Jay Barrett, KBBI, Homer
Jay Barrett is the news director at KMXT in Kodiak.
Narrow Cape Launch Site reconstruction bid awarded
Reconstruction of the former Kodiak Launch Complex should commence soon. The Alaska Aerospace Corporation announced that it has awarded a $23-million contract to Davis Constructors and Engineers of Anchorage, according to company COO Mark Grebe.
3 homes, community library lost in the Chiniak fire near Kodiak
The wind-whipped wildfire that threatened Chiniak on Kodiak Island may not turn out to be the community-wide disaster it appeared it might become when officials ordered the evacuation of all residents Thursday night.
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Chiniak fire claims library, spares school; Residents evacuated
A growing, wind-whipped wildfire continues to burn out of control in Chiniak. The latest report is that while the Chiniak library has burnt down, the nearby Chiniak K-8 School survived. The blaze began sometime around 9 p.m. Thursday night, and may have been sparked by downed powerlines. All night flames of the rapidly growing fire were clearly visible from Kodiak City, 10 miles across Chiniak Bay.
Dead Whales Near Kodiak Island Pose Mystery
At least 10 Fin whales are dead, having fallen victim to a mysterious affliction that seems to have killed them all near Kodiak Island. Kate Wynn, marine mammal specialist with the University of Alaska in Kodiak, said all the whales seemed to have met their fate at the same time and place.
Orthodox Cathedral Desecrated During Vandalism Spree In Kodiak
A 21-year-old man is under arrest for allegedly vandalizing one of Kodiak's most historic buildings, the Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and many of its contents.
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Kodiak Man Accepts Plea Deal for Fatal Hit-And-Run in 2008
A Kodiak man will spend at least four years in prison for killing another man in a hit-and-run that occurred on Pillar Mountain Road in 2008.
Afognak Native Corp. Loses $3.8M In Cyber-Swindle
An Alaska Native village corporation in Kodiak was the victim of a multimillion dollar cyber-swindle last month.
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Alaska Aerospace Corporation CEO Pitches Privatization
The CEO and board president of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation were before the Senate Finance Committee this morning, making a pitch, not so much for funding, but for the opportunity to move on. CEO Craig Campbell even raised the possibility of taking the state-owned corporation private.
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Court Overturns State Regulation Deeming Kodiak’s Bison Feral
Friday the Alaska Supreme Court overturned an Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulation from 2007 that declared domesticated livestock, specifically Kodiak's bison herds, were feral if they stayed outside of their designated state grazing lease areas for too long. As feral animals, they would be fair game, and could be hunted like any other wild animal, subject to Fish and Game regulations.
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Hunter Injured In Bear Mauling On Sally Island
A 65-year-old deer hunter was injured and needed a medevac after he was attacked by a sow bear on Sally Island Tuesday afternoon.
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ADEC Estimates 1,640 Gallons of Diesel Spilled by NOAA Ship
An oily sheen in Women’s Bay has been traced to the NOAA research ship Rainier docked at Nyman Peninsula on the Kodiak Coast Guard base.
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Talk of Closing Kodiak Launch Is Premature, Exec Says
In the aftermath of yesterday morning’s rocket explosion at the Kodiak Launch Complex, calls for the facility’s closure have resumed.
Experimental Rocket Explodes After Launch in Kodiak
A rocket carrying an experimental Army strike weapon exploded seconds after take off from the Kodiak Launch Complex at about 12:25 a.m. Monday morning. Witnesses report the rocket lifted off, but soon nosed down and either self-destructed or hit the ground and exploded.
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Kodiak CommSta Killer Sentenced To 4 Consecutive Life Terms
The man convicted of a 2012 double murder at the Kodiak Coast Guard Base will spend the rest of his life in federal prison. Sixty-three-year-old James Wells was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive life sentences in federal court in Anchorage.
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Charter Vessel With Exotic Dancing Gets Mixed Reception
A lot of fishing boats were removed from the Bering Sea crab grounds after rationalization prompted a huge surge in quota stacking and consolidation of the fleet. Some crab boats sit unused in harbors around the state, others are being used as tenders in other fisheries, but in Kodiak, one has been turned into a strip club.
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Heroin, Meth Seized In Kodiak Arrests
Three Kodiak residents are behind bars and more heroin is off the streets after their arrest Monday afternoon.
North Pacific Seafoods Fined $205,000 for Ammonia Dumping
A Kodiak seafood processor has been fined over $200,000 after pleading guilty to illegally dumping 40 pounds of ammonia into the city’s sewer system in 2011.
USCG’s Cold Bay Crews Conduct 5th Rescue In Two Weeks
It’s been a very busy couple of weeks for Coast Guard rescue crews in Cold Bay. On Tuesday, they conducted their fifth medevac of crewmen from floating processors in the Bering Sea.
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Maritime Refuge Eyeing Invasive Cattle On Two Islands
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking for input from the public on how best to deal with about 1,000 head of cattle on two islands in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
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Family Hopes to Save Homestead of 30-Years
A misjudgement of just a few dozen yards in the placement of a small house on a remote part of Kodiak Island over 30 years ago will likely result in a family’s hopes, dreams and history literally going up in smoke. The family doesn’t live on their homestead on Dry Spruce Bay full time anymore, but they’re heartbroken at the prospect of losing it.
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