Alaska News

AK Beat: Danger averted in Sound fuel spill

Gashed fishing tender refloated: The U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska Chadux Corp. -- a local oil spill response company – said Monday they have refloated a 104-foot fishing tender that ran aground in Prince William Sound early Saturday. The Naknek Spirit was taken to Whittier to repair a 2-to-3-foot gash in its hull. The Coast Guard said about 500 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled when the boat went aground, but it doesn't believe the fuel harmed any wildlife.

Independence day DUIs: According to an Anchorage Police Department press release, the July 4 weekend ended with 27 DUI arrests, one more than last year. Additional patrols were dispatched to monitor and enforce impaired driving in the Anchorage area between Wednesday July 3 and Sunday July 7. APD suggests that the additional holiday patrols aided in a reduction of impaired drivers in the area.

Furloughs in Fairbanks: Civilians working with the military in Alaska's Interior faced furloughs on Monday as part of a Department of Defense budget cut. The cutbacks, which will last from July until September, shave one day off a normal five-day work week for all civilian employees working on base or at military posts. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports the furloughs will affect some 960 Fort Wainwright employees and some 300 Eielson Air Force Base workers, although exceptions have been made for civilians fighting wildfires in the area.

Hatcher Pass cabin gets national shout-out: The Snowbird Glacier Hut near Hatcher Pass in Southcentral Alaska was recently featured in Adventure Journal's ongoing series "Weekend Cabin." The hut, designed by Michael Thompson of Rim Architects of Anchorage, was built in 2010 after the American Alpine Club received a land use permit to replace a dilapidated space dome in the area. The Journal's write-up includes pictures of the quaint stilted structure under a winter night sky, aurora included, and a short blurb on its history and use.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT