Voters in Anchorage rejected a controversial proposal last week that would have banned transgender people from using bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity. The “bathroom bill,” as it was called, mirrored legislation passed in North Carolina in 2016. The election result was a surprise to many and has implications for the upcoming midterm elections in other states.

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Watching the votes being tallied last week in the days following Anchorage’s municipal election was tense for resident Lillian Lennon.

“I, of course, was a little nervous because it was like the final countdown,” Lennon said of watching the last ballot results be tabulated Friday afternoon.

Lennon, a transgender woman, is a field organizer for Fair Anchorage, a group that spent more than a year organizing against what became Proposition 1, the bathroom bill.

To the surprise of many in Anchorage, including some of the campaign’s organizers, the measure failed. As of April 9, there were 4,120 ‘no’ votes, a little more than five percent of the ballots cast.

Lennon attributes the results to a coalition that included civil rights organizations, religious groups, the business community and moderate republicans.

“We were able to pull together a really strong trans-centered education campaign,” Lennon said. “Really show the lives of trans people and their families.”

Others point to the relatively high turnout in the city’s first-ever election done by mail-in ballots as helping Fair Anchorage’s campaign, with the 78,113 votes cast representing nearly 36 percent of the electorate. Also on the ballot was a popular progressive mayor running for re-election at a time when many on the left are energized by national politics.

But not everyone agrees with that analysis.

“A million dollars buys a lot of confusion,” Jim Minnery, president of Alaska Family Action, a Christian policy advocacy group, said. Minnery chaired the Protect Our Privacy campaign in favor of the bathroom bill. His group was outspent by a margin of more than six to one.

According to campaign disclosures filed with the Alaska Public Office’s Commission, Prop 1 attracted more money than any other item on the Anchorage ballot by far — including the mayor’s race. Donations from national progressive groups poured in, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Freedom for All Americans and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaii. Bolstered by strong individual contributions, too, Fair Anchorage raised $824,000.

Minnery’s campaign raised about $128,004, according to financial reports, the majority of it donations directly from Alaska Family Action in the last month before the election. Going forward, the organization will focus on electing a more conservative governor and state house lawmakers this November, in the hopes they will override local policies in Anchorage.

“We’re feeling pretty positive about it and just looking forward to another opportunity to bring some common sense back to this issue,” Minnery said.

The results are a major shift from just six years ago. In 2012 municipal elections, voters rejected a broad equal rights ordinance on the ballot. Those anti-discrimination measures were eventually passed by the city’s assembly in 2015. The Prop 1 effort was a narrowed attempt to repeal some of those expanded protections, and is similar to bills introduced in other state legislatures, as well as two ballot measures that could go before voters in Montana and Massachusetts this November.

The campaigns in Anchorage may provide a playbook for similar state-level battles.

In a statement, ACLU of Alaska Executive Director Joshua A. Decker wrote, “For the first time anywhere in our nation a standalone, anti-transgender ‘bathroom bill’ – Prop 1 – was defeated at the ballot box.” The organization was one of the main opponents of the local measure.

“I would expect the understanding of what happened here to reverberate through the community very quickly, because it really was both a local and national effort here in Anchorage,” Casey Reynolds, spokesperson for the ACLU of Alaska, said.

Results are expected to be certified on April 17th.

Valdez police say a drunk driver ran over and killed a woman Sunday morning outside of a local bar. Police arrested Ero Walli for allegedly striking and killing Chellsie Hoffman, a 31-year-old mother of four, with his pickup before fleeing the scene.

According to a press release from the Valdez Police Department, officers responded to a hit-and-run call involving a pedestrian outside of the Boardroom Bar at 2:30 a.m. Sunday. KBBI reached out to Valdez Police, but officers were not immediately available for comment.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, court documents detailed that a friend told Walli he was too drunk to drive, but he got into his Dodge Ram anyways. Court documents say Walli struck Hoffman as she stood on the sidewalk near the front of the bar. Walli then allegedly stopped and then drove over Hoffman.

Valdez Police say the Valdez Fire Department responded to the scene and transported her to Providence Valdez Medical Center. Hoffman was pronounced dead roughly an hour after the incident, according to police.

Police say they were able to track Walli’s vehicle to a residence on Falcon Avenue where he was arrested and taken to the Valdez Jail. Nearly three hours after he allegedly struck Hoffman, Walli’s blood alcohol level was at .305 percent, more than three times the legal limit.

According to the ADN, court documents say Walli initially denied that he had been drinking or had gone to the bar for drinks. Police charged Walli with two felony counts Monday for manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. Police also charged him with driving while intoxicated and possessing a weapon while under the influence, both misdemeanors.

According to Walli’s Facebook page, he currently lives in Valdez, but he is originally from the Homer area.

Walli was the director of Marine operations at Crowley Maritime Corporation, which currently provides tug services for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Crowley said in an emailed statement that its sincerest condolences go out to Hoffman’s family’s and to everyone who is affected by her death. The company says Walli has been terminated from his position.

Valdez Police say Walli appeared for arraignment on Monday and bail was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on April 18.

