Unalaska, AK – A Pen Air flight headed from Anchorage to Unalaska made an emergency landing in Kenai yesterday afternoon after a smoke indicator light went on for unknown reasons.
Pen Air Vice President Richard Harding says that the company doesn't know what set off the alarm on the Saab 340, which had 16 passengers on board at the time. He says no problems were found upon inspection of the aircraft, and no smoke was detected, but pilots are required to land at the nearest airport anyway under those circumstances.
Unalaska, AK – Representative Carl Moses of Unalaska has officially won the House District 37 Democratic Primary, beating challenger Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham by a single vote following the second of two recounts Saturday. Those results were certified by the Division of Elections Monday, but the race isn't over yet - Edgmon plans to file suit with the state Supreme Court challenging the recount.
Unalaska, AK – A California man has been charged with murder following a Friday night van accident that left one passenger dead and another injured.
Victorio Cabrera, 47, is being held in the Unalaska jail on charges of second-degree murder, first- and third-degree assault, and driving under the influence, according to criminal complaints filed with the Third District Court in Unalaska on Saturday.
Unalaska, AK – School districts and local governments across Alaska are being asked to shoulder much more of the burden for public employee retirement funds in 2008 than they have in the past, following a decision this week by the Alaska Retirement Management Board.
The board approved an increase in the employer contribution rate for its retirement systems for public employees and teachers, in order to pay down the systems' $6.9-billion deficit. School districts and local governments were notified of the decision today.
Unalaska, AK – Two rehabilitated seals will be released back into the wild in Dutch Harbor today after a long journey from the Bering Sea to Seward and back again. Elizabeth Moundalexis, a mammalogist with the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward, was in Unalaska today showing the young seals - a spotted seal named Dill and a harbor seal named Poppy - to students from Unalaska's schools.
Dill and Poppy were found stranded this spring in Dutch Harbor and Egegik, respectively, and taken to the Sea Life Center, which specializes in rehabilitating animals. The center has released ten stranded sea mammals back into the wild this year. Moundalexis and the other mammalogists outfit each animal with a satellite tag, which allows the center to track its activities for about a year, or until the animal molts and the fur to which the tag is glued falls out.
Unalaska, AK – City of Unalaska officials are headed to Washington tomorrow to lobby the federal government for a number of capital projects the city wants to see happen. The group, which includes Mayor Shirley Marquardt and City Manager Chris Hladick, plans to meet with aides to Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young early next week.
At the top of their list of priorities is funding for breakwaters for the city's planned small boat harbor at Little South America on Amaknak Island, without which, Hladick says, the project can't go forward.
Unalaska, AK – Rep. Carl Moses's opponents in this year's House race are calling on the Unalaska Democrat to give back the campaign contributions he received from Veco Corporation executives last month.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that Moses received campaign contributions totaling $3,000 from Veco executives, four of whom have ties to an FBI investigation of six state legislators. The contributions to Moses's campaign came shortly before the representative voted on an oil and gas tax bill in which Veco had an interest.
Unalaska, AK – The Cougar Ace car carrier arrived in Portland, Oregon at about 2 a.m. this morning with most of the nearly 5,000 Mazda vehicles onboard believed to be intact. But those cars won't be sold as new vehicles, the company said in a press release yesterday.
Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes said the decision was made before the ship arrived in Portland, where the company plans to inspect the vehicles sometime in the next two weeks.
Unalaska, AK – This Saturday in Unalaska, kids from remote communities in southwest Alaska ran in a unique annual cross-country meet held during the Tustumena ferry's bi-weekly stopover in Dutch Harbor. But rough seas left the visiting teams looking a little green, and gave the hometown runners a distinct advantage. KIAL's Charles Homans has the story in Unalaska.
RESULTS:
Varsity girls: Disney Williams (Unalaska) -- 20.03 Ariel Gunderseon (Sand Point) -- 20:15 Haleigh Zueger? (King Cove) -- 20:17
