Kodiak

by The Associated Press Saturday, May 29, 2010 KODIAK, Alaska -- Police in Kodiak are asking people to keep an eye out for a missing explosive. Police say a fluorescent-green plastic cylinder containing an explosive was taken Thursday morning from a quarry on Near Island. The cylinder is about 4 inches by 2 inches with a cord protruding from one end. The explosive disappeared between 10 a.m. and noon. Police say it likely was removed from a hole bored in a rock wall.

A broad upper trough remains over Alaska with a couple of lows rotating through the trough.  While the primary of these lows near Kodiak is weakening, mostly cloudy conditions are still likely for most of southern Alaska.  Another weak low is moving north toward the SE Panhandle.  To the west of the trough is a weak ridge.  East of the ridge axis over the Bering Sea and far western Alaska, dry, sunny and cool weather is expected today. Rain will fall in SE with highs in the 40s and 50s.  Isolated showers this afternoon will increase to scattered showers tonight in Southcentral.  Highs ranging from the upper 40s in PWS to low 60s. Mostly cloudy and showery with isolated thunderstorms in the Interior will keep highs in the 60s, although Fort Yukon may top out near 70. Expect 40s and 50s along the west coast with mostly sunny skies.

by The Associated Press Saturday, July 3, 2010 KODIAK, Alaska -- A Kodiak grand jury has indicted two men on charges of second-degree murder in the 2008 slaying of a 41-year-old man. Charged this week in the death of Darrell Cavaness were Chawn D. Summerall and Joshua R. Erickson. Summerall was previously charged in the killing in June 2009, but that indictment was overturned last month by Superior Court Judge Fred Torrisi. The judge ruled that the indictment relied too heavily on hearsay evidence and also said evidence was withheld from the grand jury.

The U.S. Coast Guardhas identified the two Coast Guard members who were fatally shot Thursday at a communications station in Kodiak, which are being investigated by authorities as a double homicide. A Friday statement from the Coast Guard says Petty Officer 1st Class James Hopkins, an electronics technician, and Richard Belisle, a civilian employee and retired Coast Guard chief petty officer, were the two men found dead at their posts between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday by another Coast Guard member.

by Channel 2 News staff Wednesday, June 16, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- According to the State Department of Environmental Conservation, four people have suspected cases of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). PSP is a potentially lethal toxin that can lead to fatal respiratory paralysis. In Kodiak, the three reported cases are associated with eating butter clams dug at Chiniak Beach and Middle Bay. In Juneau, one case is linked to eating cockles, a type of hard shell clam, gathered from the Point Louisa end of Auke Bay. The DEC warns people should not eat shellfish from beaches not certified as safe.

The state is monitoring a potential spill situation near Kodiak after the grounding of the Kimberly, a fishing vessel, on Wednesday. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation said weather is affecting crews efforts to deal with the Kimberly with a reported heavy freezing spray warning along with seas to 9 feet. 4 crewmembers were forced to abandon ship after facing winds gusting 100 knots near the head of Jute Bay on the west side of Shelikof Strait. According to ADEC, the responsible party is working with a marine surveyor to develop a plan for removal of the fluids and any other hazardous substances from the vessel once weather permits.

61-year-old James Michael Wells, of Kodiak, was arrested Friday for a April 2012 double murder shooting on Kodiak, according to the U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler's office. On April 12, 2012, Wells allegedly killed two Coast Guard members , USCG Electrician's Mate First Class James Hopkins and retired Chief Boatswain's Mate Richard Belisle, at the Coast Guard Communications Station Kodiak. Wells was a civilian rigger who reportedly worked alongside Belisle and Hopkins and lived in the Bells Flat area about 12 miles from downtown Kodiak.

Southcentral Alaska residents felt a moderate size earthquake Friday night centered near Kodiak and there was no tsunami danger , according to the Alaska Tsunami Center. Seismologists' preliminary report of the quake was at magnitude 5.2 and had a depth of 66 miles about 70 miles northwest of Kodiak. The quake struck around 11 p.m. Alaska time and could be felt 240 miles away in Anchorage. There were intial reports of damage. Contact Neil Torquiano

A 22-year-old Kodiak man has been charged with nine felony counts connected to a break-in at a restaurant. The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports Casey Brennick was arraigned late last week on charges of burglary, theft, criminal mischief and evidence tampering. Kodiak police say a suspect last week broke into Noodles Restaurant. Owners reported the theft of television sets, golf clubs and two motorcycles from a trailer behind the restaurant. Police acting on a tip served a search warrant at a home and recovered the property.

