Early morning collision leads to DWI charge: Anchorage driver Ariel McGrew, 21, has been arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated following a collision early Saturday morning, according to the Anchorage Police Department. APD reports officers were called to the intersection of Independence Drive and Abbott Road at 12:45 a.m. in response to a T-bone collision between a pickup truck and a sedan. On the scene, officers "discovered a black Audi with extensive front end damage and a gray 2011 Chevy Silverado truck resting on its passenger side." No serious injuries were reported, although McGrew, the driver of the truck, was transported by APD to a local hospital, where she was examined and released. Following her clearance by the hospital, APD reports, McGrew was arrested "after providing a breath sample of over two times the legal limit for alcohol."
Truman Scholarship awarded to Juneau resident: Sarah Donohoe, who hails from Alaska's state capital, has been awarded a prestigious Truman Scholarship by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Donohoe is a biology major at the University of Portland, a private Catholic university in Portland, Ore., operated by the Congregation of Holy Cross. As a Truman Scholar, Donohoe will receive up to $30,000 for graduate study; she will also have the opportunity for priority admission and supplemental financial aid at some "premier graduate institutions," among other benefits, according to a release from the university. It's not the first significant honor for Donohoe; last year, she received NOAA's Ernest F. Holling Scholarship, which provided funding for her junior and senior years of college as well as a summer internship. "Winning the Truman Scholarship honors every mentor I've had in my life who has taught me to love wilderness and develop a heart for conservation," Donohoe said in the release. She will receive her award with this year's other honorees in a ceremony at the Truman Library in Independence, Mo., on May 25.
Fewer port calls for Ketchikan: The port of Ketchikan will see 30,000 fewer visitors than anticipated this season due to port call cancelations by Carnival Cruise Lines. The Associated Press reports that Carnival's ship Miracle, which carries more than 2,000 passengers, has a technical issue that has slowed its top speed, requiring adjustments to the ship's cruising schedule. "Ultimately, they decided to lengthen their port time in Juneau" on most of this summer's cruises, canceling 15 of 20 planned port calls in Ketchikan, Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska representative Rick Erickson told the AP. Miracle is the sole Carnival ship operating in Alaska.
Alaska Airlines plane struck by lightning: An Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Hawaii returned to Sea-Tac Thursday evening after being hit by lightning, according to KIRO-TV. Alaska Airlines told Seattle's KIRO that passengers didn't realize the plane had been struck, but pilots were alerted by a flash just 20 minutes into the flight, at about 6:45 p.m., and turned the plane around so it could be inspected on the ground. Passengers were transferred to another plane for the trip to Lihue, located on the island of Kaua'i. KIRO reports that Alaska Airlines did not respond to "questions about whether the inspection showed that the plane was damaged in any way."