The official numbers are in and it will come as no surprise to residents of the Aleutians that most people in the region work either directly or indirectly for the seafood industry.

A new report from the Alaska Department of Labor examines the economy of the Aleutians West census area in detail, pointing out that it’s “an outlier in nearly every category in comparison to the rest of the state.” 

(Courtesy of Arctic Imperative Summit)

Election Day is fast approaching, and Unalaskans will have the chance to cast their ballots in a number of state races on November 6. This week, KUCB is airing interviews with candidates for Alaska’s one congressional seat and with the region’s representatives in the State Legislature who are up for reelection.

Earlier this week, KUCB's Lauren Rosenthal spoke with State Representative Bob Herron. Herron represented Bethel and its surrounding village for two terms. After redistricting, he’s taking on the Aleutian and Pribilof islands from the old representative, Bryce Edgmon. He’s in an uncontested race, so he’s all but certain to be Unalaska’s next representative. Here, Herron talks about balancing Bethel’s needs against those of Bering Sea communities.

(Wikimedia)

Winter has arrived in Unalaska. A big storm has brought in colder temperatures and strong winds. It’s also brought in some unusual precipitation, too.

KUCB's Alexandra Gutierrez explains just what's going on with the weather.

Shell Oil wrapped up its exploratory drilling season in the Arctic today. As promised, not a drop of oil was spilled in the process -- but not a drop was drilled either.

Shell only started drilling in early September, which limited the numbers of wells the company was able to complete this season. 

“We drilled a top hole at our Burger prospect in the Chukchi Sea and one at our Sivulliq prospect in the Beaufort Sea,"says spokesperson Curtis Smith.

The two top holes extend only 1500 feet below the seafloor, stopping well short of the oil reserves that Shell is trying to access.

(Robert Woolsey/KCAW)

Election Day is fast approaching, and Unalaskans will have the chance to cast their ballots in a number of state races on November 6. This week, KUCB is airing interviews with candidates for Alaska’s one congressional seat and with the region’s representatives in the State Legislature who are up for reelection.

Today, KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez has this Q&A with State Representative Sharon Cissna. She’s the underdog in a race against Rep. Don Young for Alaska’s one seat in the house. In this chat, Cissna discusses transportation, telecommunications, and the challenges of representing a state as large and diverse as Alaska.

Pizza, mac and cheese, sandwiches – all that standard school lunch fare was noticeably absent from trays at Unalaska City High School on Friday. Tenth grader Renzel Hoover:

“Hoover: We’re having salmon and then bread and pudding, vegetables and some beans, and some rice too.
SJ: And do you guys normally have salmon for lunch?
Hoover: No, it’s actually the first time this year we’ve had salmon, so it’s kind of new, but it’s good.”

(Official Photo/U.S. Congress)

Election Day is fast approaching, and Unalaskans will have the chance to cast their ballots in a number of state races on November 6. This week, KUCB is airing interviews with candidates for Alaska’s one congressional seat and with the region’s representatives in the State Legislature who are up for reelection.

Today, KUCB’s Alexandra Gutierrez has this Q&A with longtime Rep. Don Young.

It’s official: “No more flights of the Goose. The Goose is done.”

That's the word from PenAir president Danny Seybert. As the Dutch Harbor Fisherman first reported, Goose service to Akutan ended over the weekend.

“They took my runway away. I have no place to land," Seybert says.

By runway, Seybert means the concrete seaplane ramp that the Goose used to haul out on. It was modified over the summer to accommodate the hovercraft that runs between Akutan and the new airstrip on Akun Island, and Seybert says those modifications made it unusable for the Goose. For the last few months, the plane has been pulling up on the gravel beach in front of town.

Turnpaugh's "Aleut Doll with Basket" is part of the Museum of the Aleutians collection (Rasmuson Foundation)

An Unangan elder known for her art and commitment to preserving the history of the Aleutians passed away this week at the age of 84.

Maria Turnpaugh was born in Unalaska in 1927 to Joe and Agnes Chagin. Her grandfather was a chief and a warden in the Russian Orthodox church. As a child, she learned Unangam Tunuu from her mother. She recalled her youth fondly and told stories about what life was like then with a sense of humor. In this clip from 1996, she describes family meals as part of the Communities of Memory project.