The Valdez community is mourning the death of Hoffman and there has been an outflow of support for her family. A Valdez coffee shop, Klondike Coffee, is donating its sales Monday to the family, and the community is providing meals to Hoffman’s family. Some on social media are also calling for the Boardroom Bar’s liquor license to be revoked.

John Active, the legendary Yup’ik storyteller and host of Ketvarrluku and Talkline, has retired from KYUK.

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On March 30, Active co-hosted Talkline with KYUK’s own Diane McEachern for his last show. The show will continue with McEachern and Peter Atchak.

“You are so fun to host with. I really enjoy it; we have a good time,” McEachern said.

Following the show, KYUK hosted a potlatch in Active’s honor. Active has been with KYUK since the beginning, translating Yup’ik and English news, hosting shows like Ketvarrluku and Talkline and filling countless roles with KYUK for decades. Bethel City Council Member Mark Springer pointed out that the station was a pioneer in bringing bilingual content to public broadcasting nationwide, and that John had been a part of that. Springer says that leadership has continued.

“I think he’s really been an inspiration to Alaska Natives and Native Americans because he’s been recognized nationally for his work,” Springer said.

“He belongs,” KYUK’s Peter Atchak said. “He belongs to our community and to this radio station and we’re proud to have shared time with him and space with him, and the words that he passes onto our people. We’re just fortunate to have had Aqumgeciq here amongst us and to share what god had gifted him with.”

“So, I guess this meal here is to honor John in his retirement, but I don’t know,” KYUK’s Dean Swope said. “Somewhere in the back of my head I think ‘ehhh, you’re gonna be showing up. We’ll see ya.’”

It is hard to imagine him not being at the station. Active has retired before from KYUK –and come back. Swope pointed out that John Active’s unique voice has been a part of what has tied the Yup’ik Culture and everyone in the Y-K Delta together. John didn’t find it easy to accept all that praise.

“Yup’ik culture teaches us that we’re not supposed to put ourselves up,” Active said. “And so when people say something good of what I did it kinda makes me embarrassed and bashful, but that’s the Yup’ik way.”

Active said that he’s glad he was raised by his elders, his grandmother and grandfather, and thankful for whatever ability he has to pass down these ways.

“Everything that I do today, try to make people laugh, make them comfortable, is I’m trying to pass on what the elders taught to me by my actions, what I learned from them,” Active said. “And so that’s just me today. I’m kinda short tempered, you know, my Yup’ik name is Aqumgeciq, which means person who likes to sit around, and my English surname is Active, so there’s always a conflict. But I’m sure glad that you came and these people came. I invited a bunch of elders, but elders are short memoried, and they probably forgot! But I always say, the less people when you’re going to eat, the more you’re going to eat ourselves. Quyana Dean. Let’s start!”

But who knows, it could be that KYUK see another potlatch the next time he retires.

Imprisoned Fairbanks militia leader Schaeffer Cox has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review his conviction of conspiring to kill federal officials.

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The petition centers on whether talk about murdering government officials by Schaeffer Cox, and members of the Alaska Peacemaker’s Militia he commanded, posed an actual threat. Cox’s federal public defender Michael Filopovic says any action to kill was premised the U.S. government implementing “Stalinesque” martial law, a highly unlikely scenario.

”This case, as we said in our brief, it really concerns the outer limits of liability for conspiracy in the federal courts, particularly with respect to statutes involving conspiracy to murder federal officials or federal agents,” Filipovic said.

Filipovich says lower courts have made conflicting rulings on the issue. Also raised in the petition submitted to the Supreme Court last month is that no federal officials were specifically identified as murder targets.

Cox was sentenced to 26 years in prison in 2012 for conspiracy and solicitation to murder federal officials and possession of illegal weapons. Last August, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the solicitation conviction, and ordered Cox to be resentenced. That’s on hold pending whether or not the Supreme Court agrees to hear his case. The 34-year-old Cox is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Illinois.

The University of Alaska on Monday, April 9 announced they are extending the deadline for comment on a controversial timber sale near Haines and Klukwan by 10 more days, until May 7.

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The extension for comment on the proposed 13,000-acre timber sale on university lands comes after a well-attended special Assembly meeting on Tuesday, April 3 which resulted in requests for more time from the borough and Klukwan Tribal Council.

Haines Borough Assembly Chambers were packed Tuesday evening for the special meeting to gather input on the largest proposed timber sale in the area in recent history. Many residents expressed concerns about a rushed timeline for the project.

“The beauty of the Chilkat Valley is why I live here and what brings tourists here,” Haines resident Thom Ely said.

Ely was one of several residents that said clearcutting and industrial scale logging would harm tourism.

“I have had a tourism business for 30 years. We run tours on the Haines Highway and one of these areas is right along the highway up in the upper Valley there,” Ely said.

The Borough should look into a land exchange with the University, Ely said, or a buyout of the timber rights.

Resident Haines Tormey, said logging could bring much-needed jobs to the region and also be a part of the tourism economy.

“In Ketchikan, one of the main tourist attractions is the lumberjack show. Tourists don’t flee from timber and clearcutting, they’re interested in it. It is what makes Alaska, Alaska. We mine, we fish and we log,” Tormey said.

