Problems and Solutions in Unalakleet: Wind, Sun, Water

Improving life in rural Alaska often involves many small solutions put together. Volunteer Gabe Colombo, just back from a reporting trip in Unalakleet, shares his story of how the remote community is using renewable energy — especially wind power and solar panels — to reduce their astronomical energy costs.

Nome Lifts Boil-Water Notice

The notice, issued Thursday evening, was lifted early Saturday morning after NJUS received lab results confirming bacteria had not contaminated the water system.

Not a drop to drink

The morning of our press deadline for this month’s newsletter, the KNOM staff came into the studio building to an unpleasant surprise: no water. None of the faucets, water fixtures, or toilets in the building had any water pressure. Not a drop. Our local public utility identified the culprit to be a frozen pipe caused […]

Halloween, 1970: The AM tower is complete

October 31, 1970 The AM tower construction is complete. Nome Joint Utilities runs a power line across the tundra to the tower, and it is lighted. It’s finished just in time. Two days later, blizzards shut down Nome for almost three weeks.