On today’s Midday Report with host Kirsten Dobroth: climate change is causing humpback whales to migrate further north, a rural school on the Kenai Peninsula faces staffing uncertainty going into the school year, and the state’s Department of Natural Resources loosens rules on ATV use.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released a sweeping five-year plan to prioritize and promote the country’s commercial fishing industry.  Commercial fishing vessels docked in the St. Paul Harbor in Kodiak; Feb. 6, 2023 (Brian Venua/KMXT) NOAA Fisheries announced its National Seafood Strategy on Wednesday. The agency said in a press release that the plan will “outline the direction” …

On today’s Midday Report with host Kirsten Dobroth: the community of Akutan contemplates the loss of its biggest economic engine, more public use cabins are coming to Alaska, and a major waterfront development is on the horizon for Juneau.

Kodiak is now part of an online initiative to make public health data across the country more accessible to local communities.  Kodiak is the second city in Alaska to join the City Health Dashboard (Brian Venua/KMXT) The City Health Dashboard was created by New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine, and includes everything from rates of diabetes to broadband connectivity. …

Last week, the National Guard armory in Kodiak was renamed to honor Daniel Lee Harmon. Harmon was Alutiiq and a soldier from Woody Island, on the Kodiak archipelago. He was killed in action during the Vietnam War, and honored with three Bronze Stars, one of the highest military honors. Two were awarded with Valor – which denotes heroism in combat. …

Alaska Aerospace, which owns and operates the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak’s Narrow Cape, wants to renew its land agreement in the area for another 30 years. The land management agreement allows the company to launch rockets and conduct other testing from the Pasagshak area – near the end of the island’s road system.  Kodiak’s Spaceport is one of the …

Thousands of Alaskans brought relics to this month’s taping of Antiques Roadshow in Anchorage; that’s the long-running PBS television show where experts appraise everything from family heirlooms to thrift store finds during stops in cities around the country. It was the show’s first visit to Alaska, and a handful of Kodiak residents made the trip with their own items. Charlie …

Lawmakers in Washington D.C. are currently negotiating the details of this year’s farm bill reauthorization, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski says Alaska’s commercial fishermen could see a boost from the bill. The senator introduced legislation this week that would prioritize food security and small-scale food producers in the state – including Alaska’s seafood industry. “Our seafood industry deserves to have some …

Updated 12:30 a.m. The Kodiak Police Department sounded the all clear at 12:30 a.m., after a tsunami warning was initially issued by NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Center for communities across the Aleutian Chain, including Kodiak Island, shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday evening. The warning was later downgraded to an advisory. Seismologists initially said the main quake was a 7.3 shake, it …

The last two years have been big for Kodiak Tanner crab fishermen. Processors offered a record of more than $8 per pound back in 2022. And this year’s harvest levels were the highest they’ve been since 1986, making it the largest crab fishery in the state. But all that attention has also renewed discussions about how to best manage – …