The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf stopped into the State Capitol for a brief port visit earlier this week. It was the first Alaskan port visit for this new class of ship that will become critically important to Alaska. Symbolic of its importance, Governor Parnell went aboard and graciously thanked the crew for their service to Alaska and the Nation.

The Bertholf was named after the first “commandant” of the Coast Guard, Commodore Ellsworth Price Bertholf who led the Coast Guard from 1911-1919.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The tragic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March took thousands of lives and also disabled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, leaving it without electrical power to run its cooling system. Massive releases of radiation followed, forcing evacuation of the local population.

Most of the radioactive particles drifted out to sea. Yet the worst nuclear plant disaster since Chernobyl has sparked renewed debate over how much the United States and other nations should rely on nuclear power.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Despite the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, eliminating the technology that provides 21 percent of the United States’ electricity and 14 percent of electricity worldwide would be dangerous and unrealistic.

I would like to offer a heartfelt apology to everyone involved with our failed attempt to come to your fair state. I was very much looking forward to being there and seeing it firsthand and meeting the people of the area. I also have noticed there have been many negative comments to this paper about this situation and I would like an opportunity to state the facts.