Over Alaska

BREAKING: Russian Warplanes Intercepted by Fighter Jets near US Border

Trump arrives in Alaska for pivotal summit with Putin

Trump Putin Summit - News Coverage

Magnitude 7.3 Earthquake Shakes Alaska

U.S. Jets Intercept Chinese and Russian Bombers off Alaska | WSJ News

Experimental US hypersonic weapon explodes four seconds after test launch in Alaska

The test was aborted by the Pentagon to 'ensure public safety'


Lizzie Dearden


Tuesday 26 August 2014


An experimental hypersonic weapon developed to reach targets anywhere in the world within an hour has been destroyed by the US military four seconds after its launch for “public safety”.

The test in Alaska in the early hours of Monday morning was aborted after controllers detected a problem with the system, the Pentagon said, and the launcher is believed to have detonated before the missile was deployed.

Witnesses watched the rocket lift off at around 12.30am local time, before quickly turning nose-down and exploding, KMXT radio reported.

Scott Wight, who photographed the explosion from Cape Greville in Chiniak, about 12 miles from the launch site, described the explosion as quite loud and frightening, with a fire afterwards that burned brightly.

The weapon travels at several times the speed of sound and can reach speeds in excess of 3,500 miles-an-hour, or Mach 5.

It is part of a programme aiming to create a missile able to hit anywhere on Earth within an hour of getting data and the permission to launch.



The hypersonic weapon, which could look similar to this Falcon HTV-2, could strike anywhere in the world within 30 minutes of launch. No one was injured during the failed test at the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska but the facility was damaged as debris from the missile fell back to earth.

“We had to terminate,” a spokesperson for the US Defence Department said.

“The weapon exploded during takeoff and fell back down in the range complex.”

Some analysis see the development as a counterpoint to the growing development of ballistic missiles by Iran and North Korea but others say it is part of an arms race with China, which tested a hypersonic system in January.

Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defence Advocacy Alliance, said he did not think Monday's failure would lead to the programme's termination.

Video: Hypersonic aeroplane tested in 2012   http://bcove.me/0ssd6rgq

"This is such an important mission and there is promise in this technology," he added, saying a computer fault was to blame for the failure.

James Acton, a defence analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the Pentagon had never been clear about its plans for the weapon, with some viewing it as an effective tool against terrorists and others seeing it as a “deterrent” for Iran and North Korea.

While hypersonic weapons are unlikely to be used for a decade, he said the fact that Washington and Beijing were both testing the weapons indicated there was a real potential for an arms race.

The system, known as the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon, was developed by the Sandia National Laboratory and the US Army.

It includes a glide body mounted on a three-stage booster system known as STARS, for Strategic Target System.

In a previous test in November 2011, the craft successfully flew from Hawaii to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands and it was supposed to reach the Kwajalein Atoll from Alaska on Monday.

Additional reporting by Reuters and AP


Source
.

'Things were shaking': Powerful earthquake rocks remote Alaska island

By Reuters

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A powerful earthquake rocked one of the few inhabited islands in Alaska's Aleutian chain on Wednesday, but no damage has been found, federal and local officials said.

The magnitude 6.9 quake, centered 80 miles southwest of Adak, struck at 3:40 p.m. local time (7.40 p.m. ET), the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said. No tsunami warning was issued, but scientists will monitor the area for any possible earthquake-related waves, center        Director Paul Whitmore said.

In Adak, a community of about 330, "We definitely felt it," City Manager Layton Lockett said.

The building that houses city offices and the local school, engineered to withstand frequent earthquakes that strike the region, performed as designed, Lockett said.

."You could just hear the building move, and things were shaking," he said.

No damage was found, though officials were concerned about the fate of underground pipes, he said. The school, which has about 20 students, was out of session at the time.

Adak, an island city about 1,300 miles southwest of Anchorage, is a converted U.S. Navy station that once housed 6,000 people. It now operates as a port and seafood-processing center serving the North Pacific commercial fishing fleet.

Other moderate earthquakes have struck western Alaska in recent days, according to the center.

