State: Medical team delivered vaccine past midnight in isolated Diomede

NOVEMBER 6, 2009 - 12:09 PM

Diomede, circa 1999: A Little Diomede Island resident pulls a polar bear hide from the frozen Bering Sea to check if the sea lice have cleaned the hide enough for drying, in this file photo, date unknown. (AP Photo/Al Grillo, File)

A doctor and nurse were distributing swine flu vaccine past 2 a.m. last night in Diomede in an effort to keep the disease from spreading in the hard-to-reach Bering Strait village, state officials said today.

“We’ve got everybody on the island vaccinated except for four people," said Health Department spokesman Greg Wilkinson.

A 1-year-old girl in the village was showing signs of respiratory problems, but when the Alaska Army National Guard flew her and her mother to Nome yesterday the child tested negative for swine flu, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesman for the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Diomede is 135 miles northwest of Nome, on Little Diomede Island. It’s about 2.5 miles across the Bering Strait from Russia and is one of the most remote communities in Alaska. You can only get there this time of year by helicopter and sometimes boat. The village lost passenger air service months ago. (Though food and mail still arrive on a regular basis.)

Responding to a request from the Diomede mayor, the state teamed up with the Guard and the regional health corporation this week, taking the unusual step of sending a civilian medical team and swine flu vaccines to protect the village.

“There were some sick people (there) and I think that these were just prudent actions to take to make sure that the disease wouldn’t spread through the isolated community where we wouldn’t be able to, perhaps, reach people at a later date,” Zidek said.

Some villagers are showing flu-like symptoms, but only people who are medivaced to Nome are actually tested for swine flu.

So far, at least three people from the village have been tested. One, a woman the Guard flew from the community on Wednesday, tested positive, the state says.

The doctor and nurse are expected to fly out of Little Diomede tonight, Zidek said. Two medics deployed to the village left last night with the 1-year-old girl.

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Marshall: More on the feds' dismissal of subsistence fishing charges

NOVEMBER 6, 2009 - 10:23 AM

KYUK has more details this week on the feds’ move to dismiss charges against a Marshall police officer who was ticketed in September for an illegal subsistence fishing trip.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ticketed Jason Isaac, 32, $275 for his role in a king salmon fishing trip made in protest of summer subsistence restrictions. Isaac was the only person to admit to taking part in the trip, according to the Tundra Drums.

Heather Kendall-Miller, an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, followed the story and met with a regional Fish and Wildlife director to ask that the charges be dropped, KYUK reports.

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Army National Guard flies two from Diomede for possible swine flu

NOVEMBER 5, 2009 - 3:58 PM

The state Health Department just sent the following announcement:

(To be clear, this is a village of about 130 people that's only accessible by helicopter and, sometimes, by boat. I wrote about this a couple weeks ago but should note that there are a lot of unanswered questions about exactly how & why the village lost passenger service, not to mention about what happens next. )

Two Little Diomede residents medevaced to Nome with possible H1N1
Other residents of the remote island village experiencing flu-like symptoms

Two Little Diomede residents with severe H1N1 symptoms were medevaced to Nome through a coordinated effort by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Alaska Army National Guard, Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, and the Norton Sound Health Corporation. The remote island community is being provided medical support to help prevent and treat additional people with suspected H1N1 infection and to help prevent further transmission.

On Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009, the Alaska Army National Guard flew both individuals from Little Diomede to Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome. One patient tested positive for H1N1 during an initial rapid test.

Diomede Mayor Andrew Miligrock requested that a medical team and medication be sent to the island to treat an increasing number of people with flu-like symptoms.

In response, a civilian medical team consisting of one doctor, one public health nurse, and two medics are being transported to Little Diomede on Thursday, Nov. 5, with transportation support from the Alaska Army National Guard.

“One of the most remote communities in Alaska, the village of Diomede does not have village-wide water or sewer systems,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Joe McLaughlin. “Due to frequent adverse weather conditions, it is not uncommon for this community to be inaccessible by air for long periods of time, which further limits emergency health care opportunities for villagers. For these reasons, the DHSS Section of Epidemiology fully supports this medical mission to interrupt the spread of influenza in this hard-hit and geographically remote Alaska village.”

