Police blotter for Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015

This report contains information provided to the Empire from law enforcement agencies. This report includes arrest and citation information, not conviction information. Anyone listed in… Continue reading

Lawmaker wants to increase requirements for schools

ANCHORAGE — A state lawmaker is proposing an increase to the minimum number of students required to make schools eligible for state funding.KTUU-TV reported that… Continue reading

Around town for Thursday, Oct. 29

Juneau Gastineau Rotary Club meeting, 7 a.m., The Prospector Hotel.Open lab computer training, 9 a.m.-11 a.m, The Learning Connection, 210 Ferry Way.Storytime, 11 a.m., Douglas… Continue reading

Schools see sub shortage

It’s not the kind of absence often thought of when it comes to a school day, but hundreds of times a year it’s the teacher… Continue reading

Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, asks a question of Vincent Lee, director of Major Projects Development for TransCanada, about a proposed gasline buyout by the state to the House Finance Committee at the Capitol on Wednesday.

TransCanada exec: Company ready for buyout

The state’s partner in the AKLNG natural gas project says it’s ready to be bought out.Vincent Lee, director of major projects development for Canadian firm… Continue reading

Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage, asks a question of Vincent Lee, director of Major Projects Development for TransCanada, about a proposed gasline buyout by the state to the House Finance Committee at the Capitol on Wednesday.
Members of Xavante indigenous from Brazil hold up signs in Portuguese that read: "If the PEC is approved, Brazil will stop," top, and "Our life is not a game" as they protest a proposed constitutional amendment that would put the demarcation of indigenous lands into the hands of the Congress Wednesday at the World Indigenous Games in Palmas, Brazil.

Protest erupts during World Indigenous Games in Brazil

PALMAS, Brazil — A noisy demonstration broke out Wednesday during the 100-meter dash competition at the World Indigenous Games, forcing a premature end to the… Continue reading

Members of Xavante indigenous from Brazil hold up signs in Portuguese that read: "If the PEC is approved, Brazil will stop," top, and "Our life is not a game" as they protest a proposed constitutional amendment that would put the demarcation of indigenous lands into the hands of the Congress Wednesday at the World Indigenous Games in Palmas, Brazil.
Migrants walk along a road after crossing the border between Austria and Germany on Wednesday.

Austria to build fence along Slovenia border

VIENNA — Austria, a strong critic of fences built to cope with Europe’s migrant influx, on Wednesday announced it is joining other nations that have… Continue reading

Migrants walk along a road after crossing the border between Austria and Germany on Wednesday.

Ukraine faces years of dependence on Western aid

VELYKI PRYTSKY, Ukraine — Looking on from her vegetable patch at the motorcade of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Ukrainian villager Olha Voloshchenko says… Continue reading

Sheriff fires deputy for tossing teen across classroom

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A deputy who flipped a disruptive student out of her desk and tossed her across her math class floor was fired on… Continue reading

An unmanned Army surveillance blimp which broke loose from its ground tether in Maryland floats through the air about 1,000 feet about the ground while dragging a several thousand foot tether line just south of Millville, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015. (Jimmy May/Bloomsburg Press Enterprise via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Army blimp breaks loose, drifts over Pa.

MUNCY, Pa. — An unmanned Army surveillance blimp broke loose from its mooring in Maryland and floated over Pennsylvania for hours Wednesday with two fighter… Continue reading

An unmanned Army surveillance blimp which broke loose from its ground tether in Maryland floats through the air about 1,000 feet about the ground while dragging a several thousand foot tether line just south of Millville, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015. (Jimmy May/Bloomsburg Press Enterprise via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Hastert pleads guilty, acknowledges hush-money scheme

CHICAGO — Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading banking laws in a hush-money scheme, averting a potentially lurid trial that could have dredged up… Continue reading

Astronaut completes spacewalk right before setting US record

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s yearlong spaceman, Scott Kelly, chalked up his first spacewalk Wednesday just hours before he sets a record for the… Continue reading

Shortchanged Sandy victims seeing some cash 3 years later

NEW YORK (AP) — Many people who complained a federal insurance program shortchanged them after Superstorm Sandy swamped their homes are getting some validation three… Continue reading

Alaskans targeted by phone banking fraud

A phishing scam is targeting Alaskans with automated phone calls to steal personal financial information. The scammer or scammers have been using prerecorded calls to… Continue reading

Giant conifer from Alaska will grace US Capitol lawn

KENAI — Alaska’s forests will finally have a representative in Washington, D.C.: This year’s Capitol Christmas tree will be the first one from the Last… Continue reading

Legislators listen to Attorney General Craig Richards announce on Wednesday a proposal by the Walker administration to redirect almost all of the state's oil revenue to the Permanent Fund. The briefing took place at Centennial Hall for legislators and their staffs.

Gov. Walker rolls out proposal to turn Permanent Fund into state’s money factory

Gov. Bill Walker’s administration is preparing to roll out the most radical change to the state’s annual budgeting process since the creation of the Alaska… Continue reading

Legislators listen to Attorney General Craig Richards announce on Wednesday a proposal by the Walker administration to redirect almost all of the state's oil revenue to the Permanent Fund. The briefing took place at Centennial Hall for legislators and their staffs.

Police & Fire for Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015

Burglary• At 8:16 a.m. Sunday, the Juneau Police Department received a report of a stolen laptop from a residence in the 2500 block of Vista… Continue reading

Study on Arctic port for drilling support ships put on hold

ANCHORAGE — The Army Corps of Engineers suspended its study into building the first deep-water port for large oil and gas support ships in the… Continue reading

District, union carve out new contract

Time is money, and after 10 months of negotiating, Juneau’s teachers’ union is collecting for efforts previously considered “off the clock.”A new tentative contract between… Continue reading

Wrangell father, son plead guilty to fishing violation

Before a 70-year-old Wrangell fisherman and his son entered the Juneau federal courthouse for their first court appearance, a plea deal had already been reached… Continue reading