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The Mat-Su View is a creation of the Valley staff of the Anchorage Daily News, and is updated frequently from the newsroom in Wasilla.
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READER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Send in your photos of the beautiful Matanuska and Susitna valleys.
The Arctic Bicycle Club's 24-hour race started at noon Saturday, June 27, 2009 at Kepler-Bradley State Recreation Area. Solo riders and teams competed in 12 and 24-hour races.
State of Alaska Transportation and Public Facilities is looking to give the Peters Creek Bridge to someone willing to move, maintain and assume liability for it.
Glenn Highway accident makes for close call - 7/1/2009 11:56 am
Palmer Council agrees to idea of removing tracks - 7/1/2009 10:39 am
Valley Hospital Association elects new board members - 6/24/2009 1:29 pm
Palmer couplet meeting scheduled at Depot - 6/22/2009 3:40 pm
Palmer Council to weigh request to remove tracks - 6/22/2009 3:18 pm
Main drag in Palmer closed for water line repairs - 6/18/2009 4:56 pm
School board member hospitalized, meeting postponed - 6/18/2009 12:31 pm
Utility board fires general manager - 6/16/2009 3:57 pm
Wasilla city council approves Teamster contract - 6/12/2009 11:14 am
Fired MEA employees sue - 6/11/2009 7:54 pm
Two elected to MTA board - 6/11/2009 7:05 pm
Missing man found - at home in Wasilla - 6/11/2009 5:25 pm
75-year-old Wasilla man missing in Montana - 6/11/2009 12:03 pm
Teens rescued from vehicle stranded in Mat River - 6/10/2009 4:21 pm
Big Lake teen in motorcycle collision identified - 6/4/2009 5:54 pm
Borough mayor candidate slapped with 25 animal citations - 6/2/2009 6:46 pm
Big Lake teen injured in collision - 6/2/2009 2:09 pm
Wasilla Chamber elects new board, opens meetings - 5/29/2009 3:02 pm
Houston shooting brings charge of attempted murder - 5/28/2009 11:23 am
Rain douses Mat-Su fire danger, prompts lifting of burn restrictions - 5/27/2009 1:40 pm
Police beat: arrests, incidents and more. - 5/26/2009 1:58 pm
Mat-Su datebook: upcoming events from around the Valley - 5/26/2009 1:24 pm
JULY 1, 2009 - 11:56 AM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
A tire blow-out on a tow truck spelled near disaster in an accident that left the Glenn Highway near Palmer shut for nearly an hour Monday morning. But all occupants of the two-vehicle head-on collision came away with only minor injuries, according to Alaska State Troopers.
According to a trooper report, 34-year-old Shane Alan Preskitt-Bailey of Wasilla was driving a 1999 International flatbed tow truck northbound on the Glenn Highway when the left front tire blew out. Preskitt-Bailey lost control of the truck, which swerved into the southbound lane and hit a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban head on.
JULY 1, 2009 - 10:39 AM
From Rindi White in Palmer:
Palmer City Council agreed Tuesday to ask the Alaska Railroad Corporation for permission to make the railroad tracks that split the city inactive and consider removing them.
After several hours of debate and numerous amendments, the City Council agreed by a 5-1 vote to seek permission to remove the tracks north of a rail spur that runs to the city airport.
The decision doesn’t mean the railroad tracks are going to be torn out, however.
City Council members initially were reluctant to ask permission to remove the tracks at all because community residents said there had not been enough public discussion about removing them. They struck a compromise by requiring the city to hold at least two public hearings to gather community input before any track removal happens.
JUNE 24, 2009 - 1:29 PM
Jerry Troshynski and Scott Johannes were elected to terms on Valley Hospital Association's 15-member board of directors Monday at the association's annual meeting.
Troshynski is a regional nurse manager for the Southwest region of the state, according to a Valley Hospital Association announcement. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master's in Public Administration and has served on several boards and commissions, including the Alaska Public Health Association.
Johannes owns Criterion General, a local construction company and is owner or managing partner in several real estate development partnerships. He helped open the AT&T Sports Center on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway in 2008 and is involved in youth sports in the Valley. According to the association, Johannes and Troshynski replace board members Larry Tallman and Mike Senta. Cheryl Riggs, Teri Namtvedt and Deborah Prator were reelected to second terms on the board.
JUNE 22, 2009 - 3:40 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Palmer business owners and residents will be able to comment on how they think traffic should be improved through downtown Palmer at a meeting tomorrow.
Jim Amundsen, project manager of the Palmer couplet project for the state Transportation Department, said the state will hold an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. June 23 at the Palmer Depot.
Although originally scheduled as meeting for people to comment on design details for a pair of one-way roads that would become a traffic loop through downtown Palmer, Amundsen said the focus has changed to potentially encompass more options.
