Survivor tells of 20 days in freezing Alaska after cabin burnt down

WASHINGTON - Haggard and traumatized, a young man has told how he survived for more than three weeks in the snowy wilderness of Alaska after his remote cabin burned down when he mistakenly put cardboard in his stove.

Tyson Steele, who was rescued by helicopter on Thursday, said his cabin -- located 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the nearest neighbour -- was incinerated in mid-December, and his beloved dog Phil died in the blaze.

Steele, 30, dug a snow cave and then built a makeshift shelter, staying warm with just a few sleeping bags and coats, and eating tins of food saved from the fire.

Helicopter footage released by Alaska State Troopers showed Steele waving for help, with SOS marked out in the deep snow, after a rescue effort was launched as he had not called his parents for three weeks.

"The mistake I made, I got hasty and I put a big piece of cardboard in the stove to start the fire," Steele said. "It sent a spark out through the chimney which landed on the roof."

He awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of melting plastic dripping and rushed outside in minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 26 degrees Celsius) temperatures to find his cabin ablaze.

At first, he thought his six-year-old chocolate Labrador had escaped safely.

"My dog starts howling, right? Inside. And I thought he was not inside... I was hysterical," he said.

"I have no words for what sorrow; it was just a scream... that's all I could express -- just scream. (It) felt like I tore my lung out."

SNOWED IN

Steele described how a box full of ammunition and a propane tank exploded in the roaring fire as he tried to save the cabin by throwing snow on it until dawn.

Eating a long-awaited McDonald's and still wearing some of the same clothes, Steele gave an interview to the State Troopers unit, which described him as appearing "vaguely reminiscent of actor Tom Hanks' character in the movie 'Cast Away'."

Steele told how his phone failed, his snow boots were lost in the flames, and that he made a survival plan hoping that his lack of communication with friends and family would trigger a search mission.

"I figured I had two cans a day for 30 days... The thing was, maybe half of those cans, they've heated up and popped open and the smoke's circulating inside the can. It tastes like my home, just burning."

Steele, who was in good physical condition after his ordeal, said it snowed heavily and that one attempt to walk out of the forested area left him quickly defeated.

He had been living alone at the cabin -- originally built by a Vietnam War veteran -- in Susitna Valley only since September, and he did not have a map.

Steele said he was going to stay with his parents in Salt Lake City to recover.

"They've got a dog," he said. "And that would be some therapy.

"The worst part of all of this -- I can survive 23 days again -- but my dog was in there, asleep by my side."

bgs/to

Agence France-Presse

Sarah Palin's husband files for divorce

LOS ANGELES - The husband of former US vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has filed for divorce due to "incompatibility of temperament," US media reported Monday.

Divorce papers filed in Anchorage, Alaska cited an "incompatibility of temperament" between Todd and Sarah Palin, both 55, "such that they find it impossible to live together as husband and wife," according to reports.

The divorce documents only use the couple's initials, but they were identified by the date of their wedding anniversary and the birthday for their youngest child, who is still a minor.

Todd and Sarah Palin married in 1988 and have five children together.

The family was thrust into the spotlight when late Republican senator John McCain tapped Sarah Palin, then the governor of Alaska, as his running mate for the 2008 presidential election. The pair lost the election to Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Palin served as Alaska governor from 2006 to 2009. Since then, she and her husband, a commercial fisherman and oil field production operator, have appeared in several reality television shows.

Their oldest daughter Bristol was a competitor in the 2010 season of "Dancing With the Stars."

After leaving gubernatorial office, Palin became a founding member of the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement, which contributed to the rise of populism later embodied by President Donald Trump.

Palin has been a vocal Trump supporter since the 2016 presidential campaign. 

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source: news.abs-cbn.com

Trump administration declares emergency in violence-plagued rural Alaska

ANCHORAGE - U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday declared a public-safety emergency in rural Alaska and pledged $10.5 million in federal funds to combat some of the nation's worst rates of sexual assault, child abuse and other violent crimes.

Barr's announcement followed a visit to Alaska last month, where the country's top law enforcement official was told about extraordinary high rates of rape and domestic violence and a lack of police officers.

About a third of Alaska Native villages lack local law-enforcement services, according to a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice announcing the federal money.

"I witnessed firsthand the complex, unique, and dire law enforcement challenges the State of Alaska and its remote Alaska Native communities are facing,” Barr said in the statement.

Rural Alaska communities, with largely Native populations and mostly without outside road access, have long been plagued by violent crime. For various legal and financial reasons, local and state responses to rural crime have been limited.

Village public safety officers, residents of the small Native communities scattered over remote parts of Alaska, are managed by the Alaska State Troopers.

Alaska tribes do not have the legal authority to establish police forces, a product of the sweeping 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that restricted tribal powers, Native leaders told Barr in May. Establishing tribal police would require another act of Congress, the Native leaders said.

State-funded rural law enforcement has been hindered by Alaska's long-running fiscal problems. The state is dependent on oil revenues that are dwindling and has cut back services over the years.

On Friday, just after Barr declared the public-safety emergency, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced deep cuts he was making by veto to the fiscal 2020 budget passed by the state legislature. Among them was a $3 million cut Dunleavy made to the village public safety officer program.

Of the emergency funding announced by Barr, $6 million is to support the state's village public safety officer program and to help pay for mobile detention facilities.

Another $4.5 million will be paid by the end of July for 20 officer positions, equipment and training for Native grantees, the Justice Department said.

Barr also announced plans for some longer-term responses, including some funding for child protection.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Alaska hit by powerful earthquake

LOS ANGELES - A powerful earthquake rocked Anchorage on Friday, violently shaking homes and businesses in Alaska's largest city and knocking out power to some residents.

