With Ravn ending a couple of its Kenai routes at the end of October, and Grant Aviation picking up some the slack, Kenai Aviation sees opportunity in its home turf, but it will mean ending service to Homer.
Kenai Aviation will focus its energy on the Kenai aviation needs at the end of December. Aleutian Airways will pick up the Homer routes that Kenai Aviation serviced, in a cooperative agreement between the two airlines, the announcement said.
“Facing increased demand and the challenge of connecting more people to more places, we recognize that the current flight services must evolve. Kenai Aviation is rising to met this challenge head-on, adapting our offerings to not only meet, but exceed the expectations of our community’s travel needs,” the company said in an announcement on social media.
When Ravn scaled back in Kenai, Kenai Aviation said it would add 14 more flights per week. Meanwhile, Aleutian Airways had added several flights to Homer this fall.
“In a collaborative effort that celebrates the best of Alaskan air service, Aleutian Airways will now take the controls for the skies of Homer. Their proven excellence in aviation ensures a seamless transition, while we at Kenai Aviation set our sights on expanding and refining our core routes. This change is a win-win for our community and air providers alike, ensuring top-tier service no matter where you’re traveling,” Kenai Aviation said on its website.
Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, has obtained 112 pages of Secret Service records related to the discovery of cocaine inside the Biden White House.
The records, received through a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, reveal detailed information about the incident, which occurred in July 2023 in the West Wing of the White House.
– The records describe the discovery of a white powdery substance, later confirmed as cocaine, in a West Wing phone locker on July 2, 2023. The cocaine was discovered while the Biden family was at Camp David for the Fourth of July weekend, but after Hunter Biden had been in the area.
– DHS withheld 34 pages in full, citing the “foreseeable harm” standard and/or the Privacy Act. This suggests that the disclosure of these pages could harm interests protected by legal exemptions.
– The documents include investigative photos, a Secret Service crime scene examination report, and emails regarding the incident. The cocaine was found near the West Executive entrance of the White House.
– An incident report details the involvement of the Secret Service Crime Scene Search Unit, the DC Hazmat team, and the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate in handling the substance, initially undetermined.
– The investigation, lasting 12 days, revealed the substance as a mixture of cocaine and sodium bicarbonate. However, DNA tests did not identify the individual responsible for the cocaine’s presence in the White House. A July 10 email indicates that no identifiable prints were found on the bag.
– A July 3 email from a person in the Technical Security Division whose name is redacted states: Starting time Approx 1745 [5:45 p.m.] UD [Uniform Division] advised of a small ziploc bag approximately less than 1″ in by 1″ in the cell phone lockers by [redacted] was confident it was drug related thus the phone call to UD CRIME SCENE.”
– The report states that on July 14, the cocaine was logged for destruction.
An email from the division mentions the initial discovery and assessment of the substance.
A report from the U.S. Secret Service Foreign Missions Branch confirms the identification of the substance as cocaine by the FBI laboratory.
Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, criticized the Biden administration for its handling of the situation. Fitton expressed skepticism about the administration’s inability to determine the individual responsible for bringing cocaine into the West Wing, highlighting the lack of detailed documentation on the investigation’s progress.
The newly released documents raise questions about security and conduct within the White House. The lack of identification of the responsible individual and the incomplete documentation of the investigation suggest potential gaps in internal security protocols or a coverup.
Judicial Watch is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability, and integrity in government, politics, and the law. Judicial Watch advocates high standards of ethics and morality in our nation’s public life and seeks to ensure that political and judicial officials do not abuse the powers entrusted to them by the American people. Judicial Watch fulfills its educational mission through litigation, investigations, and public outreach.
The first-ever Miss Gay Alaska pageant on Nov. 18 went off without a hitch in Juneau, organized by promoter and Juneau drag queen artist Gigi Monroe.
Miss Gay America bills itself as an event “WHERE BOYS ARE BOYS…AND FEMALE IMPERSONATION IS AN ART!” according to its website.
It’s a pageant not for gays so much as for drag queens, which come in all types of men who impersonate women.
Lamia Monroe of Anchorage won the title of Miss Gay Alaska America after a two-night competition event at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. Monroe works at Mad Myrna’s in Anchorage, a nightclub popular with the LGBTQ+ community.
Of the five contestants, two will proceed to the national competition. Roughly 30 states hold drag queen pageants that are part of the Miss Gay America organization, which itself was founded in 1972. Stage named Miss Guise (Richard Jay Carter) will join Lamia Monroe at the national competition, Jan. 16-19 in Little Rock, Ark.
On Monday, Nov. 20, the White House press secretary made a special note of it being Transgender Remembrance Day.
