KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT About two dozen people gathered in the Kodiak Public Library’s multipurpose room Wednesday night to hear about the state’s plan for replacing the aging ferry Tustumena. David Larsen is a naval architect from Seattle who has been working on the design process since November. Even though the Tustumena underwent a significant amount of repairs last year, Larsen said …

Shaylon Cochran/KDLL and Jay Barrett/KMXT The Funny River Fire that has been burning on the Kenai Peninsula since Monday grew to nearly 63,000 acres overnight, and smoke continues to fill the sky from Kasilof to Kodiak. Dan Nelson, the Health and Safety Officer for Central Emergency Services in Soldotna, says the fire is only about five percent contained, but is …

Marina Cummiskey/KMXT Kodiak’s annual Crab Festival kicked off today, bringing with it all the long-time traditions that will occur throughout this weekend. However, as KMXT’s student news intern Marina Cummiskey discovered, a new event is coming to Kodiak this year.

Coming up this week, Copper River is off to a lukewarm start, there’s a new client organization for MSC certification for Alaska salmon, and Petersburg has a shiny new harbor. All that and more, coming up on the Alaska Fisheries Report. We had help from KDLG’s Mike Mason in Dillingham, KYUK’s Ben Matheson in Bethel and KFSK’s Angela Denning in …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The democratic challenger to Alaska’s longest-serving delegate to Washington D.C. will be in Kodiak for Crab Fest. Twenty-nine-year-old Forest Dunbar is Representative Don Young’s main competitor this year, though perennial candidate Frank Vondezaar of Homer has also filed as a Democrat. Dunbar said his reason for seeking Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat is simple: he believes Congressman Young …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT This month is shaping out to be one of the driest Mays on record. “To date we have had 0.31 inches of precipitation this month.” That’s Craig Eckert, the station manager for the National Weather Service office in Kodiak. Eckert said if the recent dry spell continues through the end of the month it will break the record. …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT Kodiak Area Native Association is set to receive grant funds from the federal government. A press release from U.S. Senator Mark Begich’s office announced that $384,000 will go to KANA, specifically to be used for treatment of depression. KANA was awarded the money as a sub-grantee of the John A. Hartford foundation and the release said it will …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The Kodiak City Council will gather for a regular meeting tonight and hear the first reading of its FY 2015 budget ordinance. If approved, the budget will then move on to a public hearing and second vote during the council’s next regular meeting. Also on tonight’s agenda is the second reading and public hearing on a n ordinance …