The Boy Scouts of America and their High Adventure Camp may get access to their camp – not necessarily the access they original hoped for – but access nontheless.
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A methane gas tractor trailer rollover has closed the Parks Highway. A safety zone has been set up. The highway is expected to stay closed until after midnight. Stay tuned to KTNA for hourly updates.
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Several business owners worried about loss of their storefront sandwich board signs, gone missing overnight on Wednesday night. Early Thursday morning KTNA received a call that solved the mystery. CIRI officials decided to get Troopers involved.
The Talkeetna Alaska Lodge night maintenance man was greeted by an odd sight early this morning around 3:30 a.m.
As he approached the entrance of the Lodge, he found 5 or 6 business sandwich board signs set up across the lawn of the Lodge. That report comes from other employees later in the morning. As they took a break outside the service entrance to the lodge, they spoke about the oddity of the signs’ arrival. The signs had all been propped up alongside the service entrance before guests saw them.
The size of the painted plywood sandwich boards would have taken the work of at least 2 people, if not more, as well as a truck or larger vehicle.
The hooligans may remain a mystery, but the businesses missing their signs are not. The Fireside Cabins, Nagley’s and a few others were all recipients of the recent random vandalism.
CIRI personnel have turned the case over to the Talkeetna Troopers. Businesses who have a sign missing are asked to call the Talkeetna Alaska Lodge.
The Interior continues to be pounded by rain. The Tanana in Fairbanks crested at record high levels and the Alaska Railroad says they are busing passenger between Denali Park to Fairbanks to avoid flooded railroad tracks. (more…)
A jury in Palmer found Talkeetna resident Donald Voorhis guilty on several counts in the standoff that took place in September 2006. Siblings said at the time of the arrest they felt Voorhis was unstable and had tried to help him. Some neighbors hope that now the trial is over, he might get assistance.
Voorhis was arrested in September of 2006 after a 3-day standoff with State Troopers at a Talkeetna-area trailer. Troopers tried many methods to get Voorhis out of his trailer. The stand off ended with Troopers using a Case 450 to take off the side of the trailer and removing Voorhis.
The jury found Voorhis guilty in all but 2 counts Wednesday. He was found guilty on one count of attempted murder, 7 counts of assault, one count of violating conditions of release for an earlier misdemeanor, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest. There were 2 counts of attempted murder of which Voorhis was found not guilty. In the counts of assault, he was also found guilty of knowingly assaulting police officers in the line of duty.
Assistant District Attorney Roman Kalytiak said he took over the case just one week before it went to court. He said the defense suddenly changed direction after a year and a half of declaring Voorhis mentally unstable. He says the judge can still make a decision that would include Voorhis getting psychological help while in prison.
Two years ago, as Voorhis was arrested, his relatives said that they had tried to get him mental assistance, but the mental health system had failed him. Talkeetna residents Diane and Roger Merrill, at one time, had been Voorhis’ third party custodians in Wasilla. When they moved to Talkeetna, they were surprised to see him as a neighbor. In reaction to the guilty verdict, Diane Merrill said they tried to take care of Voorhis when they could. She believes he was nutritionally deficient and could easily have a bi-polar disorder. She said they had never been threatened by Voorhis, but they were aware of others who had.
Sentencing in the case happens in Palmer in November.
Flooding north of the Alaska Range has caused difficulties on many levels. Some residents in Salcha were evacuated and the Tanana River continues to rise, worrying railroad officials. The Alaska Railroad Corporation has stopped passenger train activity north of Denali Park due to flooding concerns near the village of Nenana.
No damage has occurred to the tracks, but the Tanana River crested last night at a historic high level.
The southbound train from Fairbanks continued to Anchorage yesterday as planned. The northbound train stopped in Denali and passengers were met by bus to transport them to Fairbanks.
As a precaution, passengers on today’s train will travel from Fairbanks to Denali on buses and then board the train in Denali and continue south to Talkeetna by train. The northbound train is expected to run as normally scheduled.
Freight traffic will continue as normal. Railroad crews are monitoring the Tanana and Nenana Rivers.
Flood warnings are still in effect for Fairbanks and Salcha. Some homeowners around Salcha have been evacuated. A flood watch remains in effect for the Denali Park area. A small stream flood advisory has been issued for Carlo Creek north to Nenana. Park Service personnel report road washouts at Polychrome Pass, however, the road has only had intermittent closures as crews work on the area.
Heavy rains continue to stay north of the Alaska Range according to the national weather service.
