Daily Archives: May 23, 2012

The man charged with kidnapping and murdering an Anchorage barista attempted to flee today at a hearing in federal court. U.S. marshals say 34-year-old Israel Keyes was quickly subdued.

The trial of Peacemakers militia leader Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney and Lonnie Vernon continued today in federal court in Anchorage. The prosecution wrapped up with their star witness, FBI informant Gerald Olsen. Richard Mauer is an investigative reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and is covering the trial. Mauer says for two days Olsen told of his observations while undercover in the militia, but today under defense cross examination, there were revelations about his character.

A young brown bear that had been a favorite subject of Anchorage area photographers the past few weeks has been killed by state wildlife officials.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry announced at a hearing Tuesday he will bring up the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty this year. Both of Alaska’s Senators strongly support treaty ratification But Kerry will wait until after the November election to bring it to a vote.

Preliminary work will continue this summer on an in state natural gas pipeline. That’s despite the legislature’s failure to approve $200 million, and expanded powers for the agency charged with pursuing the project, the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation. The legislature did provide $21 million, and AGDC President Dan Fauske says that’s enough to keep the North Slope to Southcentral project going in light of new direction from Governor Parnell.

The Alaska Health Department is using a new four-part HBO documentary on obesity to draw attention to its effort to combat the problem.

The school year may be over for Galena’s students but, for some, the seeds of next year’s education are already in the ground. Over 80 students from the Interior Learning Academy and Sidney C. Huntington School are taking part in the Potato and Carrot Production Project.

Israel Keyes Attempts To Flee Courtroom; Lawyers Wrap Up Examination Of FBI Informant In Militia Trial; Anchorage Clerk Resigns As Investigation Mounts; Brown Bear Killed By Fish And Game; Committee To Address Law of the Sea Treaty This Year; Preliminary Gas Line Work To Continue This Summer; Documentary Series Combats Obesity Problem; Galena Students Taking Part In Potato, Carrot Production Project

Anchorage Municipal Clerk Barbara Gruenstein has resigned. Her resignation comes after nearly two months of controversy surrounding the April 3 Municipal Election.

Longtime Kotzebue state Rep. Reggie Joule has decided to not seek re-election. Joule, first elected to the state House in 1996, had earlier filed as a candidate to run again this year. In a House majority news release, Joule said he ultimately opted against doing so after much consultation with his family.

Wednesday in the U.S. Senate there is a committee hearing that may mark the beginning of a new effort to ratify the Law of the Sea treaty. With the Secretaries of Defense and State speaking to the Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, it appears that the Obama administration is ready to make that push.

The Anchorage School District is again appealing to the public to help prevent summer vandalism at public schools. Director of security Gardner Cobb says there's a pattern of vandalism that occurs every year when school gets out.