Unalaska, AK – The city council voted on Tuesday to bring the port tariff increase back for a public hearing and a second reading - this puts the ordinance one step closer to passing. The ordinance increases port tariffs and wharfage fees by 4.8 percent per year for the next three years. The tariffs and fees have not changed in over 10 years and the increase was recommended in a study by Northern Economics. Currently, the ports department is in the red. At the end of fiscal year 2009, the ports had a net operating loss of $267,338 dollars.

Unalaska, AK – Preliminary results from the city's Community Visions Project are now being used as the basis for a community-wide survey. The consulting firm HyettPalma was in Unalaska in late September to speak with various community groups, government agencies, businesses, and individuals about their criticisms of and visions for the future of Unalaska. Assistant City Manager John Fulton, who helped compile the survey, said one thing stuck out above all.

Unalaska, AK – A group from Unalaska was recently accepted into the selective Healthy Native Communities Fellowship program. The fellowship is a year-long grassroots community leadership program that works with people from native communities around the country to promote community wellness. Program director Marita Jones said the program focuses on communication and community ownership.

"One of our basic principles is about putting the community in the driver's seat. So that means that we're teaching skills about listening and dialog because we want to community to decide for themselves what's important and what they want to work on."

Unalaska, AK – A crewman from a transiting coal carrier went overboard about 40 miles north of Unalaska on Sunday. The Coast Guard searched 1,479 square miles with helicopters, aircraft, and the help of marine vessels but could not find John Ree Payla, age 21, of the Philippines. The search was called off on Monday evening. Payla's uniform was found on the back deck of the ship. The 754-foot, Panamanian-flagged vessel, Corona Infinity, was carrying coal to Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Unalaska, AK – Three boys, Patrick Trinidad, Kim Balbarino, and Roy Garay, will participate in all-state band this year. They spoke with KUCB's Anne Hillman about why they love to play.

Unalaska, AK – City staff and community members heard presentations on the two potential designs for the new Carl E. Moses Boat Harbor Wednesday night. Each team of engineers presented and answered questions for about two hours.

The first team of presenters was Pacific Pile & Marine and PND Engineers. They've previously done harbor work in Juneau, Adak, and Kodiak. They presented two designs one with slips for individual boats, as was requested by the city, and one with open moorage that allows for boats of all sizes that can be stacked, like they are at the Spit Dock. Their floats were made with large, corrosion proof, steel pontoons and are anchored down with piles. The steel grated surface allows for snow to easily fall through and can be removed for easy access to utilities, like water and electricity for each mooring site. The team said that nothing in the design is pre-fabricated, it's all tailored to Unalaska's needs, and was designed to last 50 years. City engineer Tyler Zimmerman was pleased with their proposal.

Unalaska, AK – The Coast Guard medevaced an injured man off of the Clipper Surprise on Monday evening about 50 miles north of Unalaska. Thirty-year-old Holden Jonan-Serrano reportedly sustained an eye injury after colliding with a pipe. The Coast Guard says it's unclear how the injury happened, but the Coast Guard surgeon determined that it was serious enough to need immediate attention. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that was stationed in Cold Bay for the fall fishing season flew to the 124-foot longline catcher-processor to help the man. The helicopter was already airborne and on patrol when they received the call. They transported Jonan-Serrano in stable condition to Cold Bay where a Guardian Life Flight jet took him on to Anchorage.

Unalaska, AK – Bristol Bay Red King Crab season is off to a good start. Two and a half weeks into the season and the fleet of 70 vessels has already caught 54 percent of the IFQ total allowable catch, or 7.8 million pounds of crab. About 6.6 million pounds remain to be caught. Alaska Department of Fish & Game area management biologist Forrest Bowers said that's less than this time last year, when the fleet of 77 boats had brought in 70 percent of the TAC.

Unalaska, AK – The City recently won a grant for $3.7 million from the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation to help build housing for teachers, health professionals, and public safety employees. The money will go toward a new 8-plex housing unit. Public Works director Nancy Peterson said they will remove six trailers to build the new units. After they are completed, the teacher 4-plex on Loop Road can be used for city employee housing, the teachers will move into the new housing, and the remaining units will be available for other employees.