“Now, today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we grieve the 26 transgender Americans who were killed this year. Year after year, we see that these victims are disproportionately Black women and women of color. No one should face violence, live in fear, or be discriminated against simply for being themselves,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for President Joe Biden.
“As the President said, there’s still more to do to meet the promise. And it’s why this administration has taken urgent action to strengthen rights and protect the safety of transgender Americans and all LGBTQ+ Americans. As we mourn the loss of lives that have been taken too soon, we must also recommit ourselves to never stop fighting until all Americans can live free from discrimination and also from hate,” she said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska has filed a class action lawsuit against the Alaska Department of Corrections for the denial of religious accommodations for Muslim people detained at Anchorage Correctional Complex.
William Jamal Gary has been in pre-trial custody at ACC on charges of murder since February 2022. Gary is accused of shooting and killing Kaupoe Magalei Jr., 30, inside Al’s Alaskan Inn, a bar on Old Seward Highway in Anchorage on Feb. 27, 2022. There are three charges against him, including first degree murder.
Gary says he is a practicing Muslim and is bringing the class action on behalf of all current and future Muslims detained at ACC.
He says the prison staff have refused him permission to wear his kufi, which is a type of skullcap, and have refused to accommodate his prayer needs, and made anti-Muslim comments towards Gary.
Islamic law does not require followers to wear a kufi at any time, including prayer; it is considered optional.
The ACLU says the actions of the department violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and “has unconstitutionally infringed on equal protection guarantees and religious freedom rights under the U.S. and Alaska Constitutions.
“Throughout his life, he prayed daily on a prayer rug and maintained regular practices in accordance with the Hadith – an Islamic text with instructions on how to live one’s life,” according to the ACLU.
Originally, Gary and other Muslim detainees were permitted to wear a kufi in all parts of the prison. But Anchorage Correctional Center staff has, has, for over a year, required them to have their heads uncovered outside the housing unit, citing security reasons, despite Gary offering to have his kufi searched, according to the claims made in the lawsuit.
The ACLU argues that other facilities allow inmates to wear religious headwear. Gary has refused to attend doctor’s appointments for an injured hand unless he can wear his kufi outside of his housing unit.
Similar lawsuits around the country have led to prison reforms that allow the wearing of religious headwear such as kufis.
Other details surrounding ACC staff’s denial of reasonable accommodations can be found in the complaint.
A blizzard dumping inches of snow every hour in Juneau has closed the State of Alaska office buildings in the Capital City. Schools are closed for the day after lunch, according to the Juneau School District, which posted a note that says, “Due to increasing winds and blowing snow in much of the Juneau area, the district will be closing early.” Elementary schools will let out at 1 pm, middle schools at 1:30 pm, and high schools will release students at 2:15 pm.
The City and Borough of Juneau has also closed its offices for the day, including those in Douglas.
Due to high winds and low visibility, CBJ Downtown and Douglas offices and facilities will close at 11:00 a.m. today, Monday, November 20.
Affected facilities include City Hall, the Downtown Juneau Public Library, Juneau-Douglas City Museum, Treadwell Arena, the Permit Center, and Zach Gordon Youth Center.
Capital Transit is running on winter routes, with service suspended on Cordova Street, Franklin and Fourth Street downtown. For more information, visit juneaucapitaltransit.org.
It’s the first big major weather event of the winter season for Juneau, which could get up to 15 inches of snow today.
In addition to heavy snow and wind causing difficult travel, there’s an avalanche alert for the slide-prone Thane Road, issued by the Alaska Department of Transportation: :Strong winds combined with heavy snowfall at higher elevations will significantly increase the avalanche hazard above Thane Road the next few days.” The road may be closed on and off as the department tries to mitigate any avalanches.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined six other sitting governors who have endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election.
The endorsement came as Trump returned to the U.S.-Mexico border at Edinburg, Texas on Sunday to give support to Texas National Guard soldiers, Texas Department of Public Safety officers, and the other service members trying to provide border security.
“I’m here to tell you that there is no way, no way that America can continue under the leadership of Joe Biden as our president. We need a president who’s going to secure the border,” Abbott said, as he introduced the former president.
“We need a president who is going to restore law and order in the United States of America, not letting these criminals run ransack over the stores that you see images of almost nightly,” Abbott said. “We need a president who is going to restore world peace, as opposed to this outbreak of warfare under Joe Biden. We need Donald J. Trump back as our President of the United States of America.I’m here to officially proclaim my endorsement for Donald J. Trump to be President of the United States of America again!”
Trump said the nomination meant a lot to him. He now has seven of the 26 sitting Republican governors in his camp, or 27% of all the Republican governors.