DHSS has arranged for 130 doses of inactivated H1N1 vaccine, dedicated to Nome, to be redirected to Diomede, along with antivirals used in the treatment of H1N1. Nome supplies are being immediately restocked.

The traditional commercial means of air evacuations from Little Diomede to Nome is not available at this time. In the interim, Alaska Army National Guard stands by to respond to true emergencies.

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(UPDATED) Obama: 'No shouting now. But I would love to come to Alaska'

NOVEMBER 5, 2009 - 7:25 AM

Update: Click here to read a White House transcript of Obama's remarks, and the following question-and-answer session.

Meeting with tribal leaders from across the country this morning in D.C., President Barack Obama heard calls from Alaska Natives for help combating suicide, erosion and mining impacts.

He also got an invitation to the 49th state.

“If you ever decide you want to get away from it all come see one of us,” Bill Martin, an Alaska Federation of Natives board member from Southeast, told the president.

“I often want to get away from it all. So I'm very much looking forward to visiting Alaska,” Obama replied.

The White House expected hundreds of tribal leaders at the Interior Department today for the meeting, which began at 5 a.m. Alaska time. During a brief question-and-answer period in which at least three Alaskans called on the president, Martin asked for more funding to battle the state’s staggering suicide rate and warned some villages are ready to slip into the ocean because of coastal erosion.

One speaker warned the Red Dog mine could hurt food gathering. A woman from Kodiak Island said an elder named Erlinda, who works at the local Safeway, wanted to tell Obama she loved him.

“You tell Linda I love her back,” the president said.

Obama said tribal leaders would get a chance to talk issues with federal department heads and members of Congress later in the day, then added: “The only thing I do want to make sure you understand is that when I do visit Alaska, it’s going to be during the summer.

"So, just wanted to be clear about that.”

Tlingit elder Clarence Jackson gave the invocation at the meeting, followed by a short speech by the president who called the event “the largest and most widely attended gathering of tribal leaders in our history.”

Of the 387 tribes that planned to attend the conference 87 are from Alaska -- the most from any state, according to the White House.

Obama talked about a proposal to boost Indian Health Service funding, the value of tribal colleges and the need for stronger law enforcement in Native American and Alaska Native communities.

"On some reservations, violent crime is more than 20 times the national average. The shocking and contemptible fact that one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes is an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore," he said.

As he began taking questions, the president reacted to something someone yelled from the crowd.

“No shouting now," Obama said. "But I would love to come to Alaska."

(Note: I watched the opening of the meeting streaming on the White House Web site. It's still being broadcast online as I write this, but be warned. The quality this morning was very poor. Long freezes & gaps in the feed. Hard to hear many of Obama's remarks on policy and the feds' relationship with American Indian/Alaska Native people. Meantime, read the agenda here.)

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Stranded in Anchorage?

NOVEMBER 4, 2009 - 7:21 PM

Closing camps: Anchorage Police recently posted notices, seen here on Oct. 16, that homeless campers must clear out of a wooded area near Reeve Boulevard.
Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News

A statewide reduction in social services – especially rural areas – is pushing problems into Anchorage, where at least 13 people have died on the streets since May.

That’s one of the arguments the Alaska Federation of Natives is making as it calls for emergency funding to house and treat the homeless.

The AFN board says that at least seven of the people who died were Alaska Native. Eight had gone to Cook Inlet Tribal Council for help. Five were trying to find work or go to school. In a resolution passed Oct. 24, the board called for help on several fronts: Funding, housing vouchers, social services.

Maybe you saw that CITC is spending $25,000 to boost a program that helps people stranded in the city get home to villages. I'd like to know more and am looking for help. If you know anyone who is stuck in Anchorage and needs help, or just want to talk about what could/should be done, send me an e-mail or call 257-4334.

(You can now read all the recent AFN resolutions on the federation Web site. The one I’m talking about is the second on the list, after the big subsistence proposal.)

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Watch Obama's meeting with tribes online tomorrow

NOVEMBER 4, 2009 - 6:02 PM

Leaders from more than 560 tribes, including many from Alaska, meet with the Obama administration beginning early tomorrow morning in D.C.

