Greg Kim, KYUK - Bethel
180 Chevak residents have been newly infected with COVID-19. What happened?
Last week, the village has announced over 180 new cases of COVID-19, about 20% of the population.
Bethel police arrest of COVID-19 positive man for violating self-isolation
Police were enforcing a state order.
State reports five COVID-19 infections at Bethel Youth Facility
Four Bethel Youth Facility staff and one youth were infected with the virus as the region records record-high case counts.
After Mertarvik primary election troubles, officials work to regain trust
Officials say the issues that led to an entire village not receiving ballots won't happen again.
Community bands together to help Newtok families who lost food in power outage
Much of the villages supply of subsistence catch was ruined after a month-long power outage.
Mertarvik residents didn’t get primary ballots. The state says it didn’t know people lived there.
Materials for voting never arrived in Newtok, a sister village, from where absentee ballots were supposed to be taken to Mertarvik.
Flying to Bethel? You could win $1,000 if you get tested for COVID-19
But the number of passengers getting tested at the airport hasn’t changed.
Bethel cab drivers get unwanted duty of enforcing testing mandate
Cab drivers say having to enforce a mandate to unwilling customers puts them in an awkward position.
In wake of scandals, Y-K school district revamps protocols for sexually inappropriate behavior
The policy proposals identify specific examples of what “sexual grooming” behavior is, and it spells out how the district should respond to reports of such behavior, following the arrest in 2019 of a Bethel school principal on charges of sexual abuse.
3-week power outage in Newtok leads to spoiled meat in freezers
Families have seen a summer's worth of subsistence catches go to waste.
Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race is still on
But there will be some changes to the Bethel-based race that has grown in popularity in recent years.
‘Black Lives Matter’ dumpster next to Bethel City Hall is causing a stir
Last week, someone crossed out the words 'Black Lives Matter' with spray paint.
Bethel mandates face masks in public and airport testing
The move follows discussions about the city's legal authority to enforce such mandates.
‘Are stimulus checks allowed?’ How tribes are spending CARES Act money
Some tribes say the U.S. Treasury's rules make it unclear whether mass payouts to tribal members are allowed.
In Newtok and Mertarvik, nothing gets in the way of basketball
Sinking permafrost has caused basketball hoops to tilt and fall in Newtok, but kids are still finding ways to play their favorite sport.
With virus funds, Newtok will build more homes in Mertarvik
Despite the CARES Act money, there are still questions about equity and efficiency when it comes to relocating the remaining residents.
Bethel City Council passes mask resolution
The resolution says that people should wear masks in public spaces, like at work if you interact with the public, or while riding taxis, but the city doesn't have the authority to enforce it.
Inequity in alcohol enforcement in Mertarvik and Newtok causes frustration
Newtok Village Council owns most of the homes in Mertarvik, so it can evict tenants who violate its alcohol prohibition.
Mertarvik’s lack of a commercial airport may have already cost lives
The DOT said it would only fund one airport between Newtok and Mertarvik.