Coast Guard aircrews medevaced two people from Dry Bay Airstrip, approximately 30 miles southeast of Yakutat after their plane crashed, Tuesday.
A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew arrived on scene and transported two people with critical back injuries to Yakutat, and Yakutat Police Department transported a third person in critical condition with breathing issues to Yakutat.
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130 Hercules aircrew then embarked the three patients and transported them to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport where they were taken by Anchorage EMS to Providence Alaska Medical Center and Alaska Native Medical Center.
A good Samaritan transported the fourth person reported to be in stable condition with minor injuries to medical care in Yakutat.
Coast Guard 17th District watchstanders received an emergency locator transmitter alert at approximately 3:15 p.m. and Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center personnel received phone calls from good Samaritans reporting that a Dehavilland DHC-3 fixed-wing single engine plane carrying four people had crashed.
The cause of the incident is under investigation. The N number on the plane indicates it is owned by Hans Munich of Yakutat Coastal Airlines in Yakutat.
“The great work of Air Stations Sitka and Kodiak to provide critical rescue services to these crash survivors in Yakutat speaks volumes about the professionalism and expertise of the pilots and aircrews,” said Capt. Alan McCabe Coast Guard 17th District chief of response.
The rescue that was coordinated by two air stations was all the more noteworthy because Air Station Kodiak was simultaneously using a second C-130 for to search for a possible missing mariner from a skiff in Cook Inlet while Air Station Sitka sent an MH-60 helicopter to assist the survivors of this plane crash in Yakutat.
The local service professionals in Yakutat were also critical to help the survivors and their expertise and teamwork are commended. We are extremely proud of the women and men across these two air stations that made this case happen so seamlessly to assist these survivors in such a challenging remote location.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 10 Office announced another effort to ban any mining in the Pebble Mine area of Western Alaska.
The agency proposes that under the 1972 Clean Water Act Section 404(c), it will stop associated activity, such as the storage of dredged material from the Pebble Deposit, an area rich in gold and copper. The prohibition on storing mined rock and gravel effectively kills the ability to mine.
The last time the agency did this, under the Obama Administration, the matter ended up in litigation for years.
“This is clearly a giant step backwards for the Biden Administration’s climate change goals,” said John Shively, CEO of Pebble Partnership. “I find it ironic that the President is using the Defense Production Act to get more renewable energy minerals such as copper into production while others in the Administration seek political ways to stop domestic mining projects such as ours.”
Shively said the company is actively working through the established permitting process with its appeal of the Army Corps of Engineers’ permit denial, and opposes any action that is outside of that process.
“This preemptive effort is clearly a political maneuver to attempt to block our ability to work through that established process,” Shively said. “Further, the Army Corps of Engineers published an Environmental Impact Statement for Pebble in 2020 with input from many agencies including the EPA that states that the project can be done without harm to the region’s fisheries. The EIS further notes the tremendous economic opportunity the project represents for the communities around Iliamna Lake where year-round jobs are scarce, and the cost of living is very high. We still need an opportunity to review the specific details that will be in the preemptive veto action. It is also worth noting that there are several additional internal steps that the EPA must follow before anything is final including a public comment period and a decision by the Assistant Administrator.”
The company said that the Pebble Project remains an important domestic source for the minerals necessary for the Biden Administration to reach its green energy goals and “if it blocks Pebble it will have to seek minerals to meet its goals from foreign sources which simply do not have the same environmental standards as we do.”
But the EPA says Bristol Bay supports one of the world’s most important salmon fisheries, and this mine puts that all at risk.
The new Regional Administrator for EPA Region 10 Casey Sixkiller said, “Two decades of scientific study show us that mining the Pebble Deposit would cause permanent damage to an ecosystem that supports a renewable economic powerhouse and has sustained fishing cultures since time immemorial. Clearly, Bristol Bay and the thousands of people who rely on it deserve the highest level of protection.”
Sixkiller is a radical social justice warrior appointed by President Biden.
The Proposed Determination issued by EPA’s Region 10 evaluates an extensive record of scientific and technical information that spans nearly two decades. The Proposed Determination finds that the discharge of dredged or fill material associated with mining the Pebble Deposit could result in unacceptable adverse effects on salmon fishery areas in certain waters within the Bristol Bay watershed, the EPA said.