You can watch it live here. The president's expected to give opening and closing remarks. Things start at 5 a.m. (!) Alaska time.

I asked Rosita Worl, an Alaska Federation of Natives board member and president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute what Sealaska & AFN hope to talk about in D.C.

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Kotlik: Father saves son, drowns in snowmachine accident

NOVEMBER 4, 2009 - 9:50 AM

KYUK in Bethel reports on a 41-year-old Kotlik man who fell through the ice while riding on a snowmachine with his son Thursday night. Michael Hunt Jr. died in the accident, the station says, but not before pushing the 14-year-old to safety.

Listen to the story here.

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(UPDATED) Capsized fishing boat belongs to Moller, sister

OCTOBER 31, 2009 - 8:42 PM

UPDATE: The vessel sank before it could be salvaged.

U.S. Coast Guard says: A two-mile rainbow sheen was reported in the vicinity of the sunken vessel. Based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration drift models and the weather conditions the sheen is expected dissipate quickly and cause no significant environmental impacts.

The Carley Renee:
The fishing vessel Guardian is nearby the capsized fishing vessel Carley Renee after rescuing four fishermen who abandoned ship who went into their deployed life raft 22 miles east of Unalaska Island at approximately 4:42 p.m Friday. The four fishermen were examined by a health services technician from the Coast Guard Cutter Munro and were reported in stable condition.
Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Cutter Munro.

Busy news night tonight, but had a quick talk with Sandra Moller about the 59-foot commercial fishing vessel that capsized Friday near Unalaska Island.

Moller said she and her brother -- Parnell rural adviser John Moller -- have owned the boat together for about two years. Sandra Moller is real estate and construction director for CIRI, she said.

It's too early to say what went wrong, she said, but a salvage company plans to look at tomorrow and tow it to Dutch Harbor if possible.

The crew was fishing for Pacific cod, she said.

The Coast Guard reports no serious injuries.

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Corralling the Tern Lake swan

OCTOBER 31, 2009 - 4:17 PM

UPDATE: More pics from today's swan capture.
Swans are monogamous, but this one's mate split yesterday when the injured swan couldn't fly with the rest of the flock. The Sealife Center says its wing has atrophied and needs physical therapy. It's spending the night tonight at an indoor pool at the center in Seward.

Dustin Phillips, Alaska SeaLife Center photo
Dr. Pam Tuomi with ASLC employee Christy Phillips

...

Dustin Phillips, Alaska SeaLife Center photo
The rescued trumpeter swan floats in a quarantine pool at the Alaska SeaLife Center

Jeanne Waite Follett, of Moose Pass, sent this update on the Tern Lake swan today. (See the story on our main site.)

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Flu vaccines arrive in Y-K Delta

OCTOBER 30, 2009 - 11:18 AM

Live in Bethel? You can get swine flu -- and regular flu -- vaccines on Nov. 7, says the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp.

Here's the announcement. They expect to have enough vaccine for everyone who wants a shot.

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Naknek power company gets $12.4 million for geothermal

OCTOBER 30, 2009 - 10:44 AM

More than $15 million in stimulus money is headed to Alaska for geothermal projects, Sen. Mark Begich's office announced this week.

The biggest share, $12.4 million, goes to Naknek Electric Assocation to "supply the electrical needs of three communities" according to Begich's office.

Naknek is a fishing town of 550 of on the northeast end of Bristol Bay. Kids are flown across a river into the village each day from nearby South Naknek to go to school. (Here's a story KTUU did last year. But how much does that cost? Who pays for it?)

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AP: Abuse victims protest diocese bankruptcy plan

OCTOBER 29, 2009 - 1:35 PM

By RACHEL D'ORO
Associated Press

ANCHORAGE — Elsie Boudreau received $1 million from the Fairbanks Catholic diocese to settle her sexual abuse claims against a priest, so four years later she's appalled that almost 300 more victims are being offered a guaranteed $5,500 each.

Boudreau says it's like another round of abuse from the diocese, which this week submitted a second reorganization plan to a bankruptcy court judge.

