Jay Barrett, KBBI, Homer
Jay Barrett is the news director at KMXT in Kodiak.
Kulluk Dislodged and Underway for Kiliuda Bay
At about 10:10 p.m. last night, the Royal Dutch Shell drilling vessel Kulluk was refloated from Sitkalidak Island, where it has sat for a week. The rig went aground after breaking its tow in a severe storm and washed ashore on New Year’s Eve.
Shell VP Denies State Property Tax Prompted December Departure
Last night (Thursday) Royal Dutch Shell’s vice president for Alaska and two Coast Guard commanders updated the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly on the response to the grounding of the floating drill rig Kulluk. It was the first public briefing made in Kodiak since the rig went hard aground on Sitkalidak Island in a New Year’s Eve storm.
2 More Teams Assess Kulluk Drilling Rig
Two more assessment teams were put on the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk today (Thursday) to continue determining the extent of damage caused by its grounding on New Year’s Eve near Kodiak Island. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard says it should be able to balance its role in the recovery efforts with its responsibility to assure safety in winter fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.
Crew Assesses Inside of Kulluk Rig
A five-person assessment team spent about three hours aboard the grounded Shell drilling rig Kulluk yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Weather conditions around Sitkalidak Island improved enough that a Coast Guard helicopter was able to lower the men and an emergency towing package by hoist to the deck of the rig.
No Fuel Spill Reported at Site of Kulluk Grounding
As of early this morning the grounded Shell Exploration drilling rig Kulluk is reported as remaining stable with no oil spill pollution observed. That word from the Unified Command office at 6:50 this morning. It echoes the latest situation reports from the Command, made up of industry, state, federal and local agencies. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s situation report concurs.
Tug Towing Drilling Rig Having Engine Problems
Problems continue for Shell Oil’s mobile drilling rigs in Alaska waters. The tug towing the Kulluk, which left Dutch Harbor last Friday, is having engine trouble in 20-foot seas about 50 miles south of Kodiak Island.
Katmai Ash Whipped Up By Strong Winds
There was volcanic ash in the air over the Shelikof Straight and parts of Kodiak Island yesterday. While the Alaska Volcano Observatory showed all was normal, it turned out that a volcano had erupted, though it wasn’t yesterday – it was almost exactly 100 years ago.
Five Accused of Embezzling $500,000 from Trident in Kodiak
Five people have been indicted on charges of embezzling almost a half-million dollars from the Trident Seafoods plant in Kodiak. U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward says the nearly $500,000 discrepancy was discovered some time after bookkeeper Isa Wolfe was fired two years ago.
900 EVOS Plaintiffs Still Owed $1 Million
There is about $1-million dollars sitting in a trust account waiting for its owners to claim it. You might be one of them. The Exxon Qualified Settlement Fund is looking for about 900 people who still have money owed to them from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill settlement. Dave Oesting is the court appointed lead council for the plaintiffs in the case. He says there is just one more push to find the claimants.
Unification Church Leader Had Strong Ties To Kodiak
The founder and leader of the Unification Church died Monday in South Korea at the age of 92. The Reverend Sun Myung Moon had a home here, which he would visit often. Chris Fiala is the husband of the church’s Kodiak pastor. He said Reverend Moon felt Kodiak was a special place.
One Dead, One Missing, Two Safe After FV Advantage Sinks
The Coast Guard has been searching all night for one crew member still missing after a fishing boat sank south of Kodiak. An automated distress signal from the 58-foot Advantage was picked up just after midnight 50 miles southeast of Kodiak city. Three crewmen were rescued and are being treated for hypothermia.
Coast Guard Catches Up To Illegal Fishing Vessel Across The Pacific
The high-seas driftnetter the U.S. Coast Guard chased across the North Pacific Ocean has been turned over to Chinese Fishery Law Enforcement.
Pitbull’s Kodiak Appearance Likely Before End Of Month
Walmart has made it official – Kodiak has won a visit from Miami singer Pitbull, and he may be coming here in less than two weeks.
Stretch Kick Propels Dunbar to 5K Finals
A Kodiak runner is one step – make that five kilometers – away from the Olympic Games in London this summer. Trevor Dunbar, a three-time All-American sophomore at the University of Oregon took third in his 5-K heat at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials last night in Eugene.
USAV Monterrey Towed To Seward
The U.S. Army vessel Monterrey left Kodiak for Seward yesterday. Army Reserve Major Annemarie Daneker says the 174-foot landing craft is now under the supervision of the Naval Sea Systems Command, and all but two of the Monterrey’s crew have flown home.
Dunbar Going For Gold In Eugene
A Kodiak High School alum will be vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team tonight. Trevor Dunbar, an all-American sophomore at the University of Oregon, will compete in the 5,000 meter preliminary this evening.
There’s No Free Beer After All
Perhaps it was too good to be true. Or perhaps the state frowns on this sort of thing. Whatever the case, the free beer promotion on Era Alaskaflights has been modified, and no longer includes free beer. Under the old promotion the first sample of Denali Brewing Company’s “Single Engine Red,” was free, but each additional 6-ounce glass cost $3. The new promotion charges a dollar for the first one and each additional glass.
FV Scandia Goes Down – Dog Left Aboard Rescued
The fishing vessel that partially sunk Sunday afternoon in the Shelikof Strait has gone to the bottom. A Coast Guard spokesman in Kodiak reports the Scandia went down in Uyak Bay about 1:47 this morning as it was being towed by the Good Samaritan vessel Hazel Lorraine.
Grounded Landing Craft near Kodiak will Float Soon
The U.S. Army Reserve is preparing to move the landing craft Monterrey, which has spent all week aground near Kodiak. The vessel struck a rock and started taking on water late last week. It...
DEC: No Harm to Wildlife Seen in Wake of Monterrey Spill
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation has revised downward the amount of diesel fuel spilled from the U.S. Army Reserve landing craft Monterrey, which was intentionally grounded late Friday night after hitting a charted rock, just off shore of downtown Kodiak.