State Briefs
Fairbanks man dies of hypothermia
FAIRBANKS - A 20-year-old Fairbanks man died Thursday of hypothermia, apparently after spending the night outside in temperatures near zero.
Fairbanks police said Robbie Charlie, 20, was found by neighborhood children lying behind his home Thursday evening.
Fabian Charlie carried his son inside his apartment, then called police. Robbie Charlie's family told Fairbanks Police Officer Chris Demours they hadn't seen him all day and suspected he had been in the backyard overnight in temperatures near zero degrees.
Charlie was pronounced dead at 5:50 p.m. at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, police said. Fairbanks police Lt. Dusty Johnson said Charlie had a body-core temperature of between 84 and 86 degrees when he arrived at the hospital.
Medical personnel at the hospital told Demours that Charlie had a history of drinking. He was last seen inside the house Wednesday night. Police said he was found with a house key on a string around his neck.
Anchorage fire displaces six families
ANCHORAGE - Anchorage fire officials said it would be at least a week, possibly longer, before six families displaced by a fire Thursday can return to their apartments.
The two-alarm blaze on the top floor of the six-story Knik Arms apartment building in downtown Anchorage early Thursday destroyed one unit and caused smoke and water damage.
No one was injured and firefighters confined the flames to one unit of the 55-unit building as tenants in several other units waited inside, trapped by thick black smoke and the fire's heat.
The fire started around 1:45 a.m. Thursday inside the 50-year-old concrete building at the intersection of L Street and Sixth Avenue.
An extension cord chafed by a couch frame apparently started the blaze, fire investigators said.
Tenants, many of them seniors, poured into the frigid night, some in pajamas. One 85-year-old woman had no shoes. Residents of an apartment building across the street invited the displaced residents to come inside.
Six families are staying in a hotel this week as authorities evaluate the level of damage to apartments on the top floors of the building, said Mike Smith, programs director for the American Red Cross, Southcentral Alaska Chapter.
Anchorage man arrested in robbery
ANCHORAGE - A 30-year-old Anchorage man was arrested and charged with bank robbery after a Midtown credit union was held up Thursday, the FBI said.
William Richard Clary was being held at the Cook Inlet Pre-trial Facility after he was arrested at his home in the Russian Jack Apartments at about 8 p.m. Thursday. A search of Clary's apartment and vehicle produced evidence that incriminated him, said FBI Special Agent Tom McClenaghan.
The robbery occurred about 2 p.m. at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union on Northern Lights Boulevard at Denali Street, McClenaghan said.
The robber showed no weapon, but a note he handed to a teller implied he had one, McClenaghan said. The robber got away with an undisclosed amount of money, he said.
Utility grants available for rural communities
WASHINGTON - A federal agency is looking for applicants interested in sharing nearly $15 million in grants to help with high energy costs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the money is being distributed through its Rural Utilities Service.
Many remote Alaska communities would be eligible for the grant funds, said Allan Yost, the service's Alaska field representative.
To qualify, a community's average residential expenditure for home energy must be more than 275 percent of the national average. Homeowners must pay at least 22.9 cents per kilowatt hour or more than $2.62 per gallon for fuel oil.
Those who can apply include states, political subdivisions of states, state-organized entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal entities.
The available funds can be used to acquire, build, extend, upgrade or improve energy services.
The deadline to apply is Feb. 7. On the Net: www.usda.gov/rus/electric/hecgp/index.htm.
UAA debate coach honored by foundation
ANCHORAGE - A debate coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage has been named Alaska Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Steve Johnson was among those honored by the foundation, which recognizes outstanding undergraduate instructors nationwide.
Johnson, a professor and UAA's head debate coach, led the debate team in winning the 2002 National Parliamentary Debate Championship. The team competed with nearly 300 top teams, including the University of California at Berkeley, Rice University and Notre Dame.
The award is one of the most prestigious in the country.
Troopers get $2 million to fight drugs
ANCHORAGE - Alaska State Troopers are getting $2 million from the federal government to fight illegal drugs.
Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, helped secure the funds from the Justice Department.
The money is earmarked for the troopers' Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit, which coordinates efforts with local law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
The unit investigates illegal distribution of controlled substances and alcohol. It also trains law enforcement agencies and educates the public about drugs.
Quake shakes Interior
FAIRBANKS - A light earthquake shook the Interior Thursday night, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center said the magnitude 4.5 quake occurred just after 8 p.m. and was centered 19 miles southeast of Denali Park.