Tony Strong, a Tlingit man from Klukwan, said his community is very concerned that the proposed timber sale would worsen the situation of Chilkat River king and sockeye salmon, traditional foods for his people, and damage the overall ecology of the area.

“How often do we have to lose everything we have for a little bit of money, for a little bit of job for a few people? We cannot continue to do that,” Strong said. “I think we have to ask, figure out some way to make sure that we don’t lose all those resources—not just the timber but the value that comes with that, the inherent ecology.”

Klukwan Tribal Council President Kimberly Strong sent a note which was read aloud at the meeting, informing the borough that Klukwan was also requesting an extension of the comment period. Strong wrote that Klukwan objects to the sale due to lack of information.

Logging began in the Haines area in the late 1800s and grew in the 1900s with mills operating along the waterfront into the mid-20^th century. While the last large mill closed here in the early ’80s, small-scale lumber operations continue to this day. But the local economy now relies mostly on tourism and fishing.

The University of Alaska is a land-grant university, which means that the federal government gave the state land to benefit the university. The acreage was originally selected by the state in 1954, prior to statehood and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and was eventually deeded to the University of Alaska in the ’80s.

On March 28, the university announced it was entering into a negotiated timber sale on 13,400 acres of that land scattered throughout the borough. The 10-year deal is estimated to produce 150 million board feet.

It comes on the heels of the university’s attempted 400-acre timber sale on the Chilkat Peninsula. No bids were received on that controversial proposal. UA says it will develop that land for a residential subdivision.

The most common refrain at Tuesday’s meeting was that Haines residents need more information about the university’s plans. Some felt the University was fast-tracking the project.

University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen recently said the university system cannot withstand continued budget cuts. The university’s annual budget has declined by more than $60 million since 2014. At Tuesday’s meeting, Kathleen Menke said she was alarmed by the lack of process.

“For the university to say that they are coming here on the 26^th after the deadline for public comment is just not adequate public process,” Menke said.

The University had set the date of April 19, for public comment to be received and has now extended it until after a meeting with the Alaska Department of Forestry with representatives of the university and the public in Haines on April 26.

University officials say they recognize that extending the deadline for comments until after the scheduled open house meeting will allow more opportunity for the public to make informed comments on the project.

At Tuesday’s meeting, many said they worry about the University’s plan to award a contract so quickly, including John Norton.

“I’m not against the idea of logging, but what raised some level of concern for me was that idea, when I read that they were going to award the contract for this cut in July,” Norton said.

The University plans to award a contract for the timber sale by the end of July.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg told U.S. senators his social media platform didn’t do enough to protect users’ privacy or prevent foreign interference in elections. He says he accepts responsibility, and even welcomes the possibility of new federal regulation. But when it was Sen. Dan Sullivan’s turn to ask a question, Zuckerberg wasn’t all that compliant.

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Sullivan opened with a question aiming to honor the success of Facebook.

“Quite a story, right? Dorm room to the global behemoth that you guys are,” Sullivan said. “Only in America. Would you agree with that?”

No. Zuckerberg did not agree.

“Well senator, there are some very strong Chinese internet companies,” Zuckerberg said.

“Right but …,” Sullivan paused and offered some stage direction.  “You’re supposed to answer yes to this question. Ok? C’mon. I’m trying to help you, right?  Gimme a break. You’re in front of a bunch of senators. The answer is yes, so thank you.”

It was a light moment in a long hearing. But Sullivan went on to make a point about the dangers of regulation. Zuckerberg made clear he and the Alaska senator don’t see it the same.

“I’m not the type of person that thinks all regulation is bad,” the CEO said. “So I think that the internet is becoming increasingly important in people’s lives. And I think we need to have a full conversation about what is the right regulation, not whether it should be or shouldn’t be.”

Zuckerberg may sound altruistic there, like he just wants what’s best for society. But Sullivan questioned whether Facebook would use its political power to push for regulations that cement its lead on competitors.

“One of my biggest concerns about what you guys are doing is that the next Facebook – which we all want, the guy in the dorm room, we all want that, to start it – that you are becoming so dominant that we’re not able to have that next Facebook,” Sulllivan said.

Zuckerberg said shutting out the little guy wouldn’t be his approach to regulation, though he said the concern is valid.

Sullivan only had a few minutes, but his name also came up when Democratic Sen. Chris Coons asked Zuckerberg about malicious or phony Facebook pages. Just that morning, the Delaware senator said, he found out someone had made a fake Facebook page for him. Coons said he went online and found it.

“And there’s my picture with Sen. Dan Sullivan’s family. Same schools I went to. But a whole lot of Russian friends,” Coons said. “Dan Sullivan’s got a very attractive family, by the way.”

No one disagreed.

Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn

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Former Planned Parenthood worker rejected for midwives board

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau

Opposition to Linden’s appointment to the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives was centered on Planned Parenthood’s role in providing abortions.

Facebook CEO dodges Sullivan’s softball

Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was contrite in a U.S. Senate hearing. But he wouldn’t play along when Sen. Dan Sullivan wanted to make a point about regulation.

Imprisoned militia leader Schaeffer Cox petitions Supreme Court to review conviction

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

Imprisoned Fairbanks militia leader Schaeffer Cox has petitioned the US Supreme Court to review his conviction of conspiring to kill federal officials.