Kasey Nye, a Tucson, Ariz., attorney representing the diocese, says that amount is just a minimum in secured pay to settle the claims and more will be paid out later.

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Blotter: Woman, 51, accused of sexually assaulting 17-year-old

OCTOBER 28, 2009 - 12:00 PM

A 51-year-old Akutan woman is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old male, state troopers say. The charges include giving the teenager alcohol and an unspecified “controlled substance.”

Here’s the Trooper report, followed by a round-up of sexual assault cases reported over the past few days:

Akutan -- sexual assault/sexual abuse of a minor/drug charges/furnishing alcohol to a Minor
On Sunday, the VPSO in Akutan received a report of sexual abuse of a minor. On Monday, State Troopers traveled to Akutan to investigate. Investigation revealed that Vera M. Pelkey, age 51, from Akutan, had sexually assaulted a 17-year-old juvenile male several times over the course of the last two months. In addition, Pelkey provided a Schedule III controlled substance and alcohol to the juvenile. Pelkey was arrested on one count of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance I, four counts of Sexual Assault II, four counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor II, and one count of Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor. Pelkey was transported to the Unalaska Jail, where she was held pending arraignment.

Gambell -- sexual assault
On Monday at approximately 10 a.m. hours, Alaska State Troopers in Nome received a report of a Sexual Assault that took place on St.Lawrence Island. The victim was transported to Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome for treatment. The investigation is ongoing.

Chevak -- warrant
On Sunday, Carlie Tunutmoak (age 24 of Chevak) was arrested in Chevak on an outstanding $5000 arrest warrant. The arrest warrant was issued for Tunutmoak by the Bethel 4th District Court for the Charges of 2 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the 2nd degree, Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the 3rd degree, and Tampering with Evidence. Tunutmoak was arrested and remanded to YKCC.

Akiachak -- sexual assault, assault and weapons misconduct
On Thursday, the Alaska State Troopers in Bethel received a call from Akiachak Village Police who reported that a female residing in the village of Akiachak had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Sam Liskey age 29 of Akiachak on the morning of 10/21/2009. At the conclusion of the investigation Sam Liskey was arrested on the charges of Sexual Assault 1st degree, 3 counts of Domestic Violence Assault 3rd degree and Misconduct Involving a Weapon in the 4th degree. Sam Liskey was transported to Bethel and remanded accordingly to YKCC. Alcohol is reported to be a factor in this incident.

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Help on the way for stranded Diomede?

OCTOBER 25, 2009 - 9:58 PM

State of
Alaska photo

We'll have a story in tomorrow's paper updating the travel woes in Diomede, where no one's been able to fly in or out for the past four months.

The problem: The company that delivers mail by helicopter -- and normally offers passenger flights when there's space -- had to switch choppers.

As early as this week, the Norton Sound Health Corp. could strike a deal with the air carrier allowing patients to fly on the replacement helicopter. That way, at least, people can make their doctors' appointments.

Sen. Mark Begich last week wrote a letter to Gov. Sean Parnell calling the flight freeze a transportation crisis. He's suggesting the state look into splitting the cost of subsidized flights to the village with the feds.

Read his letter here.

Meantime, check out this 360-degree look at the village. It's kind of awesome. Click on the image to spin it around.

Finally, here's a local Webcam. The weather was looking pretty grim, last I checked.

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Troopers: Death investigation, burglary in Ugashik

OCTOBER 25, 2009 - 9:06 PM

Can there really only be 15 people in Ugashik? That's the population listed on the state's community database.

From Troopers reports today:

Type: Death Investigation

On 10-23-09 at 2015 hours, the Alaska State Troopers in King Salmon were notified of a death in the village of Ugashik. On 10-24-09 Troopers responded to the village to investigate. Investigation revealed that Mark Wood, age 50 of Ugashik had been found deceased approximately one mile outside of the village lying next to the roadway. Further investigation showed that Wood had been drinking alcohol at a friend's house on the evening of 10-22-09. Wood left the residence on his four-wheeler to go home wearing only a T-shirt and blue jeans. That night the weather in Ugashik was rainy and cold. The next day when Wood did not show up to work,a search was conducted. Wood was later found lying next to his four-wheeler, deceased, approximately one mile out of the village near the airport. Evidence indicates Wood died from exposure, however Woods body was sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Anchorage for an autopsy. The next of kin has been notified.

