Recent News

HOMER, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Public Offices Commission has assessed a $725 penalty against Heartbeat of Homer – Assembly Recall, the political group that registered to advocate for recalling three Homer City Council members.

The Homer News reported Friday the Alaska Public Offices Commission claims in a July 20 letter Heartbeat of Homer filed Independent Expenditure reports 29 days late.

The Alaska Public Offices Commissions says Heartbeat of Homer reported expenditures made June 1 and June 10 in a July 10 Independent Expenditure report. Three corrected reports also show expenditures made June 12 and June 15. The Alaska Public Offices Commission Campaign Disclosure Coordinator Tom Lopez says Political groups can report expenditures made over a short period of time, but the reports must be made within 10 days of the first expenditure.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska State Troopers investigation found Fairbanks police were “legally justified” in their use of deadly force in a May 25 shooting.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports a news release from the police department Thursday relayed the results of the investigation into the shooting of Shawn Buck on a South Fairbanks Mitchell Expressway overpass.

The release states Buck fired a revolver at law enforcement officers “numerous times” during a pursuit, and “at the time the officers fired their weapons, they all believed that they or their fellow officers were about to be killed or gravely injured by Buck.”

Buck had a felony warrant at the time related to a 2014 theft conviction. The release states the white pickup truck Buck was driving was stolen.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A neighbor of a 39-year-old Utah woman killed aboard an Alaska cruise says it’s completely out of character for the woman’s husband to be accused of such violence.

Dana Nicholls told The Associated Press that he has lived near Kristy and Kenneth Manzanares for about 10 years and they appeared to be the perfect family. He says they were celebrating their wedding anniversary on the cruise this week.

Kristy Manzanares was found dead in a blood-splattered cabin Tuesday night. Her husband has been charged with murder. The FBI says he told an acquaintance he did it because she laughed at him.

Nicholls has set up an online fundraising page for the couple’s three daughters, saying they’re just like his children.

KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard says a launch from the Kodiak Island rocket launch complex in Alaska will occur as soon as next week.

The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports a U.S. Coast Guard notice released Wednesday states the launch is scheduled to occur at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska between 7 p.m. on July 29 and 1:30 a.m. on July 30.

Alternative times for the launch are listed as between 7 p.m. on July 30 and 1:30 a.m. on July 31, or between 7 p.m. on July 31 and 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 1.

Mariners are advised to remain clear of swaths of ocean between Kodiak Island and Hawaii during those time periods.

U.S. Army soldiers are stationed temporarily at the launch complex for U.S. Missile Defense Agency testing.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska State Troopers are investigating a traffic crash that killed a driver near Sutton in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Troopers say a vehicle traveling south near Mile 68 Glenn Highway left the road and struck a tree.

Troopers took a call on the crash after 10 p.m. Thursday.

The driver was the only one in the vehicle.

The name and gender of the driver were not immediately available.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A fungus that damages trees is making its way through the state of Alaska.

CoastAlaska News reported Thursday the fungus, spruce bud blight, has damaged trees in Southcentral and Interior Alaska, and now has been discovered for the first time in the southeast part of the state.

The infection was discovered in Southeast Alaska in late June, the first reported sighting in the region.

The blight infects Sitka spruce, one of the most common trees in Southeast Alaska’s rainforest.

The fungus is not easy to spot. It’s black and looks like a dead, crusty coating on the buds.

It is unknown how the spruce bud blight ended up in Southeast Alaska.

Forest Pathologist Robin Mulvey says there’s a chance it could be stopped if it did not arrive naturally.