News

OPEN WATER— The storms broke up ice and left the mouth of the Nome River with ice floes bobbing in open water.

Back-to-back storms bring screaming winds to Nome and region

By Diana Haecker Back-to-back winter storms hit Nome and the region with very strong, screaming winds and accompanying blowing snow. While the first storm on Friday seemed just like a warm up, the...

Cultural festival to open US-Russia border

When it comes to the Bering Strait, there is no shortage of individual adventurers trying to cross it by all means imaginable. But when news of the Bering Strait Festival reached Nome —with the...

COVID case count decreases in state and across region

New COVID-19 cases are falling across the state of Alaska, as well as in the Nome, Norton Sound and Bering Strait region. A tumultuous autumn saw hundreds of cases across the region, with hundreds...

COVID cases remain high at 115 in region

By Julia Lerner As Nomeites prepare for a second Thanksgiving season during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, active case counts remain high in the community and throughout the region. Norton Sound...

DOCK DESIGN— The port commission mulled three different options for dock designs of the proposed port expansion.

Port panel votes on dock design for port expansion

By Diana Haecker The Port Commission met last Thursday for a work session followed by a regular scheduled meeting to discuss the design of the deep-water basin docks for the proposed port expansion...

VISITING NOME— Senatorial candidate Kelly Tshibaka visited with students at Nome-Beltz Highschool on Tuesday, Nov. 23, during her trip to Nome and the region.

Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka on whirlwind tour through Nome

By Diana Haecker Alaska Senatorial candidate Kelly Tshibaka (R) visited Nome on Monday and Tuesday on her first campaign trip to the region. After a visit to Koyuk and Shaktoolik, Tshibaka traveled...

Jim Murphy in last week's Strait Science reports on preliminary findings of this summer's trawl survey.

Surface trawl survey reveals shifting fish populations

By Julia Lerner Researchers are predicting low fish runs in the Norton Sound and Northern Bering Sea region again next year, according to research biologist Jim Murphy. Murphy, who works with the...

Region has 155 active COVID-19 cases

By Julia Lerner The Norton Sound Health Corporation has identified more than 100 COVID-19 cases across the region in the last week, and new infections statewide surged over the weekend with more 1,...

Federal infrastructure package signed into law

By Julia Lerner When President Joe Biden signed a historic infrastructure package into law on the lawn of the White House on Monday, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young were...

SCHOOL VISITORS— On Friday morning, a polar bear sow and her cub wandered into Little Diomede and visited the entrance to the school. They milled around in the area between the school, the power plant and the local clinic before heading back to the helipad and into the still ice free Bering Strait

Polar bear with cub visits Diomede School

By Santiago Hubahib Jr. Diomede School SPED Teacher/History Teacher A polar bear with cub came to school early on Friday, Nov. 5. An emergency alarm was heard at 10:15 a.m. when a huge polar bear...