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Emergency Declared in Alaska as Glacier Basin Nears Record Flood Release

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Authorities in Alaska’s capital are bracing for what could be one of the largest glacial lake outburst floods on record, triggering state, local, and tribal disaster declarations before the waters even begin to surge.

On Sunday, Governor Mike Dunleavy issued a statewide disaster declaration in anticipation of a potentially catastrophic release from Suicide Basin — a glacial side basin perched above the Mendenhall Glacier. The move follows earlier declarations from the City and Borough of Juneau and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Hydrologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have confirmed that Suicide Basin is now holding water volumes equal to or greater than those measured during the worst flooding events on record. The ice-dammed basin has already begun to overtop, with icebergs drifting toward an overflow channel — an ominous sign that floodwaters could soon pour into the Mendenhall River and surrounding neighborhoods.

“This year is different. We’re not just responding — we’re ready,” Juneau City Manager Katie Koester said. “The HESCO barriers are in place, and we believe they will perform as designed, but our job is to plan for every scenario — especially in the face of what could be another historic flood event.”

The August 2024 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) devastated parts of the Mendenhall Valley, damaging homes, public infrastructure, and utilities. That disaster led to both state and federal emergency declarations. Officials say the proactive approach this year will allow state resources and personnel to be pre-positioned.

The NWS warned that in past years, overtopping has preceded major flooding by as much as six days. On Sunday, August 10, instruments began detecting slow drops in basin water levels — another sign the release could be imminent.

Residents have been urged to finalize flood preparations immediately. Emergency alerts have been sent to cell phones throughout Juneau, and printed evacuation preparation notices are being distributed to every home within the 17-foot inundation zone. A second alert will be issued when water begins its rapid descent from the basin.

Governor Dunleavy underscored the importance of acting early: “By issuing this declaration before the flood occurs, we can position resources in advance to reduce impacts and preserve community safety.”

Photo credit: Flickr

Alaska Schoolchildren Were Served Floor Sealant Instead of Milk at a Child Care Program

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Twelve elementary school children drank floor sealant believing it was milk after it was served to students at a childcare program in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, according to the school district.

Students in a summer care program at Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱-Glacier Valley Elementary School began complaining that the milk they were served as part of the program’s breakfast tasted bad and was burning their mouths and throats, Juneau School District said in a statement Wednesday.

The breakfast was served on trays by an outside contractor, NANA Management Services (NMS), at about 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday and the children brought their trays to a cafeteria table to eat, the district statement said.

After the children complained about the burning sensation, school district and NMS staff “immediately followed up by smelling/tasting the milk and looking at the container/label,” the statement said. “It was found that the ‘milk’ served was actually a floor sealant resembling liquid milk. Staff immediately directed students to stop consuming the substance and removed it.” (Read more from “Alaska Schoolchildren Were Served Floor Sealant Instead of Milk at a Child Care Program” HERE)

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Alaska Health Care Worker Hospitalized After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine; State to Consider ‘Historical Injustice’ in Setting Vaccine Distribution Order

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By NY Times. A health care worker in Alaska had a serious allergic reaction after getting Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, symptoms that emerged within minutes and required an overnight hospital stay.

The middle-aged worker had no history of allergies, but had an anaphylactic reaction that began 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, Alaska, a hospital official said. She experienced a rash over her face and torso, shortness of breath and an elevated heart rate.

Dr. Lindy Jones, the hospital’s emergency department medical director, said the worker was first given a shot of epinephrine, a standard treatment for severe allergic reactions. Her symptoms subsided but then re-emerged, and she was treated with steroids and an epinephrine drip. (Read more from “Alaska Health Care Worker Hospitalized After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine” HERE)

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State to Consider ‘Historical Injustice’ in Setting Vaccine Distribution Order

By Washington Examiner. California may include “historical injustice” as a factor in determining the distribution of coronavirus vaccines, a sign of social justice considerations entering the public health effort.