JUNE 22, 2009 - 3:18 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Palmer City Council will consider at its 7 p.m. meeting tomorrow whether to ask the Alaska Railroad Corp. to remove rail tracks that have split the city since it was founded.
The city proposes to remove the railroad tracks from a spur near the Alaska State Fair grounds that serves the Palmer Municipal Airport to Arctic Avenue. The city would also ask for permission to manage the former rail bed.
City leaders have said removing the railroad tracks would free up more green space in the city and give them more flexibility as they design a park along the rail bed. The tracks are used infrequently, and Railroad officials say trains must travel at walking speeds on the rickety rails to prevent problems such as disrailing.
JUNE 18, 2009 - 4:56 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
A old steel water line cracked beneath South Alaska Street, sending a geyser of water up through the pavement Tuesday night and leading city officials to close the street until the line is fixed.
Palmer Public Works Director Carter Cole said it might take a week or more to fix the problem. For now, traffic is being diverted around the break.
Over the weekend the busy four-way intersection at Alaska Street and Evergreen Avenue will be closed down so a city crew can lay new pipe for a permanent fix.
Cole said work being done just down the street on Blueberry Avenue didn't cause the leak, but it is sort of related. The city has for several years been replacing old steel water lines with new ones of thicker ductile iron, he said. As new lines are added, the pressure on the old pipe increases and sometimes, as in this case, the old pipe fails faster than the city expected it to. The water line on Alaska Street was scheduled to be replaced in three years.
JUNE 18, 2009 - 12:31 PM
From S.J. Komarnitsky in Wasilla
A Mat-Su School board meeting was cut short Wednesday after board member Sarah Welton fell ill and was hospitalized. School district spokeswoman Catherine Esary said Welton was out of the hospital by Thursday morning and that she is “OK.” Welton, who runs a local counseling office, could not immediately be reached for comment. The incident occurred as the board was wrapping up a closed-door session right before the meeting to talk about an expulsion case and review superintendent’s George Troxel’s evaluation and contract. The meeting has been rescheduled for June 24.
JUNE 16, 2009 - 3:57 PM
The Matanuska Electric Association board voted to fire 14-year general manager Wayne Carmony at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon.
The move came after several months of clashes between the board and Carmony, during which the board limited Carmony’s ability to speak about board actions and barred him from hiring or firing executives at the cooperative. The board also instructed Carmony to fire two MEA executives, former assistant general manager Tuckerman Babcock and former Information Technology director Bruce Scott.
The board is led by a new majority who has been critical of the way Carmony runs the cooperative. It voted in April to begin the process of terminating Carmony. Board attorney Robin Brena and Carmony have since been negotiating over a severance package.
JUNE 12, 2009 - 11:14 AM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
After an executive session Monday, Wasilla City Council unanimously approved a contract between the city and Wasilla Police Department employees. The employees voted earlier this year to be represented by Teamsters Local 959.
Forty-nine employees, including dispatchers, administrative support staff and officers, are represented by the union.
Wasilla City Council has approved three union contracts with city employees in the past year, including Laborers Local 341, which represents employees at the Menard Sports Center and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302, which represents city public works employees.
JUNE 11, 2009 - 7:54 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Two former Matanuska Electric Association executives are suing the cooperative for what they say are breaches of their employment contracts.
The two employees, former assistant general manager and human resources director Tuckerman Babcock and former information technology director Bruce Scott, were fired in April.
The cooperative’s board of directors, which opposes the management style of longtime general manager Wayne Carmony, instructed Carmony to fire Babcock and Scott “without cause.”
The two men served in at-will positions and according to a civil complaint filed last week by their attorney Susan Orlansky, they were “subject to termination at the discretion of Mr. Carmony.”
JUNE 11, 2009 - 7:05 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Matanuska Telephone Association held its annual membership meeting at the Alaska State Fairgrounds Wednesday night. As part of the annual meeting festivities, the results of the telephone cooperative’s annual election were announced.
Chuck Foster of Wasilla was elected to a three-year term on the board of directors, with 1,804 votes. Al Strawn of Palmer was elected to a two-year seat with 1,570 votes. Both men have previously served on the MTA board.
Seven other candidates also ran but failed to get enough votes to be elected to the two open seats. They are: Former Mat-Su Assemblywoman Mary Kvalheim; Greg Jetter, Sr.; John Rockwell; George Trabits; Robert Beans; James Hemsath; and Paul S. Johnson.
JUNE 11, 2009 - 5:25 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Turns out, he wasn't so lost. AP in Montana reported this news a few minutes ago:
'Missing’ Alaska man found safe at home
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Authorities in Montana say a 75-year-old Alaska man, reported missing when he failed to show up in Montana for a memorial service, has been found safe at home in Wasilla, Alaska.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton says Elbert Ross was driving from Alaska to Wolf Creek with the ashes of a loved one to be scattered at Wolf Creek Cemetery. A family member called law enforcement officers on Monday to report him missing; and an attempt-to-locate was put out in Montana, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.