“You’re not going to have to worry about the border anymore, governor. You’re not going to have to worry about the border in Texas or Arizona or anywhere else,” Trump said.
During the three years of the Biden Administration, more than five million arrests of illegal immigrants have been made at the porous and uncontrolled border. The migrants are coming from all over the world, including the Middle East. Abbott is preparing to sign SB4, allowing state or local law enforcement to arrest anyone illegally crossing the border and allocating $1.5 billion to border security in Texas.
Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security initiative has made him an enemy of the Biden Administration.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska had endorsed Trump three months earlier than Abbott, and is said to be in line for a cabinet position if Trump wins the presidency in 2024. Other sitting governors who have endorsed Trump include Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia, Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, and Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi.
Lieutenant governors and Secretaries of State who have endorsed Trump include these 10:
Will Ainsworth, Lieutenant Governor of Alabama
Andrew Bailey, Attorney General of Missouri
Pamela Evette, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
Mark Hammond, Secretary of State of South Carolina
Delbert Hosemann, Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
Burt Jones, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
Mike Kehoe, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri
Frank LaRose, Secretary of State of Ohio
Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Mark Robinson, Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Nov. 21, 2023, 1 pm update: Initial indications are that 29-year-old Saina Fa’atoafe fatally shot an adult woman in the Walmart parking lot and then took his own life. No one else was involved, police said.Since this is a domestic violence-related crime, the woman victim’s name will not be released by police.
Anchorage Police responded to reports of a shooting at the parking lot of Dimond Walmart at about 5:11 pm on Sunday. Police found an adult female and an adult male dead of gunshot wounds.
Police asked people to avoid the area. The shooting suspect or suspects have not been found and the store has been closed for the evening, with a crime scene that extends across the parking lot. Officers said they have cause to believe this is an isolated incident and found a firearm at the scene.
Earlier in the day, a man was found shot dead in downtown Anchorage. At 3:14 am, Anchorage Police mid-shift officers responded to the area of North Bragaw Street and Thompson Avenue, where an adult male victim was located outside and transported by fire department medics to a local hospital, where he was declared deceased.
A suspect in that shooting has been detained, police reported.
Former longtime Juneau civic leader Les V. Spickler died Nov. 4, 2023 in Olympia, Wash. at the age of 93.
He was born in Hemet, Calif. July 21, 1930 and grew up in Chehalis, Wash., graduating from Chehalis High School in 1948.
Les married his High School sweetheart Betty Gifford in 1949. He worked for Northern Commercial Company in Washington which brought the couple to Juneau before statehood, in 1959.
He helped form Alaska Pacific Assurance Company and lived in Anchorage, Boise, and Snohomish. He began his final career with New York Life in 1983. His son Scott joined him in 1984 and his daughter Linda in 1987. He enjoyed helping his clients, many who became long time friends.
Les served on the Juneau School Board, was president of the Bartlett Memorial Hospital Board, was active with the State Chamber, and Rotary Club. He served on the Alaska Pipeline Education Committee where he travelled across the country promoting the Alaska Pipeline Construction Project.
He shared his great sense of humor throughout his life with his many friends in Alaska and Washington. If a suggestion was made to him and he responded, “That’s a good idea, I’ll think about it,” that was his polite way of saying thanks, but no thanks.
In 2003 Les retired and he and Betty moved to Tumwater, Wash. Les continued to be an an active member of his Homeowner’s Association. He enjoyed sports and was an avid Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies fan. He enjoyed attending many Chehalis High School football and baseball games.
He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel and Mary Spickler, and his wife Betty, sons in laws Dennis Egan and Jim Vigesaa.
He is survived by his sister Arlyss Bell, daughter Linda Egan, his daughter Teri Vigessa, his son Scott (Sandy) Spickler, his daughter Coral Spickler, granddaughter’s Jill (Sandy) Egan-Vergano, Leslie (Tyler) Malstrom, grandsons Patrick (Kellie) Rhodes, Kyle (Stacee) Spickler, Kasen (Amanda) Spickler and ten great-grand children.
“He was a wonderful Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, and husband to Betty. Most of all he was a terrific role model and we will miss him dearly,” the family wrote.
The sun has set in Utqiagvik for the winter, and will not be seen over the horizon for another 65 days.
For the month of November, America’s most northern community has lost a total of six hours as it headed into the Big Dark, more than a month before the official start date for winter. The sun rises again on Jan. 23, 2024.
Southeast of Utqiagvik is Deadhorse, also above the Arctic Circle, and the work center for Prudhoe Bay oil fields. The sun will set there on Nov. 24 for the winter.
Airport view to the south in Deadhorse on Nov. 19, 2023 at 3:44 pm. Photo credit: FAA camera.
