Annie Ropeik, KUCB - Unalaska
Annie Ropeik is a reporter for KUCB in Unalaska.
F/V Arctic Hunter Removal Plan Nearly Done
It’s been more than six months since the F/V Arctic Hunter went aground outside Unalaska. Now, the boat's insurance company is almost ready to drag it off the rocks.
Unalaska Tallies Cost of Blasting Issues at Wastewater Plant, Landfill
It's been a year since Unalaska started uncovering big problems with a major construction project in town. Work is moving forward on the city’s new wastewater treatment plant. But, staff are still trying to put a price on the damage done.
Sand Point Sees Progress In War On Drugs
A man allegedly carrying black tar heroin was arrested as he stepped off a plane in Sand Point last month. It’s the most recent development in the town’s fight against hard drugs.
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Carl Moses Remembered for ‘Full Career’ of Public Service
Flags are at half-staff today as Alaska says goodbye to its longest-serving state representative. Carl Moses died in Sand Point on Wednesday after a long illness. He was 84. He leaves a legacy of service in Southwest Alaska and across the state.
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Researchers Seek Glimpse Into Lives Of Earliest Unangan Population
The Islands of the Four Mountains are at the center of the Aleutians -- geographically, and in folklore passed down from prehistoric times. But we don’t know much about the people who lived there. An upcoming expedition to the site may change that. KUCB’s Annie Ropeik caught up with the researchers in Unalaska as they prepared for their trip -- and for what it could reveal about the earliest Unangan people.
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Aleutians East Scrambles For Cheaper Link To Akutan Airport
Yesterday, we reported that Akutan residents are pleased with their new airport taxi — a helicopter that came online in February. The Aleutians East Borough is already running out of money to pay for it. Today, in the second part of our series on the struggle to connect Akutan to its airport, the borough settles on a permanent solution. It’s one they rejected a decade ago.
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Helicopter Improves Access To Akutan Airport, For Now
For the past year and a half, people on Akutan have been taking a hovercraft to get to their airport on a different island. Now, the Aleutians East Borough has made the switch to a helicopter as their new airport taxi. The change has been a relief for residents.
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AVO Puts Shishaldin Volcano On Higher Alert
After a week of unrest, Shishaldin Volcano in the Aleutians is being put on a higher alert level. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported Friday that there have been explosions inside the volcano and elevated surface temperatures since March 18.
Unalaska Coast Guard Petty Officer Passes Away
A member of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Unalaska has passed away in Anchorage.
Coast Guard Calls Off Search For Missing Bering Sea Fisherman
The Coast Guard has called off its search for a fisherman who fell overboard from his vessel in the Bering Sea on Wednesday.
Rescuers Search for Man Overboard Near Unimak Island
The Coast Guard is still searching for a mariner who fell overboard from a fishing vessel near Unimak Island Wednesday morning.
Pacific Area Commander Tapped As Next Coast Guard Commandant
The White House has nominated the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area commander to be its next commandant. Vice Admiral Paul Zukunft was nominated Friday to replace outgoing Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp.
Strong Deep-Sea Quake Rattles Unalaska
If there’s an earthquake in the ocean and no one’s there to feel it, did it really happen? On Wednesday in the Aleutian Islands, the answer was yes.
Geese in Petroleum Reserve Find New Habitat Amid Melting Sea Ice
The U.S. Geological Survey says melting Beaufort sea ice is creating new habitat for geese on the North Slope. That could have implications for conservation inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
New Geese Habitat Emerging on North Slope
The US Geological Survey says melting Beaufort sea ice is creating new habitat for geese on the North Slope and that new habitat could have implications for conservation inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
Shishaldin Volcano Emits Ash Cloud; Scientists Keeping Watch
Scientists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory are going to be keeping a close eye on Shishaldin Volcano over the weekend. The volcano emitted a small ash cloud that was identified early Friday morning. AVO geologist Chris Waythomas said the cloud drifted south of the volcano and dissipated.
AK: Magic
For more than 20 years, people all over the world have been playing the strategic fantasy card game Magic: the Gathering. But the game has only recently found its way to Unalaska, where the island’s teenage boys have been going through a serious Magic phase for the past few months.
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Shishaldin Volcano’s Alert Status Upgraded After Unusual Activity
The Alaska Volcano Observatory upgraded the alert level at Shishaldin Volcano in the Aleutian Islands on Thursday after observing some unrest at the summit.
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Akutan Volcano’s Geothermal Power Potential Increases
A new study says Akutan Volcano could be an even more promising source of geothermal energy than previously thought.
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AK: Shipwreck
The grounded crab boat Arctic Hunter has been stuck on the rocks outside Unalaska for more than two months now. Dan Magone of Resolve-Magone Marine Services has been working on a plan to remove the wreck. Right now, the Hunter is at the mercy of the elements. So what happens to a shipwreck while it’s waiting to be saved?
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