Villages

On a Friday in March, the Kodiak Public Library was filled with people perusing video game and movie merchandise during Fan Con, the town’s popular annual culture convention. Some folks sold earrings or stuffed toys but Guy Bartleson’s table was full of comic books.  Guy Bartleson holding two of his most valuable books, the first apearances of Iron Man and …

Kodiak Public Library hosted the island’s second-ever popular culture convention, Fan Con, on March 22 and 23. Attendees competed in video game tournaments, watched movies, made various crafts together, and heard from a published author. KMXT’s Brian Venua stopped by and has this story.  The library had several games set up and hosted tournamets for “Mario Kart 8” and “Super …

The village of Old Harbor, on the southeast side of Kodiak Island, is one step closer to building a hydroelectric facility that would power the entire community of roughly 200 people. The rural energy project is getting a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help fund construction. Last month on Feb. 27 the department announced up …

Kodiak’s proposed Anton Larsen Bay road extension has received a significant financial nudge forward from the federal government. Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced on March 20 $2.5 million dollars in funding for the project through Congress’ Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations package, which was signed into law earlier this month on March 9. Extending this road on Kodiak Island would provide year-round …

Ouzinkie’s head teacher gave the school’s annual presentation for the Kodiak Island Borough School District Board of Education at its meeting on March 11. The district struggled to keep teachers in Ouzinkie last year, but now has a new pair to lead the elementary and secondary students and is fully staffed this year. The head teacher, Estella Bryans, is in …

Arctic Care, a U.S. military operation that brings medical experts to underserved communities in Alaska, is making its way back to Kodiak this year. The military group is once again partnering with the Kodiak Area Native Association to bring no-cost healthcare to the archipelago’s communities. Kodiak has a strong military presence, with a Coast Guard Base, an Alaska Army National …

On this week’s Talk of the Rock, host Jared Griffin discusses this year’s Arctic Care program with: Captain David Falcon, Arctic Care Mission Officer in Charge (OIC) Dave Abildgaard, Chief of Current Operations Division, Air National Guard Readiness Center at Joint Base Andrews Nichole Miles, VP of Public Affairs, Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA) Listen here:

Updated Feb. 2, 2024 OBI Seafoods announced Wednesday, Jan. 31 it will not open its summer fish processing plant in Larsen Bay, on the west end of Kodiak Island. The company will still buy salmon from the area’s fishermen, but will rely on its facility in the city of Kodiak instead. KMXT’s Brian Venua reports it’s the latest plant to …

The head teacher in Port Lions urged the Kodiak Island Borough School District to address several maintenance issues during the district’s Board of Education meeting on Jan. 22. The Port Lions school has just two teachers – Shayla Demming handles the primary education and her partner, Ken Stockard, handles secondary education alongside a secretary/teacher’s aide.  Demming said they currently serve …

Construction on high speed internet infrastructure is expected to begin in the Kodiak Island communities of Larsen Bay and Port Lions this year, as GCI prepares to set up fiber internet around the island and Alaska Peninsula. GCI’s AU-Aleutians Fiber Project has two phases. The first involves connecting four Aleutian communities along with Chignik Bay and Kodiak’s Larsen Bay to …