KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT After a few days of failed attempts to scare the animal out of public areas, the Kodiak lone bear roaming around town was deemed a public safety threat and euthanized Thursday morning. Larry Van Daele is a wildlife biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and said the decision to euthanize came from the Kodiak Police …

Coming up this week: the final Halibut GHL is still a little up in the air even as fishermen prepare for the season opening, a floating processor’s crew is stranded and homeless in Kodiak after their ship runs aground, and a smart phone tour of Alaska’s busiest fishing port. We had help this week from KCAW’s Ed Ronco in Sitka, …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The 2013 halibut season begins at noon on Saturday, about a week later than usual. NOAA Fisheries announced this week that it is putting into place the recommendations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission for the season. Julie Speegle is the NOAA Fisheries spokeswoman for Alaska. She said in Area 2C is in Southeast Alaska, a “reverse slot-limit” …

Ed Ronco/KCAW Federal spending cutbacks known as sequestration will have less of an impact on the Coast Guard in Alaska than they will elsewhere in the country. That’s the word from Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo, who is in charge of the Coast Guard’s District 17, which encompasses all of Alaska. Ostebo made the remarks at an award ceremony Friday at …

Alexandra Gutierrez/APRN After a lengthy debate, the Alaska Senate narrowly passed a bill that would overhaul the state’s oil tax regime. The changes are projected to give oil companies a break of at least $600 million per year. “The bill we have in front of us is an historic gamble with the people’s money," said Kodiak’s Gary Stevens, a Republican …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will hold a regular meeting tonight with a shorter agenda than other meetings it’s held recently. The assembly won’t have any public hearings, no old business and only one item on the docket for new business – an ordinance for introduction. The sale of various revenue bonds and incoming grants for both the …

Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB Final preparations are being made to transfer Shell Oil’s floating drill rig Kulluk to Asia. Early yesterday morning, three tugboats maneuvered the Shell rig out of its berth in Unalaska and onto the deck of the partially submerged Xiang Rui Kou heavy lift vessel. Before the operation started, marine pilot Carter Whalen said the Kulluk would be a …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT You may have seen dozens of red Solo cups stuck into various fences around Kodiak in the past week. They spelled out the number 1,200, and were part of a nationwide campaign to stop youth tobacco use. Eighth graders Alyssa Madrid and Katie Sundseth are part of Kodiak Alaska’s Revolution Against Tobacco, also known as KARAT. They said …