Trump picks Anchorage attorney for District Court

Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media – Washington D.C.

President Trump today nominated an Anchorage attorney to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in Alaska.

NTSB releases report on 2017 Hageland Aviation crash

Johanna Eurich, KYUK – Anchorage

A year-and-a-half after Hageland Aviation flight 3153 flew into a mountain on its way to Togiak from Quinhagak, killing three people, the pilot Timothy Kline, the co-pilot Drew Welty and passenger Louie John, the National Transportation and Safety Board has released its report on the crash, along with sweeping recommendations.

State Senate makes small cut to ferry system budget

Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau

The state Senate’s spending plan cuts funding from the Alaska Marine Highway System – but not a lot.

University of Alaska extends comment period for proposed timber sale near Haines, Klukwan

Daysha Eaton, KHNS – Haines

The University of Alaska on Monday, April 9 announced they are extending the deadline for comment on a controversial timber sale near Haines and Klukwan by 10 more days, until May 7.

John Active retires from KYUK

Christine Trudeau, KYUK – Bethel

John Active, the legendary Yup’ik storyteller and host of Ketvarrluku and Talkline, has retired from KYUK.

Building resilience through basketballs and berries

Anne Hillman, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage

What makes a healthy community? What makes young people in an Alaska village thrive? Here’s the formula that’s working well for Noatak, in the Northwest Arctic.

The Alaska Legislature rejected the appointment of a Palmer woman who is a former Planned Parenthood worker to a board that oversees midwives.

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Kenni Linden was the only one of Gov. Bill Walker’s appointees who was rejected out of 99 people up for confirmation on Tuesday.

Opposition to Linden’s appointment to the Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives was centered on Planned Parenthood’s role in providing abortions.

Wasilla Republican Rep. Colleen Sullivan-Leonard said during Linden’s March 7 confirmation hearing that her constituents opposed the appointment.

“Part of that work of Planned Parenthood is certainly to be a proponent for abortion,” Sullivan-Leonard said. “And the concerns that have been expressed to me have been that that is really contrary to what a midwife board position should hold.”

Linden was the Anchorage regional field organizer for Planned Parenthood, focusing on advocacy for Medicaid expansion and access to birth control. She also worked on dating violence prevention and sexual health education.

Linden said she left Planned Parenthood in July 2016 to have a baby. She said she’s disappointed that the lawmakers who opposed her didn’t reach out to her.

“I’m greatly disappointed that the conversation about midwifery was overshadowed by I think it seemed to be more political maneuvering,” Linden said.

Linden, who is six months’ pregnant, said she applied to the board on the recommendation of her own midwife.

“It’s really unfortunate, because I think the entire conversation got off track, for what midwifery care means,” Linden said. “And my experience and my previous employment with Planned Parenthood shows that I’m passionate about women’s health care and women’s access to health care, and I think that’s essentially what a midwifery client is looking for.”

The only person who addressed Linden’s appointment during the joint legislative session Tuesday was North Pole Republican Rep. Tammie Wilson.

“I just looked at the background, I listened to the hearing, and I just don’t think it’s a good fit for this board,” Wilson said.

The vote was 32 to 28 against confirming Linden’s appointment.

All but five Republicans — Senators Bert Stedman of Sitka and Gary Stevens of Kodiak and Representatives Jennifer Johnston of Anchorage, Paul Seaton of Homer and Louise Stutes of Kodiak — voted against Linden.

Golovin Sen. Donnie Olson was the only Democrat who opposed her. The independents were split, with Anchorage Rep. Jason Grenn voting no and Ketchikan Rep. Dan Ortiz voting yes.

No other appointee had more than 16 no votes. The other appointees included Commissioner of Administration Leslie Ridle, Commissioner of Commerce, Community and Economic Development Mike Navarre and Commissioner of Revenue Sheldon Fisher.

President Trump on Tuesday nominated an Anchorage attorney to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in Alaska.

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Jonathan Katchen works in commercial and natural resource law at the firm Holland & Hart.

He previously worked for the state of Alaska, as senior counsel for Dan Sullivan, the current U.S. senator, when Sullivan was Alaska’s natural resources commissioner. He also worked for Sullivan as a special assistant when Sullivan was Alaska’s attorney general.

And Katchen is a former law clerk of U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, sister of the president.

If confirmed by the Senate, Katchen would replace Judge Ralph Beistline of Fairbanks. Beistline went into “senior status,” or semi-retirement, at the end of 2015.

Currently, Alaska owes nearly $900 million to companies in the form of oil tax credits. A bill that would have the state issue bonds to pay those companies is on the move in the legislature.

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Gov. Bill Walker introduced companion bills in the House and Senate this session. Each lays out of a plan for the state to issue bonds to quickly pay down the debt it owes to oil and gas companies.

The House Resources committee voted Tuesday morning to pass its version of the bill along to the next committee.  But, the committee’s co-chair Rep. Geran Tarr, D-Anchorage, said she doesn’t support it.

Tarr said the state would be swapping one type of interest-free debt for another that could have less favorable repayment terms. If the state issues bonds and then fails to make payments, that could affect its credit rating.

