Krysti Shallenberger, Alaska's Energy Desk - Bethel
AC plans new liquor store in Bethel
There could be a new liquor store in Bethel this summer.
Opposition strong in Dunleavy budget testimony in Bethel
Twenty-five people came out to testify about Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget to a full room in Bethel on Saturday.
Winter storms flood houses in Nunapitchuk and Kotlik
Storms battered the southern Bering Sea and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last month. February storms aren’t unusual, but the amount of rain and flooding is. The combination caused a lot of damage for two communities in the region.
Y-K Delta superintendents say Dunleavy’s budget would be devastating
Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed deep cuts to education funding from kindergarten through 12th grade. Those cuts could more than decimate the budgets for school districts in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, according to two superintendents of regional school districts.
NovaGold stakes company future on Donlin Gold mine after major asset sale
NovaGold is staking a lot on the success of the proposed Donlin Gold mine after selling a big asset last year: the Galore Creek project in British Columbia.
Can Bethel afford the costs of climate change?
Alaska's temperatures are warming twice as fast as the global average, and rural Alaska is taking the brunt of the impacts. The costs from dealing with climate change are starting to become more visible in Bethel, a hub town for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Calista shareholders voice dissent over Donlin Mine in letter to board
More than 130 female Calista shareholders signed a letter sent to the Calista Native Corporation protesting the proposed Donlin gold mine.
Brazil dam disaster sparks questions over the safety of Donlin’s tailings dam
A tailings dam collapsed last month in Brazil, killing more than 150 people. That accident raised fears among some residents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta about the safety of the tailings facility and dam that Donlin Gold plans to construct for its large gold mine. Donlin says its design is much safer than the one that collapsed in Brazil.
Y-K Delta tribes appeal Donlin state permits
Thirteen tribes are appealing two key state permits for the proposed Donlin gold mine.
Nonprofit raises questions over recent Donlin state permits
A Montana-based nonprofit group that participates in mine permitting across the U.S. thinks the company has room to improve the mine plans that were recently approved by the state.
How Bethel created four-time K300 sled dog race champ Pete Kaiser
How did Pete Kaiser get to be one of Alaska’s top mushers? He says that it's "basically a lifestyle."
New starting line for this weekend’s K300 races
The Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee moved the starting line from its traditional place in front of the Joe Lomack building near the river to the front of the small boat harbor.
2018 second warmest year on record for Bethel
Climate changes are hitting home in many ways: the Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race had to make a last-minute route change, and the Kuskokwim River is taking longer to freeze, so more residents in remote Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities have to travel by air instead.
Donlin Gold signs major wetland mitigation agreement
The company is trying to develop one of the biggest gold mines in the world in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The mine, if built, would disturb 2,800 acres of wetlands. Because Donlin can’t restore all of those wetlands, it is required to protect wetlands somewhere else.
As Alaska warms, the Y-K Delta heats up even faster
Regional temperatures are a big deal because Y-K Delta residents can only travel to other villages by water or by plane. In the past the river usually froze thick enough before December to allow for an ice road, but that hasn’t been the case for the last couple of years.
Report: Alaska Native communities will face the brunt of climate change
For the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the climate change stakes are especially high because the region is home to the most tribes in the state.
Bethel remembers Mary Ciuniq Pete
Former University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus Director Mary Ciuniq Pete was a fierce protector of subsistence practices and a strong advocated for her students. She died November 17 at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.
The only thing people in Crooked Creek agree on about the Donlin Mine is that it’s coming
Some residents of Crooked Creek see the potential for much needed economic development while others see the possible disruption of their subsistence lifestyle.
K300 race nominated for Alaska Sports Hall of Fame
The effort to get the Kuskokwim 300 into the Hall of Fame began three years ago.
Donlin Gold still waiting for big state permits
So far in the permitting process, Donlin Gold's biggest milestone has been the Army Corps of Engineers’ joint record of decision, issued in August. Listen now