Olivia Ebertz, KYUK - Bethel
Bethel residents donate food and music to a new batch of stranded travelers at Grant Aviation
Many travelers who had been stuck in Bethel for weeks over the holidays have finally made it home to their villages on Grant Aviation flights. But now, there's a new batch of passengers stranded.
Hundreds of passengers headed for villages got stranded in Bethel over the Christmas holidays
A combination of historically bad weather in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and ill-equipped airports stranded hundreds of passengers in Bethel this holiday season. Volunteers stepped in to donate food and some businesses provided lodging, but passengers still missed out on Christmas at home with their families.
Jordan Mark pleads guilty to the murder of 10-year-old Ida “Girlie” Aguchak
On Tuesday, Jordan Mark, 20, of Quinhagak, pleaded guilty to the 2020 murder of 10-year-old Ida “Girlie” Aguchak. His admission of guilt was part of a plea deal with prosecutors, who in turn reduced his minimum sentence.
To increase access to testing, ANTHC mails free kits to detect sexually transmitted infections
Following an uptick in sexually transmitted infections nationwide, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is encouraging sexually active Alaskans to get tested for STIs. Anyone with an Alaska mailing address, including a P.O. box, can order a completely free STI self-testing kit.
Bethel just recorded its coldest November in 80 years
The deep cold is causing and exacerbating problems around the Southwest Alaska hub. It's the kind of cold that freezes barges in their tracks and makes pipes burst open.
7 hunters rescued after being stranded at a fish camp near Emmonak for a week
Rescue teams have been able to drop food to the stranded hunters by plane, but they haven't been able to land. They're worried about the group's ability to keep warm. They're running out of wood.
Allergy worries kept a Kasigluk woman from getting vaccinated. She died of COVID-19.
In August, a former community health aide from Kasigluk died from COVID-19. Her name was Sharon Slim, and she was 46 years old.
Akiachak teacher arrested on charges of felony sexual assault of minors
An Akiachak teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting minors. According to State Troopers, John Mark Hammonds was arrested at his residence in Akiachak on Oct. 17. This marks the fourth time the Yupiit School district has seen allegations like this in the past decade.
Unvaccinated City of Bethel employees say they won’t get the vaccine and are looking for new jobs
When the vaccine mandate took effect, the city had 17 unvaccinated employees. Since then, two of those employees quit, one got a religious exemption 10 got vaccinated and the rest are on administrative leave.
All but 6 Bethel city employees got vaccinated before deadline
The city of Bethel’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate took effect on Sept. 27, and five city employees are set to be fired for refusing to get vaccinated. One unvaccinated police officer received a religious exemption.
Unvaccinated Bethel city employees demand more time to consider vaccine mandate
City of Bethel employees have a week to either get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose or get fired. Most city employees are already vaccinated; less than 15% are not. Part of the unvaccinated minority is demanding more time and more education to learn about the vaccine.
Nearly half of Bethel police are unvaccinated and could lose their jobs
The six unvaccinated police officers don't live in Bethel full-time. Instead, they fly in and out — working two weeks on, two weeks off.
Bethel mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for city workers
The City of Bethel has mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for all city workers. All Bethel city employees, consultants, contractors, and volunteers must receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. City administrators announced the new policy on Sept. 13 in an email to city workers.
State ICU call center could ease rural health care gap, Yukon-Kuskokwim health officials say
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation does not have its own intensive care unit, so it depends on transferring critically ill or injured patients to hospitals around the state. But the recent surge in COVID-19 cases means that most ICU departments are at or near capacity. There aren’t enough beds for new patients.
Subsistence users, scientists seek answers for chum salmon declines
Why are the chum numbers so low? The short answer is that no one really knows for sure. But there are a lot of theories.
How low chum runs changed the lives of these Western Alaska fisheries workers
For decades, Kwik’Pak Fisheries in the Western Alaska village of Emmonak has provided reliable summer employment in one of the state’s most unemployed regions. But with salmon runs low and commercial fishing closed, it’s offering few jobs this summer. Commercial fishermen and women are feeling the economic stress, and those who are still working at the plant have had to transition to new roles.
Yukon subsistence users go to new lengths for food after chums don’t return
Subsistence fishing on the lower Yukon River is closed for both king and chum salmon. Residents who usually depend heavily on the fish are pivoting toward other ways to get meat.
When Yukon River chum stocks collapsed, donated fish came in from Bristol Bay
The Yukon River has seen its worst summer chum salmon run on record, and its third-worst chinook run.
State allows Donlin Gold to lease land for 315-mile pipeline
On July 20, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) granted Donlin Gold the right to lease state land to build a pipeline that will power its mine. This is the second time that the state has reached this decision.
Treasury changes ARPA rules, grants all tribes $1 million
The U.S Department of Treasury has changed its rules on how American Rescue Plan Act Funds will be distributed to tribes. The changes open up a lot more funding for smaller tribes in Alaska and the Lower 48.