KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Jay Barrett/KMXT For those new to Alaska, or perhaps under a certain age, why Alaska became a state might be a mystery. In the 1950s statehood certainly wasn’t a sure thing, with powerful forces from the Lower 48 opposing it. The main driver for statehood, and its opposition, stemmed from the same thing: salmon. Alaskans wanted control over the horribly …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly doesn’t typically meet on Tuesday nights, but tonight it will hold a work session and hear a presentation from A-1 Timber Consultants, Inc., about potential logging in the Chiniak area. A-1 Timber would like to purchase and log 800 acres of borough land. The company expressed interest in the land a while back, …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The Kodiak High School Bears volleyball team accomplished something over the weekend that they had never done on the court – beat the Dimond Lynx. Playing at the Service-Dimond Tournament, Kodiak downed Dimond 25-18, 17-25 and 15-7 in the semifinals after both went undefeated in earlier pool play. In championship bracket play, Kodiak remained undefeated, as did Dimond, …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Searchers are still looking for an Akhiok man reported missing Saturday night. According to the Alaska State Troopers, 20-year-old Brandon Phillips was last seen when he told people in the village he was planning on a hike earlier in the day. When he failed to return, a search was started at 10:30 Saturday night, organized by the Village …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Fans of the retired U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis have been holding their collective breath all weekend, hoping there might be a way to prevent the scrapping of the ship in Mexico. Documents were forwarded to members of the Storis Museum Saturday morning indicating the ship might contain too much hazardous material to be exported under the federal …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Halloween is Thursday and many Kodiak door steps are already littered with carved pumpkins, lighting up neighborhoods and enticing soon-to-be trick-or-treaters. But what do folks do with those pumpkins come November 1, when festivities turn toward Thanksgiving, and the ghoulish squash are no longer needed? A group of students at Kodiak College has a suggestion. Emily Abel is …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Two Kodiak schools were recently recognized as some of the highest performing public schools in the state. “Peterson Elementary and Chiniak School are both highest performing schools in their category and then Chiniak School is also a high progress school.” That’s Eric Fry, a spokesman for the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Fry said the recognition …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT It was all business during the Kodiak City Council’s last meeting for more than a month. The council breezed through a dense agenda last night with little discussion or public comment. One item that did generate some dialogue was an ordinance that would create hours of operation for the city’s various parks, including Baranof and East Addition. The …