News

Alaska State Troopers released the names of the four passengers who died in a plane crash near the village of Tuntutuliak on Feb. 6.

With the exception of  the pilot, all lived in Kipnuk. The Kipnuk residents are Charlie Carl, 66, Carrie "Girlie" Peter, 45, and her son, Quintin "Muggie" Peter, 18 and Donna Mesak, 42. The pilot was 34-year old Tony Matthews.

Cab companies in Bethel have decided to stop accepting Medicaid vouchers for payment. This is important because taxis are a main form of transportation to and from medical appointments for people who travel to Bethel for healthcare.

The river is so rough in the Upper Kuskokwim area that it is impassable to vehicle and snowmachine traffic. Big boulders of snow-covered ice are scattered across the river from Chuathbaluk and up. But Mark Leary, who works for the village of Napaimute, hopes to clear the river so that people can travel this week.

The final feasibility study detailing cleanup options for the contaminated Red Devil mercury mine site is out. The Bureau of Land Management plans to hold public meetings in the villages near the mine site to collect feedback about the remediation plans.

According to BLM spokesperson James Hart, BLM will open public comments on the plan for 60 days, beginning March 1 and ending April 30.

In the first of a two-part series, we explored the effects of warming river water on salmon. Now we take a look at the warming ocean, and what that means to the Yukon River king run.

The recently rescued boys from Nunam Iqua showed that it’s possible to withstand Alaskan winter conditions with a strong will to live and some survival skills. The Scammon Bay searchers who found them said that the boys had dug a hole in order to keep their 2-year-old brother warm. Experienced Bethel Search and Rescue members, Peter Atchak and Sam Samuelson, talked about what else the boys did well, and everything you should do if you’re caught in a winter storm.

Bethel is now much closer to filling the top positions in the city’s administration. Last night, the city council interviewed two candidates for two positions and unanimously voted to offer contracts to both of them. This decision came after in-person interviews with Vincenzo “Vinny” Corazza for city manager, and Elizabeth “Libby” Bakalar for city attorney.