01 May 2014

What's In The News Today?

Skagway ferry dock refloated but still closed for inspections

The Skagway ferry dock is refloated Tuesday morning, April 29, 2014. 
  Favorable tides have helped a contractor for the state transportation department refloat a dock used by the state ferry system in Skagway.

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Four men were rescued unharmed after their plane crashed at the base of Skilak Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula late Tuesday, authorities said. 

Pilot Donny Joachim, 37, of Soldotna and three passengers -- Levi Sutton, 25, and Logan Sutton, 22, both of Soldotna, and Reid Nelson, 19, of Cokato, Minnesota, -- were flying in a Cessna 172 and heading back from a sightseeing trip when the plane's engine apparently lost power, authorities said. None of the four men were injured.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Chris Shaver, an investigator with the NTSB's Anchorage office, said the NTSB spoke to the pilot Wednesday morning and determined the crash was an accident.

"The pilot said he did have an engine issue, and did lose power to the engine," Shaver said. "That's something that, obviously, once we get the plane in, we're going to take a closer look at it."

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In Anchorage, [p]olice asked people on Spenard Road between Barbara Drive and Wisconsin Street to close their windows and doors because they are deploying gas in the area this evening. More than quarter-mile of the road will be shut down, according to a police alert at 6:15 p.m. 

Police have been in the area this afternoon in pursuit of a suspect who barricaded himself in his house on W 42nd Avenue.

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The Alaska State Fair has announced that the stars of Duck Dynasty will appear at this year's Fair, along with musical acts like Pentatonix.

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On a personal note (not news), my wife's plane sat on the tarmac at Phoenix for three hours today, while LAX sorted out its computer problems that stacked flights like cordwood.  But she finally got to her hotel in San Fran, even if it was three hours late. I hope everyone else who was delayed had equal success.

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And finally, there's this rare bit of honesty:

Unlike many places in the Lower 48, water is plentiful in Alaska's largest city. It comes from Eklutna Lake -- an 8-mile-long, 200-foot-deep reservoir nestled in the Chugach Mountains, about 32 miles northeast of Anchorage. The lake is fed by a glacier and should provide enough water for Alaska's largest city for hundreds of years to come -- and it is a tasty beverage. Anchorage has been awarded with having the Best Tasting Water in the USA City Water Taste Test by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

... According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average family of four in the U.S. uses about 400 gallons of water per day. But in Anchorage, water is so plentiful that the actual average cost of the water used by a local household is just 65 cents a month. Even though both utilities are owned by the Municipality of Anchorage, they must pay each other for services to keep the books straight.

If water is so cheap in Anchorage, why do most AWWU customers pay a flat rate of $50.98 per month for water and $41.54 for wastewater services -- regardless of whether they live in a two-room condo or a 15-bedroom mansion?

The simple answer -- and very little is actually simple when it comes to water and wastewater rates -- is that Anchorage is an expensive place to install, repair, and replace the infrastructure needed to make water flow from the tap when you turn it on.

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Enough of that. Y'all have a wonderful Thursday, and thanks for stopping by. I truly appreciate it. :)

4 comments:

Stephen said...

Here I thought our sewer and water rates were high....dadgum.

Rev. Paul said...

Everything's relative, but I'm guessing your pipes don't get cracked by frequent earthquakes like ours.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Best municipal water I've had was in Anchorage.

Rev. Paul said...

Once you filter the chlorine out, it's pretty good. :)