The idea was first introduced to California’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee on Nov. 25 by Virginia Hedrick, according to NPR.

Hedrick is executive director of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health. A member of the Yurok Tribe, she pointed out that Native Americans are 4 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and twice as likely to die from it than white people.

She said it is important to consider that Native Americans suffered high rates of illness and death from diseases such as measles and smallpox when the first European settlers arrived here. (Read more from “State to Consider ‘Historical Injustice’ in Setting Vaccine Distribution Order” HERE)

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According to Autopsy, This Is How the Juneau Mayor Died

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The newly elected mayor of Alaska’s capital city appears to have died from natural causes, police said Wednesday.

Police announced the preliminary findings shortly after an autopsy was completed on the body of 70-year-old Mayor Stephen “Greg” Fisk. The final autopsy report, which will include toxicology results, will take weeks to complete, officials said.

“According to the findings, the external injuries sustained by Mayor Fisk were consistent with an injury due to falling or stumbling into objects. No foul play is indicated,” police said in a statement ahead of a news conference in Juneau. (Read more from “According to Autopsy, This Is How the Juneau Mayor Died” HERE)

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Mayor of Juneau Found Dead in His Home; UPDATE: Foul Play Not Ruled Out

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By Fox News. The mayor of Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, was found dead in his home Monday less than than two months after he was elected.

Juneau police said in a brief statement that Greg Fisk, 70, was pronounced dead at the scene. The statement added that an unidentified male caller had reported finding Fisk’s body at 3:34 p.m. local time (7:34 p.m. EST) . . .

Fisk was elected mayor of Juneau on Oct. 6, defeating incumbent Merrill Sanford by a 2-to-1 margin. Prior to entering politics, he had worked as a self-employed consultant for area fisheries. (Read more from “Mayor of Juneau Found Dead in His Home” HERE)

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Juneau Police Department Press Release

Summary: On November 30th, 2015 at about 3:34pm, the Juneau Police Department received a 9-1-1 call from a male reporting he had found a deceased subject inside a residence in the 400 block of Kennedy Street.

JPD officers and Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to the area. 70 year old Stephen “Greg” Fisk, the Mayor of Juneau, was pronounced deceased on scene. The investigation continues.

Update 11/30/2015 21:05

The man who found Greg Fisk in his Juneau residence and called 9-1-1 was Fisk’s adult son.

JPD is aware of rumors that an assault occurred in connection with Fisk’s death. Those rumors are speculation. Detectives are actively investigating facts of the incident and all evidence is being preserved and documented.

The Medical Examiner’s Office has authorized an autopsy. Results of the autopsy are expected within several days and will be used to determine the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as appropriate.

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UPDATE: Foul Play Not Ruled Out in Death of Mayor of Juneau

By M. Alex Johnson. Police haven’t ruled out foul play in the death of Juneau, Alaska, Mayor Greg Fisk after they said Tuesday they had discovered undisclosed injuries on his body.

Fisk, 70, who was elected mayor in October, was found Monday afternoon at home by his son, Juneau police said. They wouldn’t speculate on a cause of death, saying an autopsy was pending.

Police said they have ruled out suicide — but they wouldn’t rule out foul play. Fisk was found alone, and there was no evidence of forced entry, they said.

Juneau Police Chief Bryce Johnson said in an interview on KINY radio of Juneau that “injuries” were discovered on the mayor’s body. He wouldn’t discuss the location or nature of the injuries, saying they could be “consistent with a fall.”

