Recent News

Council Looks to Eliminate Sunset on City Sales Tax

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance that would keep the city sales tax at 7 percent. During its regular meeting on Thursday, the council unanimously passed the ordinance, which eliminates a sunset provision that would lower the sales tax on Dec. 31. City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski said the city first adopted the sales …

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Grants Will Help Alutiiq Museum Better Care for Artifacts

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Alutiiq Museum has a sizeable grant heading its way. Earlier this month it received word that Alaska’s Rasmuson Foundation awarded it $127,867 to replace outdated climate control systems. Facilities at the museum are almost two decades old, and Museum Interim Director Katie St. John said in a press release that they have been struggling to keep the …

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Cutter Sycamore Damaged in Allision

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A section of the Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore’s port bow sustained damage from an allision with an Alaska Marine Lines barge while moored in the harbor of Cordova, Alaska, July 28, 2013. The Sycamore is a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender homeported in Cordova. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Cutter Sycamore) Tony Gorman/KCHU An investigation is underway into the …

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M/V Tustumena Delayed Indefinitely

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The ferry Tustumena’s return to service has been delayed yet again, this time AT LEAST until the fall. “The Tusty will be out of service until perhaps the first week of October.” That’s Kodiak City Mayor Pat Branson reading a message from Marine Highway System General Manager Captain John Falvey during last night’s regular city council meeting. The …

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New Book Examines Old Community

Jay Barrett/KMXT A recent grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts has helped boost the progress of a new book being compiled by the Alutiiq Museum about the excavation of the old village of Karluk, which was done 30 years ago: Amy Steffian is the Deputy Director of the Alutiiq Museum and is heading up the project. “The …

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The Alaska Fisheries Report

Coming up this week, the 9th Circuit says NOAA Fisheries was right to restrict fishing to protect Steller Sea Lions; and as if king salmon didn’t have enough challenges, over a thousand of them are killed by the hot summer. All that, plus the governor pleads with Walmart to take Alaska salmon. We had reports contributed by KUCB’s Stephanie Joyce …

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A Red Tide That’s Not THE Red Tide

Jay Barrett/KMXT In some parts of the world, a “Red Tide” is a signal that a poisonous algae bloom is occurring and beachcombers should not eat clams and mussels and other bivalves. Here on Kodiak, that poisonous algae is pretty much always present and locals know not to eat bivalves to avoid exposure to paralytic shellfish poisoning. So, when an …

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