After months of uncertainty, Akutan’s new airport finally has scheduled service. Regional airlines have been operating charter flights to the $77 million airstrip since it opened in September, but a dispute over carrying the mail held up regular service. The mail dispute isn’t entirely settled, but the federal Department of Transportation awarded Grant Aviation a two-year Essential Air Service contract anyway.

Bulldozer Infilling Pond/Credit: Stephanie Joyce

Given the housing shortage in Unalaska, one would expect a proposal to build new housing would be well-received --but that isn’t the case with a proposed project next to the high school. Some local residents are upset that the development involves filling in a pond.

The lot is owned by Glenn Olson and Archie Stepp. Stepp couldn’t be reached and Olson wouldn’t comment for this story, but he told the Army Corps of Engineers he intends to build an 8-plex on the property.

It could be two months before authorities determine a cause of death for 45-year-old Yvonne Grossman. Grossman passed away in the camper she shared with her boyfriend in Unalaska’s valley neighborhood on Nov. 9.

Sgt. Jennifer Shockley says the medical examiner in Anchorage has ordered toxicology tests -- and until the tests are done, the examiner can't release a final report on Grossman.

(Benjamin Stixrud/Coast Guard)

A light sheen has been spotted near two vessels that grounded near Cold Bay.

The tug Polar Wind and the barge it was towing ended up on the rocks on Wednesday, and responders observed the pollution on Friday. Boom was laid out around the Polar Wind to contain the spill. Combined, the two vessels were carrying more than 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel at the time of the grounding. The barge that grounded with it was also transporting an estimated 1.5 million pounds of frozen seafood. According to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, generators on the barge are still running and the containers remain refrigerated.

(Alexandra Gutierrez/KUCB)

A contained explosion aboard Shell’s Noble Discoverer drill rig sent fire crews in Unalaska scrambling this morning. Ports Director Peggy McLaughlin says she felt the blast from the harbor office, which is about 200 yards away.

“It was almost like a backfire, a ginormous [sic] backfire is what I would equate it to, but because of the size of the vessel, it was pretty big. And when we looked out we could actually see the smoke coming out of the top of the landing pad there and so it was one of those, ‘we need to make a call and make sure it doesn’t get out of control.’”

(Courtesy Magone Marine via the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation)

So far there have been no signs of a spill after a tug and barge went aground between Cold Bay and Sand Point. Five crewmembers from the tug "Polar Wind" were rescued.

The owner, Northland Services, has joined a Unified Command team to respond to the grounding. The tug and barge were carrying more than 23,000 gallons of diesel fuel. The barge was also carrying 90 refrigerated containers, and 30 of them were full of frozen fish.

At last report the vessels were still upright, and there wasn’t an oil sheen in the area. Steven Russell with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says responders will continue to monitor the situation closely since the tug and barge are still in a vulnerable position.

Courtesy of USCG

It’s been four months since an ammonia spill on a processing vessel shut down parts of Unalaska. Now, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has wrapped up their investigation into the accident.

The result: more than $55,000 in fines – and some valuable lessons for emergency responders. 

Five crewmembers from the Polar Wind were rescued after the tug and the barge it was towing went aground.

The Northland Services tug was 20 miles from Cold Bay when it became separated from the barge it was dragging behind it. The two vessels went adrift while the crew was trying to reconnect the towline. According to Coast Guard Petty Officer David Mosley, weather was a factor.

The Coast Guard received a distress call at around 9pm on Tuesday, and sent out two helicopters to respond to the situation. Mosley says that the rescue was made five hours later, and had to be completed in two rounds.

Akutan Small Boat Harbor/Credit: Stephanie Joyce

While Akutan’s new airport has received considerable attention and scrutiny for being expensive and hard to access, another large infrastructure project on the island that suffers some of the same problems has mostly flown under the radar.

Over the last two years, Knik Construction has converted what was once a flat stretch of tundra at the end of Akutan Bay into a full-size boat harbor.