Emily Russell, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage
Emily Russell is the voice of Alaska morning news as Alaska Public Media’s Morning News Host and Producer.
Originally from the Adirondacks in upstate New York, Emily moved to Alaska in 2012. She skied her way through three winters in Fairbanks, earning her Master’s degree in Northern Studies from UAF.
Emily’s career in radio started in Nome in 2015, reporting for KNOM on everything from subsistence whale harvests to housing shortages in Native villages. She then worked for KCAW in Sitka, finally seeing what all the fuss with Southeast, Alaska was all about.
Back on the road system, Emily is looking forward to driving her Subaru around the region to hike, hunt, fish and pick as many berries as possible. When she’s not talking into the mic in the morning, Emily can be found reporting from the peaks above Anchorage to the rivers around Southcentral.
Aggressive bears concern Sitka Police
The Sitka Police Department is on a bear hunt. There’s been a recent spike in bear sightings around town and even a few close calls. Listen Now
Canoe steaming carries on Tlingit and Haida tradition
To transform a hollowed-out log into a dugout canoe requires more than expert carving — it requires steam, and lots of it. Earlier this week the skies over Eagle Beach in Sitka were filled with smoke and steam, as a carving team worked to transform a cedar dugout into an elegant, seaworthy canoe. Listen Now
Kentucky man mauled by brown bear on Admiralty Island
A man was mauled by a brown bear Thursday (9-22-16), on southern Admiralty Island. It’s the fourth incident of its kind in the region since August.
Housing crisis in Stebbins results in overcrowding and frustration
In many communities across Western Alaska, populations are rising, but housing has failed to keep up. In the late 1990s the tribal government in Stebbins took control over housing from the regional non-profit. Listen now
Korean diplomat visits Nome, talks Arctic trade and tourism
A diplomat from the Republic of Korea was in Nome last week. Ohkeum Kwon is Korea’s Deputy Consul General based in Anchorage.
As internet gets faster, Stebbins elders worry about subsistence
The Arctic Broadband Summit just wrapped up in Barrow this week. Crews are busy off the coast of Nome this month laying fiber optic cable, and GCI recently announced plans to bring high-speed internet to ten more communities in the region this year. Listen now
Kotzebue’s Fire Chief arrested for DUI while driving City vehicle
Kotzebue’s Fire chief is appearing in court today after being arrested on Saturday for drunk driving. Listen now
On final day of organized search, no clues of missing hiker
It’s been a week and a half since Joseph Balderas went missing in the foothills outside of Nome. Alaska State Troopers suspended their search for the 36-year-old man on Monday, but his family, friends, and even those that never knew Balderas continued on. Listen now
New California law could jeopardize Alaska’s ivory market
The ivory market in America just got a lot smaller, or at least that’s how it seems. A new law goes into effect today in California that bans the sale of all ivory products, including walrus ivory. Download Audio
Nome Fire Dept, Troopers, Coast Guard team up in search for missing hiker
Search and rescue efforts continue today for a hiker that went missing in the Nome area over the weekend. Download Audio
Norwegian tanker runs aground near Nunivak Island
A Norwegian tanker ran aground near Nunivak Island last week. According to a US Coast Guard press release, the chemical tanker was carrying over 14 million gallons of fuel when it hit bottom a little after 9 a.m. Friday.
Quintillion to begin laying subsea fiber optic cable
Nome’s coast will get a little more crowded this summer, but it’s not dredging or your standard drilling that will add to the offshore activity. Download Audio
Russia launches largest, most powerful icebreaker in the world
Russia just launched the largest, most powerful icebreaker in the world. Activity in the Arctic is on the rise. Retreating sea ice and rising ship traffic have some worried the region could serve as the next stage for international conflict, coast guards across the Arctic are busy laying the groundwork for cooperation. Download Audio
First evidence of ancient trade with Asia uncovered in Northwest Alaska
There’s new evidence that metal goods from central Asia made their way to Alaska long before contact with Europeans. Download Audio
Summer Yukon salmon runs predicted to be below average
Salmon fishing is underway on the Yukon River, but runs are expected to be below average this summer season. Download Audio
Smartphone apps encourage local involvement in a changing climate
A handful of apps are making it easier for rural communities to report on climate change in Alaska. With a swipe of a smartphone, locals can submit environmental observations, and there’s even an app aimed at preventing further change. Download Audio
Despite federal changes, ‘Eskimo’ still in use in Western Alaska
The term “eskimo” is divisive across much of the arctic, but it’s still being used in western Alaska. Some identify with it, while others want to see change. Download Audio
‘Spicy’ ocean levels could spell trouble for marine mammal hunting
The Arctic Ocean is getting spicier. A new study published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography suggests that rising temperatures in the far north could result in warmer, saltier water, or what’s know as spicier water. This could make marine mammal hunting off Alaska’s coast more dangerous. Download Audio
Barrow experiences earliest snowmelt on record
Snow in the northern most town in the nation is melting earlier than ever before on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Observatory in Barrow reported a snowmelt staring on May 13. That’s 10 days earlier than the previous record set in 2002. NOAA has been recording snowmelt from its Barrow Observatory for over 70 years. Download Audio
Satellite used to record sea ice data malfunctions
The satellite used to record sea ice data in the Arctic malfunctioned in April, and scientists are scrambling to calibrate a month of missing data. Download Audio