Gov. Sean Parnell announced his state board appointments today, and his list includes one Unalaska resident. Public Safety Director Jamie Sunderland has been selected to serve on the Alaska Police Standards Council.
That council sets the regulations governing conduct in the field of law enforcement. They also handle cases where police and corrections officers are accused of living up to those standards.
About a dozen people are responsible for making sure that Unalaska’s roads are passable every morning, a task that isn’t easy given the amount of snowfall this year.
KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez went out with the roads crew one frosty morning to find out what exactly goes into that process.
A faulty sensor was likely to blame for the hour-long power outage on Friday morning, according to Public Utilities Director Dan Winters.
The recently installed CAT C280 engine had a ‘high crank case pressure’ alarm that tripped the system, shutting down the engine. The total grid load at that point exceeded the generating capacity of the two smaller CAT engines, causing them to shut down as well.
The City of Unalaska is advertising for a new ports director.
Alvin Osterback held the position for five years, through several major projects, including construction of the Carl E. Moses Small Boat Harbor. His departure comes at a moment when more big projects are being considered.
In a memo to Council earlier this month City Manager Chris Hladick outlined six major ports goals for the next year. Those included securing $1.75 million in funding for renovation of the Bobby Storrs harbor, seeking $40 million in funding for replacing Position 3 at City Dock and getting the legislative go-ahead for a study examining the feasibility of dredging the entrance bar to Dutch Harbor. Hladick also pointed out that Shell could bring up 80 vessels to Unalaska if they drill in the Arctic this summer.
The Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on the proposed landfill expansion project. The project would move Summer Bay road to the coast and add two additional waste cells next to the baler facility.
The expansion was permitted back in the late 90s, but Corps Project Manager Jack Hewitt says the original construction date has passed and since it’s been a while since the permit was issued, they wanted to give the public an opportunity to comment again.
Public Safety has concluded there was no foul play involved in the death of Alaska Warrior crewmember Sui Filisi.
The 36 year old was found dead by crewmates aboard the vessel in early November.
Public Safety Director Jamie Sunderland says the autopsy results indicate his death was due to heart problems,with potential complications from drug and alcohol use. Public Safety has closed the investigation.
The 32-foot fishing vessel Rocky Point sank at the Spit Dock on Christmas Eve.
Coast Guard pollution investigator David Doyle says it’s unclear why the boat went under, although heavy snowfall over the holiday may have been a contributing factor.
Doyle says the vessel’s fuel tanks were empty, so there was minimal pollution from the sinking. The Coast Guard put sausage boom around the boat and collected a few gallons of residue.
Retailers in town are doing well this holiday season. Many of them have seen increases in sales over the last couple of weeks, especially with Christmas drawing nearer.
Safeway Assistant Manager Abe Palmer says they’re selling more this year, even though they haven’t brought in any new products.
“Sales this year have been substantially better than what they have been in past years. We have noticed that there is more fishing vessel business. This year, this early, before the season starts, then what there has been in past years.”
Most of us take it for granted that if we have a heart attack on a Sunday or lop off a finger while making grilled cheese in the middle of the night, there will be nurses and doctors available to take care of us at the Iliuliuk Clinic.
That’s actually a fairly unusual expectation. In other parts of the country, clinics are responsible for short-term, non-life threatening care, usually only during business hours. It's hospitals that operate around the clock and take care of more urgent medical needs. Of course, the nearest hospital to Unalaska is in Anchorage, so the Clinic fills that role after dark or in bad weather, when medevac planes can’t fly.
