Bicyclist hit by Subaru perishes: A bicyclist struck by a vehicle on Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage Thursday afternoon has died, Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Castro wrote in a press release. Anchorage police are still investigating the accident, but according to the initial account of the fatal collision, when medics and officers arrived on scene they found the victim unconscious. He was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Just after 3 p.m., two lanes of traffic on Northern Lights were closed while police investigated the accident; they determined the bicyclist was traveling south across the road when a grey Subaru in the middle lane struck him. Police did not say whether criminal charges have been filed against the driver.
Kookesh steps down as Sealaska chairman: Albert Kookesh, from the village of Angoon on Admiralty Island, will step down as the board of directors chair for Sealaska Corp., the Southeast Alaska regional Native corporation announced on its website. He's served in the position for 14 years; he said he made the decision to step down six months ago. Kookesh wrote in a letter to shareholders that a heart attack in February has required him to cut back on work, though he added he's made a full recovery. Kookesh -- who spent 16 years in the Alaska Legislature, first in the House and then in the Senate -- faces a misdemeanor fishing violation charge for overfishing near his hometown in 2009. He and at least two other men collectively harvested 148 sockeye salmon that summer when their seine permits allowed for 15 fish each. Kookesh successfully fought the charge, arguing Alaska's Fish Board has the sole power to set bag limits, not the Alaska Department of Fish and Game through permits. He won, but the state appealed the decision. And the Alaska Court of Appeals this week ruled in favor of the state, stipulating that there is a two-tier system of regulation in Alaska.
Explosions at Cleveland Volcano: The Alaska Volcano Observatory says Cleveland Volcano appears to have entered a renewed phase of "elevated unrest" after several explosions over the past six days. The observatory increased its alert level from yellow to orange and is closely watching Cleveland. Three brief explosions were detected at the Aleutian Chain volcano on Saturday, Monday and Thursday. Ash plumes were visible in satellite images. The earliest plume, pictured floating away from the summit, extended 45 to 60 miles north of Cleveland. The height of the most-recent plume is unknown but did not likely reach more than 15,000 feet above sea level, far less than past explosions that sent pulverized rock up to 20,000 feet. But if Cleveland's hiccups persist, the ash could reach those heights or higher, the observatory said. "It is possible for brief, sudden explosions of blocks and ash from the summit vent of Cleveland Volcano to occur with little to no warning. These explosions may produce drifting ash clouds and local fallout of ash over the surrounding ocean …" And it's possible that larger explosions will occur. Cleveland is located about 45 miles west of the community of Nikolski and 940 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Pizza delivery driver gets the stickup: A pizza delivery driver received a rude awakening Thursday morning when he was threatened with a gun at an East Anchorage residence. According to Anchorage police, a delivery driver called police at 6:18 a.m. to say a male inside a residence in 3300 block of Boniface Parkway had threatened him with a gun when he delivered pizza to the residence. Police arrested and charged 23-year-old Keng Lor with two counts of third-degree assault and a single count of misconduct involving weapons. The delivery driver was able to leave the residence without injury and police were able to take Lor into custody.
ATM, money recovered after theft: A pair of 22-year-old Palmer men were arrested Wednesday after stealing an ATM, according to Alaska State Troopers. Troopers said that Luc Mackie and Almando Abarca, both 22, of Palmer, were charged with burglary, theft, and criminal mischief after the pair broke through a window and stole a cash-filled ATM from a business on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. Troopers had put out word last week about the theft, from RW's Hamburger House, and asked for the public's help in tracking down suspects. The ATM was recovered along with all the money. The pair was taken to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility where they were held on $5,000 bond. Troopers reported that during the investigation Mackie was additionally found to have an outstanding felony warrant for charges of leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with evidence.
More freezing rain on the way: As much as a tenth of an inch of ice will coat roads and other surfaces in the Anchorage area this morning, according to a freezing rain advisory from the National Weather Service. The advisory, posted overnight and in effect until 9 a.m., says the freezing rain will continue through mid-morning and will affect Anchorage and communities in the Anchorage Municipality from Eklutna to Indian.
Drones for the oil and gas industry: The first commercial flight of an unmanned aircraft -- or "drone" as they're more popularly known -- was in Alaska this summer. The flight was operated by ConocoPhillips over the Chukchi sea. That flight may be representative of things to come, notes petroleum blog Fuel Fix. The FAA recently named six sites around the U.S. as drone test sites, and three of them -- Alaska, North Dakota and Texas -- are in petroleum-producing states, Fuel Fix notes. Moreover, "drones can fly lower and slower than manned aircrafts," they point out, attributes that are especially useful for oil and gas industry applications, such as patrolling and inspecting pipelines. The post includes video of drones specially designed with the petroleum industry in mind -- including submersible drones for underwater pipelines.
Seizure victim medevaced from tug: A U.S. Coast Guard medevac crew evacuated a man from a tug near Ketchikan Tuesday evening, according to a Coast Guard press release. According to the release, the 59-year-old crew member from the tug, who was diabetic, was suffering from "seizure-like symptoms." A 47-foot Motor Life Boat was dispatched to the vessel -- about 19 miles south of Ketchikan, in 5-foot seas with 30 mph winds -- where they brought the ailing man aboard and transported him to Ketchikan for medical treatment.
Is India Alaska tourism's next big growth market? An effort by Anchorage tourism officials to court citizens of the world's second-largest nation might be paying off. A report in the Indian Express, covering Visit Anchorage's second promotional visit to the subcontinent in as many years, says that visitors to Alaska from India are on the rise. "This is a big emerging market for us. We are really hoping to grow this market," the Moire Duggan of the Alaska Travel Industry Association told the paper. In 2013 about 10 percent more Indians visited Alaska than in 2012, according to an Alaska Airlines official quoted in the story, with most arriving by way of Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco or Los Angeles.