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Signs of winter, a missing girl found, and prayers for Father Armand

By on September 21, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Father Armand

Father Armand Nigro, S.J.

The first dusting of snow has fallen on the hills just north of KNOM. Soon, the tundra will be covered with a carpet of snow and ice. With the change of the seasons, critical weather reports on KNOM can help save lives and keep families safe. We are blessed with this opportunity to serve KNOM’s listeners 24 hours a day, especially during the very trying winter months.

Recently, a 12 year old girl who had not returned home was reported missing to the Nome Police Department. An officer reached out to KNOM with an official announcement detailing her description and contact information. After several hours of frequent announcements on KNOM, the young girl was found. We thank everyone who helps us assist families during their most difficult times.

Father Armand Nigro, S.J. (pictured) has been offering prayers and Masses for many years for the intentions of thousands of KNOM’s supporters. He now needs your prayers. Please join us in prayer for his health and well being.

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Recognizing God

By on September 17, 2012 in Inspirational Spots

Our inspirational spot for the week:

People see God every day. They just don’t recognize Him.  –Pearl Bailey

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Construction underway!

By on September 16, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Drilling a hole

Construction workers drill the first hole for the foundation pilings of KNOM’s new studio annex.

Construction of the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios has begun! The pilings are in place, and the contractor will arrive soon to build our super-insulated addition. Please pray that more supporters come forward to make this last dream of the late Tom Busch a reality.

We are so thankful for your gifts and for all the blessings we have received, especially lately! Engineering volunteer Rolland Trowbridge is replacing five dysfunctional power modules in the Nautel AM transmitter; one of the modules actually caught fire for a brief time. Thankfully, the fire was limited only to the module itself! The new transmitter equipment brings us an unexpected expense of $5,000-6,000. However, the cost would have been much higher if the entire AM transmitter building had caught fire.

There are always challenges to meet and obstacles to overcome as we work to keep KNOM on the air in service to dozens of remote communities. Thank you for making our mission possible. We thank all who help KNOM.

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September 1970: Dynamiting into the permafrost

By on September 15, 2012 in History

September 21, 1970

Volunteers Tom Busch and John Pfeifer and dynamite expert Sam Tucker put in another day, melting holes into the permafrost with red-hot chisels and heavy hammers. Sam’s dynamite blasts excavate an average of about a foot a day on the main hole for the tower, as well as the three smaller holes for guy wire anchors.

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For evil to triumph…

By on September 10, 2012 in Inspirational Spots

Our inspirational spot for the week:

All it takes for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.

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The people who keep us on the air

By on September 10, 2012 in Photos, Stories
KNOM AM transmitter

KNOM’s AM transmitter site in winter.

Last week, we welcomed the last of this year’s five volunteers to Nome. Lucus Keppel is from Michigan and has committed one year to the KNOM Radio Mission. He joins Margaret, Eva, Dayneé, and Josh. They look forward to a wonderful year of service to listeners in remote bush communities.

As always, we thank everyone who helps us overcome each obstacle and meet every challenge. Sometimes, our challenges are of a technical nature.

Recently, KNOM’s AM transmitter shut down, and the sensor monitoring the temperature inside our transmitter building read 128 degrees! The fans had turned off and had failed to restart. After cooling the building, engineering volunteer Rolland Trowbridge located the reset switch in a control panel and restarted the AM transmitter, returning the KNOM signal to the air.

In the rare moments our AM signal goes offline, we often receive phone calls from listeners asking us “where did you go?” We’re gratified to have such devoted listeners – and dedicated volunteers, staff, and community members who make sure such outages are not just rare, but also brief.

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September 2001: Our broadcasts on a terrible day

By on September 10, 2012 in History, Photos
New York on Sep. 11, 2001

The Manhattan skyline shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

September 11, 2001

Starting at 6am, KNOM airs 68 hours of live, continuous news coverage on the terrible events of today, interrupted only three times: for weather, for important announcements, and for the Rosary.

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Many short races

By on August 31, 2012 in Inspirational Spots

Our inspirational spot for the week:

Perseverance is not one long race. It is many short races: one after another!

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Late summer update, new construction, and a prayer request

By on August 31, 2012 in Photos, Stories
Studio Expansion One-Sheet

A snapshot of the plans for the expansion and digital renovation of KNOM studios.

The days are getting shorter, and the first freeze will be here very soon! Berry pickers are busy harvesting buckets of tasty treats, and the fish have finished their runs. Some of the families in our listening area will spend this season canning, freezing, and processing meat, fish, berries, and greens. We rely on the bounty of the land to sustain us, in one way or another, during the dark, cold winters.

Thanks to generous supporters, work will soon begin on the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios. Please join us in prayer for a successful completion of this critical project.

We ask for your help with our latest batch of prayer requests. Please pray for all of our KNOM family and, especially, those who have asked for prayers for their families, friends, and special intentions. As we pray for these intentions, we ask God to bless and protect those who need our assistance.

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September 1981: Marilyn Koezuna joins KNOM

By on August 31, 2012 in History

September 6, 1981

Marilyn Koezuna joins the KNOM air staff.

Marilyn is a King Island Inupiaq Eskimo who helped the station while in high school. She returns as a Jesuit volunteer, the second Alaska Native to do so for a full year.

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