“It means that we would have to prioritize it over other important state needs like public safety, if there were such a time as everything falls out from under us. So that’s difficult for me,” Tarr said.

The state’s tax credit bill stems from a program that was designed to encourage companies to explore and develop new oil fields in the state.  The state used to pay off the balance of the credits each year,  but as oil prices sank the Walker administration pulled back and made minimum payments on what the state owes.

For three years, oil and gas companies — and some banks — have repeatedly told lawmakers that the unpaid credits are hurting development in Alaska.

Pat Galvin, Chief Commercial Officer of Great Bear Petroleum, said the unpaid credits harmed companies’ ability to get financing for exploration and development.

Great Bear has exploration wells on the North Slope that are on hold.

“The funding is held up because of the uncertainty over these tax credit payments,” Galvin said.

A companion Senate bill has moved into the Senate Finance committee as well.  From there, the bills must move to the House and Senate floors to be voted on.

A state bill that would ban smoking in workplaces took a major step forward Tuesday night. The House Rules Committee passed a new version of Senate Bill 63.

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Committee chairwoman Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, an Anchorage Republican, had declined to schedule a hearing for most of the session.

LeDoux said she scheduled the hearing now to allow it to move forward to a vote on the House floor.

“I’ve got some questions about this entire bill,” LeDoux said. “But, nevertheless, in order to extend an olive branch to the people who really want this bill, (she is) trying to get this bill in a reasonable form so that we can get it to the floor.”

The committee changed the bill so that it won’t affect the use of electronic cigarettes or marijuana.

It also would allow municipalities to opt out of the workplace smoking ban. Currently, municipalities can opt in to bans.

Juneau Democratic Rep. Sam Kito III opposed the changes.

“We’ve got more than enough support for the bill as it sits, on the House floor,” Kito said. “I do not appreciate … having these changes being added at this late date in this forum on this particular bill.”

The Senate passed the bill last year. It will need to go back for another vote in the Senate if the House approves the changed version.

School administrators, teachers and parents from across the state testified before the House Finance Committee on Tuesday in support of increased school funding.

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Anchorage Rep. Les Gara’s House Bill 339 would increase the base student allocation by $100 to $6,030. The BSA determines how much money school districts receive on a per-student basis.

Gara, a Democrat, said he has heard repeatedly from teachers who feel the daily burden of budget cuts.

“Class sizes up, the number of students they teach are up, and they really don’t feel the support coming from the Legislature at all,” Gara said. “So we’re also possibly losing our best teachers, and that’s not the way to move forward.”

No one spoke against the bill. A number of school district superintendents testified in favor. Many were in town for this week’s Alaska Association of School Administrators Legislative Fly-In. Their districts ranged in size from Craig to Anchorage, but the common message was clear: school districts have been hit hard by budget cuts, and they can’t take any more.

Without the bill, the proposed budget would flat-fund K-12 education again next school year. Multiple testifiers pointed out that this amounts to a decrease, since costs continue to rise for schools. Rising health insurance premiums are one of the biggest reasons.

Many spoke about unsustainable increases to classroom size and teachers who are spread too thin by their workloads.

Out of necessity, Hoonah School District Superintendent Ralph Watkins is also the principal, technology director and a middle school teacher. He said education is too important for legislators not to act.

“In Hoonah, we are combining classes. We have kindergarten/first grade, second grade/third grade, fourth grade/fifth grade,” Watkins said. “This is unsustainable.”

The bill has another hearing scheduled for Wednesday, but time is running out. Senate leaders said earlier this week they are hopeful the legislative session will wrap up close to the 90-day mark on Sunday.

Ketchikan was warned Tuesday morning to expect a big storm that afternoon, and they weren’t kidding. Weather spotters clocked sustained winds around 70 mph and gusts exceeding 100.

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The storm knocked down trees and power lines throughout the community, keeping repair crews busy through Wednesday morning.

A fast-moving storm whipped through Southeast on Tuesday, with the biggest winds hitting Alaska’s First City.

Sharon Sullivan is a meteorologist intern with the National Weather Service in Juneau. She said mid-morning Wednesday that the storm-force low developed rapidly in the morning near Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, south of Ketchikan.

“It developed yesterday morning and affected a lot of the southern Panhandle and reached the central gulf by late last night,” Sullivan said. “It’s already on its exit in the northern gulf right now.”

According to the National Weather Service, the highest recorded gusts were in Ketchikan, but everyone in Southeast experienced a strong storm.

“At Salmon Landing in Ketchikan, gusts up to 112 mph were recorded,” Sullivan said. “We also have Lincoln Island at 74, Ketchikan Airport at 73, Annette Island at 69, at Wrangell Airport it was about 45. Those are some of the ones on the higher end.”

While the official NWS report for Metlakatla was a high of 69 mph, residents report that wind gusts were much stronger.

Sullivan said Prince of Wales Island also reported high winds. The storm hit the west coast of the big island first, with gusts up to 77 mph, and sustained winds around 60.

