Author: Robert Woolsey

At a hearing this morning (Tue 9-16-08), defense attorneys for Jason Abbott announced that they will ask to move the 19-year-old’s homicide trial outside of Sitka. They also gave formal notice of a possible insanity defense. Abbott is accused of first degree murder in the stabbing deaths of four family members in a Sitka neighborhood this March.

A wrongful death lawsuit against a Sitka EMS volunteer was settled this morning (Mon 9-15-08), moments before going to trial. The terms of the settlement in the case of the Estate of Molly Ahlgren versus Rich Forst were not disclosed. A lawsuit brought by a third EMS volunteer who survived the boat accident four years ago which claimed Ahlgren’s life was settled last week on similar terms.

Social service agencies in Sitka are concerned that this year’s large permanent fund dividend and energy rebate may create a range of problems for local families. The sudden inflow of money into some families may cause unexpected stress, or jeopardize eligibility for social services. The Sitka Tribe of Alaska has been coordinating a series of meetings among local service providers to prepare for some of the challenges the community may face as this year’s dividend checks begin to appear in local financial institutions. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey met recently with Roxanne Houston and Phil Nielsen in the Tribe’s Education and Employment assistance department, and with Kathy Branch-Gadd of Sitka Counseling and Prevention Services:

The Coast Guard has suspended the search for Chuck Thompson, 41, missing since Sunday in the vicinity of Necker Bay south of Sitka.

Alaskans will start seeing permanent fund dividends deposited into the financial institutions of their choice tomorrow (Fri 9-12-08). This is earlier than usual, and also more than usual: besides the actual dividend of $2,069 dollars, Alaskans will receive an additional one-time rebate of $1,200 dollars. While lawmakers refer to the rebate as “energy relief,” for tax purposes, it’s considered the same as any other income. Come tax time next April, Alaskans – including children – will see significantly higher federal tax bills thanks to the combination of the dividend and the rebate. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey recently talked with CPA Brad Shaffer about some of the tax pitfalls of this year’s dividend, and how to avoid them:

A longtime resident and the city maintenance man of Port Alexander passed away last week (Friday 9/05/08), after an apparent heart attack. Fifty-One year old Richard Maciel, better known around town as “Hydro,” was pulled from the harbor in PA after falling off his boat. He had been complaining of chest pains for at least a couple of weeks, now his death has left a big hole in the town where he lived for over twenty years.

The Sitka assembly is split on whether the referendum process needs to be fixed. Twice in the last two years citizen initiatives have wound up in court when the municipal attorney found legal deficiencies. The two court cases have lent to the appearance that local government is unfavorable to citizen initiatives, and to accusations on the editorial pages that the assembly has instructed the attorney – who is their employee – to oppose them. Concerned over public perception and the amount of money and time spent on legal battles, assembly member Jack Ozment suggested tweaking the process to involve the assembly earlier, and to avoid potential conflict. Here are some of Ozment’s remarks last night (9-9-08), followed by responses from his fellow assembly members Reber Stein, Nancy Cavanaugh, Marko Dapcevich, Heidi Raffaele, and Cheryl Westover:

The Alaska small Business of the year award will go to a very small but very well known business in Pelican, a town of about 163 people. As KCAW’s Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock reports, the Bill Bivins small business of the year award from the state chamber of commerce has been awarded to Rose Miller, of Rosie’s Bar and Grill:

"Sustainable Sitka" is trying to get Sitkan's thinking about alternative ways to get around; get to work; get fossil fuel free.

With cooler weather right around the corner, homeowners in Sitka converting to electric heat may face a couple of problems. The first is that some neighborhood electrical services may not be able to bear significantly increased loads, which could result in burnt-out transformers and other costly repairs. The second problem will affect all Sitkans, regardless of how they heat their homes: there may not be enough inexpensive electricity to go around. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey spoke with Charlie Walls about what Sitkans should do to keep electric rates low until there’s more power to spare: