Alaska Briefs
Man charged with sex crimes against girl, 10
JUNEAU - A 38-year-old Juneau man faced a judge this week on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.
Russel Griffin was released from the Lemon Creek Correctional Center Tuesday after posting $10,000 bail. The charges allege sexual activity with a pre-teen girl on five occasions between Aug. 26 and Oct. 6.
Court records show the alleged victim turned 10 in September. The charges allege the contact occurred while the girl's mother was at work.
Griffin appeared before Juneau District Judge Peter B. Froehlich on Monday, the day of his arrest. In addition to setting Griffin's bail, Froehlich scheduled his next court appearance for Oct. 16.
Under Alaska law, a person convicted of a single count of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. The usual sentence for a defendant with no felony record is eight years.
Leman certifies cruise ship initiative petition
JUNEAU - An initiative to impose taxes and more strict regulations on the cruise ship industry was certified by Lt. Gov. Loren Leman on Wednesday.
Sponsors can begin gathering the necessary 23,286 signatures needed to get it on the 2004 ballot after Leman issues them booklets.
The signatures must be gathered in time for the Legislature to consider the issue when it convenes in January.
Leman had turned down an earlier initiative petition after a legal review concluded that it violated the "single subject" requirement for such voter measures. The group resubmitted their petition.
The initiative is sponsored by Gershon Cohen, Norman Sarabia and Joe Geldhof. It proposes a $50 tax for each cruise ship passenger and a 33 percent tax on shipboard gambling income. It also proposes making the industry subject to the state's corporate income tax and forcing more stringent environmental and commercial rules on cruise ships.
Court urged to protect Alaska's authority
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court was urged Wednesday by Alaska to keep the federal government from second-guessing state environmental decisions.
The justices are considering whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency went too far by overruling Alaska regulators' decision to let the operators of Red Dog, a zinc and lead mine near Kotzebue, use less costly anti-pollution technology for power generation.
The federal Clean Air Act allows state officials to make some decisions involving their own facilities.
Much of the argument at the high court focused on when and how the EPA can intervene when it disagrees with some technology decisions.
Defense money brings Shakespeare to soldiers
ANCHORAGE - Shakespeare is coming to 16 military bases in what the National Endowment for the Arts says is the first time the organization has targeted America's soldiers for exposure to great art.
Tucked inside the $368 billion defense bill approved by Congress last month is an easily overlooked item because it is so relatively small - $1 million for Shakespeare performances.
But the money could have a big artistic impact as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and several other theater companies bring their plays to U.S. military bases, NEA spokeswoman Felicia Knight said.
Shakespeare should be a big hit with soldiers, she said.
"It runs the gamut of all human dramas: love, passion, war and death. I think these productions, whether it is 'Othello' or 'Macbeth,' will resonate with them," Knight said.
Knight said this was the first time the NEA has brought any kind of art to the U.S. military. The project is being led by NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.
Initiative sponsors ask court to move review
JUNEAU - A group backing an initiative to change the way Alaska fills its U.S. Senate vacancies is asking a judge to intervene so the measure can move forward.
Democrat state lawmakers sponsoring the measure are seeking a restraining order to force Republican Lt. Gov. Loren Leman to certify the measure immediately.
They complained last week that a legal review by Attorney General Gregg Renkes has taken too long and that they are running out of time to collect more than 23,000 signatures by January. The measure must be in place before the Legislature returns to be on the 2004 ballot.
If the measure passed, Alaska vacancies in the U.S. Senate would be filled by special election rather than by an appointment by the governor. It was sparked by Gov. Frank Murkowski's appointment of his daughter, Lisa, to fill out his U.S. Senate term.
Ketchikan Assembly to begin annexation plan
KETCHIKAN - Borough officials will craft a plan to annex Meyers Chuck and Hyder despite objections raised by the remote communities.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly voted to direct staff to submit an expansion petition to the state Local Boundary Commission.
The process will take several months but could provide Ketchikan schools with more money, said assembly member Jack Shay.
Shay and assembly member Maggie Sarber asked to move forward with the expansion after learning the borough could receive $1.4 million in federal timber receipts and payments in lieu of taxes.