Ketchikan tourist sues borough after scooter tips over on public bus - Anchorage news - NewsLocker (2024)

Ketchikan buses sit parked outside the Ketchikan Gateway Borough maintenance facility. (Eric Stone/KRBD)
A 91-year-old cruise-ship tourist is suing the Ketchikan Gateway Borough for negligence after his mobility scooter tipped over on a public bus.
The complaintwas filed in federal court in Alaska on May 8. It says that Donald Gillingham of Montana and his wife were on a cruise that docked in Ketchikan in September. Gillingham has limited mobility, so they rented a motorized scooter and bo

Peltola defies party with votes on border enforcement and arms for Israel

U.S. Congresswoman Mary Peltola. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)
Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola continues to be one of the Democrats most likely to vote against her party. She voted this week for five bills and a non-binding resolution that most of her Democratic colleagues voted against.
Several of the bills call for tougher enforcement of the southern border. As she has before, Pelotola voted to condemn President Biden’s handling of the border. She also voted for a bill to deport u

Klawock hopes for an economic boost as it welcomes cruise ships for the first time

Tourists being ferried from the Seabourn Odyssey to the Port of Klawock during its May 6, 2024 grand opening. (Jack Darrell/KRBD)Alaska’s newest port, until a few months ago, was full of piles of milled timber in knee-deep mud.
On its opening day earlier this month, local kids and adults in traditional hats and robes danced on the concrete dock below a banner that read “Welcome to Port Klawock.”
After the first dance on May 6, a local teacher named Eva Roan addressed the crowd

Garden Talk: Jensen-Olson Arboretum previews upcoming events for Alaska Native Plant Month

The view from Jensen-Olson Arboretum in Juneau. (Photo courtesy of the Jensen-Olson Arboretum).https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GT-for-May-17.mp3
Spring is in bloom at Juneau’s Jensen-Olson Arboretum.
Ginger Hudson manages the arboretum, a city-owned garden located out the road just pass the Shrine of St. Therese. She spoke with KTOO’s Garden Talk about spring planting and upcoming events at the arboretum for Alaska Native Plant Month.
“In the Lower 48, Native

Advertisem*nt

Alaska lawmakers expand food stamp program with goal of preventing hunger, application backlogs

Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, stares at a pile stack of budget amendments on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
More Alaskans will be able to access food stamps following lawmakers’ vote to expand eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday night.
The change comes after more than a year of extreme delays in food stamp distribution across the state that left thousands of vulnerable Alaskans without aid for months at a time, drivi

A look at some of the bills that failed to pass the Alaska Legislature this year

Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, listens to discussion on the Senate floor on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
In the last days of their two-year session, Alaska lawmakers passed dozens of bills on topics ranging from Juneteenth to carbon dioxide.
While legislators will surely count their successes in the months before this year’s legislative elections, some high-priority items and hundreds of smaller bills failed to pass through the Capitol and must start anew w

Where do the Foodland ravens roost?

A raven sits on the roof of the Foodland grocery store on Thursday, May 16 2024. (Photo by Anna Canny/KTOO)https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/16CJravens-new.wav
Marc Wheeler lives in downtown Juneau, close to the Foodland grocery store. He often stops there for lunch. That’s when he sees the parking lot’s resident ravens.
“I’ll be like walking while I eat it, and they’ll literally follow you like a gang of thugs,” Wheeler said. “Cause they

Newscast – Thursday, May 16, 2024

https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20230516-News-Update.mp3
In this newscast:An affordable housing project built specifically for people in recovery from substance misuse received funding support from the Juneau Assembly this week.
KTOO reporter Anna Canny sought out where ravens roost in Juneau in this week’s Curious Juneau episode.
A 91-year-old cruise tourist is suing the Ketchikan Borough for negligence after his mobility scooter tipped over on a public bus.

Advertisem*nt

Some Juneau schools will have later start times next year

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé in Feb. 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)
The Juneau School District’s consolidation plan for next fall means some students and parents will have to spend extra time traveling each day to get to school.
To accommodate that, the Juneau School Board voted on Tuesday to slightly change the start times for some grade levels.
While all elementary school start times will remain the same next year, middle school and high school will shift to begin

Bill will allow higher insurance reimbursem*nts for injured commercial fishermen

Vessels at the Homer Harbor. (Sean McDermott/KBBI)
Injured commercial fishermen and boat owners in Alaska will now be able to access higher insurance reimbursem*nts, thanks toSenate Bill 93, which was signed into law last month.
The bill was sponsored by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, which Nikiski Republican Sen. Jesse Bjorkman chairs. It concerns the fishermen’s fund, which was established pre-statehood as a service to commercial fishermen who are injured while fishing. I

New study says social media drives visitation in National Parks, especially in Alaska

Brooks Falls at Katmai National Park and Preserve (Brian Venua/KMXT)
More and more, National Parks are using social media to boost visitor numbers and amplify their conservation efforts. A new study found that it’s working- with the help of everyday visitors. Parks with high social media exposure saw a significant increase in visitor traffic, and that effect was especially noticeable in Alaska.https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/NatParks-1-C.mp3
Casey Wichman is the author of

State lawmakers wrapped up their four-month session last night. Here’s what they did.

