A man charged in the death of an Alaska barista has killed himself, and authorities said he was linked to at least seven other possible slayings in three other states.

Israel Keyes was found dead in his Anchorage jail cell Sunday morning. Officials said it was a suicide.

Keyes, who lived in Colville in the late 1990s, was facing a March trial in federal court for the murder of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig, who was abducted from an Anchorage coffee kiosk last February. He was later arrested in Texas after using the victim's debit card.

Authorities said Keyes confessed to killing Bill and Lorraine Currier of Essex, Vt. The couple was reported missing in June 2011. Officials said at a news conference in Vermont on Monday afternoon that Keyes provided details about the abduction of Bill and Lorraine Currier that authorities had not released to the public.

49 Degrees North is adding runs to its mountain near Chewelah and putting the final touches on the Angel Peak chairlift, more than 4,000 feet long to move people onto the new terrain.

Monday morning the snow on the mountain was wet and heavy, which is just the way they like it right now. Snow Cats spent Monday track packing the snow to create a base that will last until late April.

video At the top of the mountain there is close to 20 inches of snow, with almost 16 closer to the bottom. This season skiers will also be able to ride the mountains newest lift.

"We spent our entire summer building we're extremely excited about it," Rick Brown with 49 Degrees North said. "It's going to access some new terrain for a lot of folks. There's just a ton going on here, ton to be pumped about."

The two person lift will take skiers and boarders to the top of Angel Peak. The new lift is actually a refurbished lift purchased from a ski resort in Colorado.

Of course everyone wants to know when opening day is. The answer is that right now it's looking to be sometime around Thanksgiving, give or take a few days.

The state Fish and Wildlife Department spent nearly $77,000 to kill seven wolves in a pack that had been preying on cattle in Stevens County in northeast Washington.

Only one wolf was killed in a 39-day ground hunt that cost nearly $55,000. The other six wolves were killed in a four-day period in September using a helicopter and a marksman that cost $22,000.

The Spokesman-Review reports the cost was disclosed in a letter the Department of Fish and Wildlife sent to state Sen. Kevin Ranker of Orcas Island, chairman of the legislative committee overseeing the department.

Ranker has criticized the decision to kill the Wedge pack and is planning a legislative hearing next year.