KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Jay Barrett/KMXT Not long after 10 Friday morning there will be a new commander at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. That’s when Captain Melissa Rivera will relieve the retiring Captain Bill Deal in a change of command ceremony in Hangar 3. This is Rivera’s third tour in Alaska and her second in Kodiak. A 21-year veteran of the Coast Guard, …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Yesterday KMXT told you about the new runway in Old Harbor, but Fred Brooks, the administrator for the Old Harbor Tribal Council said that project is just one of many on the horizon for the village.

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT As many west coast news outlets have reported, remnants of the 2011 Japanese tsunami have already started showing up on the shores of the U.S. This sea-voyaging debris has littered both the headlines and beaches, and Kodiak is no exception. Andy Schroeder is the executive director and founder of Island Trails Network, a local organization that builds and …

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Charley Fowler, an Air Station Kodiak rescue swimmer, talks to a young Barrow resident about the equipment he and other rescue swimmers use to save lives. Approximately 200 Barrow residents attended an open house to meet with search and rescue personnel that will be working in Northern Alaska this summer. Below, members of Coast Guard …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The shortage of king salmon this summer is forcing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to enact more restrictions on their catch in various parts of the state. Effective Sunday the Chignik River drainage sport fishery for kings 20 inches and greater is restricted to catch-and-release only and the use of bait is prohibited. The king salmon …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Fish and Game officials switched their management scheme from sockeye to pink salmon around Kodiak Island late last week. The red harvest is currently at 1.2-million, with a catch of 105,584 on Saturday, while the pink salmon catch numbers are starting to increase. Saturday over 76,000 were caught for a total harvest of 282,000. The all-species total harvest …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT A new runway in Old Harbor should prove to be a win-win situation for both the village residents and federal government. The runway will allow larger planes to access the village, and provide crucial training for the U.S. military. Fred Brooks is the tribal administrator for the Old Harbor Tribal Council and said the construction qualifies for the …

Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB The Aleutian East Borough has hired a new administrator, and he’s someone Kodiak residents know well. Rick Gifford, who left his job as Kodiak Island Borough Manager after seven years, took over the job for Aleutians East last month. He will stay in Anchorage while administering the borough, which includes Akutan, False Pass, Cold Bay, Nelson Lagoon, King …