Remains ID'd as missing hunter: Human remains a moose hunter discovered alongside the Susitna River about 70 miles northwest of Glenallen on Sept. 11 have been identified as those of Bartlett Barnes, who was swept away by Butte Creek near Mile 80 of the Denali Highway on Sept. 24, 2012 while on his own hunting trip, according to Alaska State Troopers. Barnes was 51 years old.
Runaway Alaska Railroad train: Nine Alaska Railroad flat cars loaded with pipe separated from other rail cars and a locomotive towing them about 11:30 p.m. and crashed into the Spenard Builders Supply lumber yard Monday in Fairbanks. The cars went into the yard on old rails that years ago delivered building supplies to the company, railroad spokesman Tim Sullivan said. Nobody was injured, but the cars smashed a trailer holding sheetrock, crushed a stack of plywood, and "shoved into two box delivery trucks" before coming to a stop, Sullivan said. "We had shut down the line in order to get everything cleared out of there, but everything's up and running there now," Sullivan said Tuesday. The incident occurred during a "switching operation," he said, and is under investigation.
Dairy farmer pleads guilty: The former owner of the Matanuska Creamery pleaded guilty to six counts of federal wrongdoing Monday, the latest in the ongoing saga of the now defunct dairy. Kyle Beus pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements to influence the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Despite the plea, in a brief statement to the Frontiersman, Beus disagreed with the government's allegation of theft and maintained that all funds involved went to the building of the creamery. Beus' "mini-trial," where both sides will argue the extent of of the theft, is scheduled for Dec. 23.
How to tune in for Wednesday's PFD announcement: Sure, you could watch Alaska Dispatch's Facebook page or Twitter feed for Wednesday's announcement of this year's Permanent Fund Dividend by acting Revenue Commissioner Angela Rodell, but you could also watch for yourself. Gov. Sean Parnell's office will be livestreaming the event at 11 a.m., allowing you to watch the big unveiling in real time. It remains to be seen if this year's PFD checks will be bigger or smaller than last year's payout of $878 for every eligible Alaskan.
New look 'Deadliest Catch': One of the staples of the long-running Discovery Channel reality show "Deadliest Catch" will be missing next season. The F/V Cornelia Marie, one of the crabbing vessels featured on the series, will not be back for the next season, according to the vessel's captain, Josh Harris. Josh is the son of Phil Harris -- the Cornelia Marie's previous captain who died in the show's seventh season -- and just assumed control of the ship in the most recent season, the show's ninth. Josh said on his Facebook page that "There may be another company this year that we go with but for now we will just fish."
Online concert for a cause: Alaskan indie artist Marian Call will be hosting an online show Sept. 19. The concert is free, but Call hopes she will encourage people to donate to Colorado flood victims. Call was recently scheduled to play in Boulder, Colo., but had to cancel and head to Denver because of the weather, which caused flooding that killed at least eight people and displaced thousands of others. To donate to the relief efforts, give to the Red Cross online or text REDCROSS to 90999.