Lawmakers leave the House chamber after adjourning sine die in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)
After 121 days in Juneau, state lawmakers have concluded their work. That’s after passing dozens of bills and finalizing the state’s operating budget for the fiscal year that begins this July.
The budget, if signed into law by the governor, would provide Alaskans a payment of roughly $1,655 this fall, including a $1,360 Permanent Fund divi

U.S. Forest Service considers higher fees for new Alaska cabins

Petersburg resident, Brian Richards, stands outside of West Point Cabin located on the north side of Kupreanof Island on May 4, 2024. (Photo by Ola Richards)
The U.S. Forest Service is planning to build a few dozen new cabins in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in the coming years. The agency is proposing higher fees – $75 a night – to help keep up with the increased cost of maintenance.https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/15CabinFees.mp3
Life-long Petersburg res

Juneau Assembly OKs $2M grant for low-income supportive housing project

This is a conceptual design for Gastineau Human Service’s proposed 51-unit permanent supportive housing project in the Lemon Creek area. (City and Borough of Juneau)
An affordable housing project built specifically for people in recovery from substance misuse received funding support from the Juneau Assembly this week.
On Monday, the Assembly unanimously approved a grant of $2 million to Gastineau Human Services, a local nonprofit that works to help people affected by homelessness or

Bill to ban toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foams passes Alaska House and Senate

Sen. Jesse Kiehl, D-Juneau, during a Senate floor session on May 15, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)
A bill to ban harmful “forever chemicals” in firefighting foams passed the Alaska House and Senate by wide margins Wednesday. Now it’s on the way to Gov. Mike Dunleavy to be signed into law.
The legislation was sponsored by Democratic Senator Jesse Kiehl of Juneau. It prohibits the use of firefighting foams containing a class of man-made chemicals known as PFAS, which have polluted

Newscast – Wednesday, May15, 2024

https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240515-News-Update.mp3
In this newscast:Ketchikan community members are pushing back against the planned construction of a market downtown which would feature two totem poles made by a non-Native Minnesota artist with a checkered past,
A look at what’s planned for this years Little Norway Festival in Petersburg

Juneau Afternoon: Grammy-award-winning group Imani Winds to play Juneau Jazz and Classics Spring Festival

Imani Winds will play the Juneau Jazz and Classics Spring Festival on Friday, May 17, 2024 (Photo via Imani Winds)Wednesday, May 15, 2024 — Full EpisodeOn today’s program:Grammy-award-winning music group IMANI WINDS – Juneau Jazz and Classics Spring FestivalFriday, May 17, at Chapel by the Lake“Better Speech and Hearing” month with Bartlett Regional HospitalFor more information, call the Speech Pathology department at 907-796-8431Preview of the Law Enforcement Torch

State opens applications for Kuskokwim River breakup flooding relief funds

Breakup flooding is seen in the lower Kuskokwim River community of Kwethluk on May 12, 2024. (From National Weather Service)
Breakup has wrapped up on the Kuskokwim River, a week after a series of massive ice floes began wreaking havoc on multiple lower-river communities. Now, individuals affected by flooding have the opportunity toapplyfor disaster relief funding.
Early this week, the RiverWatch team flew far downriver from Bethel in search of the breakup front. But National Weather

DOJ says Boeing broke deal that avoided prosecution after 2 fatal 737 Max crashes

The U.S. Justice Department says Boeing broke a deferred prosecution deal with the government following a pair of fatal 737 Max crashes more than five years ago. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Boeing has violated theterms of a deal to avoid prosecutionafter the fatal crashes oftwo 737 Max planesmore than five years ago, the U.S. Justice Department told a federal judge on Tuesday.
That means the troubled plane maker could be subject to criminal prosecution

Last-ditch attempt to return Alaska teacher, public employee pensions fails on Senate floor

Sen. Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage, speaks on a pension amendment Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
A late-session attempt to salvage a proposal that would revive public employee pensions in Alaska died on Tuesday. A simple bill aimed at attracting and retaining more teachers briefly became a vehicle to get the Senate-approved pension program to the House floor.
The Senate approved apension billin January that didn’t advance in the House, and there hasn&

Suzanne LaFrance poised to be Anchorage’s first elected female mayor

Anchorage mayoral candidate Suzanne LaFrance at her campaign party at Williwaw Social on Tuesday. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)
Suzanne LaFrance is poised to unseat incumbent Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and become the city’s first elected female mayor.
Partial,unofficial election night resultsTuesday show the former Anchorage Assembly chair leading Bronson by 9.8%.
There are still thousands of ballots left to count, but the lead will be difficult for Bronson to overcome.

