Unalaska, AK – The future of Unalaska's powerhouse, geothermal resources and how much you pay for electricity each month will all be on the table at a special City Council work session Thursday night.

The council will open up for public comment a plan to replace the powerhouse's current array of diesel generators will more efficient models that have been purchased and currently are in storage in Finland. The city recently obtained the permit it had sought from the state for the new engines, which city officials estimate will run as much as 30 percent more efficiently then the current system.

Unalaska, AK – The North Pacific Fishery Management Council agreed yesterday to decrease its 2007 quota for pollock, Alaska's largest commercial fishery. 2007's total allowable catch for the fish will be 1.394 million metric tons, a 5.8 percent reduction from this year's quota. The cut wasn't unexpected--last year's pollock quota was the highest ever for the fishery, and the council's groundfish planning team had suggested an even greater reduction at its November meeting.

Unalaska, AK – Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Alaska Department of Transportation will brief the community on their assessment plans for Unalaska's airport at tomorrow's City Council meeting. Although the presentation isn't a public comment session, it's part of an ongoing dialogue about the Unalaska airport master plan, which city officials hope will ultimately lead to making the airport adequate for larger aircraft.

Unalaska, AK – Today marks the two-year anniversary of the wreck of the Selendang Ayu. On December 8, 2004, the Malaysian soybean freighter ran aground on Unalaska Island, spilling more than 300,000 gallons of oil. Although a risk assessment is being planned for the North Pacifc by the Coast Guard and state environmental officials, the Aleutian Islands are as vulnerable to oil spills today as they were two years ago. KIAL's Charles Homans has the story in Unalaska.

Unalaska, AK – A more-than-500-foot freighter is on its way to Dutch Harbor for repairs after experiencing engine problems west of the Aleutians.

The Sea Honesty was carrying a shipment of wheat from Oregon to Japan when it ran into trouble west of Attu Island on Monday, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Sara Francis. It's on its way to Dutch Harbor under its own power, and is expected to arrive early Thursday afternoon.

Unalaska, AK – Russian king crab exporters are seeking environmentally friendly status for their Barents Sea red king crab, one of the most significant competitors of Alaskan red king crab.

The trade publication Seafood.com reported this week that two Russian companies that account for 80 percent of the Barents Sea fishery are seeking an assessment from the Marine Stewardship Council. The MSC is a London-based organization that monitors fisheries for environmental sustainability. The group issues a label of approval to seafood products that are harvested in a sustainable manner.

Unalaska, AK – UniSea's crab processing plant is down today after a fire at the building this morning. Plant personnel believe that the fire that erupted at 6:40 this morning may have originated in a boiler stack. It was contained by Unalaska's volunteer fire department by about 8:45 a.m. Firefighter Roger Deffendall said they had two factors on their side: the building was equipped with sprinklers, and the fire department was able to use its new truck, which is equipped with flame-retardant foam.

Unalaska, AK – Bryce Edgmon's victory in Tuesday's House District 37 election doesn't just mean a new face in the state House. It also may mean the end of the line for Carl Moses, the senior-most lawmaker in Juneau. In Unalaska, KIAL's Charles Homans has the story.

Unalaska, AK – Democrat Bryce Edgmon appears to have won the race for House District 37, defeating Republican Ron Bowers and incumbent Representative Carl Moses's write-in campaign.

With the two largest precincts in District 37, Unalaska and Dillingham, reporting this morning, Edgmon is far ahead of his competitors with 910 votes. 306 write-in votes have been cast, most of them presumably for Moses, and Bowers has 320 votes. While many smaller precincts have yet to report, it seems unlikely that they will change the outcome of the election.