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Live at AFN: Saturday

OCTOBER 24, 2009 - 9:28 AM

Neimeyer -- who now splits his time between working for the Rasmuson Foundation and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium -- will be the first Alaska Native to hold that post, Begich said.

(He doesn't formally get the job until he's appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.)

Neimeyer replaces George Cannelos.

Neimeyer

1:45 p.m. Lost toddler reunited with mama. Sen. Mark Begich about to speak. Donut for lunch.

11:58 a.m. As the board considers resolutions this morning, one of the hottest appeared to be a proposal to restructure & reorganize AFN itself.

What would it do?

For one thing, groups like regional health organizations or the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope -- which represents regional tribal councils -- would get a vote at the convention. That's according to Tara Sweeney, ASRC vice president for external affairs.

The proposal was amended to say the changes should be in place by 2011, she said.

Some tension today, as the vote for this resolution came just after a five-minute break. At least one speaker said her region didn't have a chance to weigh in.

KNBA is all over this, on their Twitter feed: twitter.com/KNBA

10:53 a.m. Five-minute recess. Bathroom gridlock.

10:10 a.m. "Did you see the lady on the cell phone?" Doll-maker Ursula Paniyak asked a woman who stopped by her booth this morning. "(She's) going, 'I'm done picking berries. You need to come pick me up.'" Paniyak's mother her taught her how to make the dolls. Now her daughter and granddaughter create them too. The cell phone doll was a hit yesterday, when it was given to Sen. Lisa Murkowski on the convention floor. The phone is made from a swatch of reindeer hide. The face ffrom seal skin, Paniyak said.

...

"The cell phone people came from ACS, or GCI, and bought two," Paniyak said.

9:29 a.m. Just heard the words "Aleut Viagra."

9:21 a.m. On the (mostly) empty chairs at the convention this morning: A resolution calling for the Fish & Wildlife service to drop charges against the Marshall fisherman who was ticketed for illegal subsistence fishing this summer ...

I didn't see this proposal among the stack of resolutions AFN delegates will vote on later this morning. It's proposed by the Association of Village Council Presidents.

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Friday: Live at AFN

OCTOBER 23, 2009 - 9:41 AM

Finally!

Here's Kim Elton, director of Alaska affairs for the Interior Department, talking about the Obama administration's plans to do a broad, rapid review of federal subsistence management in Alaska:

...

And the second half:

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Live at AFN

OCTOBER 22, 2009 - 9:23 AM

3:55 p.m. The state's new rural education director -- the state's first rural education director, actually -- is Juneau school board member Phyllis Carlson.

Carlson most recently worked as director of the Vocational Training and Resource Center of the Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, the state says.

3:35 p.m. Stopped by the health fair on the convention's second floor where a dozen people waited for their seasonal flu shot.

The room's dominated by a giant, inflatable colon. I took a picture from inside of it, but I just can't bring myself to post it on the blog. Disturbing.

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Tribal healing @ AFN

OCTOBER 21, 2009 - 8:23 PM

Evelyn Karmun, of Kotzebue, is a tribal healer for Maniilaq. She's planning to offer free medical care to convention-goers this weekend at AFN.

She described the traditional technique:

“They come in for headaches, we give them neck and shoulder and upper back massages. For dislocations ... we would massage a little around the shoulder area, make sure there's no tightness, tight muscles, before we relocate the shoulder. When they have an upset stomach or heartburn, we would manipulate around the stomach area. They may have some tightness in the belly area, and just massage it, and the pain will go away.”

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Please help us identify this Elvis

OCTOBER 21, 2009 - 7:00 PM

Readers, we want to run this picture in the paper, but aren't sure who is behind the mask. Anyone know? E-mail me at khopkins@adn.com so we can finish our photo caption.

Marc Lester photo / Anchorage Daily News

(According to the Elders & Youth program, the group appears to be the Suurimmaanitchuat Dancers, who performed Tuesday morning.)

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