A magnitude 4.9 quake was recorded 90 miles west of the Alaska Peninsula town of Cold Bay on Tuesday. A magnitude 5.2 quake about 90 miles southwest of Kodiak was recorded on Sept. 18.

Source

Remote Alaska to stockpile food, just in case

BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press
Updated 3:16 p.m., Tuesday, August 28, 2012


In this photo taken Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, Alaska Emergency Management Director John Madden stands inside the state emergency operations center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska, one of the most remote states in the nation, is planning to build two warehouses large enough to hold enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to four days in case of a catastrophic event. Madden said help for Alaska is a long ways away in case of a disaster. "Hazards do not respect the distance we are from suppliers," he said. Photo: Mark Thiessen / AP

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska is known for pioneering, self-reliant residents who are accustomed to remote locations and harsh weather. Despite that, Gov. Sean Parnell worries a major earthquake or volcanic eruption could leave the state's 720,000 residents stranded and cut off from food and supply lines. His answer: Build giant warehouses full of emergency food and supplies, just in case.

For some in the lower 48, it may seem like an extreme step. But Parnell says this is just Alaska.
In many ways, the state is no different than the rest of America. Most people buy their groceries at stores, and rely on a central grid for power and heat. But, unlike the rest of the lower 48, help isn't a few miles away. When a fall storm cut off Nome from its final fuel supply last winter, a Russian tanker spent weeks breaking through thick ice to reach the remote town.

Weather isn't the only thing that can wreak havoc in Alaska, where small planes are a preferred mode of transportation and the drive from Seattle to Juneau requires a ferry ride and 38 hours in a car. The state's worst natural disaster was in 1964, when a magnitude-9.2 earthquake and resulting tsunami killed 131 people and disrupted electrical systems, water mains and communication lines in Anchorage and other cities.

"We have a different motivation to do this, because help is a long ways away," said John Madden, Alaska's emergency management director.

The state plans two food stockpiles in or near Fairbanks and Anchorage, two cities that also have military bases. Construction on the two storage facilities will begin this fall, and the first food deliveries are targeted for December. The goal is to have enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to a week, including three days of ready-to-eat meals and four days of bulk food that can be prepared and cooked for large groups. To put that number into perspective, Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, has about 295,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and Juneau, its third largest, about 31,000.

It's not unusual for states that routinely experience hurricanes or other large-scale disasters to have supplies like water, ready-to-eat meals, cots and blankets. But Alaska is interested in stocking food with at least a five-year shelf life that meets the nutrition, health and cultural requirements of the state's unique demographics. That means, as part of the effort, trying to incorporate cultural foods like salmon for Alaska Natives as well as foods that would be more common in urban areas, state emergency management spokesman Jeremy Zidek said.
An estimated 90 percent of commodities entering Alaska are delivered through the Port of Anchorage. Air service is also a critical link to the outside world and generally the only way to reach many rural communities. A volcanic blast emitting a large amount of smoke and ash could disrupt supply lines by air and water for an extended period, Madden said, and an earthquake could knock out airport runways or ports. Those are just some of the disasters that might require emergency supplies.

Parnell has made disaster readiness a priority of his administration. His spokeswoman said he has experienced firsthand the devastation of natural disasters, including heavy flooding that knocked some buildings off foundations in Eagle in 2009, when he was lieutenant governor, and the Joplin, Mo., tornado last year. Parnell and his wife visited Joplin with members of the relief organization Samaritan's Purse.

Madden said Alaska's readiness is better than it once was and it continues to improve.
State officials have been working to encourage individual responsibility, with talks at schools and public gatherings. Emergency management officials plan to have a booth at the Alaska State Fair. A statewide disaster drill is planned for October.

Over the past year, the state has acquired or purchased water purification units and generators designed to work in cold climates, including units that could power facilities like hospitals, Madden said. Officials also are determining what the state needs in terms of emergency medical supplies and shelter, he said.

Delivery of the food stockpiles would be staggered over three years. It would be replaced after it's used or expired, and it's entirely possible that much of the food will never be needed. It is not clear what the state will do with the expired, unused food.

