KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Jay Barrett/KMXT If you noticed some heavy equipment working right up to the sidewalk on Mill Bay Road recently, it’s the new headquarters for Kodiak Electric Association. KEA CEO Darron Scott: “The board decided in early May to move forward with the new building design we‘ve got going on. It’s right over there by Ardingers on Mill Bay, and it …

Jay Barrett/KMXT As we heard on yesterday’s Talk of the Rock, there is a small nuisance in Kodiak that is growing and growing. Not larger, but in number. “When they hear ‘bed bugs’ they think it’s only in the bed,” according to B.J. Johnson, a pest control expert in Kodiak. “Well, unfortunately, that’s just not true, because bed bugs will …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake and Tsunami, which wiped out the entire village of Kaguyak, and forced many of its residents to relocate. The story of Kaguyak, and its people, is the topic of a documentary film being put together by independent producer Paul Gray. Gray is in Kodiak this summer filming, …

On this week’s Talk of the Rock, host Jay Barrett chats with BJ Johnson of American Pest, about the growing scourge of bed bugs in Kodiak, and what can be done to prevent or cure an infestation.

Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is opening public comment on a plan to relax Steller sea lion protections and allow more commercial fishing in the western Aleutian Islands. The agency released a draft of its new regulations on Tuesday. They would pave the way for the first commercial harvests of Atka mackerel and Pacific cod since 2011. …

Jay Barrett/KMXT As KMXT told you on Thursday, Kodiak’s annual Eco Challenge race been cancelled for the first time in its 12-year history. The Eco Challenge was a 40-mile race across Kodiak’s wilderness that required biking, hiking, running, rafting and orienteering skills to complete. Kodiak Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Diana Honings said the Eco Challenge was cancelled due to …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Though the first two days and nights of operation were reportedly very successful for the floating bar and grill “Wild Alaskan” anchored off Kodiak’s water front, the weekend was a bust. Literally. According to owner and operator Darren Byler, persons unknown contacted the Coast Guard and soon Kodiak’s newest entertainment venue had to shut down for the weekend. …

Marina Cummiskey/KMXT Hello, I’m Marina Cummiskey, an intern at KMXT as part of the station’s summer archiving project. This week I listened to an Alaska Fisheries Report from 1993, hosted by Laine Welch. In the audio, Welch talked about a new menu item coming to the local Kodiak McDonalds. “And speaking of salmon, the manager of the Kodiak McDonalds is …