Olivia Ebertz, KYUK - Bethel
Alaska’s isolated wetlands could soon lose their protected status
Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency could determine how much of Alaska’s wetlands are subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act.
Alaska’s largest April wildfire in 25 years could be done burning
The fire began burning on April 16 near the communities of Kwethluk, Bethel and Napakiak.
Broadband bill passes Alaska House committee
The bill creates a broadband office, sets up an advisory board and a broadband “parity fund” to equalize costs.
Alaska’s first large wildfire of the season is burning near Kwethluk
Officials said Monday that the fire is not threatening villages, but it is threatening the Kwethluk fish weir and two Native allotments.
Alaska Senate authorizes work on pilot project for schools led by tribes
The bill also establishes a firm deadline for tribes to sign up to be a part of the pilot program: Dec. 31, 2022.
Alaska Senate bill seeks to address low graduation rates by allowing tribes to set curriculum
Those who support Senate Bill 34 say it would lead to a drastic improvement in education for Alaska Native communities.
Coaches, officials and athletes denounce proposed ban on transgender students playing girls’ school sports
A bill from Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Palmer, would prevent transgender girls from competing against cisgender girls in school sports.
Federal government to fund relocation projects for 6 Alaska communities
The USDA will fund relocation of buildings and infrastructure in 6 Alaska communities threatened by erosion and flooding.
Education committee considers bill banning transgender girls from female sports in Alaska
The bill looks similar to an Idaho law that didn’t go into effect. A federal judge considering that bill has said it’s likely unconstitutional.
Senators hope new bill can keep public safety officers in rural Alaska
The Alaska VPSO Program has been on the decline. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta alone, the program has shrunk by about 90%.
New to Alaska, Filipino teachers find their rhythm in Aniak
Nearly all of the Kuspuk School District’s new teaching staff come from the Philippines.
Law enforcement officers fatally shoot an Aniak man after he wounded a deputy US marshal
Andrew John Jr. was 34 years old and wanted on a 2,500 felony arrest warrant for third-degree assault.
The K300 is returning to its traditional route and running through the reigning champion’s hometown
The Kuskokwim 300 is resuming its traditional route this year after taking an abbreviated route last year. The race is once again looping through the halfway point of Aniak, but the checkpoint won’t quite look like years past. That’s because of new race rules, and because the village has been hit hard by COVID-19.
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.