Juneau

After Goldman Sachs announced it would not finance oil drilling in the Arctic, Gov. Mike Dunleavy suggested he could cut off the millions of dollars a year that the state pays the Wall Street firm. Now Goldman is playing defense: Last week, it hired a Juneau lobbyist to represent its interests in Alaska.

Aside from the ferry Lituya, which shuttles between Ketchikan and Metlakatla, the entire Alaska Marine Highway System fleet will be idle until March.

“It’s like robbing a church,” says Juneau resident Donna Hurley. “These guys are veterans. They fought for us. I mean, we lived the life we live because of them.”

All but the Alaska Marine Highway System’s smallest ship — the shuttle ferry Lituya that runs between Ketchikan and Metlakatla — is either down for repairs or laid up to save money.

The Alaska Department of Transportation seeks ships capable of ferrying 125 passengers from Juneau to Hoonah, Angoon and Kake. The three communities aren’t scheduled to receive a state ferry until March.

Kenneth Manzanares previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

The Matanuska hasn’t moved since Jan. 26 and is not likely to get underway until Feb. 7. That’s because serious mechanical problems forced the ferry to cancel the rest of its sailings in January.

Alaska lawmakers are also affected by the ferry service gap. About two dozen vehicles for state legislators and their staff are stuck in Haines.

The meeting to discuss local issues and priorities with Gov. Mike Dunleavy was originally advertised as a public Juneau Assembly meeting, but city officials changed their minds.

The National Weather Service says up to 8 inches of snow are expected throughout the day, with an additional 2-4 inches expected overnight.