Unalaska, AK – Local seats are still available for flights back to Unalaska after this winter's holiday season.

Alaska Airlines staff in Anchorage say that many seats on Anchorage to Dutch Harbor flights set aside for local residents on December 29, 30, and 31 and January 2 have so far gone unclaimed this year. The airline started reserving the local seats during last year's holiday season. That was in response to complaints that the large number of seasonal workers flying out to Unalaska before the January start of pollock A season and the opilio crab season was making it impossible for residents not employed by the seafood industry to get to and from the island for the holidays.

Unalaska, AK – City officials say that PCB contamination at Unalaska's powerhouse site is worse than initially thought, and that cleaning it up could run $1 million over budget.

The cleanup of the site began this summer, to make way for the slated expansion of the powerhouse. Public Utilities Director Dan Winters said work crews have turned up 3,100 cubic yards of soil with less than 50 parts per million of PCBs, where they had anticipated about 1,200 cubic yards. And there's a whopping 1,600 cubic yards of soil with PCB concentrations over 50 parts per million--considerably more than the 90 cubic yards they had originally estimated.

Unalaska, AK – Thanksgiving is on its way, which means it's time for the Turkey Trot. The Parks Culture & Recreation Department is hosting Unalaska's version of the nationwide walk/run for the third year in a row tomorrow. As with past years, the proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The PCR Department's Terry Quirk said she hopes to get a good crowd.

"We anticipate people walking with their families, bringing their dogs, young children in strollers and backpacks, just like last year," she said.

Unalaska, AK – The City of Unalaska is looking for families to host crew members from the Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley for Thanksgiving Dinner this week.

The Alex Haley arrives in port early on Thanksgiving, and Mayor Shirley Marquardt says there are 26 crew members who are still looking for a place to spend the holiday. If your family is interested in having one or more of them over for dinner, contact the city no later than close of business Tuesday. Sign-up forms are available at City Hall, or by calling 581-1251.

Unalaska, AK – At tonight's school board meeting, supporters of Unangan culture and language education in Unalaska are making their case for resuming the Unalaska City School District's program two years after its funding was cut.

City Council member Katherine McGlashan, who is also on the school's parents committee, has been collecting signatures and letters of support from parents and other members of the community.

Unalaska, AK – Millions of American TV viewers have watched Sig Hansen, the captain of the Bering Sea crab boat Northwestern, haul in Alaskan king crab on the Discovery Channel's hit reality series Deadliest Catch. But Captain Sig and his brothers are catching heat in the Alaskan seafood industry for a decision to market crab imported from Russia, Alaska's main competitor, under their own now-famous name. In Unalaska, KIAL's Charles Homans reports.

Unalaska, AK – The Unalaska City Council is seeking letters of interest from people who'd like to be considered for appointment to Rocky Caldero's seat on the council.

The other council members voted unanimously to accept Caldero's resignation at last night's meeting. His replacement will be appointed at the next council meeting, on November 27, and will serve until the general election next October.

Unalaska, AK – Construction crews working on the South Channel Bridge project will be wrapping up work for the season later this month. For Unalaska drivers, that means the detour near the bridge is closing, and normal traffic routes and speed limits will be back in place starting tomorrow.

DOT project manager Shaun Combs said there are a few things to take care of when work resumes next summer, but that by this time next fall the new bridge should be up and running.

Unalaska, AK – Copies of more than a hundred e-mails sent by Unalaska Mayor Shirley Marquardt in the lead-up to last month's election are being handed over to the state Public Offices Commission.

Unalaska resident Jeff Hancock said that at least a handful of the e-mails, which he requested and received from the city administration, support the complaint he submitted to APOC last week. Hancock has alleged that the mayor improperly used her city e-mail account to influence the October 2 election in which she narrowly retained the city government's top job.