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Unalaska’s Department of Public Works has punched through the last of the giant snow drifts blocking Overland Drive. While the East Coast and much of the mid-west struggles with intolerable heat and humidity Sonia Handforth-Kome takes a walk on the cool upper reaches of the mountain road.

One of the foxes who frequents the yard of the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension yawns as she awakens from her late-afternoon nap on the grass Tuesday. Unalaska’s weather for the Independence Day festivities should be sunny and warm with light breezes. Yawning in canines is an appeasement gesture, something also referred to as a […]

The three men injured while trying to repair an ammonia leak on the vessel Excellence Friday are doing well. The ship’s chief engineer was treated and released at the Iliuliuk Health Clinic in Unalaska on Friday. Two employees of Alfa Welding were air lifted to Anchorage Friday with more serious injuries. One was released Saturday […]

The heavy lift vessel Xiang Rui Kou with Shell’s drill rig Kulluk aboard slipped anchor Wednesday morning and headed for Singapore. A vessel tracking site showed the large ship with seriously large cargo moving at a respectable 13 knots. When towed by the powerful tug Aiviq the Kulluk made only 4 knots. The passage should […]

Shell’s drill rig Kulluk was loaded aboard the Chinese heavy lift transport ship Xiang Rui Kou Tuesday in Captains Bay, Unalaska. To bring the Kulluk aboard the XRK submerged its decks nearly 25 meters. Tugs then eased the Kulluk into position above the sunken deck of the transport. The Kulluq draws 47 feet of water, […]

Shell’s drill rig Kulluk is aboard the Chinese heavy lift transport ship Xiang Rui Kou and ready for the long voyage to Singapore. Tuesday morning the XRK left Captains Bay and is moored in Broad Bay, awaiting a break in the weather. As the giant vessel passed out of Captains Bay workers were visible working […]

The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most northerly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear—symbolizing strength. Benny Benson The Alaska flag was raised for the first time on July 9, 1927. The occasion […]

The ship was 18 hours out when the leak started. A pipe in the engine room broke just where it entered a valve. They were able to shut that part of the system down, then the vessel headed back to Dutch Harbor to unload the catch and get a certified ammonia welder to fix the […]

Saturday Morning update: A drive down Ballyhoo to Kloosterboer early Saturday morning shows the road to be open. A fire truck is spraying water on the Excellence, the ship with the ammonia leak. A police officer said any information would have to come from the Coast Guard, who is in charge of the press releases. […]