The Nome Static

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Kindness is contagious. Actions that show consistent care for others can spread grace and goodwill as far as remote Western Alaska. This month, Pope Francis asks us to pray for lives that are “available to the mission, by being witnesses of a life that has the flavor of the Gospel”. In St. Luke’s gospel, Christ…

For several years, Shaktoolik has been the site of extensive archeological excavations. The village’s long history of near-continuous residence for millennia comes with a deep respect for artifacts of the past. The people of Shaktoolik have intentionally protected the sites by not digging up what their ancestors left behind. The permafrost also preserves them, making…

Locals were recently surprised to hear Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy paid an unannounced visit to Nome to discuss the city’s deep-draft port. “If you get a port here obviously you can take in a lot more traffic, which hopefully means more jobs, more commerce for the area here, whether its servicing smaller cruise ship lines…

With the fall semester underway, the series ‘Love Letters to Home’ featuring short messages from rural college students have been a sweet affirmation of family and community strengths on the airwaves. In one letter, John Bernardo of Ketchikan expresses his gratitude for the family members and mentors that helped him get where he is, particularly…

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The strength of rural communities are their people and their love for one another. In bush Alaska, people are always willing to lend a hand to friends and neighbors. When you don’t have many hands to make light work, you learn to do what is necessary: to focus on what is most important, dig in,…

“Dear family and friends in Huslia, Alaska, There are many things I love about our community: the strong sense of camaraderie, the friendliness of everyone in town, the fact that everyone is ready to help each other out in times of need, but something I want to focus on is theresilience shown by each member…

This summer, Pilgrim Hot Springs planted a small test crop in an attempt to revive their produce garden that grew from 2016 to 2018. Geothermal springs make the grounds of Pilgrim’s former Catholic orphanage ideal for growing vegetables – a unique opportunity in a region that relies on shelf-stable products like dry and canned goods.…

Aerial view of Unalakleet during winter, with open water along the coast.

The Coast Guard is currently training seven Unalakleet locals to fly unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, as a remote response team. The project director, Dr. Jessica Garron at the Alaska Center for UAS Integration, said this task force is a historic first. “There’s been no organized training program put into place like this. Period. This…