Bison in Montana. Photo courtesy of the Old Harbor Alliance. It was a journey that took three bison thousands of miles from a remote Montana Indian reservation. They traveled by land, by air and then by sea to reach their new home near Old Harbor on Kodiak Island. They finally arrived Thursday night. Melissa Berns-Svoboda stands in front of one …

For the past two weeks, Kodiak’s COVID-19 Count has been at a standstill. But Monday, there were two new reports of infection, and Tuesday another three cases were added to the list, bringing the total number reported on Kodiak Island to 69. Among the five new cases, one is a Kodiak resident, who is currently off-island. Two are travel-related. And …

The Kodiak Island COVID-19 count has climbed to 66 cases, with two new reports of infection. One is travel-related. The other is a case of community transmission, the second reported so far. The Kodiak Emergency Services Organization says both have been classified as active locally. 20200901 Positive Test Announcement – Case 65-66 Staff from the Department of Public Health are …

KMXT has been featuring essays from a group of  Kodiak students, who have just wrapped up a summer video production workshop called “Culture and COVID-19.” Their assignment: to produce short videos on the impact on the coronavirus pandemic on their lives. The Kodiak History Museum plans to incorporate them into a virtual museum exhibit this spring. The hope is that …

Sen. Gary Stevens. The Republican lawmaker has represented Kodiak since 2003. In the final round of absentee ballot counting in the August Primary, Sen. Gary Stevens is headed to win his Republican primary election with almost  53 percent of the vote. According to the Division of Election’s latest count, Stevens has 2,086 votes. His challenger in the Republican Primary, John …

Lady Ashley, Jan. 18, 2018   The crew of the F/V Lady Ashley, a Kodiak fishing boat, was rescued Thursday morning, after she began taking on water off Cape Uyak near Karluk. Another fishing boat, the F/V Gloria Jay, issued a mayday call at about 5:49 a.m. Melissa McKenzie, a public affairs specialist for the Coast Guard, said there were …

The Alaska Marine Highway System is at a critical crossroads, as the first round of hearings on restructuring the ferry system gets underway this Wednesday. A nine-member working group is reviewing a $250,000 study commissioned by the Dunleavy administration, one that’s already ruled out privatizing the state ferry fleet, because it doesn’t pencil out. Now they will hear what the …

Natalya Isatchenko, courtesy of someone who tried to offer her help and comfort. Listen to the story about Natalya Isatchenko’s life and death that aired on KMXT Radio: So who was Natalya Isatchenko? She was a woman almost everyone in Kodiak knew, but really didn’t know. Everywhere and nowhere. Homeless but always at home, wherever she was. She was often …

A Kodiak fisherman has agreed to jail time and a substantial fine over charges he falsified fishing records. James Aaron Stevens. 46, will plead guilty to one count of false labeling, a violation of the Lacey Act, a federal law that protects against trafficking illegally taken wildlife. Stevens, the operator and owner of the F/V Alaskan Star and F/V Southern …

Kodiak police have identified the woman who was killed in a hit and run case early yesterday morning as Natalya Isatchenko of Kodiak. A driver has been arrested in this case, Merlyn Armstrong of Kodiak, age 59. Armstrong has been charged with failure to render aid. If convicted, it’s a charge that could result in 10 years jail time, a …