Unalaska, AK – Cleveland Volcano erupted briefly on Saturday afternoon, spitting out a small cloud of ash. The event lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
The cloud was reported by a pilot. AVO volcanologist David Schneider said that the eruption was similar to other recent activity at Cleveland.
"This event seems quite typical to what's been seen there over the last year or two, where there's these very short-duration explosions producing an ash cloud," Schneider said.
Nikolski, AK – A gale heading towards Nikolski is expected to keep fuel barges away from the village until early next week. But the local tribal administrator says a smaller air shipment that arrived today should be enough to keep essential services operating until the rest of the fuel arrives. KIAL's Charles Homans reports from Nikolski.
Unalaska, AK – The Unalaska City Council will address the community's need for recycling and public restrooms at its meeting tonight at City Hall.
The Qawalangin Tribe is scheduled to present its business plan for a recycling program for Unalaska. The tribe offered a proposal at the October 10 meeting for a program that would recycle aluminum and fiber products. Tribal administrator Sharon Svarny-Livingston said the program would cost the city about $158,000 in its first year. A more detailed financial plan will be presented tonight.
Unalaska, AK – A 32-year-old man is in custody after allegedly fracturing another man's skull in a fight outside of the UniSea Sports Bar on Sunday night.
Joshua Trueblood was charged with second-degree assault this morning in Unalaska's District Court. Witnesses said a man matching his description punched Steven Evans outside the bar at about 8:20 p.m., and then slammed Evans's head into the pavement. The attack left Evans with a fractured skull, broken nose, broken dentures and a cut in his forehead that required stitches, according to the police report. He was taken by ambulance to the Iliuliuk Clinic.
Unalaska, AK – Two barges are scheduled to go to Nikolski later this week to alleviate the fuel shortage there as soon as weather allows. KIAL's Charles Homans has the story in Unalaska.
Unalaska, AK – The Aleutian village of Nikolski has run out of fuel, and the remote community is now without phone service or electricity. Few details were available from Nikolski today, because all phone lines to the village were down. Officials at the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association were looking into the situation, but had little information available as of this afternoon.
Fuel suppliers in Unalaska who deliver to Nikolski said that the village had been calling them about a delivery. But bad weather conditions are forecast for the next few days, and are expected to keep fuel barges from reaching the community before the end of the week.
Kodiak, AK – The search for a missing Kodiak fisherman has been suspended. Steve Esparza was a crewmember of the Ocean Challenger, which capsized Wednesday 60 miles south of Sand Point. The Coast Guard says it called off the search just before 8 p.m. last night.
The search covered approximately 1,730 square miles, and lasted 46 hours and 20 minutes, according to the Coast Guard. A C-130 and an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak searched with the cutter Munro. The search turned up no sign of Esparza. No further searches are planned for the 26-year-old fisherman.
Unalaska, AK – The fishing vessel Zenith, which broke down southwest of Saint George Island Thursday night, is on its way to Dutch Harbor. KIAL's Charles Homans has the story in Unalaska.
