Mark Arehart, KYUK - Bethel
Mark Arehart is a reporter with KYUK in Bethel.
Fairbanks Speed Skater Is 2014 Olympic Hopeful
Bethel students had a special visitor recently: 2014 Winter Olympic hopeful Liam Ortega. The Fairbanks athlete took time out of his training schedule to talk to young people about setting goals and overcoming adversity, something he knows all-too-much about after fighting back from a traumatic brain injury.
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Newtok Residents Describe Injuries From Era Plane Crash
An Era Alaska Cessna 207 went down Saturday near the village of Newtok. Some passengers suffered injuries after the plane landed short of the runway and skidded across a local river. But Era is disputing the extent of the injuries.
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Boy Accidentally Shoots Sister in Mountain Village
A five-year-old girl was fatally shot yesterday in Mountain Village after her older brother was handling a .22 caliber rifle.
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Pitkas Point Man Dies In Snowmachine Crash
Alaska State Troopers report a Pitkas Point man died over the weekend in a snowmachine accident. Darrell Hunt was travelling along the Adreafsky River on a 2013 Ski Doo snowmachine when he was fatally injured.
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Bethel Farm Grows Crops Despite Cold
With many early mornings in the below zero temperatures this spring, you would think it would be impossible to grow crops at this time in Western Alaska, but at Meyers Farm in Bethel they are doing just that. In fact they have 10 rows of spinach that have just started to sprout.
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Alleged Bootlegger Banned From Akiak
In a short court decision Wednesday, the Akiak Tribal Court voted to banish an alleged bootlegger and drug trafficker from the village indefinitely.
Proposed Bill Would Allow VPSOs To Carry Guns
State Representative Bryce Edgmon introduced a bill last week that would allow Village Public Safety Officers across the state to carry firearms. KYUK’s Mark Arehart has more.
Bethel Assembly Considers New Decency Laws
Lawmakers in Bethel are considering reshaping public decency laws within rural city's limits
Two Dog Races Start In Bethel This Weekend
The Elia Salafie Memorial Sled Dog Race and K300 Camp Out Race are happening this weekend.
Power Back on in Tuluksak
The village of Tuluksak regained power early this morning after a two-day outage. It took some help from of the Alaska Energy Authority to finally get the lights back on. The lights went out in Tuluksak around 4pm Monday afternoon, when its only generator stopped running.
Bethel Finalizes Tobacco Tax Ordinance
The Bethel City Council has finalized an ordinance to impose a tax on all tobacco products sold in the city. The tax is similar to one found in Anchorage. The tax has the backing of many in the community, but one retailer is taking a stand against it.
Plane Crash Near Kalskag Injures Three
A Cessna 172 owned by the Kuspuk School District crashed on the Kuskokwim River on Tuesday. The pilot and both passengers were injured in the crash.
Skull Found Along Beach Near Umkumiute
Alaska State Troopers say a human skull was discovered on a beach near Toksook Bay this past September. The skull has been examined by archaeologist, Steven Street, with the Association of Village Council Presidents.
Proposed Donlin Gold Mine Starts Permitting Process
The proposed Donlin Gold Mine on the Middle Kuskokwim River has started the long, multi-step permitting process. But, before any permits can be granted, the project is subject to an environmental impact statement. This includes a series of public meetings. Some have already taken place in rural Alaska and another one is scheduled for this evening in Anchorage.
Operation Santa Goes To Mekoryuk
The small village of Mekoryuk sits on the north side of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea. The remote community often experiences harsh weather that prevents planes from coming or going. But this holiday season, the village got a special early visit from a certain famous North Pole resident.
Bethel Approves Tobacco Tax
Soon it will be more expensive to be a tobacco user in Bethel. At the last regular meeting the Bethel City Council passed an ordinance that will increase taxes on all tobacco products sold in the city. The ordinance will raise the price of cigarettes by $2.21 per pack and raise prices for other tobacco products by 45%.
Dozens Of YK Delta Wrestlers Qualify For State
Twenty-eight wrestlers from seven Yukon Kuskokwim Delta schools have qualified for the 123A State Wrestling Tournament this Friday and Saturday in Nikiski. Two of these qualifying schools are almost complete opposites: one is a perennial powerhouse, while the other is sending kids to state for the very first time.
YK Delta Health Records Going Digital
Soon medical visits in the YK Delta could become simpler, and possibly safer. The Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation is working on a new, elaborate electronic health record system—so village clinics and the hospital in Bethel can share patient information in moments.
Hybrid High Schools Help Kids Imagine Their Futures
Alaska’s high school graduation rate lags behind the nation - and Alaska Natives are more likely to drop out of school than others. In rural Alaska, high school students who have their sights set on graduation may not be sure what to do next. In the next installment of our “Being Young in Rural Alaska” series, from the producers of Kids These Days, reporter Mark Arehart looks at an idea designed to keep kids in high school, by giving them a glimpse of their possible futures.
Troopers Seize 30 Bottles Of Alcohol This Week
In a span of two days, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, officers with the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team, or WAANT, seized some 30 bottles of alcohol bound for dry villages in five separate incidents.