KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Jay Barrett/KMXT The Alaska Ferry Kennicott is running about 48-hours behind schedule after having trouble with its car lift in Yakutat. The ship sailed at 4:30 Thursday morning for Whittier, and wss expected to arrive there at 6:30 Friday morning. After a one-hour stop in Chenega Bay Friday afternoon, it will sale for Kodiak, arriving around 8 a.m. Saturday. In …

Coming up this week: Salmon creeks on the south end of Kodiak Island could be imperiled by the grounding of Royal Dutch Shell’s massive floating drill rig Kulluk; and more backlash – including a lawsuit – over new observer rules for small boats that go into effect this month. We had help from KCAW’s Robert Woolsey in Sitka and KDLG’s …

A salvage team aboard the conical drilling unit Kulluk moves an emergency towing system delivered the Kulluk by a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. The Kulluk is located 40 miles southwest of Kodiak City, Alaska, on the shore of Sitkalidak Island. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Marsh Jay Barrett/KMXT A five-person …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak Island Convention and Visitor’s Bureau will see some changes in the coming weeks, starting with its name. Janet Buckingham is the director of the KICVB, which is now being called Discover Kodiak. Buckingham said the name change to Discover Kodiak will also help clear up some confusion between the former convention and visitor’s bureau and the …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will take a closer look at its capitol improvements project priority list for the 2013 legislative session in the days and weeks to come. The assembly invited Representative Alan Austerman and Senator Gary Stevens to review the borough’s CIP list during last Thursday’s work session and received some critical feedback. Both Austerman and …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will hold a regular meeting tonight (Thursday) and introduce an ordinance that aims to improve transparency on borough contracts. The ordinance will require the borough manager to notify the assembly about certain contracts that may pose a conflict of interest between the borough and assembly members or their immediate family. This will be …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The grounded Shell Exploration drilling rig Kulluk appears to be withstanding the elements as it sits grounded on Sitkalidak Island near Kodiak. Officials from the unified command say it has remained stable on the sand and gravel beach, and no fuel spill has been observed. The Kulluk is a massive drilling unit, designed specifically for operations in Arctic …

Jay Barrett/KMXT As of early this morning the grounded Shell Exploration drilling rig Kulluk is reported as remaining stable with no oil spill pollution observed. That word from the Unified Command office at 6:50 this morning. It echoes the latest situation reports from the Command, made up of industry, state, federal and local agencies. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s …