Leila Kimbrell, executive director for the Resource Development Council of Alaska, released the following statement in response:
“Today’s announcement by the EPA to revisit the 404(c) preemptive veto process for the Pebble Project is concerning in light of the 2020 Environmental Impact Statement determination that the project could be done without harm to the fisheries. In 2013, RDC opposed EPA’s initial preemptive veto of the Project under the 404(c) process and cautioned against its use. RDC has long advocated for a sound, science-backed regulatory permitting process for any development project in Alaska. This is in line with RDC’s decades old mission to support a strong Alaska economy and private sector diversity through the responsible development of Alaska’s natural resources, which includes our fishing as well as our mining, oil & gas, timber, and tourism industries. Going forward, RDC will monitor the EPA’s newly announced process to revisit the 404(c) process for this project, including any additional information that may come to light as the full scope of this process plays out over the coming months.”
Public comments and public hearings are set through July 5.
A proposed ordinance that gives the Anchorage Assembly the ability to impeach the mayor of Anchorage drew plenty of public interest at Tuesday’s regular Assembly meeting, where AO 2022-60 had its first public hearing.
There was a large and discontented crowd attending that was reminiscent of the public that protested during the summer of 2020, when the Assembly went into lockdown mode, and would not let the public witness proceedings as they passed ordinance after controversial ordinance, including shutdown mandates, mask mandates, and massive expenditures on a homelessness industrial complex.
The current controversial ordinance, drafted by a contract attorney who works at the behest of the Assembly’s radical majority, lays out the path for the Assembly to replace the mayor with Suzanne LaFrance, the chair of the Anchorage Assembly. Attorney Bill Falsey’s draft is sponsored by Assembly Vice Chair Chris Constant, who would then become the chair of the Assembly. Falsey, a former city attorney and former municipal manager under former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, unsuccessfully ran against Mayor Dave Bronson last year.
The item was placed at the end of the lengthy agenda on Tuesday and the public wasn’t able to testify on it until over five and a half hours into the meeting. It was the last item of business for the night and it wasn’t until after 10:30 pm when those remaining in the Assembly Chamber were allowed to make their three-minute statements. Nearly all were opposed to the ordinance.
Assemblywoman Jamie Allard moved that the meeting be extended to midnight to allow as much of the testimony as possible, since people had waited for hours. That motion passed.
Then, attorney Mario Bird stepped to the public podium to discuss the ordinance. Assemblywoman Jamie Allard asked Bird to clarify if he thought that the Assembly’s attorney Dean Gates was giving the Assembly sound advice.
That was the last straw for Assemblywoman LaFrance, who said the line of questioning was out of order. Then, because of general booing and jeering from the audience, Vice Chair Constant abruptly called for the meeting to adjourn and without going to midnight, as previously agreed upon, the meeting was quickly ended over the objections of the conservative minority — Allard, Kevin Cross, and Randy Sulte. Booing and jeering could be heard throughout the auditorium until the video feed was cut at about 11:05 pm.
The matter will come up again at the June 1 regular meeting of the Assembly.
Alaska State Senate President Peter Micciche has announced he will not seek reelection in 2022. Sen. Micciche served three terms in the Alaska State Senate beginning in 2013. During a 35-year private sector career, he served on the Soldotna City Council, as Soldotna’s mayor from 2008-2013, and will have represented District O on the Kenai from 2013 until his term ends in January 2023.
During more than a decade as a senator, Micciche has served on every Senate standing committee, special committee, and Finance sub-committee. He served as chairman or vice-chairman on all but two of the standing committees.
Senator Micciche said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the interests of the people of the Kenai at the state level for the past three terms. My work has been dedicated to bringing Alaskans together. Knowing I had the trust of the community for so many years and leaving the Senate institution as the presiding officer with the trust of Senate members means so much to me. Serving in the Legislature has been an amazing journey. Whether defending individual District O constituents on state issues or upholding the interests of all Alaskans through a statewide view, my objectives have been to provide for a better Alaska. I am eternally grateful for the immense support.”
Tuckerman Babcock, a well-known Republican from Soldotna, has filed for the seat, as has school teacher and Kenai Assemblyman Jesse Bjorkman.
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Biden prepares to hand over health sovereignty to WHO The administration wrote the agreement to allow WHO to dictate the lockdowns and quarantines. Read more here.
