KRBD - Ketchikan

A 16-year-old driver and her 20-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries following a single-vehicle accident early Monday morning near Mile 12.6 North Tongass Highway.

According to the Alaska State Troopers online dispatch, the accident was called in at about 3:30 a.m. Monday.

A caller reported an unoccupied and overturned vehicle in the ditch.

Following an investigation, Troopers were able to find and talk to the driver at about 10 a.m. Monday.

Troopers report that the driver and her passenger were northbound in the vehicle at about 3 a.m. when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a deer.

The vehicle left the road, crossed a driveway and went partway up an embankment before rolling over and coming to rest on its roof.

The occupants left the vehicle and were picked up by a passer-by, according to Troopers.

Both occupants say they were wearing seat belts. They both refused medical treatment for their injuries.

The driver was cited for negligent driving and violating her provisional driver’s license.

An additional charge of failure to give immediate notice of accident will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review.

An overheated dryer caught fire Sunday afternoon at the Highliner Laundromat on Tongass Avenue north of the mall.

According to the Ketchikan Fire Department, the call came in a little before 2 p.m. Sunday. When crews arrived, they found that everyone had evacuated the building. Crews also found the first floor full of smoke.

Fire crews put out the interior fire with a fire extinguisher, then brought the smoldering
clothes into the parking lot to douse with a fire hose.

According to the fire department, there were no injuries to occupants or firefighters. The dryer sustained moderate fire damage, and the contents of the dryer were a total loss.

The Ketchikan Fire department notes that dryers should not be left unattended while in use.

Anthony “Tony” Christianson of Hydaburg has been named interim chair of the Federal Subsistence Board.  The announcement was made by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell on Tuesday. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack concurred with the appointment.  Christianson says he is pleased to have been selected.

“Through a couple of years of learning, I really liked being involved. When that opportunity came up, I thought I would take a stab at it.”

Christianson was appointed to the Federal Subsistence Board in 2012 as one of the first public members representing rural Alaskans.  He says serving on the board is rewarding.

“I’ve really enjoyed being able to help rural members find the food they need, basically. That’s been my interest all the time. To make sure rural people are considered the priority and can access the resource to meet the demands of their needs.”

Christianson says he is impressed with the other people who serve on the board.

“A really good, professional group of people that really looks out for the best interest of the subsistence and federal needs across the state. Not just the subsistence users, but all of the user groups across the state, to regulate the wildlife and fisheries.”  

Christianson is the mayor of the City of Hydaburg and works as the natural resource director for the Hydaburg Cooperative Association, a federally recognized tribe. He is also a commercial fisherman.

The Federal Subsistence Board was created in the early 1990s and is the decision-making body that oversees management of fish and wildlife resources for subsistence uses on federal public lands and waters in Alaska.

Christianson will take the place of Chairman Tim Towarak, who retired. A permanent chair is expected to be appointed in the next several months. Christianson says he has put his name in for consideration.

Ketchikan’s Welcome Arch sustained significant damage Wednesday night after an allegedly drunken driver hit one of the supporting poles with his vehicle.

City Manager Karl Amylon gave some details to the Ketchikan City Council during Thursday’s regular meeting. He said a Ketchikan Public Utilities truck was used to hold the sign up temporarily.

“We think that the actual sign itself it OK, but the superstructure that holds it in place took a serious hit,” he said. “So, we’re going to be assessing the best way to bring it down and then to effect repairs. It’s not covered on our insurance, so we’re going to be pursuing action against the insurance company of the driver.”

The driver, a 24-year-old Ketchikan man, was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

He was released on his own recognizance.

Amylon also told the Council that City Port and Harbors Director Steve Corporon has been named “Harbormaster of the Year” by the Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators.

Amylon read a little from the nomination form, which was submitted by the City of Ketchikan.

“Nominated by the City of Ketchikan for exemplary service as a highly valued upper-level management leader, and being tireless in pursuit of infrastructure improvement, Steve has been instrumental in securing funding for many port and harbor projects,” he said.

Amylon congratulated Corporon on the award and says it was well-earned.

A 24-year-old Ketchikan man was charged with drunken driving after allegedly driving into the Welcome Arch on Mission Street downtown late Wednesday.

Officers received a report about midnight of a vehicle hitting the Ketchikan Welcome Arch, according to the Ketchikan Police Department.

Police contacted the driver, who appeared intoxicated but refused to submit to field sobriety tests and refused to provide a breath sample.

The man was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

He was taken to the jail where he was processed and then released on his own recognizance.

Alaska State Troopers are seeking information about a theft from a vehicle on Driftwood Lane off North Tongass Highway in Ketchikan.

Between Sept. 24 and 25, someone took a GPS Spot Tracker, GoPro 3 camera, backpack and ammunition from an unoccupied vehicle, according to the Troopers online dispatch.

The estimated value of the stolen property is $380.

Anyone with information about this case or any criminal activity is asked to contact Alaska State Troopers at 225-5118.

Callers can remain anonymous.

This case is under investigation.