Will McCarthy, KYUK - Bethel

It’s a test of hope and endurance.

The goal of the fuel inspections is simple: prevent a catastrophic oil spill that would make its way into Y-K Delta rivers, devastate the ecosystem, and threaten a subsistence lifestyle.

The barge had been sent to salvage a landing craft which sank on the Kuskokwim River carrying construction gear for Napakiak's high school.

Tyler Bartlett and his copilot were just 3 miles away from the Bethel airport on Sunday afternoon when they felt the Cessna 172 begin to sputter.

If you’re accepted into the Career Ladder program, the school district pays for your entire college degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim Campus, as well as books and other materials.