Unalaska, AK – After 26 years, state writer laureate and Unalaska resident Jerah Chadwick is leaving the state. Anne Hillman spoke to him about his time in Unalaska and how it affected his writing.

Unalaska, AK – Unalaskans raced in the town's ninth annual Soap Box Derby Saturday. Sixteen kids competed for spots to go to the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio to challenge winners from around the country.

In the stock car division, Ethan Mahoney walked away with first place, followed by Caleb Shaishnikoff in second and Jaime Ammons in third. Emerson Winters took first in the super stock division, with Rachel Stahl in second and Harley Ruckman in third.

Unalaska, AK – Unalaska's Parks Culture & Recreation Department is short-staffed this summer, and making some changes to its schedule as a result.

The Summer Solstice Run, which is usually held this week, won't happen this year. But events coordinator Terry Quirk said that most other events will go ahead as planned.

"The [PCR] is open, and we're trying to run all our programs--it's just a little slim with staff," she said. "But we're doing our best, and working really well."

Unalaska, AK – Unalaska Mayor Shirley Marquardt said she's considering the possibility of appealing a ruling against her by the Alaska Public Offices Commission last week.

"I'm giving it serious thought," Marquardt said by phone from Seattle on Friday.

At a hearing Thursday, the commission found that Marquardt violated two state public office laws during last year's election. One of them was a law banning the use of public money to fund partisan campaigns, which is what the commission ruled Marquardt did when she sent an election-related e-mail from her city e-mail address and city-owned computer.

Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Public Offices Commission ruled today that Unalaska Mayor Shirley Marquardt broke the law when she sent an e-mail about local union organizing activities in August.

"I think this [e-mail] definitely was sent to influence the election," said Commissioner Elizabeth Hickerson.

The commissioners also ruled that Marquardt was in violation of state public office statutes when she conducted campaign activities from her office at Samson Tug & Barge Co. But they found that another e-mail Marquardt sent that month about a former City Council colleague was legal, though perhaps unwise.

Unalaska, AK – The PCR's Tide Pool Posse camp visited the small boat harbor and, with the help of local divers, examined the animals that live underneath. Anne Hillman saw some of what they found.

Unalaska, AK – A 10-meter long Australian sailboat and her crew are passing through Unalaska this week on their journey through the Northwest Passage and on to Mars--sort of. Anne Hillman has more.

Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Public Offices Commission will meet in Anchorage tomorrow to decide whether Unalaska Mayor Shirley Marquardt broke the law when she sent two controversial e-mails during her reelection campaign last fall.

An initial report issued by APOC investigator Jeff Berliner in January charged Marquardt with violating half a dozen state public office statutes during the campaign. Following a series of counter-arguments from Marquardt and her attorney, however, Berliner is now recommending the commission penalize her for just two alleged violations:

Unalaska, AK – The City Council and the Department of Public Utilities are discussing increasing rates for landfill use. Director of Public Utilities Dan Winters says the landfill requires about $1 million dollars in subsidies per year from the general fund to operate. "So what we're looking at is options for the user of the landfill, or the cause of the refuse, people to pay for the landfill costs," he said.