KYUK - Bethel

The City of Bethel has a problem — it doesn’t know how much money it’s making, or not making, in sales tax. The city is also not enforcing violations.

Bethel City Council and city administration talked about a possible solution to the problem.

Vice Mayor Byron Maczynski was the first to chime in.

“Seems like we’re constantly putting out bush fires. I think we need to jump on this one now, to stomp out one that’s already flaming,” Maczynski said.

Maczynski supports the administration’s plan to buy a new piece of software that could make it easier for the city to keep track of tax collections.

The software is called Caselle, which Bethel currently uses, but Financial Director Hansel Mathlaw wants to pay more for increased services from the company.

He basically wants the city to get a new app that he thinks would decrease his workload.

“The city of Bethel does not have a sales tax audit staff,” Mathlaw said.

Mathlaw knows many businesses are not paying their taxes, but he is stuck dealing with organizational tasks.

Getting help is going to cost, he said.

“To get one of those employees like that here, your gonna have to pay them a wage that’s competing against Kenai, or Anchorage, or any other city that’s on the rail belt,” Mathlaw said.

This is a problem across city departments.

Bethel officials say they can’t find qualified local applicants, and can’t get people to move here because they don’t have the money.

In this case it could be cyclical. Less money from taxes means less income for the city, and less disposable cash to hire new employees

“If we’re having problems with a department the answer might be more accountability, not less,” Council member Leif Albertson said. He says new software should only be a short-term solution.

“The finance department used to keep up with these things with the same amount of people. So what we really need to do is get caught up and have the same amount of people maintain,” Council member Zach Fansler said.

Fansler and Albertson asked that administration commit to a three-month contract, but the council could not reach consensus on this.

One barrier is the idea that other companies should be able to bid on the contract to get a better deal for the city.

That could increase the stress in an already unbalanced department by bringing a new system online that doesn’t sync with the rest of the Caselle programs the city already uses.

Council member Nikki Hoffman urged other council members to approve the new software.

It’s very obvious to the public that we’re struggling in our finance department and we need to give them the tools that they need to do their job.”

As for how much revenue the city was losing through not collecting sales tax, Bethel City Manager Ann Capela says it’s hard to know, and they don’t right now.

The council postponed passage of the purchase until its next meeting.

After accepting a plea deal to charges of negligent homicide in a Bethel court on Monday, Derek Adams of Nunam Iqua has been sentenced to four years in prison and a decade of probation.

Adams has already served his jail time while awaiting sentencing, and is now a free man.

The sentencing comes after three villages banished Adams for a range of reasons which include starting a fire that killed three people.

Adams’ case has highlighted a debate over the state’s obligation to respect tribal court decisions.

CORNISH, N.H. — A 21-year-old Bethel man drowned Tuesday evening in the Connecticut River in New Hampshire.

Reed McWilliams was working at a historic site near the river as an AmeriCorps volunteer.

Reed was working with the Student Conservation Association. He and about six other volunteers have been working at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, which is in Cornish, New Hampshire, which is near where the drowning occurred.

He went swimming with a colleague after work, but when he did no resurface, she called 911 at about 5:50 p.m. from the bank of the river.

Authorities launched a water rescue search for McWilliams.

They canvassed the river for about an hour before they located his body in about 8 to 10 feet of water nearest the Vermont side of the river.

Details about McWilliams’ death are not yet known and authorities continue to investigate.

A police officer said that the Connecticut River is known to have significant undertows, but that is not known as of right now if that contributed to his death or drowning.

Valley News reporter Jordan Cuddemi contributed to this report. Valley News is a newspaper in the upper New Hampshire and Vermont Valley.

The village police chief who was wounded last week in Chevak apparently was unarmed.

The man who shot the officer subsequently killed himself.

Village Police Chief Derek McDonald responded to reports of an intoxicated man, later identified as Harold Paniyak, 24, wielding a firearm, according to Alaska State Troopers.

McDonald responded to the call with no firearm of his own, and was shot in the chest by Paniyak with a .35-caliber pistol, the report said.

After McDonald fell to the ground, Paniyak fired at least two additional rounds into the officer.

