Villages

By Joe Coleman, KNOM – Nome Last month, as classes around the state moved online, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration announced plans to contract with the Florida Virtual School to provide online classes to students for free. The program could cost the state more than $500,000. Alaska’s contract with the online school followed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s recommendation to Alaska …

With populations ranging from 30 to 250 people, Kodiak’s villages aren’t taking risks when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most have shut the communities down to nearly all non-resident travel and implemented strict social distancing measures for residents. “Here in Akhiok, we’re making it. Everybody’s on board [that] we should stay the course,” said Akhiok mayor Dan McCoy. He …

Last week, Koniag announced a $50,000 donation to support COVID-19 response efforts for Alaska Native tribes and other beneficiaries on the Kodiak archipelago. President of Koniag, Shauna Hegna, says the corporation has met with tribal leaders and village corporation leaders four times since the beginning of the pandemic, and narrowed down their top concern to food security. Part of the …

Kodiak received its first shipment of COVID-19 rapid test kits on Wednesday evening. The kits, which can be processed on island, are expected to accelerate the turnaround time on results from days to minutes. Previously, tests had to be shipped to a lab on the mainland for evaluation. Elise Pletnikoff is a physician at Kodiak Area Native Association. “We have …

The Alaska Marine Highway System summer ferry schedule was released last week. Kodiak’s first arrival will be the M/V Kennicott on April 25, arriving from Homer. The M/V Tustumena will make its first trip Kodiak from Homer on May 2. This summer will see somewhat reduced service in some places. According to Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesperson Sam …

  Most of us have them. Dusty old boxes, totes, hard-drives, shoeboxes of photos, many containing people we can’t even identify. Yet, there seems to be an urge to hang on to the past, to that connection to family and old friends, even if we don’t know who they are. KMXT’s Maggie Wall has this report on an effort by …

Kodiak Island’s last ferry of the season pulled away from the dock on Saturday, and there won’t be one returning until April. Aging vessels in need of repairs and cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway System budget have extended the service gap this year, making life for village residents more difficult in the meantime. M/V Tustumena crew finish last preparations …

A Department of Environmental Conservation budget proposal could mean some rough years ahead for small shellfish farms in Alaska. Testing shellfish for harmful toxins is currently subsidized at 100 percent, but this proposal would split the fees 50-50 between farmers and the state. That’s threatening to put some small farms out of business. Wilfred Pavloff and Larry “Bunson” Sugiak shuck …

Kodiak’s Coast Guard Air Station celebrated its 46th Santa to the Villages program this December, delivering the children of Kodiak’s villages toys, fruit and a visit from Santa and his elves. KMXT’s Kavitha George followed them out to Larsen Bay and Karluk, and has this story. Coast Guard volunteers get ready to visit children in Karluk. (Photo by Kavitha George/KMXT) …

The Kodiak village of Akhiok is replacing its 40-year-old power grid and generator. The new system will be vastly more efficient, and comes with the ability to add solar energy in the near future. Akhiok Mayor Dan McCoy talks with former Kodiak Island Borough Mayor Dan Rohrer inside the existing powerhouse in August, 2018. (Photo by Tyler Kornelis) The village …