Economy

The U.S. Census began on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Toksook Bay. Inclement weather kept the census workers from flying into the community in the morning as scheduled. By the afternoon, the clouds lifted, allowing the census crew to land. 

A fire severely damaged a home on Kilbuck Street near the Faulkner Walsh buildings on the evening of Jan. 17. The next morning, Acting Fire Chief Daron Solesbee said that there were no injuries. 

Two fire engines and six water trucks arrived on the scene, along with an ambulance. Solesbee said that the fire began when a tenant was attempting to thaw a frozen p-trap in a bathroom. The tenant was able to get out quickly. 

Bethel’s first marijuana store opens for business on Friday, Jan. 17. It took a year and a half to jump through all the bureaucratic hoops, but ALASKABuds, located on Third Avenue by Stan’s Barbershop, will start selling weed in all of its forms in Bethel at noon on Jan. 17.

“Eighteen months. That’s a long time,” said company owner Nick Miller. “And it’s obviously the first retail store in Bethel. It’s a lot of work. You wouldn’t think it would take that long to open a business, but it really, really does in the marijuana industry.”

The fourth annual #BethelGives raised its highest amount in the campaign's history. The combination of individual and corporate donations contributed $45,556.97 to Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta nonprofits.

No night flights or medevacs have been able to land on the Native Village of Kwinhagak's runway for the past two months, and it doesn’t look like they will be able to any time soon. That’s because the runway lights are out, and the tribe is trying to figure out what to do.