The project has a budget of around $4 million and hasn't generated any real controversy.
Allen Geiger, enjoying hot dogs from a street vendor Tuesday in Anchorage's Town Square Park, said he had no objections to the plan.

"It seems like an OK idea," Geiger said. "The scale of it is not too huge."
___
Associated Press writer Dan Joling in Anchorage contributed to this report.

Source

No meat? No problem - November 10

Nov 10, 2011 - 12:00 AM AKST

BY RUTH DEGRAFF

If you think giving up meat to become either vegan or vegetarian will destroy your chances of eating out — think again. This monthly column explores the vegetarian and vegan opportunities in Eagle River and Anchorage area restaurants. It will also look at other healthy options available in area restaurants like whole grains and low fat.

Lunch at Eagle River Piccolino’s/Greek/Italian Cuisine on the Old Glenn; next to NAPA.

Immediately when you enter this restaurant, you are impressed by the Mediterranean décor and atmosphere that it is a fine restaurant. As I look at the menu, though, my heart sinks — not only is there no vegetarian list but the options for vegetarians are pretty much limited to appetizers and salads! Well, there are more, but they include cheese or olive oil — guaranteed to be high in fat.

Our friendly waiter, Jon, assures me that all the salads and sandwiches are made fresh for the customer. OK, that makes me feel better—I can order what I want. He also suggests eggplant parmesan (not on the lunch menu), or pizza. The marinara sauce here is flavored with anchovies, he tells me, if that would be a problem, so I ask about the pizza sauce. Hmmm, he’ll ask.

Jon is back quickly, “No the pizza sauce contains no meat or anchovies so vegetarian pizza would be a good choice for vegetarians. I decide on a vegetarian calzone, my husband goes for the eggplant parmesan. The servings are huge. He gets two very large slices of eggplant with a serving of spaghetti with tomato sauce. and my calzone is easily big enough for the two of us. A few minutes into the meal, Jon returns with the suggestion that the calzone usually comes with marinara sauce on the side and would I like something else? I request pizza sauce. Everything is delicious, though I regret not sticking to vegan and requesting no cheese in the calzone—it has a lot of mozzarella. The vegetables are hot but still crunchy—the crust is white. Is it the best? Well, no, to be frank it isn’t, but it is good.

Would I go to Piccolino’s again? Definitely. The vegetarian/vegan options aren’t great, but because of the helpfulness of the waiter and flexibility of the cooks, with effort it is doable. The results are worth it.

Jon brings me a carry out menu. It includes both lunch and dinner menus and a kid’s menu (also for seniors). I see the following appetizers: Dolmas, Bread sticks, Mozzarella sticks (deep fried, high fat guaranteed), Tzatziki, Grecian Bruschetta, Eggplant Croistini, Spanikopita. Probably some of these could be served without the cheese to make them vegan. The subs and sandwiches, which are made to order, have endless possibilities, but no whole grain bread, as do the pizzas and calzones.

Burgers — nothing vegetarian or vegan; but the pasta menu has Fettuccini Alfredo — well, vegetarian, but not low fat, Greek Spaghetti—same, Spaghetti Putanesca –maybe. Don’t hesitate to ask for no oil or cheese or to substitute marinara sauce with pizza sauce..

Italian specialties? Well, I think you could ask for pizza sauce instead of the listed sauces and the list goes on. Happy dining!

Want to boost your health with healthy diet? Try this website for more information and ideas: http://www.chiphealth.com/index.php

A vegetarian since 1964, Ruth deGraaff lives in Eagle River after a career in teaching in Pa., Alaska and in international schools in various countries. Her grown two children, raised on a vegetarian diet, still follow the diet themselves. She is retired and does volunteer work for Adventist Community Services (ACS) and is a member of the Eagle River Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Adventist Church promotes vegetarianism as part of its health program.

This article appears in the CER Star November 10 2011 issue of Alaska Star

Source

Settlement reached in Diocese sexual abuse case

Christina Grande
Created: 11/24/2009 09:31:16 PM AKST

The Fairbanks Catholic Diocese has agreed to almost $10 million settlement with almost 300 victims of clergy abuse. The announcement was made in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Nov. 24.

