Education Secretary Margaret Spellings was in Bethel today to talk about reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act. Plus, Juneau residents question Governor Palin’s decision to keep her kids in Mat-Su schools. Those stories and more on tonight’s Alaska News Nightly, broadcast statewide on APRN stations.
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U.S. Education Secretary visits Bethel, discusses No Child Left Behind’s impacts in Alaska
Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK – Bethel
U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings is being guided through Alaska this week by Senators Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski. Her first stop was in Bethel today.
- No Child Left Behind — U.S. Department of Education
- Margaret Spellings — U.S. Department of Education
Governor pushing for Matanuska Maid privatization before December
David Shurtleff, APRN – Anchorage
Governor Sarah Palin has accepted a recommendation by the State Creamery Board to sell the Matanuska Maid dairy operation. Palin held a press conference in Palmer this morning to announce her support for selling the dairy to a private company or individual. The state-owned company just suffered it’s worst month ever, losing some $300,000 in July alone.
Anchorage Police and FBI looking for Joshua Alan Wade
The Associated Press
Anchorage police today said they want to talk to Joshua Alan Wade about the disappearance of Mindy Schloss, an Anchorage nurse who has been missing nearly a month. And the FBI says he’s wanted for bank fraud. Officials say Wade is shown in a security photo using a Sand Lake ATM the weekend Schloss vanished. The FBI says he was making unauthorized withdrawals from Schloss’ bank account. Officials say Wade is believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached.
Wade is described as a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 180 pounds with sandy colored hair and hazel eyes. He has many tattoos on his body, including one of a snake on his left hand between thumb and forefinger.
He was tried and acquitted in the September 2000 death of Della Brown, whose body was found in an Anchorage shed.
Schloss, a 52-year-old nurse, was last seen August 3rd. She missed a scheduled flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks two days later.
Mat-Su Borough approves laws regulating power plant construction
Ellen Lockyer, APRN – Matanuska-Susitna Borough
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough will take on the regulation of any power plants that may be built within Borough borders in the future. The Borough Assembly has given the green light to a heavily-amended ordinance that limits the size and operation of any power generation facility, and that is not good news for officials at Matanuska Electric Association.
Photo: National Transportation Safety Board
NTSB: Strong winds a factor in Aug 16 float plane crash
Deanna Garrison, KRBD – Ketchikan
The National Transportation Safety Board says there appears to have been strong winds at the time a Seawind Aviation float plane crashed in Traitors Cove earlier this month.
- NTSB intensively investigating last week’s Ketchikan plane crash (Aug 21)
- Five dead, four injured in second Ketchikan-based small plane crash (Aug 17)
Haube handed 85 years in prison for 2005 Petersburg murder
Matt Lichtenstein, KFSK – Petersburg
A Petersburg man has been given an 85-year prison sentence for his role in a 2005 murder. Superior Court Judge Larry Zervos handed down the sentence to 35-year old Anthony Haube in a Petersburg courtroom yesterday afternoon.
Anchorage School District approves new culturally-sensitive scheduling policy
Len Anderson, KSKA – Anchorage
Starting this week, when Anchorage schools schedule an event, they’d better double check to make certain it doesn’t fall on one of 12 days deemed culturally or religiously significant. Monday night the Anchorage School Board approved a new policy that prohibits school all events on those days.
The following are the days on which no Anchorage School District activities may be scheduled:
- New Years Day
- Orthodox Christmas
- Good Friday
- Easter
- Orthodox Easter
- Passover*
- Rosh Hashana*
- Yom Kippur*
- Eid al Fitr*
- Eid al Adha*
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
* Observed from sundown of the preceding day through entire calendared date.
Governor Palin drawing criticism over her kids’ school enrollments
Weld Royal, KTOO – Juneau
Governor Palin’s children are attending schools in the Matanuska-Susitna District this fall. She says her children will transfer to Juneau schools for the second semester. The decision raises concerns among some living in Juneau.
