Unalaska, AK – Tonight, city council will review the city's finances.

The work session will begin with a presentation of the city of Unalaska's audited financial report for Fiscal Year 2010 by Dan Rozema of KPMG. Next, council will discuss the suspension of the sales tax penalty for APL.

There are two items on the consent agenda. One resolution would approve the audited financial statements for fiscal year 2010, and the other would adopt what is called the "alternate allocation method" for the shared fisheries business tax program for fiscal year 2011, which has been traditional adopted by communities that are economically impacted by fishing activity outside of their municipal boundaries. This method has been used in Unalaska for the past 18 years. If it is used, the city is expected to collect $435,000 in tax revenue. There are no estimates for how much the standard method - which wouldn't count areas like Beaver Inlet as part of Unalaska - would bring in.

Unalaska, AK – This weekend, the Unalaska City School wrestling team traveled to Nikiski for the State wrestling tournament. The Raiders came in 22nd out of 42 teams, earning 17 points total.

Eight members of the team qualified for state, and co-captain Zac Call placed highest among them. He won four out of six matches in the 145-pound weight class.

Coach Steve Gregory says that in all, it was a good showing from the Raiders.

Unalaska, AK – The cargo vessel Golden Seas left Unalaska today after a week of inspections and repairs. The vessel will continue to its original destination of the United Arab Emirates to deliver a shipment of rapeseed, which is used to make Canola oil.

The Golden Seas arrived in Unalaska on Tuesday, after experiencing a turbocharger failure on December 3 that initially left it without power and without the ability to steer. The vessel later regained partial power and was brought part of the way to Unalaska by the Shell-operated icebreaker Tor Viking II. Last Wednesday, the Coast Guard filed a deficiency report on the vessel, which meant that it also needed to undergo third party inspections. Repairs were completed Sunday, and an at-sea test was conducted today by the Coast Guard's Unalaska Marine Safety Detachment.

Unalaska, AK – Last Wednesday, Michael Fernandez, 18, was arrested for two counts of sexual assault in the second degree.

The crimes were alleged to have taken place on Saturday, December 4 at the aquatics center. According to court documents, Fernandez has been accused of engaging in sexual contact with a 16-year-old without her consent, while the two were working together as lifeguards. In a police interview, Fernandez admitted to quote "wrestling" with the victim, groping her, and attempting to remove her swimsuit. One witness was present.

Unalaska, AK – Yesterday, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council announced the 2011 total allowable catch for groundfish at its meeting in Anchorage.

The TAC for pollock in the Bering Sea got a 54% boost and has been set at 1.25 million MT. The TAC is a marked increase over the rates set in recent years. In 2009, the TAC was only 813,000 MT. This year's TAC is also just slightly less than the allowable biological catch of 1.27 million MT recommended last month.

Unalaska, AK – On Thursday, a group of two dozen community leaders from the Northwest Arctic and North Slope Boroughs traveled out to Unalaska to examine Shell's oil spill response fleet. The federal government has agreed to process Shell's application to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort Sea next summer, and now the company is addressing environmental and social concerns held by local officials and tribal representatives.

Unalaska, AK – Last night, the Kulluk mobile drill rig was brought to its new home. The Shell oil rig has been anchored in Captains Bay for over three months, and in the meantime Offshore Systems Inc has been working to build a new dock that is custom-fitted for the rig.

While a few finishing touches remain, the dock was deemed ready for the Kulluk on December 5. The Gyrfalcon and Michael Leary brought the Kulluk to the dock at 2 a.m., with help from the Shell-operated icebreaker Tor Viking II.

Unalaska, AK – Cindy Gay Jones pleaded guilty to one charge of theft in the second degree from the Unalaska Senior Citizens on Thursday. The other 11 charges against her, including five counts of forgery, have been dismissed.

In July, Shirley Marquardt, who serves on Unalaska Senior Citizens' board, reported that funds had been stolen from the center's accounts. When interviewed, Jones admitted to stealing over $8,000 to buy cocaine. She wrote checks to herself and others from the Senior Center's account and forged Lynn Lewis's signature. A $500 check was made to Diamond Taxi for cocaine as well.

Unalaska, AK – Today, the National Marine Fisheries Service released its final biological opinion on the western stock of Steller sea lions. The BiOp looks at the effect that the commercial groundfish fisheries have endangered sea lion's diet and concludes that their current management could jeapordize their existence.

NOAA has issued a final interim rule that would close the Atka mackerel and Pacific cod fisheries in the Western Aleutian Islands starting January 1, 2011.