KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

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 …

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 …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Here’s the situation: The Alaska State Ferry Tustumena has been in dry dock all year, with delay after delay keeping it laid up. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has a ferry it can’t use and wants to sell or give away. Can one dilemma be the solution to the other? No, says Jeremy Woodrow of the Alaska Department of Transportation: …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Alaska Department of Fish and Game personnel, local officials with dipnets were all standing by in Old Harbor Wednesday to corral four orphaned bear cubs, but the guests of honor were noticeably absent. The quadruplet cubs were orphaned last week when their mother had become a nuisance dump bear in the community and was put down by officials. …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed sport fishing for king salmon in the Chignik River in an attempt to boost escapement. The closure goes into effect tomorrow (Friday) and lasts through August 9th. Fishing had earlier been restricted on the Chignik, but additional measures are necessary to reduce chinook mortality. According to an emergency order …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Tomorrow more than 24 teams will gather at Woody Way Field for the annual Relay for Life. Sarah Nugent is the survivorship chairperson for this year’s event, and said the 24-hour relay is an opportunity for Kodiak community members to celebrate cancer survivors, among other things. “And it’s a chance for us to remember those that we have …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak City Council will decide on a number of much needed vehicle purchases for various city departments tonight. On the regular meeting agenda is a series of purchase authorizations, two of which are for the fire department. Two weeks ago Fire Chief Rome Kamai explained the need for a new ambulance. He said the average life of …

Jay Barrett/KMXT A 14-year-old Kodiak boy drowned in Lake Gertrude at Fort Abercrombie last (Tuesday) night. The Alaska State Troopers report Rex Matautia was swimming with friends around 8 p.m. when he began struggling and slipping underwater. The other boys attempted to save him, but couldn’t hang on. A bystander who heard the other two boys calling for help dialed …