Nome

NOME - Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, head of the Alaska National Guard, is on a mission to hire new Guard members in Nome and other rural communities. The…

Three-hundred military personnel are in communities throughout the Norton Sound region this week, and next, for Operation Arctic Care. Arctic Care has been happening in Alaska for several years. This year, it’s a partnership between Norton Sound Health Corporation and several branches of the military.

The Coast Guard Cutter Healy and Russian tanker Renda will begin ice breaking operations Friday morning in preparation for their outbound journey from Nome.

The Renda has been pumping fuel for about 24 hours now. Sitnasuak Board Chair Jason Evans estimates that about a half million gallons have flowed into the tanks as of this afternoon.

The Russian tanker Renda is pumping fuel. After a 5,000 mile journey across the pacific and breaking through 400 miles of ice to Nome, the Renda began to transfer its payload of 1.3 million gallons of gas and diesel just before 4:30 this afternoon.

The Russian ice-breaking tanker Renda could begin pumping fuel today. Crews spent yesterday pulling thousands of feet of hose from the vessel and creating a smooth path across the ice.

The tanker Renda and ice-breaker Healy have arrived in the area of the ice-choked Nome harbor. A safety zone has been set up to keep people away from the vessels and the hose that will likely be used to deliver fuel.

The price of the fuel to customers in Nome after the upcoming fuel delivery is still to be determined. Nomeites may be spared the cost of gas at $9 a gallon, but the operation to deliver fuel with icebreaker support is not cheap for the government agencies involved.

The Russian tanker Renda loaded gasoline Tuesday afternoon in Dutch Harbor following the completion of its port state control exam. The Renda is set to depart late Tuesday for Nome.

The Russian Tanker Renda is steaming towards Dutch Harbor to pick up 400,000 gallons of gasoline bound for Nome. But it must first receive a waiver of the Jones Act, or it will turn north and deliver diesel fuel only.