Cell-phone tower construction rankles neighborhoods

By Rosemary Shinohara, Anchorage Daily News

New wireless communication towers are popping up in Anchorage, Mat-Su and elsewhere in Alaska as a big new company, Verizon Wireless, moves into the state and other cell phone companies upgrade their networks.

Verizon is set to begin Alaska service sometime in 2013.

The increase in cell towers is leading to conflicts in some areas between residents who don't want tall poles and antennas looming over their yards -- and companies competing to offer ever-more sophisticated cell phone services.

For example, east-side residents joined a battle this week over a proposal to build a 100-foot tower at 2100 E. Northern Lights Boulevard, in the parking lot of a medical building near Northern Lights and Lake Otis Parkway.

The city Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday rejected the tower site after city officials said it didn't fit with the College Village neighborhood just off Northern Lights.

In Turnagain, another controversy has developed over a plan to install a tower at a site off Wisconsin Street between 31st and 32nd avenues.

In the Valley, there's also trouble brewing. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough no longer requires permits to build towers, so residents may not even hear about plans until construction materials start arriving.

Read the entire article here.

Anchorage, Alaska: Police report on fatal shooting leaves too many questions

Our view: Not good enough

By Anchorage Daily News

The Anchorage Police Department reports that the state Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals has concluded that the fatal police shooting of Harry Smith in July was justified. Case closed?

Not quite.

Too many questions remain about this shooting. APD still hasn't explained exactly what happened. The assistant district attorney who reviewed the police investigation of the shooting says he can't explain what evidence led to his conclusion that it was justified.

Trust us, this man had to die, is not an adequate answer. Especially not in the third case of a fatal shooting by authorities this year.

This is no way for a police department to do business. The police work for the citizens of Anchorage. They are accountable to us. When they employ the power we've given them to use deadly force, they must be able to explain exactly why and how.

Read the entire article here.

Alaska SeaLife Center Announces Birth of Harbor Seal Pup

By Chris Klint, Channel 2 News

The Alaska SeaLife Center announced the birth of a male harbor seal pup to two of the center’s seals Tuesday, marking the mother’s second successful pregnancy in two years.

The new pup, born June 27 to Atuun and Snapper, was named Kobuk following a poll of center employees, interns and volunteers. The seal has exhibited rapid weight gain common to harbor seal pups, rising from an estimated 22 pounds at birth to 66 pounds, and Kobuk means “big river” in Inuit.

The center’s staff gave Atuun and Kobuk two weeks to bond before getting close enough to determine the pup’s gender.

Read the entire article here.  Watch KTUU Channel 2 News Video here.

Butte Braces For Matanuska River Flooding

By Jason Lamb, Channel 2 News

Butte residents are bracing for flooding, as a swollen Matanuska River continues to rise with new rain.

Along the Old Glenn Highway, volunteers packed up belongings at Dana Mirsch-Wenner's home, as flood waters crept closer to her home. Many of the volunteers were high school students.

Mirsch-Wenner says the river had advanced 10 feet toward her home within just the past 24 hours.

Read the entire article here.  KTUU Channel 2 News Video here.

DOT Construction Signs Hacked To Read 'Impeach Obama'

By Todd Walker, Channel 2 News

Several electronic road construction signs around Anchorage were hacked late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Signs that normally display closure and detour information, like the one on Minnesota Drive near 100th Avenue, were changed to read “Impeach Obama.” That particular sign wasn’t fixed until sometime between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday.

It happened because DOT says it doesn't lock the boxes on the signs that hold the message control pad.

Read the entire article here.

Snow Piles Still Tower Over Anchorage in July

Melting Leftovers of Record Winter Requires Extra Work

By Ted Land, Channel 2 News

Bulldozer crews are on the clock this Independence Day, trying to break down mountains of snow, which still tower over some parts of Anchorage after a winter of record snowfall.

At American Landscaping, along C st. in South Anchorage, crews “roll” the surface of their pile every day or so, scraping off a top layer of gravel, which can insulate the snow, slowing its melt.

“I don’t know how high it is now, looks like about 80 feet,” said Glenn Ball, owner of American Landscaping, as he looked up at what he estimated to be about 280,000 cubic yards of leftovers.

Read the entire article here.

Anchorage, Alaska - One Person Killed in Three-Vehicle Crash

Police say fatal crash happened at Lake Otis Parkway and O'Malley Road intersection.

By Abby Hancock, Channel 2 News

Anchorage police say one person was killed in a vehicle crash in South Anchorage late Sunday night. The crash happened just before midnight at the Lake Otis Parkway and O'Malley Road intersection. The driver of one of the vehicles died at the scene, according to APD.

Police say it is still unclear what led to the crash or which direction each vehicle was travelling.

"We're in the process of speaking with two of the drivers but it sounds as though there was a red light violation that occurred which then resulted in the collision, but we're still trying to sort out which vehicle was travelling which way," said Sgt. Gerard Asselin.

Read the entire article here.