Juneau police spokeswoman Erann Kalwara also wouldn’t discuss the injuries. . . (Read more about the death of the mayor of Juneau HERE)

Juneau’s Boneless Chicken Ranch Caucus

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Pink slips- ten thousand were recently mailed out to nervous state employees that could take effect July 1st. The state budget storm clouds darkening Alaska’s horizon can be attributed to the Boneless Chicken Ranch Caucus made up of State House Representatives Jim Colver (R), Gabrielle LeDoux (R), Paul Seaton (R), Bryce Edgmon (D), Neal Foster (D), and Louise Stutes (R) who signed a letter sent to House Speaker Mike Chenault refusing to vote to fund the budget out of the Earnings Reserve per our state constitution. What caused the members of the House Majority Caucus to turn invertebrate and not fund the budget? The politics of perception.

This story is complicated if you will bear with me a little as we do a quick dive into the weeds. Alaska has three savings accounts. The first is called the Statutory Budget Reserve (SBR). It can be accessed with a simple majority vote and was fully depleted over the last three years to fund Alaska’s multibillion dollar annual deficits. The second account is called the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) which has about $10 Billion in it that can only be accessed by a ¾ supermajority vote. The State Senate has the votes to access this plump account whereas the State House does not. To get the necessary number of votes in the State House, the minority caucus wants to spend another $100 million on varies areas including a public union a cost of living (COLA) pay increase and Medicaid expansion- hence the stalemate.

There is a third savings account accessible with a simple majority vote called the Earnings Reserve (ER). This account was setup when the Alaska State Constitution was amended in 1976 by Alaska Governor Jay Hammond to set up a perpetual annuity for the citizens of Alaska and to fund state government when oil revenue started to wane. Every year a portion of oil revenue is deposited into the Permanent Fund (PF) that is fund surrounded by constitutional razor wire and is therefore unspendable by the state legislature and has about $54 Billion in financial assets. The interest generated from PF is deposited into the separate Earnings Reserve (ER) account. The Alaska State Constitution in Article 9, Section 15 says, “All income from the permanent fund shall be deposited in the general fund unless otherwise provided by law.” The “otherwise provided for by law” provisions for the Earnings Reserve are to payout our annual dividend checks and to inflation proof the principal of the PF (which was big consideration back in 1976 when double-digit inflation was decimating savings accounts). Today there is approximately $6.4 Billion in the ER account.

“I wanted to transform oil wells pumping oil for a finite period into money wells pumping money for infinity.” – Governor Jay Hammond, father of the Alaska Permanent Fund and the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend

Enter politics- the house minority caucus wants to keep the debate focused on tapping the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) to fund our $3.1 Billion FY2016 deficit because they can extract financial concessions in exchange for their votes. A simple majority vote to tap the ER would render their additional spending cries mute. Hence, they and their supporters in the media have opened up a public relations smear campaign on the majority caucus implying they would be spending the principal of the PF (which of course is a blatant untruth). Everyone knows Alaskans love their PF and just being associated with spending it crosses all party lines and is political suicide. This threat was enough scare the bones out of the chicken caucus into a clucking feathered morass and hence- our present budget impasse. So what if they ignore the budget solution set forth in the Alaska State Constitution they took a solemn oath to uphold- all politics is perception, and good perception is the key to political longevity. Many political groups are not fooled by these political machinations and will be raising PAC money to fire up the deep fryer to give them the Colonial Sanders treatment in the upcoming 2016 election. However, I digress.

Oh it gets even better. House Bill 2002 is gaining support to avoid paying the ransom demanded by the minority caucus to access the CBR and for avoiding getting their image getting sullied by the minority with a deliberate mistruth. There is a rule that would allow the CBR to be accessed with a simple majority vote if the state were in a cash crisis. How about artificially creating one by dumping the ER into the PF? HB2002 would transfer $4.9B of the ER into the PF to access the CBR this year. Next year, a further $1.5B would be transferred to access it again for a total of $6.4B transferred. Instant problem solved. Oh really?

