News

US Coast Guard conducts oil spill drill in Nome

Story and photos by Anna Lionas This week, the United States Coast Guard organized an oil spill response drill in the Nome Harbor, bringing 20 entities together in person and virtually to act out an...

Council passes lean FY 2026 budget

By Diana Haecker The Nome Common Council passed a trimmed-down version of the fiscal year 2026 general operational budget, totaling a tad over $17 million. In work session after work session, the...

Nome Search and Rescue finds missing man

By Anna Lionas After more than 24 hours of searching, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue team found Dexter Irrigoo, 67, on Monday afternoon at the base of Gold Hill and transported...

State may be on the hook for partial SNAP funding

By Laura Robertson The federal budget bill before Congress, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed the House of Representatives on May 22, including cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition...

The Nome Common Council reduced the contribution to Nome Public Schools from $3.4 million to $2.7 million.

Council sets mill rate at 11.5, reduces contribution to Nome schools

By Diana Haecker In work session after work session, the Nome Common Council is fine combing the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, trying to balance the budget while keeping services to citizens...

SENIOR VP– Mike Schaffner, Senior Vice President of Operations at Graphite One, presents at the community meeting held at Old St. Joe’s Hall.

Graphite One listens to concerns at meeting in Nome

By Diana Haecker In a series of meetings in Teller, Brevig Mission and Nome last week, Graphite One Alaska updated the public on their plans to develop a graphite mine on the northern slopes of the...

SENATOR–Senator Donny Olson in his office in Juneau on April 23.

Sen. Olson explains key moves in the legislative session

By Anna Lionas State Sen. Donny Olson (D-Golovin) is still recovering from a health issue earlier this year that took him out of the legislative session for six weeks. Olson returned to the state...

CITY LAWYER— Charles Cacciola, a lawyer representing the City of Nome, listens to Common Council questions during the May 15 Norton Sound Health Corporation property tax appeal hearing.

Board of Equalization considers NSHC property tax appeals

By Anna Lionas Sitting as the Board of Equalization, Nome Common Council members sat down for a hearing last week between Norton Sound Health Corporation lawyers and an attorney for the City to...

Proposed mine is in the wrong zone

By Anna Lionas Local gold miner Shawn Pomerenke has an application out for a permit to mine for gold at a long-standing claim within city limits. Last week it was discovered some of the land he...

Alaska Senate votes on state budget, with $1,000 PFD

By Anna Lionas The Alaska Legislature is working to finalize a tight state operating budget for 2026 with just over a week to go until the regular session is scheduled to end on May 21. The latest...