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“YOURS FOR WESTERN ALASKA”

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‘Dear Friend of KNOM…’ (February 2020)

Patience, endurance, and resiliency are typical attributes of Western Alaskans. 2019 ended with some of the mildest weather on record. 2020, on the other hand, blew in with temperatures far below zero and wind chills reaching -70 degrees. The lack of insulating snow compounded buildings’ vulnerability to freezing. Through all these challenges, folks adapt, bundle […]

Meet Norton Sound’s First Baby of 2020

Nome’s first baby born in 2020 was Bella Aria Wyman, to parents John and Jocelyn Wyman. She arrived just before 10am on January 5th. Her mother. Jocelyn, says Bella arrived a week before her due date, just in time for the new year. Bella weighed six pounds and ten ounces. She joins two older sisters […]

Guard Refortifying in Nome

4 people standing in a circle

“When I was four years old, we were living in our cabin nine miles up the river from White Mountain and we had a massive flood, in 1985. A HU-1 (Huey) helicopter came out and extracted us from our campsite because we were flooded. We had to spend a few hours on a piece of […]

REAL ID Is Real Roadblock

Later this year, Alaskans will not be able to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings using the current state identification, but will need a federally compliant REAL ID, tribal ID with a photograph, or a passport. For village residents, flying to the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles office for a face-to-face appointment can cost […]

Frozen, Broken Pipes Cause Delayed School Re-Openings

Just as 2019 ended as the warmest year ever measured in Alaska, students in the villages of Shishmaref, Hooper Bay, and St. Michael had an extended holiday break due to frozen pipes. At the school in Shishmaref, the frozen fire suppression system leaked, creating icicles growing from the ceiling. In Nome, Ken Morton from the […]

Dog Powered: Races Bring Dogs, Iron Dogs To The Air

In Western Alaska, the beginning of race season brings joy, excitement, and anticipation. In small communities throughout rural Alaska, tired mushers, dogs, and snowmachine racers are welcomed and fed before rushing off to their next checkpoints. The Kusko 300 runs on the Kuskokwim river, from “Bethel to Aniak and back”. As a qualifying race for […]

From the GM’s Desk (February 2020)

“God is good. All the time. He is present in new life and in the storms. Shared in these stories on the airwaves, we see Him in the work of our military and doctors, and in the support from neighbors and friends. As our prayers continue to join together, may we see the face of […]