The first legal claim was filed more than 7 years ago but some of the victims say they have been waiting for almost 70 years, making today's news a long time coming.

"It validates the fact that people have been victimized," said victim's liaison, Elsie Boudreau. Bourdreau is also a victim survivor of clergy sexual abuse within the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese. She came forward with her story in 2003, filed a claim a year later and settled in 2005. Since then, Bourdreau has helped the nearly 300 victims who went through the same thing. "So many people talk about having black mark on their sole as a result of what happened," said Bourdreau.
Although today's settlement still needs court approval, some say it is a step in the right direction. "It establishes the framework for moving forward and taking the next step in this litigation," said victim's attorney, Ken Rossa.

According to Rossa, there could be more money on top of the settlement by pursuing the Bishops insurance, which could be up to $100 million. "We don't have any knowing right now what the timing will be on the second part of the compensation package," said Rossa.

As for how the settlement will be divided up. "We will actually have someone who will go through their files and look at what happened to them and how it affected their lives and try to come up with a fair way of calculating relative injury and using a formula how much each person should get of the limited amount of money available," said Rossa.

While some say the compensation is better than nothing, it does not make up for a scarred memory. "No amount of money is enough to make up for the loss childhood for the innocence stolen," said Bourdreau.

As this chapter closes, another will begin. "You want people to heal from this experience. They are coming forward and speaking their truth and hopefully they will be able to find a way to heal," said Bourdreau.

Mr. Rossa says if the Bankruptcy Court approves the amount victims could start seeing the money at the end of February of next year.

Source: http://www.ktva.com/ci_13860316

P.S. This is the same Roman Catholic Church whose U.S. Catholic Bishops coerce Healthcare Overhaul legislation with no shame of the impropriety that it poses. Hint: Separation of Church and State!

.

Alaska volcano erupts twice, spews ash 12 miles up

By Al Grillo, AP
Before Thursday's eruptions the volcano had been relatively quiet for more than a day.

ANCHORAGE (AP) — Alaska's Mount Redoubt erupted several times Thursday, spewing a more than 12-mile-high cloud that could drop ash on Anchorage for the first time since the volcano began erupting Sunday night.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory said the first eruption about 8:30 a.m. shot an ash cloud about 30,000 feet in the air, and the second eruption about an hour later sent ash 65,000 feet high — the highest cloud since the eruptions began. The larger eruption caused a mud flow into the Drift River near the base of the volcano.

Officials said there were 5 to 10 smaller eruptions later, but none of the plumes went above 20,000 feet.

Before Thursday's eruptions the volcano had been relatively quiet for more than a day.

"We can have these large explosions pretty much any time," said Stephanie Prejean, an observatory seismologist. "We don't know how long this will continue."

When Redoubt last erupted 20 years ago, it went on for four months.

According to the National Weather Service, prevailing winds are expected to carry ash from the larger eruption east across Cook Inlet toward some of Alaska's larger communities. An ash fall advisory for the western Kenai Peninsula covers the towns of Kenai, Soldotna and Cooper Landing.

Anchorage spokeswoman Jenny Evans said the state's largest city, roughly 100 miles northeast of the volcano, could see trace amounts of ash.

The smaller cloud Thursday afternoon dropped ash on Homer, a tourist and fishing town at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula.

Juxia Scarpitta, owner of Halcyon Heights Bed and Breakfast in Homer, said the ash had obliterated her view of the bay. It was turning the snow into what looked like a carpet covered with gray dots.

"It is falling pretty fast," she said. "Right now you see snowflakes, falling all over. I think they are ash."

Ash poses a significant threat to aircraft engines, and a small carrier, Era Aviation, canceled four flights as of midday. Alaska Airlines canceled all flights to and from Anchorage until sunrise Friday.

Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage also moved six planes north to Eielson Air Force, near Fairbanks, and two to McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington, as a precaution. All other planes at Elmendorf have been placed in shelters.

The National Weather Service also issued a flash flood warning for the Drift River, near the volcano. Eruptions can cause snow and ice to melt on the mountain, resulting in flooding along the river that drains from the mountain.

