Whitehorse Daily Star

February 14, 2008

• Injured musher calls it quits EAGLE, Alaska - Fairbanks musher Julie Estey has scratched from the Yukon Quest at Slaven's Cabin.
• Eagle checkpoint busy as Dawson City braces EAGLE, Alaska - Yukon Quest mushers continued to flow in and out of the Eagle checkpoint Wednesday after frontrunners Lance Mackey and Ken Anderson left.
• 'We have an obligation to do exploration work' Whether Northern Cross goes ahead with oil exploration drilling on Eagle Plain this year is up in the air, says the company president.
• Pelly Crossing postal robbery probed Between Monday, Jan. 29, and Sunday, Feb. 3, unknown individual(s) may have been responsible for stealing a deposit from the Pelly Crossing Canada Post outlet which was destined for Whitehorse, the RCMP and Crime Stoppers said today.
• Appeals are off until November The appeals of the second-degree murder convictions of Mark Lange and Dean Boucher will not be heard until at least November 2008, the Yukon Court of Appeal heard Tuesday afternoon.
• Dawson council tries to drum up some byelection candidates DAWSON CITY - Mayor John Steins welcomed everyone who arrived for Dawson council's open house buffet on Tuesday, but warned folks they couldn't fill up their plates until they'd filled out nomination papers.
• First nation's health fair highlights careers The Kwanlin Dun First Nation Health Center's annual health fair is taking place Wednesday and today.
• Northern contaminants scholars to discuss Little Fox Lake work Northern contaminants researchers Hayley Hung and Alexandra (Sandy) Steffen will be in Whitehorse Feb. 18-21 to communicate activities conducted at Little Fox Lake.

February 13, 2008

• Trail 'absolutely demanding,' frontrunner says EAGLE, Alaska - And the race is on!
• Delegates brainstorm planned climate centre Another initiative to make the Yukon more attractive for research into climate change and what to do about it took a step toward fruition on Tuesday at Yukon College.
• Men's whereabouts unknown; appeal dropped Prosecutors have abandoned an appeal against four Asian men who were acquitted of drug charges laid in Whitehorse, because no one knows where the men are.
• Quest musher following spouse's footsteps EAGLE, Alaska - It's like walking a mile in someone else's bunny boots.
• Swiss vet seeing the Quest for the first time EAGLE, Alaska - Sled-dogs have taken Jaime Martinez-Salles around the world, but not because he's a musher.
• Businessman promises city a 'nice development' The proponent of a mobile home park off Range Road told city council Monday night the park will be a "nice development".
• Program to target tax, premium evaders Evaders beware: those who don't pay taxes and workers' compensation premiums will soon be penalized, following the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) and Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board (WCB).
• Community youth projects get $153,000 Yukon youth and community groups are continuing to benefit from the Winter Activities Program with total funding of $153,000 for 2007/2008.
• DeWolfe race will run later than usual DAWSON CITY - The Percy DeWolfe Race is changing its running dates this year, moving from the third Thursday in March to the fourth Thursday, or March 27.
• Program will help artists tour work A newly-created Touring Artist Fund will provide assistance to visual, performing and literary artists to tour their work outside of the Yukon, Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor said last Wednesday.
• Yukon artists, performers went to Winterlude A select group of Yukon performers and artists participated in Winterlude in Canada's capital region last Saturday, thanks to co-ordinated efforts between the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the Yukon government.
• Yukoners' role in festival could grow: Taylor If the Yukon plays its cards right, it may become a bigger part of the nation's capital's annual winter festival, Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor said Tuesday.

February 12, 2008

• Summit discussing climate research centre Scientists, bureaucrats and a sprinkling of politicians have gathered at Yukon College today to talk about the establishment of a climate change research centre.
• Apply caretaker housing rules equally, city urged An area resident has asked city council to be fair in reviewing a zoning amendment, after his similar request was thwarted.
• Minimum wage to climb by 21 cents A 2.5 per cent increase in the Yukon's minimum wage, effective April 1, has received mixed reactions from members of the community.
• Students coped well with cold snap DAWSON CITY - Like every other institution in town, Robert Service School has coped with the cold snap as best as it can.
• Vicious cold snap had its roots in January A mass of extremely cold Arctic air settled over the North in the last week of January, the Yukon Weather Centre noted in its monthly climate summary.
• Ministers, first nations delegates in Ottawa Premier Dennis Fentie and Yukon first nations chiefs are leading a delegation to Ottawa to meet with federal ministers, politicians and senior government officials on the need to develop a timely and inclusive process for responding to issues identified in the report on the nine-year review of the implementation of the Yukon treaties.
• Yukon Quest field whittled down to 17 mushers CIRCLE, Alaska - Every musher who finishes this year's Yukon Quest sled-dog race will place in the top 17.
• 'I miss it bad,' says sidelined Quest musher MILE 101, Alaska - It's not easy for Sebastian Schnuelle to be on the trail of the Yukon Quest and not run the race itself.
• Mushers brace for jumble ice challenge CIRCLE, Alaska - Ken Anderson was the first Yukon Quest musher to leave the Circle checkpoint Monday, spending just a little less than a half-hour at the checkpoint to drop a couple of dogs, pack his gear for the trail leading to the next checkpoint at Eagle.