The Kodiak Island Borough School District’s Board of Education is holding off on approving the upcoming school year’s budget for FY’2027 until next month, as the board gathers more information and public input. During a public townhall on Jan. 15 community members said that the school district’s stability is a concern.

On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from a commercial fishing boat that ran aground on a small island, in Pasagshak Bay south of Kodiak. No injuries were reported.

State finances will be top of mind for Alaska lawmakers as the next legislative session starts on Tuesday, Jan. 20. That’s according to Kodiak’s two state representatives, who spoke about that and their other priorities for this session.

2025 was another year of growth for Alaska’s mariculture industry, with more oysters and kelp harvested around the state. Those are some of the takeaways from a recent McKinley Research Group report.

The fishing industry group Alaska Groundfish Data Bank closed its office doors on Dec. 31, after nearly 40 years of representing trawl catcher vessels and processors in the Gulf of Alaska. The Kodiak-based organization has mainly revolved around one person for most of its lifespan.

The Kodiak Island Borough School District’s board of education has narrowed its search for its next superintendent to three finalists. Here's more on who’s on the short list to lead the school district later this year:

More than three-quarters of the Kodiak Island Borough School District’s costs are related to personnel, which makes it a huge focus when it comes to balancing the budget for next school year. The KIBSD board of education is looking to reduce its overall spending by more than $4 million without closing a school.

According to Rick Thoman, a climatologist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness, 30 inches of snow was recorded at the Kodiak Wastewater Treatment Plant in December of 2025.

This week is the last week Kodiak Island will see a state ferry for the next few months. The M/V Tustumena is scheduled to stop in Kodiak, Ouzinkie and Port Lions on Friday and Saturday before returning to Homer for the final time this season.

Last month the department announced a harvest level of 5.3 million pounds of fish for the Kodiak area. But the Alaska Department of Fish and Game says that quota is not based on the latest stock assessment data, which indicates the number of Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska is increasing.