Most moderates in the center are gathering around this politically expedient path of least resistance where politicians tend to congregate and cluck. This idea is horrendous to those on the far left and the far right. It would instantly deplete 40% of Alaska’s accessible cash reserves, threaten our state bond rating, and bring Brad Keithley’s much warned about “fiscal cliff” closer from 3 years to 2. On the left, tens of thousands of state employee jobs, Governor Walker’s natural gas line, and public programs could face the axe when Alaska runs out of cash much sooner and can’t tax enough to fund them. On the right, massive new state income taxes and industry killing oil taxes could arrive much faster if profligate spending can’t be wound down fast enough- and this year’s legislature is a very bad omen. Those dreamers who think that this stunt will force state austerity sooner without the accompanying crippling state taxes- I have a fully funded natural gas line to sell them. HB2002 would be politically expedient if not financial self-immolation to both the left and the right.

I support the straight ER draw per the Alaska State Constitution despite the inevitable political smearing that would come from the house minority. Elected servants forget that it is not about them and their reelection- it’s about the good of the Alaskan citizens whom they represent. The State House is wrapped around the axle about this smear threat because they are up for reelection in 2016 whereas the State Senate is not.

There is a great long-term solution that avoids unnecessary state layoffs, doesn’t require any new taxes, and preserves the current Permanent Fund principal and dividend check amounts indefinitely. It requires reducing annual state spending to $4.5B (currently about $5.3B is being debated by the State House to spend in FY2016 beginning July 1st, down from $6.2B spent last year). The University of Alaska Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) think tank has calculated that Alaska can spend $4.5B per year indefinitely without instituting any new taxes or reducing the PFD check. That number comes from approximately $2.2B in state revenue plus an annual draw from our ER annuity. The solution is pretty simple and was written into our state constitution.

If you feel strongly about this issue, please contact your state legislator. Thousands of state layoffs and a state bond rating downgrade could occur on July 1st if they don’t hear from you. Please call, write, fax, or email at: [email protected].

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Alaska Brewery Plans To Use Beer As A Source Of Green Energy

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Photo Credit: Associated PressJUNEAU, Alaska – The Alaskan Brewing Co. is going green, but instead of looking to solar and wind energy, it has turned to a very familiar source: beer.

The Juneau-based beer maker has installed a unique boiler system in order to cut its fuel costs. It purchased a $1.8 million furnace that burns the company’s spent grain — the waste accumulated from the brewing process — into steam which powers the majority of the brewery’s operations. Company officials now joke they are now serving “beer-powered beer.”

What to do with spent grain was seemingly solved decades ago by breweries operating in the Lower 48. Most send the used grain, a good source of protein, to nearby farms and ranches to be used as animal feed.

But there are only 37 farms in southeast Alaska and 680 in the entire state as of 2011, and the problem of what to do with the excess spent grain — made up of the residual malt and barley — became more problematic after the brewery expanded in 1995

The Alaskan Brewing Co. had to resort to shipping its spent grain to buyers in the Lower 48. Shipping costs for Juneau businesses are especially high because there are no roads leading in or out of the city; everything has to be flown or shipped in. However, the grain is a relatively wet byproduct of the brewing process, so it needs to be dried before it is shipped — another heat intensive and expensive process.

Read more from this story HERE.

2nd Amendment in Action: Juneau Public School Sends 200 Sixth Graders to the Firing Range

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Last week in Juneau Alaska, about 200 sixth graders headed to the firing range to learn about firearms. Floyd Dryden Middle school runs a program that teaches the kids how to safely handle and shoot rifles, as well as hunting ethics, conservation and management, navigation and other outdoor skills.

But don’t misunderstand, just as the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting, neither is this program. Program Director Ken Coate stresses:

“We aren’t here to create little hunters. We’re here to teach firearm safety, firearm handling, how to treat a firearm with respect, how to keep a kid from getting in trouble with a firearm — and everything else is a side benefit.”

A side benefit. Meaning that the most important thing and the primary purpose of this program is to instill respect for and knowledge of firearms. I have always been a proponent of educational programs such as this so that children realize that guns in real life hold very little in common with the dramatized fiction of the movies.

