KMXT Weekly Wrap

This week we have a special edition of the show. KMXT presents: Mabuhay sa Alaska, a five part feature series exploring Alaska schools recruiting teachers from the Philippines.We look at what recruiting is like, meet teachers looking to come here, learn how some already in Kodiak are navigating their new lives, learn some history about Filipino immigration, and question if hiring teachers from the Philippines leads to a brain drain.

This week we hear about harmful algal blooms around Kodiak, the City Council picked its next clerk, halibut populations are at some of the lowest levels in a century, the Alaska Legislature is winding down its 2025 session, Ouzinkie is declared tsunami ready, and Kodiak Middle School's Kaci Martin, Jasper Ignacio, Neal Skonberg, Ryker Christiansen, and Cole Martin give us a preview of CrabFest. That story is featured in KMXT's Weekly Wrap thanks to a collaboration between KMS' journalism class and KMXT News staff.

This week we hear about a busy cruise ship week season in Kodiak, statewide recognition and awareness events for national Missing and Murdered Indigenous People's day, the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is preparing to sell land it owns, and a story from our partners at Alaska Public Media about the Alaska Legislature passing a budget with a $1,000 PFD which now heads to Gov. Dunleavy's desk.

KIBSD plans to drain its savings, Kodiak had its first cruise ship of the season arrive this week, a handful of earthquakes rocked the island, residents held its fourth protest of the federal government in as many months, and REAL IDs will be needed for commercial flights soon.

A Philippine national living in Kodiak was arrested by ICE last week, Rep. Begich focuses on reauthorizing certain fisheries bills during ComFish, Sen. Murkowski got at our of St. Herman Harbor, ADF&G Commissioner advocates for finfish farming bill, the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge's visitor center will reopen to the public next week, and the YMCA-Alaska is interested in running an after-school program in Kodiak.

On this week's episode we hear about a Kodiak couple arrested for allegedly possessing 10 lbs. of cocaine, the potential bylaw change for Kodiak Electric Association to be announced at its upcoming annual meeting, NOAA plans to conduct summer surveys in the Gulf of Alaska but can't fully confirm yet, and a recap of the Alaska Congressional delegation's remarks during this week's ComFish in Kodiak.

This week we hear about the Tustumena returning after its annual winter repairs, shakeups in federal agencies could change how weather data from buoys works, Flying Geese, a longtime fabric store, is closing, the Alaska Food Policy Council held its statewide food festival and conference, and Kodiak Harvest Food Coop has grown significantly in less than a decade.

This week we hear about the self-help housing project in Kodiak getting funds and land, an update on the city manager search, surveys of Kodiak Island's emperor geese show the population is doing well, a look into the salvage process for the Tanusha, a tour of the Coast Guard fast response cutter John Witherspoon, and Kodiak's Emergency Services are preparing for potential impacts of a likely Mt. Spurr eruption.

This week we hear about a major traffic jam, the Kodiak Island Borough is figuring out what to do with the old mental health buildings, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Coast Guard Base Kodiak, the state Board of Fish changed Kodiak's herring fishery, the Danger Bay logging site on Afognak Island is reducing its workforce due to the trade war with China, and the Institute of Museums and Library Services is being gutted.

This week we hear about a Kodiak herring fishery proposal being taken up by the Alaska Board of Fisheries, why two wind turbines on Pillar Mountain aren't spinning, a new Alutiiq Culture and language class & livestream in Port Lions, a bear gut jacket from a Sugpiag artist will be displayed at the Alutiiq Museum, Jessie Holmes is this year's Iditarod champion and Mount Spurr volcano outside of Anchorage is likely to erupt in the coming weeks.