Unalaska, AK – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided that it will not conduct a wolf kill on Unimak Island as part of an effort to grow a dwindling caribou herd.

An environmental assessment released this January suggested three predator control options - including aerial wolf hunts - as possibilities for protecting the caribou herd at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. But Fish and Wildlife rejected these options and instead chose a "No Action" alternative after receiving 95,000 comments on the matter.

Unalaska, AK – A 58-foot seiner ran aground near King Cove on Sunday. The five-member crew of the F/V Capt'n Andrew was rescued by its appropriately named sister vessel, Just In Case.
According to Coast Guard Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios, the vessel found itself in trouble yesterday morning.

"They tried contacting the Coast Guard, however the communication was really poor," says Rios. "So, it was actually relayed to us from another vessel, and another vessel - the Good Samaritan crew - actually went and picked them up and took them to safety."

Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has put the forecast for the commercial salmon catch this year at 203 million fish.

The harvest is expected to be one of the largest ones on record, according to Fish and Game. The state is expecting an especially large harvest of pinks, with solid harvests of sockeye and chum as well. The Chinook forecast has not yet been announced.

Unalaska, AK – Both the boys and girls Raiders basketball teams wrapped up their seasons today at the Western Conference regional basketball tournament in Hooper Bay.

The boys team played their second game of the tournament against Bethel. The Bethel Warriors came out ahead 70-48. Andrew Seman was a top scorer. At the start of the tournament, the Raiders suffered a narrow loss against Dillingham.

Unalaska, AK – The federal government will be conducting a new oil spill analysis before it completes a lease sale in the Chukchi Sea.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement announced today that it will be shifting the schedule for its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement so that it will have time to study what's called a "Very Large Oil Spill" scenario - a spill that would involve over 150,000 gallons of oil. In the past few months, the bureau has received over 100,000 comments on the lease sale. Many of these comments asked for a study that would look at the effects of a Deepwater Horizon-like spill in the Arctic.

Unalaska, AK – After a rocky start, the Lady Raiders pulled off a win at the Western Conference regional basketball in Hooper Bay.

The Lady Raiders beat the home team of Hooper Bay, with a score of 35-32. Cassandra Morrisette was the top scorer with 21 points. Yesterday, the girls team lost to the Kotzebue Huskies 77-37.

The boys team did not play today, but they will play a game tomorrow at 2:30pm. Yesterday, they lost a close match against Dillingham. The final score was 56-52.

Unalaska, AK – Nigerian Navy personnel have traveled to Unalaska for training on the Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau.

The 21 Nigerian officers and engineers are preparing to receive excess military equipment as part of the government's foreign military sales program. The Nigerian Navy will be taking over the Cutter Chase, a 44-year-old vessel that the Coast Guard had planned to decommission as part of its fleet upgrade.

Unalaska, AK – The Western Conference regional basketball tournament kicked off in Hooper Bay this morning.

The Lady Raiders played in the first game, facing off against Kotzebue at 10am. Kotzebue Huskies came out ahead, winning the game 77-37. The girls team will play their next game tomorrow at 11:30am.

The boys played their first game this afternoon against Dillingham. In a hard fought match, Dillingham squeaked out a win against Unalaska, with the a score of 56-52. The last time the boys played Dillingham, they narrowly lost the game in triple overtime.

Unalaska, AK –
Joanne Lee pleaded guilty to charges stemming from drug bust that occurred last April.

The 60-year-old cab driver was arrested in April for selling cocaine and marijuana out of Diamond Taxi to an undercover police officer. She was charged with seven felony and two misdemeanor counts related to possession of a controlled substance and intent to distribute. Lee was one of over a dozen people arrested for connections to the drug trade last spring.