Levi Johnston wants to take off the boxing gloves with the Palins.

Just days after appearing on an episode of Kathy Griffin’s “My Life on the D-List” reality show, where the hilarious comedian went to Alaska to visit her faux boyfriend Levi Johnston, the Playgirl stud is saying he wants to bury the hatchet with the Palin family.

During the episode, Griffin was determined to get into the “Palin Compound” using Levi, and tried several times to make him talk about Sarah, Todd, and Bristol. Johnston went along with it a bit, even driving Griffin by the Palins’ home. But mostly, he remained uncharacteristically quiet, particularly in light of the scathing interview he gave Vanity Fair last year, titled, “Me and Mrs. Palin”, in which he tore into the former Alaska Governer-turned-media magnate and was highly critical of the way she and Todd raised their children.

But now Johnston has told People magazine he wants to improve his relations with the Palin family, particularly Sarah Palin:

“Last year, after Bristol and I broke up, I was unhappy and a little angry,” Johnston said. “Unfortunately, against my better judgment, I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true. So to the Palin family in general and to Sarah Palin in particular, please accept my regrets and forgive my youthful indiscretion. I hope one day to restore your trust.”

Sarah Palin has yet to issue a statement in response to Johnston’s apology. It appears to come after he and Bristol Palin both realized they needed to put aside their differences and hostilities for the sake of their child, Tripp. Either that, or he was strong-armed into it.

Bristol Palin spoke of the “need for good co-parenting” in People, which she described as “creating healthy and honest relationships between the parents” (someone’s been reading self-help books). Bristol added, “Tripp one day needs to know the truth and needs to know that even if a mistake is made the honorable thing to do is to own up to it.”

Okey-dokey, then.

Two days after fire officials call a blaze that destroyed a gay pride float possible arson, leaders from the LGBT community’s Imperial Court were able to rebuild their float, and took first prize in the July 4 parade contest.

From KTUU-TV:

The Imperial Court of All Alaska, an organization supporting the gay community, rebuilt its float with community support after it burned in a suspicious fire early Friday morning.

“Our float is now called ‘Phoenix Rising,’” said Colleen Crinklaw, who helped build both the old and new floats. “Two days ago on Friday morning, our original float was burned in a suspicious fire.”

But like a phoenix rising from its ashes, donations and support made it possible to rebuild the float in one day — “Phoenix Rising” won the Grand Champion trophy at Sunday’s parade.

Photo: Colleen Crinklaw via Anchorage Daily News

Authorities in Anchorage, AK are investigating the cause of an early morning fire on Friday that destroyed a gay pride float intended for a 4th of July parade.

The fire started in a garage and spread to a nearby duplex, according to fire officials. The float was in a car tent in front of the garage; it had previously been used in last weekend’s gay pride parade, and was being readied for the Fourth of July parade.

It’s unclear if the fire was an accident or arson. But KTUU-TV reported that witnesses told fire investigators they saw someone running from the driveway just moments before the garage went up in flames.

The float belonged to the gay rights organization Imperial Court of All Alaska.

A fire department spokeswoman said the fire is being called suspicious and is under investigation.

Photo via the Anchorage Daily News.

The ordinance’s author, Patrick Flynn, says the Assembly would have to start all over if it wants to pass the ordinance because it simply does not have the support.

It would take eight votes to override the mayor’s veto and the ordinance only passed seven votes.

Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander (pictured), considered the most likely swing vote, said before Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting that she still opposes the measure as passed on Aug. 11.

Flynn says the measure was an attempt to ban discrimination and guarantee equal rights in employment, housing, finance and public accommodations for gays, lesbians and transgender people.

Critics say it would intrude on freedom of religion.

Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the anti-discrimination ordinance a week ago. Under city law, the Assembly has 21 days from that time to consider an override.

City leaders passed the measure that bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in areas of employment, housing and credit by a 7 to 4 vote last week. The ordinance exempted religious organizations from the regulations.

“My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance,” Sullivan said in a statement. “My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position on the ordinance are in opposition.”

An override of the mayor’s  veto will require 8 votes

The decision was announced in a statement, and the mayor did not grant interviews.