News

Jay Barrett KMXT The iconic Washington State Ferry that spent 20 years as a seafood processor in Kodiak’s Gibson Cove changed hands quietly late last year. Karl Anderson, a Tacoma business man didn’t buy the Kalakala necessarily to be the next person to try and restore it to its former Art Deco glory. Instead, he acquired it in exchange for …

Jay Barrett KMXT In larger towns you often see businesses using different gimmicks to lure in customers, but not so much in a small town like Kodiak. Some use balloons or lights or dancing mascots out on the sidewalk. Well, the downtown Wells Fargo branch decided to try the mascot move last week. KMXT’s Jay Barrett caught up with him …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT As spring works its way toward summer, more and more people will take to the water for recreational and commercial boating endeavors. During Thursday’s borough assembly meeting Borough Mayor Jerome Selby took the time to remind all boaters to be safe. “On average 700 people die each year in boating related accidents in the United States. Nearly 70 …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The funding wishes of the Kodiak Island Borough School District were granted last night. The borough assembly voted 5-2 in favor of funding the district’s $10.6 million request, which is the state allowed maximum. In recent years the assembly has only funded about 96 percent of that, but low state and federal contributions forced the district to ask …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT After almost 50 years in service, Alaska will say “goodbye” to the M/V Tustumena. But frequent farers of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry won’t have to say those goodbyes just yet. KMXT’s Brianna Gibbs has more. During the Marine Transportation Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday in Juneau, board members discussed the lengthy process of replacing the ship. …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Nine grams of methamphetamine is now in police custody. On Wednesday morning officers from the Kodiak Police Department served a search warrant at a private residence on Selief Lane for evidence of drug dealing. Police Chief T.C. Kamai said the search resulted in the discovery of the meth. “…Approximately 9 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales and packaging materials. …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Tonight the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly will meet for a regular meeting and revisit an agenda item that failed to get assembly approval two weeks ago. During the May 2 meeting the assembly failed to approve a contract with Wohlforth Brecht Cartledge and Brooking for legal services associated with the sale of revenue bonds for the new long …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Classes wrapped up at Kodiak College last week, marking the end of the first year of the Alutiiq Studies Program. The program joined the college curriculum last fall and offered classroom and distance learning courses in Alutiiq Language and culture. John Beale is the data collection and distance learning technician for the program, and said its first year …

Pavlov Volcano photographed Tuesday night by Sand Point resident Gina Stafford. Stephanie Joyce/KUCB Pavlof Volcano has been putting on a light show for residents of several communities on the Alaska Peninsula in recent nights. As KUCB’s Stephanie Joyce reports, activity at the volcano has increased, and it’s shooting lava high into the air and spewing ash up to 20,000 feet.

Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska Say so long to summer drivers riding the ferry for free. Wave goodbye to the winter roundtrip discount. And printed schedules? Those are on their way out too. Those changes won’t happen for a while. But they are just some of the ways the Alaska Marine Highway will address a $3.5-million spending cut mandated by the Legislature. Ferry …