News
Cold Snap Helps Bering Sea Ice Reach Median Level Extent, Grow in Thickness
Sea ice in the Bering Sea has reached what would usually be considered a normal extent for this time of year, and that bodes well for Western Alaskans who are using the ice for snowmachining or subsistence purposes. Rick Thoman, a climatologist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP), says as of…
Read MoreSenator Olson Discusses State Budget Deficit, VPSO Program, and REAL ID
Senator Donny Olson says shake-ups in the Senate Finance committee have put rural legislators at a greater advantage in 2020. This legislative session, Olson marks education funding, the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program, and pushing for a full PFD, among his top priorities. KNOM’s Emily Hofstaedter recently spoke to Senator Olson about these topics…
Read MoreNome Council Could Approve Expenditures for NPD and Other Budget Amendments
Final discussions on FY 2020 budget amendments continue tonight during a re-scheduled Nome City Council regular meeting. One notable amendment includes $266,391.88 in increased spending for Nome Police, nearly $100,000 of that amount would cover additional officer and dispatch overtime. Nome also looks to join other municipalities around the state in adopting the uniform code…
Read MoreWinter Commercial Crabbing To Begin This Month, Two Regional Bodies Advocate to Close Fishery
Nome’s Fish & Game office has announced the Norton Sound red king crab commercial fishery will be open in two weeks, without a registered buyer. In spite of that announcement, both the would-be buyer – Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), and now the region’s advisory committee are urging the Alaska Department of Fish & Game…
Read MoreLocal & Traditional Knowledge Taskforce Works On Action Plan Under NPFMC
A newly realized taskforce has spent the last six months working to incorporate Local and Traditional Knowledge (LTK) into how federal agencies manage marine resources in the Bering Sea. Each year, Alaska fisheries account for over half of the marine fish caught in the United States, according to NOAA’s 2017 Fisheries of the US Report.…
Read MoreBSSD School Board Focuses on Safety, Missed School Days, and Cell Phone Limits in First Meeting of 2020
Debates over cell phone usage and how missed school days will be made up took priority at the most recent Bering Strait School District Board meeting in Elim last week. Cell phone usage is a contentious issue in schools across the district, but as BSSD Superintendent Bob Bolen states, the negatives outweigh the positives. “So…
Read MoreLocal SAR Successfully Rescues Snowmachiners Stranded in Golovin Bay
Water overflow from the Norton Sound caught and stranded three people in Golovin Bay in the very early hours of Monday morning. White Mountain Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) Dan Harrelson confirms that local search and rescue teams from White Mountain and Golovin successfully rescued 29- year-old Joseph Fagundes, 27- year-old Stephanie Fahey, and 23…
Read MoreNSEDC Concerned Crab Stock Could Crash, ADF&G Moving Forward with Winter Season
Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game are split on how to approach this winter’s commercial crabbing season in the Norton Sound region. Following a poor year for Norton Sound red king crab in 2019, ADF&G has set this year’s commercial guideline harvest level (GHL) at 170,100 lbs. That’s…
Read MoreDay Shelter Changing Lives, One Year After Opening in Nome
The transient population in Nome has access to more services through places like the Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) Day Shelter. KNOM’s Emily Hofstaedter spoke with Day Shelter guests and staff to hear about how the shelter is impacting lives after one year of being in operation. Robert Lincoln had exciting plans when he got…
Read MoreAK Board of Game Approves Changes to Moose Permits and Brown Bear Bag Limits
On Jan 16th, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) attended a Board of Game (Board) work session and regular meeting in Nome. The Board adopted a number of changes for this year’s hunting regulations, including extending harvesting seasons and expanding permit regulations in moose hunts. In sum, thirteen proposals were submitted for Unit…
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