Unalaska, AK – The Ballyhoo Lions Club organized a Memorial Day Service last weekend to honor service men and women who lost their lives in war and other community members who passed away last year. Anne Hillman attended the event.

Unalaska, AK – The City and the Ballyhoo Lions Club will honor veterans and community members who have passed away at a Memorial Day Ceremony Monday morning. Mayor Shirley Marquardt will help host the event.

"We're trying to provide a sense of history to the younger generations in this community to ensure that they understand the sacrifices that have been made in the past to preserve their liberties," said the mayor. "We feel in this community that we are living up to our legacies as Americans when we show the families of our service men and women that we don't take their sacrifice lightly, and that we're truly grateful."

Unalaska, AK – The governor signed the fiscal year 2009 budgets into law today. Together the Operating Budget, Capital Budget, and Mental Health Operating and Capital Budget totaled almost $14.9 billion, including $5 billion put into savings. Governor Palin vetoed $268 million worth of projects, but none of them were in Unalaska.

Unalaska will receive almost $7.5 million from the capital budget for projects, including $1.5 million for the powerhouse expansion, $1.5 million for geothermal exploration, and over $2 million for the waste water treatment plant upgrade.

Unalaska, AK – The ferry Tustumena and its services form an integral part of communities through out coastal Alaska. But many people don't know about the communities that develop within the ship itself. KIAL's Anne Hillman explores the underworld of the Tustumena.

Unalaska, AK – At a City Council work session Wednesday night, a consultant argued that Unalaska needs a third and possibly fourth diesel generator to keep up with energy demands in the community.

Michael Hubbard of the Financial Engineering Company, who consults on energy issues for the city, told the council that without two new units, increasing demand from some of the city's biggest power customers will easily outstrip power supply on the island. Pacific Stevedoring will need a lot of power for its new cold storage facility, and Hubbard said that both Horizon and American President Lines, the city's two biggest power customers, have said they'd like to shut down the generators that currently power half their operations.

Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Energy Authority hosted a town hall meeting in Unalaska last night to gather ideas for a statewide energy plan to present to Governor Palin.

"Rather than compile that in Anchorage or Juneau," AEA Deputy Director Mike Harper said, "we are coming out, like I said, to these different communities throughout the state to generate the local input to see what they view as the important energy sources."

Unalaska, AK – The Unalaska City Council will hold a work session tonight to discuss the prospect of ordering a third engine for the city's powerhouse.

Michael Hubbard, the city's consultant for energy issues, will be briefing the council on his assessment of how much power the city has to supply to meet the needs of local businesses in coming years.

"These engines have an 18- to 24-month lead time on them, and it's time to begin thinking about purchasing the third engine," City Manager Chris Hladick said.

Unalaska, AK – A delegation from the Alaska Energy Authority will be in Unalaska tomorrow for a town hall meeting about possible solutions to Alaska's energy woes.

The AEA is tasked with finding local solutions to rising energy costs. Karsten Rodvik, the AEA's project manager for external affairs, said that problem has reached "crisis proportions," and the state is open to any idea of how to solve it.

Unalaska, AK – The Alaska Marine Highway's M/V Tustumena has connected remote villages with the rest of the state since 1964. Its southwestern route runs from Homer to Dutch Harbor and provides the most afforadable form of transportation within the region. But as KIAL's Anne Hillman found out, it's more than just a cheap ride, it's a community builder.