Again: Biden jet touched down for fuel after Japan, Korea Temporary flight restrictions grounded some flights on Tuesday around Southcentral. Read more here.
Biden calls for more gun control After shooting in Texas, Joe Biden recycles attack on gun lobby, Second Amendment. He says they don’t have shootings in Japan or Korea, strongly implying we should be like them. Read more here. To be clear, no one may own a gun in Japan Other than the police and the military, no one in Japan may purchase a handgun or a rifle. Hunters and target shooters may possess shotguns and airguns under strictly circumscribed conditions. The police check gun licensees’ ammunition inventory to make sure there are no shells or pellets unaccounted for. Despite endorsements from Palin, Trump, Perdue loses to Kemp in Ga. The endorsements may have hurt Palin and Trump. It was Kemp by a landslide.Read more here. Alaska Supreme Court says Democrat map must prevail for 2022 election The best argument has just been made by the Supreme Court itself for a Constitutional Convention in Alaska to restructure the judiciary. Read more here. Anchorage Assembly hearing Tuesday: Can Assembly remove mayor? Update: The meeting was a little intense for Assemblyman Chris Constant, who wants this path to remove the mayor, and there will be a story this morning on the web. Read more here.
Little known fact: Parents have a right to stop the grooming of their kids in school Check out his law that was passed in 2016 in Alaska. Read more here.
Gross, Sweeney, Begich saturating radio, TV Take a look at who is spending how much during the final two weeks of congressional campaign. Read more here.
Kelly for Alaska hires new campaign manager Coming from Trump World, he’s new to Alaska, will work for Tshibaka. Read more here.
Breaking: Dunleavy and Dahlstrom is the ticket for governor The governor names his running mate. If she can run Corrections, can she run Elections? Read more here.
First monkeypox case — presumptive — in King County, Wash. The mysterious rise of another scary disease hits Ground Zero for where Covid started in the U.S. Must be an election year. Read more here.
Sara Rasmussen won’t run for reelection, leaving Matt Claman unopposed The whole Juneau thing is hard on young families. It took its toll. Read more here.
Bob Herron has filed to run for District 38 Tiffany Zulkosky is not running again for the Bethel seat. Herron, who was a Democrat, served in that role until upended by Democrats in 2016. Read more here.
Notes from the trail: Palin gets endorsed by Ted Nugent The aging rock star is longtime pal of the former governor. Read more here.
Check Must Read Alaska later today for a new edition of “Notes from the trail.”
Two lawyers nominated for Ketchikan Superior Court The governor must pick one of the two. He has very little choice in judgeships. Read more here.
Emergency Ordinance Establishes Criminal Penalty for Open Burning During Suspended Periods An emergency ordinance was passed Tuesday establishing a misdemeanor criminal offense for open burning during suspended or prohibited periods. The emergency ordinance states that it is unlawful for any person to cause open burning on property of another person at a time when open burning is suspended or prohibited, or to permit any open burning on public land to continue in that person’s presence without calling emergency services, when open burning is suspended or prohibited.
A violation would result in a class A misdemeanor and is punishable up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. An additional ordinance was introduced to make this codified in Anchorage Municipal Code that is set for public hearing on June 7.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp easily won his primary challenge from former U.S. Sen. David Perdue. The race was watched nationally, with former President Donald Trump endorsing Perdue, and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traveling to Georgia last week to try to close the gap between the two frontrunner Republican candidates.
Kemp leads Perdue by more than 200,000 votes at last count, with Kemp winning 73.6 percent of the Republican vote — 859,985 votes — to Perdue’s 21.9 percent, or 256,237 votes.
Former Vice President Mike Pence had endorsed Kemp in the race that has been seen as a bellwether for Trump’s influence in other races this year. Trump has endorsed Kelly Tshibaka in Alaska, who is running against Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Both are Republicans, and Murkowski has the endorsement, money, and support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump has also endorsed Palin in her race to fill Alaska’s lone congressional seat.
Kemp will continue on to the general election, where he will face radical leftist, Black Lives Matter activist Stacey Abrams, who is running as a Democrat. After narrowing losing the race for Georgia governor in 2018 to Kemp, Abrams ran unopposed this time in the Democrat primary and got just 678,303 votes, while the five Republican candidates in the race had a combined total of more than 1,179,543 votes.
