Kayla Desroches/KMXT A business wants to buy slash – or wood debris – created from the tree salvage in Chiniak and turn it into fuel. Peter Olsen, owner of forestry company Quayanna Development Corporation, says he’s approached borough staff multiple times since the Twin Creeks fire to express interest in the slash. “Commercial timber operations could produce a considerable amount …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT This coming Saturday, locals can wander into the Harbor Convention Center, grab a mug of hot apple cider and stand by the window with a plate full of cookies. Out that window there will be rows of vessels covered in Christmas lights. Or that’s the hope according to Toby Sullivan, executive director of the Kodiak Maritime Museum. This …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Marijuana Task Force presented its recommendations on marijuana business and cultivation to the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly last week. The task force has been meeting regularly to come to an agreement on how marijuana sale might look within the borough, and this past Thursday at its work session the assembly heard the recommendations for …

Second graders Daniel and Holly put together sandwiches for the Brother Francis Shelter in their classroom at Peterson Elementary. Kayla Desroches/KMXT Kayla Desroches/KMXT The holidays tend to inspire people to be all the more charitable, and a couple of classes at Peterson Elementary School have made the spirit of giving a monthly tradition. Since September, a group of second grade …

Culvert at Lake Orbin. Kayla Desroches/KMXT Kayla Desroches/KMXT Culvert replacement is an ongoing project in Kodiak and it encourages the continued health of the salmon population on the road system. Alaska Department of Fish and Game habitat biologist Will Frost explains making the salmon passage an easy one starts with the culvert design stage. Installers need to fit the size …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT The Kodiak City Council held what the city clerks called a “secret vote” at the council regular meeting Thursday night. The clerks charged councilmembers with nominating one of their colleagues to the position of deputy mayor, who fills the place of the city mayor if they are absent from meetings or unable to complete their term. Once they …

Siblings Divinity and Adam with dad Mike Munson. Kayla Desroches/KMXT Kayla Desroches/KMXT Middle-schoolers across the state who design, build, and code their own robots competed in a teleconferenced competition this past Saturday. The robotics regional qualifier is a GCI-sponsored event through First Lego League, a STEM – or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – program that challenges kids to build …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT This last Saturday, the 2016 Kodiak Strong Planning Day gathered community members together to decide on goals it can complete in a year’s time. Event organizer and Healthy Tomorrows coordinator, Merissa Koller Williams, says the event was small, but constructive. “This year, we had about half as many participants as we had last year. Last year, we had …

Kayla Desroches/KMXT Tuesday, members of Kodiak’s Native community and others met with representatives from the Navy and U.S. Northern Command to talk about the upcoming military exercises as part of Northern Edge 2017. In the past, locals have expressed concern about the environmental impact of such exercises in the Gulf of Alaska. Carolyn Heitman was one of the residents to …

On today’s Talk of the Rock, host Kayla Desroches speaks about fish culverts with Blythe Brown from the Soil and Water Conservation District and habitat biologist Will Frost. They cover the purpose of culverts, how they play into the salmon life cycle, and what lies in store for culverts on the Kodiak road system.