Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday announced that the state, several Southeast Alaska communities and Norwegian Cruise Line have signed a multi-port agreement in accordance with requirements by the Centers for
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Thursday announced that the state, several Southeast Alaska communities and Norwegian Cruise Line have signed a multi-port agreement in accordance with requirements by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bringing the likelihood of large ships carrying passengers to the state in 2021 closer to reality.
The large ships have been unable to operate in Alaskaâs waters since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the industry in early 2020.
The port agreements required by the CDC are the second big challenge for cruise lines to meet, after the U.S. Passenger Vessel Services Act recently was temporarily waived through bipartisan effort at the federal level. That waiver was approved by Congress in the past week, allowing large ships to bypass a Canadian stop as previously was required by law. The PVSA prevented visits to Alaska from other U.S. states by large ships due to the closure of Canadian ports through February 2022.
This weekâs changes in the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionâs requirements for resuming cruise ship operations drew positive reviews from three Alaskans involved with the cruise industry.
Lalanya Downs, senior director with Cruise Lines International Association Alaska wrote in an email to the Daily News that the CDC news is âencouraging,â and Ward Cove Dock Group President John Binkley said in an interview that he was âvery excitedâ about the CDCâs new guidelines.
Ketchikan Visitors Bureau President and CEO Patti Mackey said in an interview Friday with the Daily News that she is âcautiously optimisticâ about the new guidelines.
Turnagain Marine Construction has been chosen for the National Environmental Enhancement Award by Associated General Contractors of America for the recently completed Ward Cove cruise ship dock.
The award to the Anchorage-based company was announced on April 1. According to information at the AGCA website, the award is under the âConstruction Risk Partners Build Americaâ category, which honors its members âwho build the nationâs most impressive construction projects ranging across the building, highway and transportation, utility infrastructure, and federal and heavy divisions.â
The winning projects, the description continues, âwith their vision, scope and grandeur, literally dare to challenge, dare to change the industry and the way we build.â
Bail was set at $750,000 Belgrade man who is accused of shooting at a detective during a high-speed chase last week.
Jon Binkley is charged with attempted deliberate homicide, a felony, for shooting a gun at a Gallatin County detective during a car chase that began in Belgrade and ended with an hours-long standoff in Powell County.
The detective was not injured.
Last Wednesday, Belgrade police officers responded to a report of domestic violence, where a woman told them that Binkley confronted her while he had a pistol in a holster on his chest. Court documents say that Binkley broke the womanâs computer and threw her on the ground, then left before officers arrived.