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The Bethel City Council will look at ways to replace City Attorney Patty Burley at tonight’s regular meeting. Mayor Fred Watson proposes using the same recruitment firm as the one being used to find the next city manager. 

She has served the city for almost a decade, and now she’s quitting. Bethel City Attorney Patty Burley has submitted her resignation. Her last day will be August 2. 

According to unofficial election results, the Calista Board of Directors remains unchanged following the regional Alaska Native corporation’s annual meeting on Friday. George Guy of Kwethluk, Johnnie Evan of Tuntutuliak, and Wayne Don of Mekoryuk were all re-elected to the Calista Board.

The Alaska Senate has a new leader who could bring more political leverage to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Senate President Cathy Gessiel appointed Bethel Democratic Sen. Lyman Hoffman to Senate Majority Leader. Hoffman replaced Sen. Mia Costello in the role after she did not appear in Juneau on Monday for the start of the second special session.

Smoke is smogging the air in Bethel as Southwest Alaska remains under an air quality advisory from wildfires sweeping through the Interior region. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation issued an advisory on Saturday that continues through Monday evening.

Alaska State Troopers checked the home of Ray Steeves in Upper Kalskag on July 4. They didn’t know if he would be inside, but he was.

This story has been updated to include a video of the smoking plane. Video credit: Greg Lincoln of Delta Discovery.

A plane crashed on the runway in Bethel earlier this afternoon, and there were injuries. Bethel police officers and firefighters arrived at the airport to find a Grant Aviation plane on its side and in flames.