Liturgy on the last day of the Saint Herman Pilgrimage. Mitch Borden/KMXT KMXT’s Mitch Borden Every year, people from all over the world come to Kodiak to honor Saint Herman of Alaska, who’s a saint in the Orthodox Church. This year the pilgrimage couldn’t make it to its final destination on Spruce Island because of bad weather. KMXT went to …

At its regular meeting last night (Thurs), the Kodiak City Council approved the funding of local nonprofits for fiscal year 2018. 22 organizations applied for grants, 2 more than last year. This increase posed a problem for the city. Its budget for nonprofits is only $160,700 for the upcoming year, while groups requested $184,500. At a past work session, the …

Mitch Borden/KMXT The Kodiak city council is trying to figure out a way to balance its budget, but finding the right plan hasn’t been easy. At its work session last night, the council didn’t find a solution, but it did schedule a special meeting for September that’ll be dedicated to hammering out a strategy. One of the things they have …

Mitch Borden/KMXT Across the state of Alaska, thousands of people qualify for The Senior Citizen /Disabled Veteran’s Property Tax Exemption. The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is making a proposal that could potentially limit who gets this tax break. This exemption can take $150,000 off the assessed value of a residential property, which can decrease a person’s property tax by thousands. …

Mitch Borden/KMXT The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly recently voted on a surcharge increase to Kodiak’s enhanced 911 system. The assembly previously postponed the issue because it felt they didn’t have enough information. The replacement and operation of a new system is what spurred the motion to increase the surcharge. Since the city of Kodiak operates the 911 systems, they get …

Lindsey Fox/Flicker Mitch Borden/KMXT After a long discussion, the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly passed a motion to instate an excise tax on tobacco products at their regular meeting last night. From the beginning, it was clear there were a lot of opinions surrounding the issue. Michael Johnson, owner of the local vape shop Kodiak Steam Trunk, called the assembly to …

Mike Beauregard/Flicker In Kodiak right now, if you’re on the road system you can’t harvest eggs or hunt migratory birds. That’s because there’s been a policy in place since 2003 to protect the island’s bird populations. Now there’s an effort to understand past and present subsistence habits which could potentially help lift the ban. If you live on the road …

Mitch Borden/KMXT There was recently a landslide at Fort Abercrombie State Historic Park in Kodiak. Stevon Rennewanz, a member of the Alaska Conservation Corps who’s stationed at Fort Abercrombie for the summer, says it occurred on a coastal area at the western end of the park. Between the Ram Site beach and Bay View Dr. He says the slide didn’t …

Freya Hoffmeister Mitch Borden/KMXT A German kayaker stopped in Kodiak after paddling her way up from Seattle. This is just one stop of many on her way around North America. Freya Hoffmeister seems like she enjoys a good challenge. She’s 53 and has been kayaking for 21 years. Her accomplishments include circumnavigating two continents and she’s currently working on her …

Dave Stockton demonstrating his putting technique. Mitch Borden/KMXT Mitch Borden/KMXT A golf legend’s visit to Kodiak let some local golfers get some unexpected coaching, and this surprise also gave Kodiak’s Teen Court a chance to do a little fundraising. KMXT’s Mitch Borden has the story. A small group of golfers are standing on a putting green at the Bear Valley …