Karluk, a remote village of just 24 residents, will have a school for the first time in five years starting next month. The village, then, had 24 year-round residents – just two of whom are kids. But schools need at least 10 students to qualify for state funding. In an effort to reopen the school, the Karluk Tribal Council posted …
Read More »Talk of the Rock: Paralytic Shellfish Poison
On this week’s Talk of the Rock, host Jared Griffin talks about paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) with Julie Matweyou, Kodiak Agent with the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program; Mika Bushell, NOAA research fellow and marine biologist for Knik Tribal Council; and Andie Wall, environmental coordinator for KANA. Listen here:
Read More »After more than 2 years, Ouzinkie’s new hydropower system is up and running
As of late last month, the village of Ouzinkie has a new hydropower system that provides the bulk of energy for the village of 130 people. But getting there wasn’t easy. The story starts back in the 1980s – that’s when the village’s hydropower system was first installed. It worked – but it had issues and was only running at …
Read More »Magnitude 5.6 earthquake strikes near Old Harbor, no tsunami expected
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck about 22 miles south of the village of Old Harbor Monday night, about 70 miles southwest of the city of Kodiak. No tsunami was expected, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and National Weather Service, and no warning was issued. A screen capture depicting the earthquake’s estimated location via the Alaska Earthquake Center …
Read More »KMXT radio signal off-line in villages
A power outage in Fairbanks is affecting KMXT’s ability to send our signal to villages on Kodiak Island. Until the issue is fixed, listeners in the villages will not be able to pick up KMXT 100.1 FM, though they can still stream the station on kmxt.org or the new KMXT app. KMXT’s signal to the village radio transmitters relies on …
Read More »A small community of Spruce Island monks is getting a new chapel
Listen to this story; The village of Ouzinkie on Spruce Island has an Orthodox church, and the far side of the island also has its own chapel over the grave site of St. Herman. But the three monks who live in the middle part of the island only have a small indoor chapel in their shared house. Father Andrew is …
Read More »Old Harbor School Secretary: Phyllis Clough wins statewide education award
On just about any school day, if you went to Old Harbor on the southeast side of Kodiak Island, you’d see that Phyllis Clough wears a lot of hats. As the Old Harbor school secretary, she picks up the phone, answers parents’ questions and offers a steady stream of encouragement to the children. You’ll also find her in the cafeteria …
Read More »Ballot by mail: Down to the wire for Kodiak Island Borough
Please note: This story has been updated to include a late breaking development from the Kodiak Island Borough clerk’s office, to assist voters who did not receive mail in ballots. Elections are never easy in Alaska’s smallest communities. And this election day is especially problematic in the Kodiak Island Borough’s outlying communities. As of Tuesday’s election day, some voters still …
Read More »Tuesday’s election: Kodiak Island Borough ballots arrive late
The Kodiak Island Borough’s efforts to get mail-in ballots to outlying communities in time for this Tuesday’s municipal election has run into some problems. Dorinda Kewan, Mayor of Port Lions. Port Lion’s mayor, Dorinda Kewan, says some voters haven’t received their ballots yet. “I’m concerned about the process they set up,” Kewan said. “I know it’s new. This has never …
Read More »Part 2: Borough Assembly Candidate Forum recap: candidates discuss non-profits, villages, and other issues
In our first recap of Tuesday night’s Borough Assembly Candidate Forum, five candidates for three assembly seats discussed their views on the economy, education, and consolidation. KMXT’s Jared Griffin overviewed the candidates’ positions on non-profit funding, village cooperation in borough decisions, COVID-19, and conflicts of interest. Even though borough financial support for non-profits makes up a relatively small portion of …
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