Unalaska, AK – The Cougar Ace finally left Dutch Harbor at about 2 p.m. this afternoon.
The car carrier is headed for Portland, Ore. after spending three and a half weeks moored in Dutch Harbor. The Cougar Ace still isn't moving under it's own power; it's being towed south by two tugboats from Crowley Maritime. Coast Guard spokeswoman Sara Francis said that, while the Coast Guard isn't accompanying the vessel to Portland, they will be following its progress intently.
Unalaska, AK – A strong earthquake shook Unalaska at about 4 a.m. this morning. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.0. The U.S. Geological Survey reported its location at 12 miles northeast of Unalaska; the National Weather Service's West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer said it originated at 15 miles east of the island. Because of the small number of seismic monitors in the Aleutians, pinpointing the exact source of a quake in the island chain is difficult.
Unalaska, AK – A man lost his arm in an accident at Westward Seafoods' Unalaska processing plant Wednesday. The victim's last name is Sato, but his first name was unavailable as of Thursday evening.
Mr. Sato was repairing a conveyor belt that had not been properly shut down, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. His right arm got caught in the machine and was torn off.
Unalaska, AK – More than sixteen hundred dead seabirds washed up on the shore of Unalaska Island last night. Local scientists don't yet know the cause of the die-off, and the Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating. In Unalaska, KIAL's Charles Homans has the story.
Unalaska, AK – An unusually large number of dead shearwaters washed up on Front Beach in Unalaska today. Local observers have found about 25 of the seabirds as of Wednesday afternoon, and expect to find more. Reid Brewer of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Marine Advisory Program was on the beach Wednesday afternoon, collecting data on the shearwaters' locations and physical characteristics in hopes of determining the cause of the die-off.
Unalaska, AK – A surge in criminal activity kept the Unalaska Department of Public Safety busy this past weekend. Officers made 11 arrests between Friday and Sunday nights, and at one point had nine of the 12 beds in the city jail full. Sgt. Matt Betzen said the activity was a considerable increase over an average weekend in Unalaska, when three to five arrests are made.
"It was a busy weekend--it kept the officers hopping," Betzen said.
Unalaska, AK – After nearly three weeks in Dutch Harbor, the Cougar Ace is finally leaving, sometime this week.
The Coast Guard has been monitoring the recovery effort since the car carrier was towed into Dutch Harbor on August 8. They're anticipating that the ship will leave on Wednesday; on-scene contractors working on the towing operation say that the Cougar Ace will leave whenever their final repair work is finished.
Unalaska, AK – A U.S. submarine that disappeared in the Aleutians during World War II apparently has been found off the shore of Kiska Island. A research expedition paid for by one of the commanding officer's sons spotted what they believe is the U.S.S. Grunion in the mile-deep waters near what was once a Japanese military base in the Aleutians. The team arrived in Dutch Harbor on Thursday, and KIAL's Charles Homans was there.
