KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska

Jay Barrett/KMXT Because of federal budget concerns, two military amenities in Alaska that are also widely enjoyed by civilians are facing an uncertain future. Both are golf courses – the one at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, and Bear Valley here in Kodiak. The courses will open this summer, but unless something changes, it will be their last season of …

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The Coast Guardsman who discovered the bodies of two murdered men nearly two years ago says he thought at first they were playing a prank on him. Petty Officer Cody Beaufort testified Wednesday in the trial of James Wells, who’s charged with shooting to death retired Coast Guardsman Richard Belisle and Petty Officer James Hopkins at …

Jay Barrett/KMXT The field is starting to get crowded in the race for House District 32. In an announcement posted online Friday, former Kodiak Island Borough Assemblywoman Louise Stutes stated her intentions to seek the seat currently held by Representative Alan Austerman. While HE has not declared his plans for re-election, Austerman’s daughter Carol announced last month her plans to …

Jay Barrett/KMXT At the last Kodiak City Council meeting the coach and many of the players from the state championship-winning Kodiak High School Bears girls basketball team were in attendance, where they received the key to the city. Mayor Pat Branson praised the team, which went 27-0 while sweeping through the state tournament last month: “We are going to look …

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An attorney for the Kodiak man charged with killing two co-workers at Coast Guard Base Kodiak’s Communication Station says his client was elsewhere when the fatal gunshots were fired — a Kodiak airport bathroom. Federal defender Rich Curtner says James Wells suffered from intestinal issues after gallbladder surgery. Curtner says Wells on April 12, 2012, detected …

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT If you lived in Kodiak during the 1960s and 1970s, you might remember a woman named Dee Barbero. Mrs. Barbero, or “Madam Dee,” as she was known, passed away in December – closing a chapter in Kodiak’s boomtown history. After Madam Dee left Kodiak, she moved to Florida with her husband, Martin Barbero. Mr. Barbero said his wife …

Jay Barrett/KMXT Despite the today’s date, this next story is not a joke: Kodiak is the third healthiest community in Alaska. The only two towns that ranked higher share our approximate latitude, number one Juneau and number two Sitka. So maybe there’s something to be said for temperate coastal rainforest living. Jayne Andreen is the Community Health Improvement Director for …

Alexandra Gutierrez/APRN The names of everyone who’s ever been charged with a crime in Alaska is documented in an online database called "Court View" that anyone can check. Landlords use it. Employers use it. Some people even use it use it while dating to see if their romantic partner has a criminal history. But soon, those searches could be limited …