Sunni Bean
News ReporterSunni is a reporter and radio lover. Her favorite part of the job is sitting down and having a good conversation. She’s originally from Virginia, earned degrees in sociology and international relations at the University of Toronto, and learned Spanish working at a botanical garden in Bogota. Last year, she graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
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Water levels have dropped a bit and the river is flowing smoothly. The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is keeping an eye on Nunapitchuk, Alakanuk, and Emmonak, among other villages.
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In 2019, Napaskiak hired Clayton Conner to paint murals in their new school. Clayton Connor has been back almost a half dozen times since, and stops by whenever he’s in the bush.
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On May 24 in St. Mary’s, a dead moose was found on airport property on the side of the road. It had been illegally shot out of hunting season and left there.
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On May 18, Bethel’s tripod fell as the river thawed to a breaking point. On May 20, Bethel residents met on the riverfront to celebrate the annual breakup bash.
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Earlier this week, first lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Bethel along with a delegation of female Alaska Native leaders. The day before, Bethel Regional High School learned that they would be hosting the first lady and her security entourage.
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Over the weekend, the Bethel tripod fell, likely due to the high winds. Now, break-up is expected in the next few days.
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Ahead of the general meeting with the world’s largest gold miner, nine tribes in the Kuskokwim region sent a letter to Barrick Gold, calling on the company to withdraw financial support for the proposed and permitted Donlin open pit gold mine.
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The village of Napaskiak lost power on Monday after a small fire started in their generator. On Thursday evening, the village is back on the grid.
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Men and women dressed in red. Alaska State Troopers, search and rescue, police, and firefighters came in uniform. People had signs reading “we stand as one,” “no more missing sisters” and “Native hope.” Others had red handprints painted on their bodies and t-shirts.
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On Monday, a small fire at the generator in Napaskiak took the entire Y-K Delta village off the grid, with the exception of the school. Many residents are using the school as a base for now, others are purchasing generators, and most are figuring out how to preserve subsistence food while the freezers are out.