On Saturday evening, several fire crews monitored a small wildfire on Kodiak near Womens Bay. The wildfire burned roughly an acre of land near Salonie Creek. According to Troy Brevik with the Coast Guard Fire Dept., the blaze started roughly around 8 p.m. Saturday and crews extinguished it around 11 p.m. Saturday. A number of local fire departments responded to the blaze, including the Bayside Fire Station, Coast Guard, and volunteers from Womens Bay. The fire reportedly did not damage any structures.

A federal judge denied bail for the man accused of killing two men at a Kodiak Island Coast Guard facility. Though James Wells' defense team claimed the 61-year-old posed no risk to the community, it was unable to secure bail for the murder suspect, which included 24-hour home detention and electronic monitoring. The defense presented testimonies from three people, including married couple Henry and Janet Pennington who claimed to have known Wells for more than 20 years, and Victoria Geyer, who would serve as a third-party custodian if the court approved.

On Saturday evening, several fire crews monitored a small wildfire on Kodiak near Womens Bay. The wildfire burned roughly an acre of land near Salonie Creek. According to Troy Brevik with the Coast Guard Fire Dept., the blaze started roughly around 8 p.m. Saturday and crews extinguished it around 11 p.m. Saturday. A number of local fire departments responded to the blaze, including the Bayside Fire Station, Coast Guard, and volunteers from Womens Bay. The fire reportedly did not damage any structures.

A 29-year-old Kodiak woman has been charged with stabbing her husband in the abdomen. The Kodiak Daily Mirror ( http://bit.ly/XoHOlw ) reports Ariana Miller is charged with felony assault. Alaska State Troopers say Miller suspected her husband was having an affair and last week found photos of a nude woman on his cellphone. Miller told troopers her husband came home from work to discuss the situation and she accused him of adultery. She told investigators she tried to leave but her husband grabbed her. Troopers say Miller picked up a 6-inch serrated kitchen knife from the counter and stabbed the man. He was treated at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center Miller on Tuesday had been released on bail.

Alaska State Troopers arrested a Kodiak woman on a first-degree charge of domestic-violence assault early Saturday after she allegedly cut her former boyfriend with a knife. Troopers responded just after 1:30 a.m. to a home off Spruce Cape Road, where the incident had been reported. “Investigation revealed Chandra Wenrich, age 24 of Kodiak, was in an argument with an ex-boyfriend after a night of drinking,” troopers wrote. “At some point during the argument Wenrich used a knife to injure her ex-boyfriend causing a significant laceration and risk of death.” Troopers say the ex-boyfriend was taken to Central Peninsula Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released.

61-year-old James Michael Wells, of Kodiak, was arrested Friday for a April 2012 double murder shooting on Kodiak, according to the U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler's office. On April 12, 2012, Wells allegedly killed two Coast Guard members , USCG Electrician's Mate First Class James Hopkins and retired Chief Boatswain's Mate Richard Belisle, at the Coast Guard Communications Station Kodiak. Wells was a civilian rigger who reportedly worked alongside Belisle and Hopkins and lived in the Bells Flat area about 12 miles from downtown Kodiak.

In the midst of Shell Oil's controversial drill rig mishap and recovery, different groups have expressed concern for the future of offshore drilling, including the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. "It's troubling that there was such a series of mishaps," Salazar said.  "There is a troubling sense I have that so many things went wrong.” "Secretary Salazar should be concerned,” said Dan Howells, deputy campaigns director with Greenpeace U.S.A.  “It's essentially his signature that allowed Shell to go forward without all the pieces in place that they supposedly need.” The Department of the Interior is examining Shell's entire 2012 drilling operations, planning to have results of the assessment within 60 days “It's a positive sign for sure,” said Howells.  “We'll see if this is just another exercise to kind of paper over what is a big problem, or if they actually do something about it. " Shell officials declined to be interviewed on Wednesday in regards to either Salazar's or Greenpeace's comments but did release this statement: “Shell has drilled more wells offshore in Alaska than any other company.

The drilling rig Kulluk reached an anchorage off Kodiak Island Monday morning, nearly a week after it ran aground 30 miles away during a winter storm and was taken under tow Sunday, as Shell Oil President Marvin Odum apologized for the incident. In a statement released Monday afternoon confirming the Kulluk's arrival at Kiliuda Bay, Odum expressed both regret for the Shell-contracted conical drilling unit's grounding and relief at the outcome of a towing operation which began late Sunday.

A fish processing ship sitting in the Kodiak harbor, spilled an estimated 150 gallons of diesel fuel on Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Safety Detachment responded to the leak from the vessel Pacific Producer. Officials with the Kodiak harbormaster, Kodiak Fire Department and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation were also part of the response. Petty Officer Guy Hughey said the fuel leaked inside of the ship before a portion of it was pumped into the harbor.