“Hurricane-force winds” are sustained winds – not including gusts — of at least 74 mph, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sullivan said Wrangell reported some trees down and shingles blown off a roof. In Ketchikan, though, pretty much an entire roof blew off of a home on Jackson Street, according to Andy Donato of Ketchikan Public Utilities Electric Division.

That led to one of many wind-related power outages. An event affecting the most people was in the Mountain Point area, and brought traffic to a halt on South Tongass Highway.

“There are some trees pulling down the lines in that area, caused some problems,” Sullivan said. “We had to shut the highway down for a while. It was unsafe to cross there with the power lines being stretched down.”

Donato said some people weren’t happy about the road closure, which was announced a little after 5 p.m. and kept a lot of people from getting home until after 7:30 p.m. But, he said it was a serious safety concern. The tree leaning into a live power line meant the line was essentially grounded.

“If one of the higher lines, which is energized, touches that tree or a branch just tickles that, it’ll bring that voltage down to ground, and if you’re standing in and around the area – all the same people thought they could just leave their cars and walk, I told them, ‘No, I can’t let you do that. You can’t walk over there,’” Donato said. “That’s because you have something called a high ground potential. And, it’s dangerous.”

That incident was one of many. Donato listed some highlights.

“Trees in the line near that Tongass fire hall. There was a transformer fire in the Bear Valley area. Up on Sunset Drive, trees blocking roadway,” Donato said. “Top of a pole was broken in the D-1, D-2 area further north. We had trees in the line at South Point Higgins, trees in the line out toward Knudson Cove.”

One positive aspect of the storm was its short duration. The wind started picking up around 3 p.m. and was dying down by around 6. Donato said that gave repair crews better working conditions to fix all the damage.

“Because it’s really difficult working out of a bucket truck say 70-80 feet in the air when it’s blowing around say 40, 50, 60 mph,” Donato said. “Fortunately it really calmed down and we got after it.”

Donato said most areas had power back by around 10 p.m. Tuesday, although a few individual homes remained without electricity through Wednesday morning. He thanked the community for understanding and supporting KPU line crews.

Also out working in the storm were U.S. Coast Guard boat and helicopter crews. There had been a report of a possible overturned skiff during the wind storm. A Coast Guard spokesman reported Wednesday morning that the skiff was eventually found safely moored, and the occupants were fine.

Wrangell’s first marijuana dispensary opened this week. Happy Cannabis owner Kelsey Martinsen says he’s been working towards opening day for about two years.

“Our biggest problem was getting the mechanical work done in a timely manner, since this is kind of a hard-to-get to place,” Martinsen said.

The city of Wrangell approved his endeavor last spring. Happy Cannabis has seven strains of pot available at its store behind the now-defunct Diamond C Café, a downtown restaurant Martinsen owned. The pot comes from Common Collective, a grower in Houston, Alaska.

Martinson does not sell edibles or paraphernalia right now. He is cultivating pot that he would ship off the island, and possibly sell at his store.

Plenty of Southeast towns already have dispensaries. Those include Juneau, Skagway, Petersburg, Sitka and Ketchikan.

Yet another Alaska reality TV show debuts this week. But unlike dozens of previous shows featuring inept gold miners, snowmachine chases of drunken criminals or former governors trying to stretch out their 15 minutes of fame, the latest show promises to put the real back into reality TV. It could even be educational.

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The new show features faces that may be familiar to Juneau viewers.

The program “Alaska Treasure Hunters” features four Juneau men as they explore and search for long-forgotten historic sites.

The program has been well over a year in development and production.

It was inspired by the popular Juneau Hidden History Facebook page that Joe McCabe and Brian Weed started five years ago.

“To bring it to TV and actually show these things, it’s kind of Alaska’s treasures,” Weed said. “It’s a part of Alaska history that a lot of people don’t realize is still there.”

Weed said he rejected previous offers for a reality show because potential producers wanted to focus on the usual reality TV nonsense.

“‘We want to make sure there is a lot of drama in your group to show that this is something people want to watch,’” Weed said of one of the show pitches. “And then we get the questions like ‘Do you believe in ghosts?’, ‘Have you seen aliens?’ Just off-the-wall questions.”

“A couple times I hung up on them where I was like I want nothing to do with this kind of show because there’s plenty of those shows that make Alaska look bad,” Weed said.

Weed, who serves as the historian for the group, said it’s not really a reality show. Instead, he calls it a “docu-follow.”

The places and historic events are real.

The dialogue is not scripted ahead of time, and there is no manufactured drama among the cast.

“I’m a retired rock climber, retired Juneau mountain rescue guy,” McCabe, the group’s safety officer, said. “I bring some mountain experience, a lot of rock experience and rescue stuff.”

Greg Taylor is the jack-of-all-trades outdoor survival expert who keeps the group headed in the right direction.

“I kept us from getting lost even though we knew where we were going to begin with,” Taylor said. “I keep track of the GPS and coordinates.”

Adam DiPietro is a mountaineer with a background in geology and engineering.

“Brian knows roughly how old the mine is based on the history of it, the logs and what you can find in the archives,” DiPietro said. “But I can take it and I can measure how much rust has actually occurred, how much oxidation and back-calculate to figure out – based on the rate of rusting – how old the object is. There’s two different schools of thought to figure out how old something is.”

