News

With remote learning, parents have to play a bigger role, and it’s difficult because what and how students learn now is different from when their parents were going to school. JROTC Instructor Sgt. Calvetti is on a team at the Bethel Regional High School trying to help parents and students.

In its Sept. 22 meeting, the Bethel City Council passed a number of budget modifications, ranging from hiring additional staff for the finance department to fixing issues with the YK Fitness Center. 

The city will spend $330,000 to help stabilize the finance department; most of that money will pay for the services of an outside accounting firm because the city is currently without a permanent finance director or acting finance director. 

Child care just got cheaper for Alaska Native families in communities served by the Association of Village Council Presidents. The program, using CARES Act funding, is paying for child care to all eligible essential workers, and there are no income requirements for eligibility. Carol Hunter, AVCP’s Child Care Coordinator, said that unlike the current program, there is no co-pay.

“Yes, that is correct,” Hunter said, “and we pay 100%, so the parents wouldn’t have to pay.”

Bethel Winter House will soon have its own building to operate a year-round homeless shelter. On Sept. 22, the Bethel City Council agreed to sell the old senior center in Housing Subdivision to Winter House for $1.

A familiar face is back in charge of Bethel’s city administration. At the Sept. 22 meeting, the Bethel City Council announced that Pete Williams will serve as interim city manager. Council members chose Williams from three final candidates. The other two were Marybeth Whalen and another former city manager, Lee Foley. 

The Association of Village Council Presidents' annual convention kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 23. Like many events during the coronavirus pandemic, it will be held virtually. Another change from past years is that the convention will last only one day, instead of its usual three.