Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, pushed again for the Department of Homeland Security to take a look at how the Federal Emergency Management Agency is updating its maps and suggested they go back to the drawing board.

Murkowski spoke about several issues affecting Alaska on Thursday at a Senate Appropriations subcommitee meeting on the DHS Fiscal Year 2013 budget.

The AJ Mine-Related Water Study, which has been released in draft form, shows that Gold Creek is currently over-allocated.

City Engineering Department Director Rorie Watt gave a public presentation of the 80-page study on Wednesday night.

Watt started with a slideshow of historical photos showing what the mining areas of the Silverbow Basin and others in the area used to look like before going into the five sections of the report.

The City and Borough of Juneau has cut $4.8 million from its budget, but still has $4.4 million more to go before it will wipe out the projected deficit for fiscal years 2013 and 2014.

City Manager Rod Swope and Deputy Manager (and Manager-Designate) Kim Kiefer have established a sort of policy this year where positions are not being filled unless a department can show that position must be refilled. So far, the city has held open 9.6 Full Time Equivalent positions.

Sen. Mark Begich fairly towered above a classroom of attentive, excited first-graders at Glacier Valley Elementary School as he picked up a violin and was shown how to play it by those who have been learning the instrument since kindergarten.

Begich listened to them play two songs — “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Boil ‘Dem Cabbage Down.” He was invited to play the ‘A’ Concerto, as music teacher Lorrie Heagy placed a violin in his hands.

Begich stood with the class and held it in front of his waist, like you would a guitar.