Kayla Desroches

State funds for rural infrastructure projects limited

Kayla Desroches/KMXT Kodiak’s communities have identified infrastructure needs they’d like state funds for, but they’re not likely to receive that money anytime soon. “I’m not holding my breath that there’s gonna be any significant amount of funding.” Kodiak Island Borough Manager Michael Powers says borough staff is looking over the requests for fiscal year 2020, and the legislature usually considers …

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Alaska Fisheries Report – May 03, 2018

Coming up on this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report, imitation crab has been in Alaska’s seafood market for around 30 years. One food scientist is looking at ways to reduce the waste that’s produced when it’s made. Also, salmon conservation is a major concern in the state, and Alaskans are trying to brainstorm how to protect the fish and their habitat. …

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Larsen Bay to keep honey bees for hoop house project

Honey bee. (Photo by Jill Bazeley / Flickr) Kayla Desroches/KMXT Bee hives are a relatively rare sight in Kodiak’s communities, but one Larsen Bay resident is trying her hand at keeping honey bees. The project is part of a three-year grant from the Administration for Native Americans that supported Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, and Port Lions in establishing hoop …

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Biologist looks into shallowing waters in Chignik

Eelgrass. (Photo byEric Heupel / Flickr) Kayla Desroches/KMXT Near shore salmon habitat in Chignik, southwest of Kodiak on the Alaska Peninsula, is slowly disappearing. One researcher out of Seattle, Washington looked into why. Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologist Mark Zimmermann was studying maps of ocean depth from the 1920s and 1990s and noticed a big difference along the coastline. “In …

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With limited funding, city road projects inch forward

Birch Avenue plan. (Photo courtesy of City of Kodiak) Kayla Desroches/KMXT The City of Kodiak recently awarded the bid on street improvement in the Aleutian Homes to Brechan Construction. It’s on the sixth stage of replacing the water and sewer in the area, and the project flow is reliant on funding. Public Works director Mark Kozak says the needs and …

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New cutters mean increased housing need in Kodiak

An example of a fast response cutter, the Cutter Gerczak. (Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir / U.S. Coast Guard) Kayla Desroches/KMXT U.S. Coast Guard base Kodiak is getting two new cutters for search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, and security. And with the new cutters comes an extra demand on housing. The new fast response cutters, or FRCs, are replacing five …

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Alaska Fisheries Report – April 27, 2018

Kayla Desroches/KMXT Coming up on this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report, members of the International Pacific Halibut Commission couldn’t come to an agreement on catch limits for 2018. Now, they’re looking at establishing an interim plan to bridge their differences, at least for a few years. Then, a research biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service looks at shallowing of the …

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Response wraps up on Shuyak Island oil spill

Photo of site on Shuyak Island. (Photo courtesy of Alaska Chadux) Kayla Desroches/KMXT A 9 million dollar oil spill cleanup is winding down on the southern end of Shuyak Island in an area that’s critical habitat for marine mammals like sea otters and Steller sea lions. The spill happened in late February, when a dock at Port William collapsed, causing …

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Talk of the Rock: Special Olympics

On this week’s Talk of the Rock, officers DJ Clumpner and Shane Parker from the Kodiak Police Department and Derek Clarkston with Kodiak Special Olympics join to talk about the upcoming Torch Run, an event to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics.

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