KNOM Radio

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Police officer standing in front of Nome Police Dept. in the winter.

This is the fourth in a five-part series called “Seeking Protection, Wanting Justice” that explores the community dynamics around sexual assault in Nome, and efforts by law enforcement to heal long-standing mistrust within the Alaska Native community.

When mushers break trail with dog teams in deep snow, new trails are created that sometimes are more efficient than the old ones. After a year of adaptation amid the fear of illness, with travel restrictions that severely impacted bush life in Alaska, Western Alaskans have together forged new trails. Some of them are burdensome…

Nome’s Native Youth Olympics (NYO) team is utilizing new technology to garner interest in the ancient games, despite being kept from competing in normally crowded gyms. The team, with the help of the tribal nonprofit Kawerak, will be mailing NYO at-home kits for students in the region to practice the games in their homes. “The…

As pandemic-related travel restrictions remain active in rural Alaska, this will be another unusual March in Nome. The 2021 Iditarod is following a drastically shortened route: no dog teams will be visiting the Norton Sound region this year, but rather turning back in interior Alaska. In lieu of the excitement the Nome finish normally brings,…

In Wales and Shishmaref, two new high-frequency radar sites are collecting important data about the Bering Sea’s ocean currents. That data could help track debris, improve weather forecasts, and even save lives. By transmitting radio waves that bounce off the ocean, the measurements show not only the direction of ocean currents, but also the speed.…

Silhouette of internet tower in Noorvik, Alaska, at sunset.

Alaska internet providers Quintillion and GCI recently announced faster internet speeds are coming to Nome and Kotzebue. GCI says the 1 Gigabit service should bring the two towns’ internet connectivity on par with speeds in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles. Alaska’s bush residents have long contended with little connection to the outside world. A…

In early February, the mission welcomed Kevin Fox, Ph.D., to Nome. He is excited to mentor an eager team of volunteer fellows and dive into the news stories that matter most to Western Alaska. The mission is also working with new organizations to continue recruiting smart and flexible college graduates to Western Alaska for future…

To date, KNOM’s benefactors have designated more than $20,000 for radios for village residents – enough for around 400 radios. With the help of a listener in Shishmaref, KNOM’s engineers found a cost-effective radio and antenna booster-combination that will catch KNOM’s signal. The staff is eager to start mailing them out later this spring, just…

Last Christmas, Western Alaska lost a good friend. Father Charles Jon (Chuck) Peterson, SJ, died on December 24, 2020, at 82 years old, in San Jose, California, from complications of Covid-19. His memorial Mass was broadcast on KNOM, live from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fairbanks. Fr. Peterson served most of his vocation in Western Alaska.…