Posts by JoJo Phillips
First Inupiaq Language Class Coming to Nome Public Schools Starting This Fall
From program instructor Kiminaq Alvanna-Stimpfle: “Providing our children with an opportunity to learn Inupiaq will positively impact our community by raising children who are grounded in who they are: Inupiat.”
Read MoreTeller Urges Visitors to Follow COVID Guidelines as Local Roads Open Up
While local residents have traditionally enjoyed driving along Nome’s three open roads this time of year, the threat of COVID-19 has one Bering Strait regional community wary of travelers.
Read MoreFederal Subsistence Board Continues Subsistence Hunts for Muskox, Moose in Unit 22
For Western Alaska, the Board mostly maintained the status quo and upheld muskox closures in the Norton Sound as well as declined to reopen moose harvesting in Unit 22A to everyone.
Read MoreProfile: ‘Unserviced’ Communities Part 2 – Adapting to the Coronavirus Pandemic Without Water and Sewer
The Centers for Disease Control has recommended washing your hands regularly throughout the day to prevent the spread of germs. Many in rural Alaska, without running water, are left asking: how?
Read MoreProfile: ‘Unserviced’ Communities Part 1 – Why Five Bering Strait Villages Don’t Have Basic Sanitation
Aging water systems, climate change, and federal and state bureaucracy continue to threaten the public health of Alaska Native villages across the Bering Strait region.
Read MoreSt. Michael’s Residents Waiting for Spring Thaw Without Running Water
Many residents in the Norton Sound community of St. Michael have been without water and sewer for months, after the system suffered a partial freeze-up shortly before the New Year.
Read MoreSt. Michael’s Storage Tanks Need $1-Million Overhaul, Or Risk Running Out of Fuel
The City of St. Michael is requesting emergency funds from the state for a new bulk fuel storage facility after the Coast Guard refused to service the community’s existing tanks.
Read MoreConfusing GPS Tracker Updates Add Intrigue to Competitive 2020 Iron Dog
Twelve of the sixteen remaining Iron Dog teams have checked out of Nome and are back on the clock. Jerod Vaughn and Michael Oliver of Team #35, who sped out of East Beach at 11:47 AM, are the latest racers to hop back on their Ski-Doos and into the race. As of this update, frontrunners…
Read MoreAklestad and Olstad Reach Nome with More Than an Hour Lead on Next Team
The first racers in the 2020 Iron Dog Snowmachine Race have arrived in Nome. Tyler Acklestad and Nick Olstad of Team #7 crested the snow ramp on East Beach just over half an hour ago at 4:27pm. They spoke briefly to KNOM radio, met with fans, and headed for the garage shortly afterwards. (To hear…
Read MoreAklestad and Olstad Through Buckland, Southbound to Nome, in 1st Position
The lead racers in the 2020 Iron Dog Snowmachine Race are heading back to the Eastern Norton Sound after completing the Kotzebue loop amidst whiteout conditions. According to the unofficial GPS tracker, Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad of Team 7 checked out of Buckland southbound in first position within the last hour. At the time…
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