McDonald still managed to flee the scene, helping witnesses take cover in the local Head Start building.

Paniyak pursued them while still holding the firearm, and unsuccessfully attempted to enter the building, the report said.

Shortly after that, Paniyak shot himself in the chest with the pistol.

This is one of many instances in recent years in which rural police officers have gone into dangerous situations without a weapon, and have ended up victims themselves.

In 2014 the state passed a law allowing village public safety officers to carry guns, but not all officers have chosen to go through the training and take up arms — something that can be difficult for short-staffed departments to find the time and funds to do.

Village police officers like McDonald always have had the option of undergoing training to carry firearms, but their departments also may be restricted by time, available personnel, and money.

Many officers rely on the State Troopers to resolve tense conflicts, but this is not always possible in cases where residents are in immediate danger.

Village police officers are often forced to enter these situations armed only with pepper spray, a taser and the hope that they will be able to resolve the issue peacefully.

McDonald was still receiving care in an Anchorage hospital for severe injuries at the time of this report.

Updated | 2:50 p.m. Thursday

Police have identified the police officer wounded after an armed conflict Wednesday in the village of Chevak, in Western Alaska.

Derek McDonald, 40, was shot multiple times by Harold Paniyak, 24, before Paniyak then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide, according to Alaska State Troopers.

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Updated | 2:14 p.m. Thursday

One person is dead and another wounded after an armed conflict yesterday in the village of Chevak.

Alaska State troopers report that Harold Paniyak, 24, shot a village police officer and then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

According to another VPO, the suspect shot the officer three times before taking his own life.

The suspect died instantly, and the wounded VPSO was medevac’d to a hospital in Anchorage for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

Tribal officials from Chevak suspect alcohol to be the primary factor in the incident.

It was not the young man’s first encounter with the law:

• In 2009 Paniyak was charged with assault and consuming alcohol in a dry village. The changes were dismissed.
• In 2012 he pleaded guilty and was convicted for underage consumption of alcohol.
• In 2013 Paniyak was charged with another count of assault and again charges were dismissed.

Paniyak had been a cross-country runner placing in the state competition in high school.

His next of kin have been notified of his death.

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Original story | 11:30 a.m. Thursday

One person is dead and another is wounded after an armed conflict yesterday in the village of Chevak.

According to a village police officer, the suspect shot an officer three times and then turned the gun on himself.

The suspect died instantly; the officer’s status has not been released at this time.

The five bodies of the victims in last week’s deadly midair plane collision were recovered over the weekend, Bethel Search and Rescue said.

The two planes collided northwest of Russian Mission. State troopers in Bethel were notified of the crash at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31.

BSAR was asked by State Troopers to assist in clearing trails to the crash sites in Southwest Alaska.

They called in members from Marshall to assist the Troopers in their efforts.

Joe Fitka of Marshall led the crew to cut a trail through a half-mile of brush and tough terrain. They were well equipped for the job, he said.

“Pretty much the same crew we would have if we went out to an ESF fire,” Fitka said. “Three chainsaw guys, and two guys swamping for them, basically clearing brush, and three guys on the saws cutting the trail.”

The crew was previously trained to respond to wildfires if needed, Fitka said.

The five men went out Friday and were able to clear out the trails and helicopter landing zones before the day was over.

The recovered bodies will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.

Alaska State Troopers have identified the two aircraft and the five victims.

The Renfro’s Alaskan Adventure Super Cub flying from Bethel to a hunting camp carried pilot Zach Justin Babat of Montana, 44, and passenger Jeff Thomas Burruss of Haines, 40.

The RAVN C208 Caravan flying from Russian Mission to Marshall carried pilot Harry Wrase of Wasilla, 48, and passengers Aaron Jay Minock of Russian Mission, 21, and Steven Paul Andrew of Kenai, 32.

The two planes hit the ground about a half-mile away from each other in an area of rough terrain and dense brush.

Officers and investigators were on the scene of the crash sites over the weekend.

The National Transportation Safety Board has sent an investigator since the crash, but has not yet released a preliminary report.