Whitehorse Daily Star

February 9, 2015

• Scenes from Yukon Quest 2015. Yukon Quest 2015
• Hundreds braved numbing cold for race start Hundreds of spectators and volunteers descended on Shipyards Park on Saturday morning for the launch of “the most difficult sled dog race in the world.”
• Sass roars through Pelly, takes race lead Brent Sass led the Yukon Quest as of 11:30 this morning
• Jeff King was first into Braeburn Jeff King breezed unannounced under the Braeburn banner in first place Saturday night
• Racers juggle perilous Yukon River jumble ice The three Yukon Quest frontrunners revealed their divergent goals and strategies early this morning
• Jars looked to be Molotov cocktails, court told In October 2011 Sgt. David Morin, now in charge of the Dawson detachment of the RCMP, was a corporal, recently assigned there after postings in Pelly Crossing
• Race offers no weather for old men Hugh Neff shunned sleep and defied the cold to make it to Carmacks first out of the 26 mushers
• Stabbings’ timing ‘a coincidence’ Two unrelated stabbings reported within 10 minutes of each other kept Whitehorse RCMP busy on Saturday night.

February 6, 2015

• Leadership workshop enlightening for participants In a carpeted room on the first floor of Yukon College’s Ayamdigut campus, five leaders — current, past, and aspiring — from five Yukon First Nations take part in a lively discussion
• Groups laud new tourism ad The Yukon Chamber of Commerce says it’s pleased to see that the additional funding supplied to the Department of Tourism and Culture for the upcoming tourism seasons is being put promptly to work.
• Watson Lake’s new Environment building opens The new district office building in Watson Lake was formally opened Jan. 14 by then-Environment minister Currie Dixon as invited guests and department staff looked on.
• Convicted hunter now accused of killing a sheep in the Yukon Conservation authorities are trying to discredit and embarrass his client, says a lawyer representing an alleged cross-border poacher accused of lying about where he shot a record-setting Dall sheep.
• MOOCHING AND MUNCHING This young bull moose was spotted Monday in the Cowley subdivision
• Deputy mayor to lose ‘deputy’ from his title It’s “business as usual” in Carmacks, says Lee Bodie, whose title of deputy mayor has become mayor-elect following Thursday’s byelection.
• New Democrats to kick off Yukon tour The six-member Yukon NDP caucus will hit the road early next week.
• EYES ON THE BALL Grade 6 students from around the territory are participating in the 46th annual Polar Games
• Analysis sets out future electricity needs Using a modest forecast for increasing population growth and industrial demand, the Yukon will need 25 per cent more electricity in 20 years
• Yukoners attend Afghanistan Memorial Vigil in N.W.T. Deputy Premier Elaine Taylor, Speaker David Laxton and a delegation of Yukoners visited Yellowknife Tuesday to attend a commemoration ceremony
• Book store to host production Twelve actors, 11 scenes, one murder, one accidental stabbing, four extramarital affairs, six broken hearts and one memorable kiss.
• Jurors hear about accused man’s arrest RCMP Const. Derek Turner was contacted by his superiors on the evening of Oct. 20, 2011, and instructed to report for a briefing on the Mark McDiarmid case.
• Officer recalls evidence from scene of shooting These days, Const. Kelly Manweiller works with the RCMP’s Specialized Response Unit in Whitehorse, but in October 2011, her last name was McQuarrie and she was with the Major Crimes Unit.
• City could have greater power over parking spots More accessible parking spots could open in some parking lots around the city if changes to the city’s zoning bylaw go ahead.
• ADDRESSING THE ABUSE OF OLDER ADULTS Lillian Nakamura introduces John’s Windfall Thursday evening at the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel.
• Jobless rate stable from year ago The number of people in the territory’s labour force was down in January, though the unemployment rate remained the same compared to a year earlier.
• Mitchell has been breaking Quest trail since the race began About 25 years ago, Ranger Sgt. John Mitchell — then just plain old “Mitch” — was breaking trail in a blinding snowstorm atop the notorious Eagle Summit along the Yukon Quest trail.
• Harrison’s legacy at retreat will endure, board promises The Ted Harrison Artist Retreat Society expressed its condolences Tuesday on the Jan. 16 passing of former Yukon artist Ted Harrison.
• Local youth fund-raise for Free the Children At 11 and 12 years old respectively, Anna Gishler and Magdalena Kaiser want to make a difference in the world.
• ARTIST’S SHOW OPENS TODAY Nicole Bauberger will open River Beauty and Other Stories with a reception from 5:00 to 7:00 this evening at the North End Gallery.
• Yukon culinary talent promoted in Vancouver Yukon culinary talent was promoted in Vancouver this week at special events that featured Yukon chefs and Yukon’s wild game, foraged foods and hand-crafted beers.
• Resident wants trails protected from machines’ damage City council has found itself once again pondering the 700-kilometres of trails in the community after the parks maintenance bylaw
• Correction A story in Monday’s edition said Andrea Burgoyne was the producer of the 2013 Frostbite Music Festival and left shortly after.
• Last year’s frontrunners to leave first tomorrow The first two mushers out of the Yukon Quest chute Saturday will, by the luck of the draw, be the same two who doggedly battled it out at the front of the pack for much of last year’s marathon.
• ‘We’re often ourselves’ worst critic’ The young Whitehorse woman spoke to the Star this week, on the condition of anonymity, about the eating disorder she’s battled for years.
• Help responders afflicted with PTSD, group urges If a firefighter is diagnosed with PTSD, it should be presumed it’s job-related, says the president of the Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs.
• OH, FOR SOME WARMTH It was -43.1 C in Dawson City Thursday afternoon, and -46.1 C at the airport, about 16 kilometres away from the town.

February 5, 2015

• KDFN members to talk LNG investment The Kwanlin Dun First Nation will hold a meeting of its citizens Feb. 16 to discuss the potential for investing in the new LNG facility.
• Quester has novel take on traditional sled design Jeff King may be a Yukon Quest old-timer, but he could be riding a newfangled device the whole race.
• Another million-dollar ticket sells in Yukon It seems the territory has another millionaire in its midst.
• RCMP seize guns, drugs from storage locker Whitehorse RCMP seized prohibited firearms and drugs from an area storage locker Wednesday afternoon.
• Fire ‘could have been a lot worse’ Residents in a Riverdale home were uninjured Wednesday after flames and smoke from a basement fireplace crept into the ceiling and main floor.
• Pizzeria serves up a formal apology to job applicant The owner of a local pizza joint has formally apologized for discriminating against a female job applicant because of her gender.
• Suddenly, it’s lights out for tourism ad’s tag line It’s been on the air for three days, but the Yukon’s first-ever national television commercial already needs an edit — or a lawsuit may follow.
• Man dies suddenly at Watson Lake Hospital The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating a man’s death at the Watson Lake Hospital early Wednesday morning.