JUNE 11, 2009 - 12:03 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
The Helena Independent Record reported today that a Wasilla man who drove to the small Montana town of Wolf Creek to spread the ashes of a loved one failed to show up and has been missing since last week.
To see the story online at the Record, click here
Here's what was posted online this morning:
Police searching for missing Alaska man
By ANGELA BRANDT - Independent Record - 06/10/09
Authorities are searching for an Alaska man who failed to show up in Wolf Creek as expected Sunday.
JUNE 10, 2009 - 4:21 PM
Teens rescued from vehicle stranded in Mat River: Mat-Su emergency responders walk Jessica Entsminger through a shallow spot in the Matanuska River after she and two friends got stuck.
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Three teenage girls were rescued by Mat-Su Borough and Palmer emergency responders Wednesday afternoon after getting stranded in part of the braided Matanuska River just downstream of the Matanuska River Bridge near Palmer on the Old Glenn Highway.
The girls were uninjured and a tow truck responded that afternoon to pull the 1994 Ford Explorer they were driving out of the river.
JUNE 4, 2009 - 5:54 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
Alaska State Troopers identified the 15-year-old boy who was injured Tuesday when he struck the side of a vehicle while riding a motorcycle beside Big Lake Road.
According to a trooper report, Patrick Barnhart of Wasilla was riding a 65 cc Kawasaki off-road motorcycle on the paved pedestrian path beside Big Lake Road late Tuesday morning. He ran into the side of a 2006 GMC Sierra being driven by John L. Collins, 64, of Big Lake while Collins was attempting to turn right onto Big Lake Road from a restaurant.
The trooper report did not list any citations stemming from the collision.
JUNE 2, 2009 - 6:46 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
A candidate for Mat-Su mayor is claiming the borough is targeting him in an effort to sideline his mayoral campaign.
The Mat-Su Borough on Tuesday cited former Iditarod musher David Straub of Willow for 25 violations stemming from running a dog kennel without a license.
Chief Mat-Su Animal Care Officer Bob Haskell said 21 citations are for dogs not registered with the borough, three are for dogs without immunization records and one is for operating a kennel without a license.
Straub said while he was in Wasilla attending a forum for candidates running for Mat-Su mayor on Tuesday, a Mat-Su Borough Animal Care and Regulation officer inspected his kennel. The officer gave him the citations at Underdog Feeds on the Parks Highway, where Straub had stopped on his way home.
JUNE 2, 2009 - 2:09 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
A 15-year-old boy was hospitalized Tuesday after he struck the bed of a pickup while riding a motorcycle along a bike path in Big Lake.
The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Mile 4 Big Lake Road. West Lakes Fire and Rescue Chief Rocky Jones said the teen was apparently speeding on the paved bike path on a Kawasaki motorcycle. A pickup pulled out of a driveway and the teen struck the bed of the pickup.
The teen was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with possible arm and leg injuries. Jones said the teen’s helmet flew off upon impact, so he may have also suffered head injuries.
MAY 29, 2009 - 3:02 PM
From Rindi White in Wasilla:
The Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce has appointed new officers and placed its executive director, Cheryl Metiva, on leave until an auditor reviews the nonprofit's books. The chamber announced a funding shortage in April. The new officers, Metiva's leave and plans to invite all chamber members to board and committee meetings were announced in an email sent by the chamber board Thursday afternoon.
Here's that email:
From: ezestate@hotmail.com [mailto:ezestate@hotmail.com] On Behalf Of contact@wasillachamber.org
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 4:16 PM
To: press@wasillachamber.org
MAY 28, 2009 - 11:23 AM
From S.J. Komarnitsky in Wasilla -
A 24-year-old former Alaska resident has been charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting last year in Houston, according to charging documents filed in Superior Court in Palmer. Christopher L. Burleson is facing one count of first-degree attempted murder and three counts of first-degree assault in connection with the shooting.
Wasilla Police Department Investigator Ruth Josten said the case was a difficult one and she wasn’t free to discuss details. On Thursday, she was in the process of negotiating with Burleson, who was in Missouri, to turn himself in, she said. She said she could not discuss what prompted the shooting, but that drugs were involved.
MAY 27, 2009 - 1:40 PM
From S.J. Komarnitsky in Wasilla:
The return of cloudy weather and rain wasn't welcomed by everybody. But Mat-Su fire officials say it's given the Valley a much needed dousing, and permitted them to once again allow open burning, which had been restricted for several days.
Here's the release sent out today by state forestry officials.
"Due to Valley wide wetting rains, the suspension of open burning permits has been lifted. Open burning is now allowed with a valid Mat-Su Area burning permit.
When burning… please be considerate of where your smoke will go, and who it may affect. Be sure to fully read and understand the terms and conditions of your permit and be sure to have the permit available on location of your burn.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
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