Juneau Afternoon: SheJumps and Juneau Mountain Rescue offer first ever ‘Wild Skills Search and Rescue’ day camp

SheJumps and Juneau Mountain Rescue “Wild Skills Junior Search and Rescue” scheduled for June 8, 2024 in Juneau. (Image via SheJumps)Tuesday, May 14, 2024 — Full EpisodeOn today’s program:Information for artists on the upcoming Picture This “Freedom for All” showOpening on Friday, June 7 at Picture ThisArtists interested in being involved can call Dez at 907-463-3700Details on the Last Chance Mining Museum Sourdough ContestSaturday, May 18 at Last Chance Minin

Newscast – Tuesday, May 14, 2024

https://media.ktoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/20240514-News-Update.mp3
In this newscast:The Juneau Assembly approved the school district’s more than $85 million budget for next school year last night,
Budget negotiators in the Alaska Legislature have settled on the amount of this year’s Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief check,
Since statehood, Alaska has not had the death penalty, but the men who were last executed here shouldn’t be forgotten

With staff layoffs pending, Juneau Assembly approves school district budget

The Juneau School District building at Harborview Elementary School. (Photo by Bridget Dowd/ KTOO)
The Juneau Assembly unanimously approved the school district’s more than $85 million budget for next school year at a meeting Monday night.
The move comes after months of turmoil and difficult decisions as the district faced a nearly $10 million deficit. The approved budget plan is funded via city, state and federal dollars.
Superintendent Frank Hauser said it’s a relief to

Juneau’s municipal attorney will resign in August

City and Borough of Juneau Attorney Robert Palmer at an Assembly meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)
Juneau Municipal Attorney Robert Palmer is leaving his job with the City and Borough of Juneau later this summer to take a position with a private law firm.
City Manager Katie Koester announced his coming resignation during an Assembly meeting Monday night.
“Huge shoes to fill – we’re super excited of course for him and the next adventure – but boy

Alaska hasn’t executed anyone in over 70 years. The stories of the last two men hanged in Juneau may explain why.

Headlines from Alaska newspapers in the late 1940s covering the trials of Austin Nelson and Eugene LaMoore. (Library of Congress/KTOO)
When Mary Lou Spartz was a senior at Juneau High School in 1948, she says she could hear the sounds of construction at the federal jail a block away from her classroom on 5th and Main Street.
“We didn’t talk about it,” Spartz said. “But you’d sit in class and you’d hear the pounding on that building, and you couldn’

Alaska lawmakers settle on roughly $1,650 Permanent Fund dividend, energy relief amount

Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, speaks with Rep. DeLena Johnson, R-Palmer, ahead of the final meeting of the budget conference committee on May 14, 2024. (Eric Stone/Alaska Public Media)
Budget negotiators in the Alaska Legislature have settled on the amount of this year’s Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief check. Alaskans would receive approximately $1,655 this fall if approved by the House and Senate in a final up-or-down vote expected Wednesday, the final day of the legislative sessi

Multi-boat fire at Douglas Harbor displaces resident, causing $500K in damages

A fire engulfs a boat at the Douglas Harbor on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Capital City Fire/Rescue)
A fire that spread to three boats at the Douglas Harbor Monday evening displaced one liveaboard resident and caused more than half a million dollars in damages.
Capital City Fire/Rescue Assistant Chief Dan Jager said the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
“The main boat that was on fire first is completely destroyed. There’s some of the hull left that had never sank

Ketchikan residents protest imitation totem poles carved by convicted murderer

Demonstrators listen as Willard Jackson shares a story and song at a May 5 protest. (Michael Fanelli/KRBD)
Several dozen people gathered in the rain last week across the street from a coned-off Ketchikan property. They held signs saying “No Fake Totem Poles” and “Protect Indigenous Artists.” They faced a small construction vehicle sitting atop a pile of rubble spilling onto two carved, wooden poles.
Leaders from a number of Native groups turned out for the May 5 protest,

Alaska lawmakers approve task force to consider responses to seafood industry ‘implosion’

Fishing boats line the docks in Kodiak’s St. Paul Harbor on Oct. 2, 2022. Fish-harvesting employment has been declining since 2015, with multiple factors at play, according to an Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development analysis. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
A special legislative panel is to make recommendations about state policies to rescue Alaska’s seafood industry, a major pillar of the economy that is mired in crisis, under a bill that won final passage over