Seven subsistence hunters from Pilot Station in Southwest Alaska spent seven nights stranded at a fish camp after the lower Yukon River unexpectedly froze, blocking their way home.
Western
A Western Alaska village is finally getting high-speed internet, thanks to the pandemic
Many people moved their lives online because of the pandemic, but that wasn’t always possible in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
A shortage of troopers in Western Alaska comes with serious consequences, study says
A study published in 2020 found trooper posts around Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel, Dillingham and Kodiak were, together, understaffed by about 22%.
Bethel will host Alaska’s only licensed practical nursing certificate program
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for health care workers in rural areas. A quick search on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation website shows 25 job openings for LPNs in Bethel alone.
Alaska Air National Guard reports first incursion of Russian military planes since January
The Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing identified the Russian aircraft on Oct. 21 when they entered international airspace off Alaska.
A Western Alaska village is installing wind turbines that will power half the community
By turning to wind energy, Kwethluk will burn 50% less diesel and reduce residents’ electric bills by up to half.
Canadian company explores potential gold mine near Donlin
The mine project consists of 92,000 acres of land located between Holy Cross and McGrath, just 25 miles north of the Donlin Gold project.
St. Paul Island has recorded just 2 COVID cases since the pandemic started
Ninety-one percent of eligible St. Paul residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to city officials.
The quality of care is falling in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta as cases surge statewide
In the Y-K Delta, health care providers worry that the state’s overwhelmed hospitals could mean that if someone gets injured, medical care might not be available to them.
Pandemic slows relocation of rapidly eroding village
Nobody has moved from Newtok to Mertarvik since 2019, when about a third of the community’s approximately 350 residents migrated over.