A fifth cast member, who was unavailable for an interview, is the group’s scout and bear guard, Weed’s dog named Kat.

The pilot episode features a search for the lost Rocker Mine, which undercuts the popular myth of Joe Juneau and Richard Harris as the first white men who discovered gold in the Juneau area in 1880.

According to the group, gold was actually discovered 13 years earlier by a man named Fred Culver.

“He died before he could come back and really stake a claim and actually get super rich,” Weed said. “This is us looking for Culver’s mine based on all the data, facts, journals that we can get a hold of. We’re tracing back to the — hopefully — location of the lost Rocker Mine.”

“It was nice,” McCabe said. “We did some interviews with a lot of local folks here to help us out. It was a pretty cool process.”

“Some epic adventures, too,” DiPietro said.

Weed says there also were some items — not shown in the program — they discovered from Culver’s period that could not have been left by Juneau and Harris.

It’s only a pilot program. Whether or not it becomes a regular series depends on this week’s ratings and social media response.

Weed said the show’s not just about exploring old mines in the Juneau area.

If the show gets picked up as a regular series, then they plan on traveling around Alaska exploring old military installations such as World War II internment camps and old Nike missile defense bases, ghost towns, old Native village sites and petroglyphs, Southeast Alaska fox farms, shipwrecks and plane crashes and abandoned gold dredges and trains.

“Alaska Treasure Hunters” airs 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday on the Travel Channel and then repeats 10 a.m. Sunday. It’ll also be available on the Travel Channel website and Hulu.

See the Forum@360 about Juneau Hidden History that aired in July 2016:

Stories are posted on the APRN news page. You can subscribe to APRN’s newsfeeds via email, podcast and RSS. Follow us on Facebook at alaskapublic.org and on Twitter @aprn

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Former climate official says details surrounding his reassignment look “damning” for Trump admin

Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Juneau

A new federal report sheds some light on how job reassignments in the Department of the Interior were handled last year.

Alaska Senate set to debate state budget on Thursday

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau

The biggest difference from the House budget is that the Senate bill does not include $1.28 billion for school funding. The Senate would provide that money in separate legislation.

Workplace smoking ban advances

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO – Juneau

The bill was changed so that it won’t affect the use of electronic cigarettes or marijuana. It also would allow municipalities to opt out of the workplace smoking ban.

Army Corps defends review process for Pebble Mine

Elizabeth Harball, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Anchorage

Another environmental assessment of the proposed Pebble Mine is underway. This time, the lead agency is the Army Corps of Engineers. In a call with reporters today, the Army Corps addressed criticism it’s already receiving as it weighs whether to give the controversial mine a permit.

Walker’s bills to swap oil tax credit debt for bond debt making progress

Rashah McChesney, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Juneau

A bill that would have the state issue bonds to pay oil and gas companies is on the move in the legislature.

Alaskan educators advocate for increased K-12 funding

Adelyn Baxter, KTOO – Juneau

School administrators, teachers and parents from across the state testified before the House Finance Committee Tuesday in support of increased school funding. Rep. Les Gara’s HB 339 would increase the base student allocation by $100 to $6,030.

Wind storm hits Southeast; Ketchikan clocks biggest gusts

Leila Kheiry, KRBD – Ketchikan

Ketchikan was warned Tuesday morning to expect a big storm that afternoon, and they weren’t kidding. Weather spotters clocked sustained winds around 70 mph and gusts exceeding 100.

Walker’s climate team meeting in Fairbanks for two days

Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks

Governor Walker’s Climate Action Leadership team is meeting in Fairbanks today and tomorrow. The 20 member team appointed in December, is charged with climate change mitigation, adaptation, research, and response.

Juneau Empire and Alaska sister papers sold again

Jacob Resneck and Aaron Bolton, KTOO – Juneau and KBBI – Homer

The 105-year-old Juneau Empire has been sold to a Canadian newspaper chain just six months after its longtime owner offloaded some of its Alaska holdings to GateHouse Media.

Juneau Hidden History ‘docu-follow’, reality TV show premieres this week

Matt Miller, KTOO – Juneau

Juneau Hidden History group shown searching for the lost Rocker Mine near Juneau.

The full state Senate is scheduled to debate amendments to the state’s operating budget Thursday.

The Senate Finance Committee passed the budget, House Bill 286, on Tuesday. The committee substituted its own version of the budget bill for the one the House passed.

The Senate bill would provide $4.2 billion to fund the portion of the budget that the Legislature focuses on each year. It has $1 billion for Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, which would provide a $1,600 dividend.

The biggest difference from the House budget is that the Senate bill does not include $1.28 billion for school funding. The Senate would provide that money in separate legislation, House Bill 287.

Committee Co-Chairman Lyman Hoffman, a Bethel Democrat, said the school funding bill is intended to reduce the risk of widespread layoff notices.

“Hopefully, we can come to an understanding with the other body, so that early funding can happen,” Hoffman said. “I’m optimistic that pink slips will not go out.”

The Senate budget includes less money than the House for Medicaid and would cut $13.5 million of the $19 million increase that the House budgeted for the University of Alaska. And it would pay out more for oil and gas tax credits.

