Brian Venua

Providence starts ‘earn while you learn’ program to fill empty CNA positions

Certified nursing assistants are in short supply in Alaska. And the Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is one of 17 hospitals in the state  trying a new program to pay potential candidates as they train and hire new employees to fill the gap. Providence has 15 open CNA positions between their Providence hospital building. Courtesy of Providence. primary facility and …

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Kodiak High School students raise over $4k for an open pantry for peers

Brian Venua/KMXT Kodiak High School students came together to start an open pantry to alleviate food insecurity for their peers. The fundraiser was created as part of a civic engagement course they took to learn about systemic inequality, where they were required to create a service project.  One of the students, John Eaton, a freshman, says everyone pitched an idea …

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Avian influenza found in Kodiak brown bear cub

A highly contagious form of avian influenza was found in a Kodiak brown bear cub. It’s one of only four mammals in Alaska to contract the virus, and the first brown bear to be found with the disease. A deer hunter encountered the cub’s carcass Nov. 26 about half a mile from the road near the Pasagshak State Recreational Site …

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First Friday Art Walks return to Kodiak with Bruce W. Nelson

A close-up photo of a small bear featured at the exhibit.

Brian Venua/KMXT First Friday Art Walks are back in Kodiak for the first time since the pandemic. This month, local gallery The Frame Shop featured Bruce W. Nelson, a Kodiak painter who specializes in Alaskan scenery. “From the top of the mountain to underwater, y’know, in the ocean,” Nelson said. “Kodiak has non-stop themes that I enjoy painting.” Nelson says …

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Kodiak High School fire alarm has double false alarm Friday morning

Kodiak High School’s fire alarm went off twice Friday morning before students started class. Both turned out to be false alarms, but students had to wait outside or in buses for around 30 minutes until the issue was resolved. According to Assistant Principal Matt Bieber, the alarm tripped due to a faulty sensor. After a single reset, students began to …

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Suspicious package found near North Star Elementary was false alarm, say local law enforcement

Families waiting in line to pick up their children from Bayside Fire Hall

North Star Elementary students and staff were put on alert Wednesday morning after a suspicious wooden box was placed near the building. Cyndy Mika is the Kodiak Island Borough School District Superintendent. Mika says staff notified both Alaska State Troopers as well as the Kodiak Police Department immediately after discovery. Families waiting in line to pick up their children from …

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