Akiachak, AK

Bethel police are getting new body cams. In their June 8 meeting, Bethel City Council approved the purchase of 30 new body cameras for the Bethel Police Department. The funding comes from a grant that the department received from the state. Councilmember Rose “Sugar” Henderson sits on the Public Safety...

• On 5-29-21 at 3:11 A.M., medics responded to the report of a person having an anxiety attack. Patient was assessed and transported to the hospital. • On 5-29-21 at 7:11 P.M., Firefighters responded to the report of a Fire on the deck of a house. Minor smoke and smoldering wood on arrival. Fire extinguished with booster line.

1 year old Luka Jacob of Napaskiak went on his first egg hunting trip while visiting Chefornak with his parents. He found the nest and pointed them out to his dad.

On June 8, Bethel City Council voted unanimously to accept a $45,000 grant from the State of Alaska. The grant must be used to promote or incentivize the COVID-19 vaccine in unvaccinated individuals. The city has until the end of June 2021 to spend all the funds. City Manager Pete Williams has proposed offering $100 to those willing to get the vaccine, but he said that figure is just an idea.

Lumber prices have been soaring across the country as demand for wood during the pandemic outstripped supply. In the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, those high prices have been slowing down construction of new homes, exacerbating a severe shortage of housing in the region. According to the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, about 40%...

The first fuel barge of the season arrived in Bethel on Monday, June 7. Rick Meidel, vice president and general manager of Crowley Fuels, said that 300,000 gallons of heating fuel and 150,000 gallons of aviation fuel arrived Monday, with unleaded gasoline expected later in the week. Fuel prices have...

Four coaches at Bethel Regional High School have taken on new leadership roles. They include Ryan Wheeler, who will become the varsity volleyball coach; Alex Bernard, who becomes the varsity track and field coach; Erick Jung, who will coach varsity boys basketball; and Regina Lieb, who will be head coach of the varsity girls basketball team.

Bethel's movie theater is open again. Suurvik Cinema reopened on May 28 after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic last fall. With the reopening, there are now even more opportunities to catch a flick than there were before the pandemic. Suurvik Cinema is operated by the Lower Kuskokwim School District,...

Elder Eula Acurunaq David passed away on May 29 at the age of 90. Originally from Scammon Bay, David was a worldly, culturally fluid and fluent woman who went on to live in Fortuna Ledge, Mekoryuk, and eventually Bethel. She traveled widely across the region and outside of Alaska. She...

On the June 8 Bethel City Council agenda will be vaccine cash incentives, police body cams, and taxes on senior citizens. In the meeting, Bethel City Council is expected to vote to accept a $45,000 grant from the State of Alaska. The funds must go towards vaccination efforts. City Manager Pete Williams has proposed incentivizing unvaccinated residents with $100 worth of cash or gift cards if they agree to get vaccinated.

As permafrost melts many communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta now face the threat of erosion. This morning during “Coffee at KYUK,” Katie Basile has invited guests to talk about a plan Napakiak developed to get funding to deal with erosion that is encroaching on the village. Guests are Max Neil...

Short-term rentals, also known as bed-and-breakfasts, provide thousands of dollars in tax revenue to the City of Bethel. They also house many of the town’s transient workers. But the city says some of those rentals are operating illegally because they’re in residential districts. The city recently shut down one short-term...

Short-term rentals, also known as bed and breakfasts, provide thousands of dollars in tax revenue to the City of Bethel and house many of the town’s transient workers. But the city says that a number of the rentals located in residential districts are operating illegally. The city shut down one of them, saying that it was built without permission, resulting in an ongoing two-year legal battle. To resolve the dispute, the city may end up changing the law for all short term rentals.

The aged Kuskokwim Valley Native Association building across from Swanson’s in Bethel has been taken down. This historic building was built prior to 1969 and is the last of three related structures from that area. The Nunam Kitlutsisti offices and other programs were located there. Demolition took place on May 19th, 2021 by Faulkner and Walsh Constructors and was completed within a couple of days.

• On 5-22-21 at 5:05 A.M., Medics responded to the report of a person that has been assaulted. Patient was assessed and transported to the hospital. • On 5-22-21 at 4:52 P.M., Medics responded to the report of a person that is intoxicated. Patient was assessed and transported to the hospital.

Two human-caused wildfires that ignited near villages in rural Southwest Alaska earlier this week are now 100 percent contained and firefighters will spend another day mopping up before demobilizing. The Pilot Point Fire (#104) near the village of Pilot Point on the Alaska Peninsula was declared fully contained at 7:33...

Bethel’s Orutsararmiut Native Council has received $17,297,078 in American Rescue Plan Act funding designated for tribes, that's according to ONC executive director Mark Springer. ONC plans to hold a digital member consultation on June 18 to hear from tribal members about how the organization should spend the funds. The meeting...