Rural blog

The Village is a Daily News blog about life and politics in rural Alaska. Its main author is ADN reporter Kyle Hopkins. Come here for breaking news on village issues, plus interviews, videos and photos. But that's just part of the story. We want to feature your pictures, videos and stories, too. Think of The Village as your bulletin board. E-mail us anything you’d like to share with the rest of Alaska -- your letters to the editor, the photos of your latest hunt or video of your latest potlatch. (We love video.)


Kyle Hopkins

I was born in Sitka, have lived in Kake, Skagway and Fairbanks and joined the ADN in 2005 after writing for the Anchorage Press and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. I started blogging for the paper in 2006 with The Trail, our blog about the governor's race. Then came the Alaska Politics blog. Now I'm covering government and rural affairs and live in Anchorage with my wife, Rebecca. (Update: Our daughter Alice was born May 31. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.) E-mail me at khopkins@adn.com and find me on Twitter at twitter.com/ADNVillage.

 

READER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Life in Rural Alaska

Post your photos from the Bush and check out what others are sending in.

STORY

Fourth-grade whale hunter

A nine-year-old delivered the killing blow to a 32-foot bowhead whale in Barrow.

AUDIO SLIDE SHOW

Relocating Newtok

Residents of the Yup'ik Eskimo village and military reservists on site discuss Newtock's relocation.

VIDEO

Coping with suicide

Willie Ballot, of Selawik, describes life after his daughter's suicide.

PHOTOS

Kotzebue in April

While Southcentral Alaska enjoyed warm and sunny April days, in Kotzebue snow and winter-weather maintained.

Foxes! - 2/5/2010 6:04 pm

Send-off party today for Olympian Callan Chythlook-Sifsof - 2/5/2010 1:33 pm

A runway on the ocean: Plane service returns to Diomede - 2/4/2010 7:27 pm

Game Board round-up: New rules for potlatch hunts, exotic pets - 2/3/2010 4:26 pm

Point Hope caribou case: Remaining hunters on trial - 2/3/2010 10:42 am

'Deadliest Catch' captain suffers stroke - 1/30/2010 3:58 pm

An obituary: Jerel Redfox - 1/24/2010 8:03 pm

Troopers: Bodies discovered after Sand Point plane crash - 1/24/2010 6:06 pm

Alaska Census jobs among the highest paid in U.S. - 1/24/2010 1:01 pm

Coast Guard: No plans to resume search for pilots today - 1/23/2010 1:32 pm

The Kotzebue diaries: Chickens, guns & grub - 1/22/2010 6:13 pm

"Breathe In" - 1/21/2010 2:49 pm

Opinion: What the Massachusetts race means for Alaska - 1/20/2010 3:18 pm

Advisory vote: Bethel voters say they don't want bars, liquor stores - 1/20/2010 9:52 am

John Baker, of Kotz, wins Kusko 300 - 1/17/2010 8:01 pm

Now on your phone: Juneau police - 1/17/2010 7:26 pm

Safety dance - 1/16/2010 10:16 pm

Feds declare fisheries disaster for Yukon kings - 1/15/2010 11:01 am

There's no such thing as fast-paced when it comes to subsistence politics - 1/14/2010 6:37 pm

'I Am Eskimo' - 1/13/2010 9:21 pm

Feds to study link between climate change, subsistence fishing patterns - 1/13/2010 5:46 pm

"Mmmmmmmmmmm ..." - 1/12/2010 7:23 pm

Storm hits western, northern Alaska; weather service warns of flooding

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Cold Kotzebue: "Winds gusting to 60 mph and these guys are up in the bucket truck fixing wires," reports Kotzebue blog Keeping it Real at 66 Degrees North Latitude. Thanks to Cathy Jones for the photo.Cold Kotzebue: "Winds gusting to 60 mph and these guys are up in the bucket truck fixing wires," reports Kotzebue blog Keeping it Real at 66 Degrees North Latitude. Thanks to Cathy Jones for the photo.

A winter storm has hit much of western and northern Alaska, with the National Weather Service today warning of potential major coastal flooding in Eastern Norton Sound.

Unalakleet and Shaktoolik could see flooding this evening, said Stephen Kearney, a meteorologist intern for the Weather Service in Fairbanks. “Sea levels are expected to rise 8 to 9 feet above normal late this afternoon through much of tomorrow.”

I just called the village corporation in Shaktoolik -- population 223 on the east shore of Norton Sound -- where some residents have started to board up windows on the ocean-side of the village, said Clarence Katchatag.

The village is holding a meeting to talk about potential evacuation now, he said, but the community has seen these storms before.

Water was rising fast in Unalakleet as of 3 p.m., said city administrator Herb Ivanoff.

“We’ve moved some food and stuff to the clinic area in case we need to start moving people here after a bit," he said.

The storm comes as sea ice has barely started to form, meaning the storm could push young ice onto shore threatening structures, according to the Weather Service. Residents in areas such as Emmonak, Wales and Savoonga are being urged to move belongings away from the coast.

“Because it’s happening so early and there’s a lot of open water out there, then coastal flooding starts to be a big hazard,” Kearney said. “It’s a lot of things to watch for. It’s definitely keeping us busy here today.”


Note: Readers, if you have any storm photos to share, please send me an e-mail at khopkins@adn.com.


The storm started yesterday in areas such as Nome and the Bering Sea region and worked its way inland this morning, Kearney said.

Kotzebue has seen blizzard conditions for the past several hours, he said.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm and coastal flooding warnings across the state today.The National Weather Service has issued winter storm and coastal flooding warnings across the state today.

Among the Weather Service warnings issued today ...

A coastal flood warning is in effect until 6 p.m. tomorrow for:
-- St. Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast, including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, Diomede.
“The high water and high waves could push sea ice on shore. Wave-driven sea ice can cause great damage to structures. Anything that can be moved from the coast should be moved now,” the Weather Service says.

-- Yukon Delta – including Emmonak, Mountain Village, Alaskanuk, Kotlik, Pilot Station, St. Mary’s, Nunam Iqua.
“Anything that can be moved away from the coast should be moved now,” the Weather Service says. “Snow and blizzard conditions will accompany his storm today and tonight.”

A coastal flood watch is in effect through Thursday afternoon in:
-- The Chukchi Sea Coast, including Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, Espenberg.
“Tides are expected to be 1 to 2 feet above normal this afternoon through Thursday. Coastal flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion will be possible tonight and Thursday …”

Winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Thursday:
-- Lower Kobuk and Noatak Valleys, including Noatak, Kiana, Red Dog Mine.
“Strong winds and areas of blizzard conditions are expected today and tonight.”

-- Lower Koyukuk and Middle Yukon Valleys, including Galena, Nulato, Huslia, Kaltag …
Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches is expected through tonight.

-- Lower Yukon Valley, including Marshall, Russian Mission, Holy Cross, Grayling …
“Snowfall of 5 to 8 inches is expected through tonight.”


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