Jennifer Ruckel, KNOM - Nome
Out-of-Service Fuel Tank Sprung a Leak in Wales
Diesel fuel leaking from a storage tank along a road in Wales has been contained, according to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
Fuel Sale in Nome Targets Spring Subsistence Hunters
Anywhere else in the United States, $5.47 per gallon for gasoline might be pretty frightening—but in Nome, it’s a sale for spring subsistence.
Download Audio
Report Highlights Huge Cash Flow Problem at Nome’s Utility
Nome Joint Utility is working on a broken budget—a financial plan that is unbalanced and unrealistic. That’s the takeaway from the Rural Utility Business Advisor report, or RUBA—delivered to the Nome City Council and utility board this week.
Restrictions Planned For Northwest Alaska Caribou Hunters
For the first time in 30 years, hunting restrictions are planned for Northwest Alaska caribou. The Western Arctic and Teshekpuk herds lost half their numbers in the past decade. But this caribou crisis has spurred a unique collaboration, where user groups across the state chose to share the burden of hunting reductions.
Download Audio
Cindy Abbott Claims 2015 Iditarod Red Lantern Award
After two prior attempts, this year’s Red Lantern, Cindy Abbott, completed her first Iditarod late last night.
Download Audio
Ambler Road Would Have Mixed Impact on NW Arctic Caribou
Facing halted state spending and budget cuts, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or AIDEA, says it’s still moving forward to prepare an environmental impact statement for the contentious Ambler Road, which would branch west off the Dalton Highway near Evansville and run into the copper deposit near Ambler. If the road gets the go-ahead, it’ll be a mixed bag for the Northwest Arctic Caribou Herd, who winter on and migrate through land that the road would bisect.
Download Audio
Ambler Road Would Have Mixed Impact on NW Arctic Caribou
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, or AIDEA, says it’s still moving forward to prepare an environmental impact statement for the contentious Ambler Road, even after Governor Bill Walker has placed a hold on the project. The Ambler road would branch west off the Dalton Highway near Evansville and run into the copper deposit near Ambler. If the road eventually gets the go-ahead, it will be a mixed bag for the Northwest Arctic Caribou Herd which winters on and migrates through land that the road would bisect.
Nome Schools Superintendent Steve Gast Resigns
Hopes of calmly winding down the fall semester have now been dashed, as the Nome Board of Education is about to get busy searching for a new superintendent.
Fire Destroys Kivalina’s Only Store
A fire destroyed Kivalina’s only store early Friday morning, leaving the northwest Alaska village of 400 without all the food and supplies that were stored there.
Download Audio
Savoonga Post Office Faces Intermittent Closure Until New Postal Worker is Hired
Savoonga’s only postal worker resigned mid-November, and now the St. Lawrence Island community of 700 has been without regular postal service for almost two weeks. There’s no indication of when a permanent postmaster will be hired to fill the vacancy.
Bering Strait School District Superintendent Placed On Administrative Leave
There’s been a shake-up in leadership at the Bering Strait School District. The BSSD Board of Education has placed superintendent Brett Agenbroad on administrative leave, and appointed Bobby Bolen as acting superintendent until a permanent hire is made.
After 70 Years, WWII Dog Tag Discovered on Bering Sea Coast is Returning Home
On this Veterans Day after 70 years, a small piece of Earl Vogelar, a Michigan soldier stationed in Nome during World War II, is finally on its way home.
Download Audio
Arctic Native Ice Testing Stick Will Be Used On National Research Vessel
Conducting research at sea in Arctic, ice-filled conditions is a tricky endeavor, requiring a host of high-tech gear. But, on the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ new, ice-capable research vessel Sikuliaq, at least one piece of equipment dates back generations.
Download Audio
Lab Results Pending for ‘Oily’ Seals Harvested Off St. Lawrence Island
Two seals recently harvested off Gambell were found coated with a dark oily substance. While the hunters on St. Lawrence Island believe it was oil on the animals’ coats, testing done by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has not confirmed that.
Thermal Imaging Cameras Donated To Villages For Use In Search And Rescue
Sixteen handheld thermal imaging cameras will soon be in the hands of search-and-rescue teams in the Norton Sound region, thanks to a donation from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC). Alaska State Troopers will be distributing these bi-ocular cameras to 15 member communities and Shishmaref within the next few weeks.
Download Audio
First Musk Ox Killed in Early Hunt While Dog Attacks Continue
Over the weekend, a hunter in Nome killed the first musk ox since the Alaska Department of Fish & Game opened the hunt on August first.
Elim Gathers River Data as Safeguard Against Uranium Mining
Forty miles from Elim up the Tubuktulik River, a small gauge sits at the water’s edge, just downstream from the state-owned Boulder Creek site—the largest known uranium deposit in Alaska, and a hot spot for potential mining.