It’s been a year since Kodiak’s new indoor mall opened to the public, and it’s already become a sort of community center. Several events have been held there and businesses are celebrating their growth in the Marketplace ahead of the holidays. The space will also host Kodiak’s annual boat parade afterparty this weekend.

Alaska's Seafood Task Force holds its final meeting of the year today, and over the last several months lawmakers have been looking at ways to aid all sectors of the state’s seafood industry, which faced a number of struggles. But the group could also address the outmigration of fishing permits and unequal fishing access in rural Alaska communities.

The head of the City of Kodiak’s Fire Department announced last week that he plans to retire at the end of January, 2025. Fire Chief Frank Dorner has been with the department for roughly 25 years and held the head position since 2022.

The Kodiak City Council has yet to make a final decision on the name for its park and recreation center. That’s several months after receiving a recommendation to change the name from Baranof Park to Wamwik, which means “a place to play” in Alutiiq.

Kodiak’s population is shrinking, following a trend among rural places across the country. It’s one of the biggest factors as the archipelago’s school district considers closing one of its elementary schools.

Communities across the Kodiak Archipelago are facing environmental challenges that climate change is making worse — problems like coastal erosion, depleted salmon spawning grounds and disrupted wildlife populations. A recent workshop in Kodiak connected some rural communities to resources that could help them adapt to those challenges.

A reinvigorated program to recruit firefighter cadets on Kodiak Island will kick off in about a month, in January of 2025. Some of the island's fire departments are looking to locally grown recruits, like high schoolers, to help fill their ranks for the long-term.

Coast Guard Base Kodiak’s child development center has faced major staffing issues this year that nearly led to the daycare temporarily closing. Officials have figured out a solution for now, but it’s just one hurdle to jump as more service members arriving in the next few years could put more pressure on the center.

A property tax exemption court case, currently being appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, between the Kodiak Area Native Association and the Kodiak Island Borough could set precedent for other communities around the state.

A proposed ocean and fish restoration project in the Gulf of Alaska is trying to generate support at the local and state level. Ocean Pasture Restoration wants to begin its three-year pilot starting in 2025. The project hinges on renewing pastures in the ocean to boost production of phytoplankton.