President Joe Biden, visibly weary and reading haltingly from a teleprompter, expressed grief and sympathy for the families and friends of those who died in Texas during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. An 18-year-old man entered the school and killed 19 children and two adults.
Biden told an incomprehensible joke about how there aren’t deer wearing kevlar vests in Texas, and he blamed the “gun lobby” for fighting what he calls reasonable gun legislation. He said, “We must do more” to crack down on weapons and he noted the fact that he had just been in Japan and Korea, where they do not have such gun violence.
“Why are we willing to live with this carnage?” he asked the camera.
On Tuesday morning, Salvador Ramos first shot his grandmother, then crashed his car near the school. He engaged in a shootout with police, who chased him into the school, which he was able to enter even though it was locked down. He had on him a “handgun and possibly a rifle,” according to Texas officials. The number of dead is now at 21.
“As soon as he made entry into the school he started shooting children, teachers, whoever was in his way, he was shooting everybody,” said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement following the shooting:
“Texans across the state are grieving for the victims of this senseless crime and for the community of Uvalde. Cecilia and I mourn this horrific loss and we urge all Texans to come together to show our unwavering support to all who are suffering. We thank the courageous first responders who worked to finally secure Robb Elementary School. I have instructed the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers to work with local law enforcement to fully investigate this crime. The Texas Division of Emergency Management is charged with providing local officials all resources necessary to respond to this tragedy as the State of Texas works to ensure the community has what it needs to heal.”
Biden, during remarks in which he appeared frail and exasperated, said Congress must “do something,” but he didn’t say what Congress could have done to prevent this specific crime.
Tucker Carlson, on his Fox News show, said, “The president of the United States, frail, confused, bitterly partisan, desecrating the memory of recently murdered children with tired talking points of the Democratic Party, dividing the country in a moment of deep pain rather than uniting.”
The Alaska Legislature in 2016 passed House Bill 156, legislation empowering parents to direct the education of their children. Former Rep. Wes Keller sponsored the bill, which was carried by Sen. Mike Dunleavy in the Senate.
The billrequired schools to notify parents not less than two weeks before involving children in any activity, class, or program that includes content pertaining to human reproduction or sexual matters.
As the woke culture has begun to infiltrate education, there are more subjects that parents have a right to be informed of based on this bill.
Not only are you to be notified two weeks before your child participates in a sex education class, but this law would also apply to any discussions in the classroom concerning gender identity, sexual orientation, or different pronouns being used to describe each other.
School boards also must allow parents the opportunity to review the content of an activity, class, performance standard, or program and be given the opportunity to opt their child out of the course should they so choose to do so.
Schools must provide curricula for parental review. This is to better inform you as to what is being taught to your child.
Additionally, parents can withdraw their child from any activity, class, or program. For example, if a parent objects to their child being indoctrinated from a socialist point of view in a social studies class, they can opt their student out of that part of the class.
There is one limitation: Parents must object each time the parent wants to keep their child from an activity, class, program, or standards-based assessment/test required by the State.
School boards are directed to implement these policies in their districts. Parents may wish to question their school boards to determine if these policies have been put in place. If so, have these policies been communicated to all parents? Do these policies cover all the newest issues being discussed that involve sexual activity?
Many times, bureaucracies will fulfill the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law. In this case, school districts may implement policies to follow the law yet keep their real curricula hidden from the public.
The intent of this law is to help parents get engaged in their child’s education and require the schools to inform parents of their rights to participate in their child’s education.
As time has passed, many parents and schools themselves have forgotten about parental rights in education. Now you know how you can exercise your parental rights and responsibilities for your child’s development and education.
David Boye is former executive director of Alaska Policy Forum and is Must Read Alaska’s education writer.
Two lawyers have been recommended by the Alaska Judicial Council to serve as a judge for the Ketchikan Superior Court. Amanda M. Schultz of Ketchikan and Katherine H. Lybrand of Juneau were interviewed for the position while the Judicial Council met in Ketchikan earlier this month.
Schulz is a magistrate judge in Ketchikan. She has lived in Alaska for over 20 years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho College of Law.
Lybrand graduated from the University of Maine School of Law in 2013 and has lived in Alaska for more than 18 years.
The Alaska Judicial Council named the two nominees to the Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who has 45 days to appoint one candidate from the list of two.