Research geologists with the U.S. Geological Survey have said a lot of snow and ice remains on the mountain, increasing the danger from mud flows that already have downed hundreds of trees and carved a huge gouge out of a glacier.

The mud flows also have littered the airport at the Drift River Terminal, a Chevron-operated facility that has been shut down but still has 6.2 million gallons of crude stored in two tanks. Until the airport runway is cleared, it is unusable.

Eleven employees were evacuated from the terminal Monday. An attempt to reach the terminal by helicopter on Wednesday was unsuccessful, but previous flights indicated that the oil storage tanks were not damaged and surrounding berms and dikes to contain any spilled oil were also Oklahoma.

Prejean said there is no monitoring equipment at the terminal and it was not known if the mud flow produced Thursday reached the oil storage facility.

Since the first series of eruption Sunday night and early Monday morning, the volcano has had several smaller bursts with most ash falling on sparsely populated areas northwest of Anchorage. Some people in more populated areas were nervous about getting a dusting from Thursday's eruptions.

.

Source:http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-26-volcano-alaska_N.htm

.

More plaintiffs join abuse lawsuit against Jesuits

Feb 5, 2009 1:20 PM (3 hrs ago) By TIM KLASS, AP

SEATTLE (Map, News) - Twenty Alaska Natives have joined a lawsuit claiming they were abused by Jesuit priests or those supervised by Jesuits, and a lawyer said Thursday the head of the Roman Catholic order has been served with court papers naming him as a defendant.
With the amended lawsuit filed Wednesday in Bethel, Alaska, and announced in Seattle, 63 Alaska Natives are suing the Society of Jesus and a number of priests, employees and volunteers, claiming they were sexually abused in remote Alaskan villages from the late 1940s to 2001.

Also added was a defendant, the Rev. Francis E. Case, who retired last year as secretary or second-ranking official of the order.

The 112-page lawsuit accuses Jesuits, employees and volunteers in the Fairbanks, Alaska, Diocese of abuse ranging from fondling to child rape in the Alaska towns of Nulato, Hooper Bay, Stebbins, Chevak, Mountain Village, Nunam Iqua and St. Michael. Jesuits known as abusers were sent from around the world to the remote hamlets, according to plaintiffs' lawyers.

The Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, superior general and top official of the Jesuits in Rome, named as a defendant when the case was filed Jan. 13 in Alaska Superior Court, was served with the lawsuit late last week in Los Angeles, said John C. Manly of Newport Beach, Calif., a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Nicolas was handed the documents while visiting Homeboy Industries, a job program run by a Jesuit priest for young people in gangs in Los Angeles, and did not give any response to the process server, Manly said. Plaintiffs are asking that Nicolas extend his U.S. trip to investigate abuse by Jesuits, the lawyer added.

Calls by The Associated Press to the Jesuit headquarters in Rome and the Jesuit Conference of the United States in Washington, D.C., were not immediately returned Thursday.

Case was provincial or head of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, which covers Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana, from about 1986 to 1990, and knew or should have known about at least one priest, the Rev. Francis Nawn, who is accused of abusing three plaintiffs, according to the lawsuit.

Nawn is deceased. Case, who lives on the Seattle University campus, referred an e-mail request for comment to the Oregon Province in Portland, which did not immediately respond to a telephone call Thursday.

Case is described in the lawsuit as head of campus ministry and is listed on the school's Web site as being involved in campus ministry, but university spokesman Casey Corr told The Seattle Times that information is incorrect. Case is not employed at Seattle University and has no formal role or duties with campus ministry, Corr said.

Listed previously as a defendant is Case's successor as provincial, the Rev. Stephen V. Sundborg, president of Seattle University since July 1997.

Sundborg and the Very Rev. Patrick J. Lee, the current provincial, have denied they knew of sexual wrongdoing or were involved in covering up wrongdoing by priests, although the order has paid millions of dollars in recent years to settle sexual abuse claims in Alaska.

In a statement issued last month through a spokesman, Lee wrote that Jesuits were assigned to the Fairbanks Diocese at their own request because of their "deep desire to spread the gospel."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/a-1835203~More_plaintiffs_join_abuse_lawsuit_against_Jesuits.html