Tuesday Digest

Mackey hours away from fourth-straight win

Lance Mackey left White Mountain just before 5 a.m., headed for Nome in the final miles of what is likely to be his fourth-straight Iditarod victory. No other racer has ever done that.


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Talk-About-the-Weather Dept.: Last week, we had sub-zero lows & highs in the single digits. Yesterday we reached 38 at my house, and AccuHunch guesses we'll hit 40 today. The snow - still nearly two feet deep in places where it's undisturbed - is beginning to compact, forming very icy spots where its shaded, and the usual lakes are forming in parking lots. Have I mentioned I don't care much for break-up?

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Stand-Your-Ground Dept.:

JUNEAU -- A lawmaker on Monday agreed to rework a bill intended to protect Alaskans who use deadly force in defending themselves or their property. The state Department of Law said the bill would legalize vigilantism.

. . . . . [Rep. Mark] Neuman, R-Big Lake, said he wants Alaskans to know they have a right to protect themselves and he wants to keep law-abiding citizens from ending up in court justifying acts of self-defense.

He noted a 2003 case involving a minister in his area who was tried for shooting and killing two burglars in the dark in his church. The minister eventually was cleared but not before spending time in jail and facing attorney's fees and other disruptions to his life, Neuman said.

Read the rest here.

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Can't-See-the-Forest Dept.:

A small passenger plane crashed into trees off the end of the Kodiak airport runway Monday afternoon, trapping two passengers for a few hours as crews worked to extract them from the wreckage entangled in trees.

All three were out safely by mid-afternoon and taken to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center, according to the state Department of Transportation. The National Transportation Safety Board said one person had a broken arm, another had a sprained ankle and the last had some cuts and bruises.

Those are some fortunate people. It makes your morning commute seem pretty tame, no?