Alexandra Gutierrez/KUCB A 31-year-old man has received a lengthy prison sentence for a sexual assault four years ago in False Pass, wrapping up a legal saga that involved two jury trials. The attack occurred in 2008, while Jason Downard was working as a commercial fisherman. He was initially charged with sexual assault in the first degree, assault in the second …

Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: Ed Ronco/KCAW In 2010, a helicopter crash in Washington State claimed the lives of three men from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka. The sole survivor of the incident was Lieutenant Lance Leone. The MH-60 Jayhawk, known by its tail number, 6017, had been upgraded in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and an aircrew of four …

Maggie Wall/KMXT On this day before Thanksgiving when families are prepping for tomorrow’s big dinner feast, some local families have something special to be thankful for. And that is food to eat on Thanksgiving. A number of Kodiak’s non-profit and social service organizations are working with local stores and contributors to make the holiday that much nicer for the less …

Maggie Wall/KMXT All that snow and ice out there may look inviting, but Kodiak’s top firefighter says to stay off the ice. In fact, Fire Chief Rome Kamai says no ice is safe in the Kodiak area—ever. Kamai says people—especially kids—shouldn’t fool themselves into thinking that since the lake is shallow that it’s OK to be on it. Many areas …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Who doesn’t love a good bear story? Kodiak residents learn early how to live and play in bear territory. Soon a new book directed toward children and their book-reading parents will teach children about bears and about the importance of being bear aware. KMXT’s Maggie Wall spoke with author Stacy Studebaker about her newest book. You can hear …

Matt Miller/KTOO A commercial fisherman who was a former associate of Arne Fuglvog will have to pay a hundred-thousand dollars for his own illegal fishing activities. Freddie Joe Hankins was sentenced last week to three years probation and will have all of his future fishing activities recorded by an electronic monitoring device. Twenty-five-thousand dollars will be in the form of …

The 78-foot tug Polar Wind and its 250-foot barge sit aground 20 miles east of Cold Bay, Alaska, Nov. 14, 2012. The five crew members of the Polar Wind were rescued by Air Station Kodiak Coast Guard helicopter crews and safely transferred to Cold Bay. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Benjamin Stixrud Alexandra Gutierrez/KUCB Five crewmembers …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Last week’s general election offered many Kodiak residents a “blast from the past," as there were more former residents running around the state than there were current residents. If you voted last week you couldn’t help but note the two local candidates, both of whom who won by the way. That would be Senator Gary Stevens and Representative …

Maggie Wall/KMXT As we push into the holiday season local government groups start reshuffling the meeting schedule. For instance, tonight’s (Thursday) regular meeting of the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly has been cancelled. The next scheduled assembly event is a work session, which is set for two weeks from today, on Nov. 29. Over on the city side, the next scheduled …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Changes in the content and the way GED testing is done means that those seeking to earn their GED may want to hit the books a bit harder. That’s because, starting January 2014, all previous in-progress tests will no longer be counted and applicants will need to start from scratch with the new testing regime. And Kodiak College, …