The first legislative director for former Gov. Sarah Palin, John Bitney, says her book portrays him as an incompetent slob.

At least six households near the Flint Hills Resources refinery at North Pole recently learned their water is contaminated by a chemical used to make fuel, called sulfolane.

An Anchorage woman pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the death of her infant son and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Longtime Juneau resident Lawrence Gregory “Larry” Howard died unexpectedly on Nov. 9, 2009, in Juneau. He was 63.

Lifelong Juneau resident Theodore John Smith Sr. died Nov. 8, 2009, at his home in Juneau. He was 86.

Former Juneau resident Roland Glenn Henrichs died Nov. 7, 2009, at his home, after a lengthy illness. He was 65.

The Juneau-Douglas hockey team returned home after a challenging weekend in Homer.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ANCHORAGE – Halibut charter operators lost an attempt Monday to rid themselves of the one-fish-a-day rule, which they say is putting them out of business in Southeast Alaska.

Retail gasoline prices headed downward in most places to begin one of the country’s busiest travel weeks, with more than 33 million people expected to hit the road for the Thanksgiving holiday.