The Senate could vote on the budget as soon as tomorrow. Once the Senate passes it, the House would have to vote on whether to accept the Senate’s version. If it doesn’t, the two chambers will work out the differences through a conference committee.

The scheduled 90-day end of the session is Sunday, although it’s not likely lawmakers will be done. Voters passed an initiative in 2006 that set the session length at 90 days in state law.

But the Legislature can go past that date. The state constitution sets the session length at 121 days.

Three Alaska newspapers have changed hands – again.

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The Peninsula Clarion, Juneau Empire and weekly Homer News are being acquired by a Canadian chain just six months after being sold to GateHouse Media.

The Alaska papers were sold by longtime owner Morris Communications for $120 million last fall. The newest owner is Seattle-based Sound Publishing that owns papers in the states of Washington, California and Hawaii. It’s a subsidiary of Black Press, based in British Columbia.

In recent months, the trio of Alaska papers shared a top executive. But he’s staying with GateHouse. Outgoing Publisher Joe Leong said he’ll be leaving Alaska at the end of the month. But he said he’s optimistic about the three papers’ future.

“I think just like GateHouse, Sound Publishing is committed to reporting news for the community and being involved in the community,” Leong said Wednesday.

Leong’s replacement hasn’t been announced. Nor have the new owners made any specific commitments over staffing or other resources, he said.

“You know, we all run lean operations as it is,” Leong said. “But they need to review the operation and take a look for themselves.”

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. But in a related development, the Akron Beacon Journal also announced Wednesday that Black Press was selling the Ohio daily to GateHouse Media for a reported $16 million. A news release said the deal helps the two chains cluster their holdings more closely. Black Press has newspapers in the Pacific Northwest; GateHouse Media owns other small papers in Ohio.

Black Press made media news in 2010 when it closed a pair of newspapers in B.C. two weeks after buying them. Over the years it’s also shuttered a newspaper in Washington and merged two daily newspapers in Honolulu with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, its largest holding. The company is unconnected to the late Canadian media mogul Conrad Black.

This story contains contributions from Aaron Bolton with KBBI in Homer and Jacob Resneck with KTOO in Juneau.

A new federal report sheds some light on how job reassignments in the Department of the Interior were handled last year.

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Joel Clement resigned from the agency in October after being ousted from his position working on issues like coastal resilience and village relocation in Alaska.

Clemtent felt targeted by the Trump Administration for his views on climate change, and he thinks this report helps back that up.

There wasn’t much of a paper trail to show Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s motivation for reassigning dozens of career officials last summer.

An internal investigation found that the board responsible for those reassignments didn’t maintain meeting minutes, notes, voting or decision records. There wasn’t a person responsible for documenting it.

“It’s a very damning report,” Clement said.  “It demonstrates the kind of chaos and incompetence at play.”

Clement was reassigned to accounting duties at the office of oil and gas royalties, which he says was much different than the job he had before: Coordinating federal efforts to help move eroding villages in Alaska.

Clement believes the Trump Administration is trying to erase positions that have anything to do with climate change.

Clement says the report from the Office of Inspector General points to that lack of transparency.

“But what it doesn’t do is look back and say, ‘how do they make this right with these executives who were either discriminated against or retaliated against?’” Clement said.

The Deputy Director of Interior responded to the report, saying “delays in confirming key presidential appointments” could be responsible for guidelines not being followed. The report outlines recommendations, like keeping records on plans for reassigning senior executives.

Clement’s old position still hasn’t been filled. He acknowledges village relocation efforts are still underway. The Denali Commission is set to receive $15 million dollars to help move the village of Newtok.

“I think the fact that my position wasn’t filled and other programs were not being enacted made it clear that the administration was dropping the ball, ” Clement said. “And Congress had to pick this up.

Next, he hopes Congress holds the Department of the Interior accountable. He would like to see a congressional hearing on the job reassignments.

A group opposing a controversial ballot initiative to strengthen protections for salmon habitat has raised over $2 million since Jan. 8, roughly 10 times more than the initiative’s supporters brought in over the same period.

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Those figures include non-monetary contributions like air travel and staff time.

In a filing this week with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, the opposition group, called Stand for Alaska, reported major contributions from some of Alaska’s biggest industry players.

Oil company BP gave $500,000 and ConocoPhillips gave $250,000, in addition to staff time. Other big donors included mining companies Pebble Limited Partnership, Donlin Gold, Kinross Fort Knox and Hecla, which contributed $200,000 each.

Yes for Salmon, the group backing the initiative, reported contributions of just over $200,000. Its largest contribution was $100,000 from John Childs, who is chairman of a Massachusetts private equity firm. Childs is also on the board of the Wild Salmon Center, an environmental group in Portland that’s supporting the ballot initiative. Other support came from national environmental groups like Trout Unlimited and local groups like the Alaska Center and Cook Inletkeeper.

Yes for Salmon supporters say the state’s current permitting rules for projects that could impact salmon habitat are too lax, while industry argues the measure would effectively shut down a wide range of projects.

But, it’s not yet guaranteed that voters will weigh in on the initiative. The state believes it’s unconstitutional and is opposing it in court. The Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case later this month.