With this knowledge a couple of things happen. First, the seriousness of the matter sinks in so children understand that guns are not toys. Secondly, the mystery around guns is removed so kids won’t be as tempted to seek them out in a home that has one. Thirdly, if you acclimate a child in their youth with guns there is less of a likelihood that they will grow up with that irrational fear and hatred that spawns gun control zealots.

To the earlier points, the Principal of Floyd Dryden, Tom Milliron, wrote a letter to the parents of the children before the program saying:

“Students who live in homes without firearms are often exposed to firearms in their friends’ homes. They need to understand safe and appropriate behavior in these situations.”

Now, for any parent who vehemently objects, their child does not have to participate, but my question is, why would you want to hurt your child? This is a fantastic program which teaches your child invaluable knowledge and may actually save their life. Are anti gun zealots so conceited that they would sacrifice their children in order to maintain their own misguided self righteousness?

I don’t think any of the Alaskan parents actually objected to the program. The previous paragraph was directed more to the other places in this country where they not only lack this program but hell would literally have to freeze over before it was allowed in their schools. I’m thinking firstly of New York City and other North Eastern dens of gun bias. His Mayor-ness Bloomberg’s brain would most likely explode if someone would suggest such a program in his fiefdom. When you have as much hate in your heart as Mayor Bloomberg does then little things like sacrificing children to promote your own agenda is of little consequence.

This is the kind of program that should be everywhere in America. Instead of having a tragedy befall a family because a kid thinks a gun is a toy or doesn’t have the proper respect for a firearm, why don’t we educate them so we avoid a tragedy in the first place?

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Tony Oliva is the Director of Media Relations for Gun Owners of America. You can read more from his blog HERE.

Remote Alaska to Stockpile Food, Just in Case

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Photo credit: Christie 13

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.

Read more from this story HERE.

Democrats control Alaska’s Senate even though the GOP has the majority

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A majority coalition known as the “Alaska Senate Bipartisan Working Group,” is the controlling power in the state senate. The group consists of ten Democrats and six Republican members. So, although the Alaska Senate is under the leadership of Republicans, the Democratic controlled caucus effectively rules the roost and decides what bills are allowed to come up for committee hearings and before the floor for a vote.

Democrats Hollis French — Senate Judiciary Chair — and Johnny Ellis — Chair of the Senate Rules Committee — are prominent members of this controversial alliance. They’ve stopped tax relief for oil companies wanting to develop oil resources, thereby grinding to a halt resource development and economic growth through jobs that would have been created as well low cost energy for Alaskans.

Another consequence of this band of liberal Democrats and the Republicans who have thrown their hat in with them, is that they have vociferously stifled and blocked virtually all pro-life legislation. Two examples, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban (HB301) and Parental Consent Bill (HB364), were passed in the House but blocked from even getting a hearing by French.

The Democrat coalition comes into sharp focus when looking into the Senate Seat D race, encompassing District 7 & 8 of the Valley. Mike Dunleavy has pledged to not join the current “bi-partisan” Senate majority that is controlled by liberal Democrats. His opponent, incumbent Linda Menard, is a member of this liberal coalition that has turned our State Senate into a “graveyard” for almost all conservative legislation.

Mike has been endorsed by Alaska Right to Life PAC and Alaska Family Action Inc., Conservative Patriots Group and Alaska Outdoor Council.

Mike Dunleavy has a strong family background, extensive business and educational experience in our state and the Valley. Mike’s work history includes serving as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent; running the Mat-Su correspondence program; managing the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project; heading up the University of Alaska’s K-12 outreach program; and currently working as the President of the Mat-Su School Board.

Mike Dunleavy has earned respect and strong support because he has proven on a consistent basis that he not only “talks the talk” about conservative values and principle, but he “walks the walk.” Electing Dunleavy may very likely restore control of our state’s Senate to conservative hands.