JUNEAU — Witnesses have told the National Transportation Safety Board that a pilot who disappeared in mid-October was last seen intoxicated at the Soldotna airport.

Officials on Thursday released four witness statements about 27-year-old Brendan Mattingley, who was last seen Oct. 13.

The statements reveal that Mattingley was kicked out of a bar after getting “very drunk” earlier that evening. After being put into a cab, Mattingley told the driver to take him to the airport. The cab driver told the NTSB that Mattingley asked him not to reveal his location.

ANCHORAGE (AP) — President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration for large parts of Alaska affected by storms, winds, flooding and landslides during the last half of September.

The White House in a release Tuesday announced the declaration, which allows federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts.

Officials say federal funding is available to the state, local governments and some nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged facilities.

JUNEAU (AP) — Early voting in Alaska has begun for next month’s general election, and voters now can receive and return their ballots electronically.

Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell’s office says in a news release that the online ballot transmission system launched last month for military and overseas voters. Voters not in that group were able to begin using the system on Monday.

FAIRBANKS (AP) — There was little consternation Tuesday at a forum in Fairbanks that featured two U.S. House candidates.

U.S. Rep. Don Young, the Republican incumbent seeking his 21st term, faced off against his Democratic challenger, Sharon Cissna of Anchorage.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner called it an amiable forum, but the candidates did offer varying views on some topics. The biggest was the federal healthcare overhaul, or the Affordable Care Act.