry Authority's Stikine sails through Ketchikan's Tongass Narrows.

Senate President Charlie Huggins said Monday he expects a proposed constitutional amendment that would restructure Alaska's educational system to go before the full Senate Wednesday even though opponents appear to have enough votes to kill the measure.

A troubled Parnell administration bill to overhaul land use management in Alaska made its first appearance in this year's legislative session Monday afternoon when a new version was introduced in the Senate Resources Committee.

The process is largely conducted by the Alaska Judicial Council, which consists of three non-attorney Alaskans and three Alaska attorneys.

Sold as a leap forward in 2011, the electronic system with its blue stations has faced technical problems and angered many city visitors.

State Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, returned from Juneau to answer questions at a wide-ranging town hall meeting in Soldotna Saturday afternoon.

A California man with ties to the oil industry is the newest member of the Alaska board that sets the value for oil industry property, and a spokeswoman for Gov. Sean Parnell says the appointment is legal - despite a state law that requires board members to be registered Alaska voters.

"With avalanche rescue, essentially you have 20 minutes, half an hour at the most," Mike Janes, AEL&P Avalanche Forecaster, said.

Police say a 7 mm rifle, a .338 Winchester Magnum rifle with synthetic stock, two .22-caliber rifles, and a .308 bolt action rifle were taken earlier this month from a home in the 8100 block of Threadneedle Street.

Brian Bezenek of the National Weather Service office in Juneau provides some details about their forecast of snow and the winter weather advisory that has been posted for Juneau and vicinity starting on Friday evening, while Barbara Lindh of Eaglecrest Ski Area says all that fresh snow will come in handy for a variety of events this weekend.

Julia O'Malley writes a general interest column about life and politics in Anchorage and around Alaska.

Rep. Lora Reinbold, R-Eagle River, said she had a problem with how fast amendments were being adopted.

After changes were made in January to the AlaskaCare Health Plan for retirees, the state Division of Retirement and Benefits and plan administrators received nearly 50,000 emails and phone calls.

Budget cuts in residential substance abuse treatment would cost the state more over the long term, according to mental health professionals and addicts.

A Ketchikan man who kicked a Coast Guardsman in the face has been convicted of assault on a federal officer.