The 7.0 magnitude quake was located about 8 miles (13 kilometers) north of Anchorage and struck at 8:29 am local time (1729 GMT), the US Geological Survey said.

The city's police department said it had caused "major infrastructure damage to Anchorage."

"Many homes and buildings are damaged," the police department said in a statement. "Many roads and bridges are closed. Stay off the roads if you don't need to drive."

There were no immediate reports of significant injuries.

A tsunami warning was issued for the Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula following the massive quake but was quickly lifted.

Residents of Anchorage posted pictures and videos to Twitter of damage to their homes and stores -- belongings knocked off of shelves, broken windows, and pictures scattered on the floor.

Local CBS affiliate KTVA posted a video of a room shaking back and forth with panels falling from the ceiling and lights flickering as people hid under desks.

"Everyone just sprinted out of the coffee shop I was at in Anchorage in the middle of a huge earthquake," Nat Herz, a reporter with news portal Alaska's Energy Desk, posted on Twitter.

"Car alarms going off, etc. But not seeing any serious damage here aside from random stuff falling over. People going back to computers, meetings," Herz said.

UNIVERSITY, AIRPORT CLOSED

The Anchorage Daily News said the quake caused damage at the newspaper, cracking walls and mangling ceiling panels.

ENSTAR Natural Gas company warned residents to beware of gas leaks while the main water company said there had been water main breaks.

Municipal Light & Power warned people to look out for downed power lines and said it was seeking to restore electricity to affected customers.

The University of Alaska announced it was closing for the day. "All non-essential personnel should go home," it said in a tweet.

Anchorage airport temporarily halted incoming and outgoing flights after the air control tower was evacuated.

A video posted to Twitter showed a buckled road on a highway exit ramp leading to the airport and a stranded car.

The Anchorage School District told parents to come pick up their children "when you feel it is safe to do so."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump had been briefed about the quake and was monitoring damage reports.

"We are praying for the safety of all Alaskans!" she said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Three killed, seven injured in Alaska plane crash

LOS ANGELES, United States - A small plane transporting tourists on a fishing trip crashed in Alaska on Tuesday killing three passengers and injuring seven, authorities said.

Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the sea plane, a De Havilland Turbine Otter, crashed on takeoff at Eastwind Lake near Iliamna after hitting a patch of trees.

A spokesman with the National Transportation Safety Board said two of the injured were in critical condition.

The plane was owned by a company that caters to tourists that flock to the region every summer to go fishing.

A similar incident in June left nine people dead.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bomb threat prompts Alaska airport evacuation

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Officials say a terminal at Alaska's main airport has been evacuated over a bomb scare.

The manager of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport says the main terminal was cleared after a male passenger early Sunday made a reference to a bomb in a bag that had been checked into luggage.

John Parrott says travelers were evacuated to another airport terminal, while police and others search the luggage. So far, no explosive has turned up.

He says the man who made the comment and two male companions are being interviewed by authorities. Anchorage was the point of departure for the three, but Parrott didn't have details on their destination.

He says agents with FBI and Transportation Security Administration are taking part in the investigation.

Meanwhile, aircraft have been landing but Parrott says no passengers have been allowed to board any aircraft.

source: thenewstribune.com

Alaska Milk holding off price hike after 1Q rebound

MANILA - The Philippines' biggest dairy company said it is unlikely to raise prices after an earlier adjustment coupled with higher sales volume fuelled a rebound in its first-quarter performance.

"We're not contemplating anything as of the moment," said Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, Alaska Milk Corp. president and chief executive.

Higher sales volume coupled with selective price increases pushed the net income of Alaska Milk by 44 percent to P362.60 million in the first quarter from P252.30 million last year.

Uytengsu said raw material costs this year were not as pronounced as in 2011, when the company’s operating margin narrowed to 10.6 percent from the previous year's 19.1 percent.

"Our costs have come up a little bit but not significantly. It's supported by the topline side of the business," said Uytengsu.

"This year we're looking at a good year. Demand has been strong, sales have been strong and we see this continuing for the rest of the year. It's a favorable year," said Uytengsu.

Besides its flagship Alaska evaporated and condensed filled milk products, the company also produces the Alpine, Liberty and Krem-Top brands after acquiring these from Nestle in 2007.

Alaska Milk also manufactures and sells the Carnation and Milkmaid brands under a long-term license agreement with Nestle.

source: interaksyon.com

Angeline flies to US for concert tour

MANILA, Philippines - Singer Angeline Quinto left for the United States on Friday for her "The Dream Tour 2012" concerts.

"Boarding na kami. Ingat kayo. Ipagdasal niyo ako ha. Mamimiss ko kayo :) nood kayo Asap ha nandun padin ako hehe. Godbless," Quinto said on Twitter a few hours ago.

Quinto will perform at the West High School Auditorium in Anchorage, Alaska on Sunday, February 19.

On February 25 and 26, the singer will be at Grand Sierra Resort Casino in Reno and at Juneau Centennial Hall, respectively.

Quinto will be joined by Sam Milby as her special guest performer. Milby is also in the US to pursue his Hollywood dream.

"Dati ko pang pangarap na makapunta doon (sa US). Sabi ko nga po kahit hindi ako kakanta, basta po parang pasyal lang po ay natupad naman awa ng Diyos. So kailangang magdala ng maraming pangginaw hindi ba po? Lalo ako na kumakanta kailangang ingatan ang boses dahil medyo mahina ako sa lamig talaga," Quinto told ABS-CBN News before leaving Manila.

source: abs-cbnnews.com