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Calista pays to extend local Typhoon Halong recovery jobs after state funding runs out
Calista Corporation's board committed company money to keep local residents working on Typhoon Halong recovery after state funding ran out this fall, Calista President and CEO Andrew Guy wrote in a message published Thursday.
Calista is the Alaska Native regional corporation for the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. The money kept people from storm-damaged communities on the job longer than they otherwise would have been, Guy wrote.
Calista Brice construction subsidiaries employed nearly 100 community members, including 81 Calista shareholders and descendants. They removed debris, repaired boardwalks and did electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. Together they worked nearly 62,000 hours and earned more than $4.3 million in wages.
Those figures come from Calista's own account in Storyknife, its shareholder newsletter. Guy didn't say how much the board committed, how much of that work it paid for or how long the extra work will last.
"This disaster is deeply personal to Calista," Guy wrote. Many of the company's friends, family members and coworkers are storm survivors, he said.
The remnants of the typhoon hit western Alaska on Oct. 11 and 12, 2025. In an earlier Calista publication, a Brice Inc. project manager called Kipnuk the hardest-hit village and said Kwigillingok also lost many homes, community buildings and critical infrastructure.
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Stories on what’s next
TKC ROOTS Beaver Mittens Sewing Class Registration Deadline
Kuskokwim Corporation will teach beaver mitten sewing over Zoom in December
The Kuskokwim Corporation will teach a three-day Zoom class in December on sewing beaver mittens lined with rabbit fur. Applications are due Nov. 16.

2022 Kuskokwim Fishery Disaster Relief: Commercial Permit Holder Applications Open
No Kuskokwim River commercial fishery this year: a full look at the 2026 salmon season
The state offered no commercial salmon fishing on the Kuskokwim River this year, a first since at least 1998, while subsistence harvests came up short.

Mountain Village Water System Design Proposals Due
Mountain Village's boil water notice nears a year as the state seeks engineers for upgrades
Mountain Village has been under a boil water notice for nearly a year because of low pressure. The state now wants engineers to design new pumps and mains.

Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Regulations on Bering Sea Chum Salmon Cap Released for Public Comment
Rules for a 45,000-fish Western Alaska chum bycatch cap are expected by the end of 2026
A 45,000-fish cap on Western Alaska chum caught by the pollock fleet could be proposed as federal rules by the end of 2026. It would start in 2028.

Latest
Week of Nov 9
Canadian court approves NovaGold deal that would put Donlin Gold under one owner
A Canadian court approved NovaGold's stock deal for Paulson's 40% of Donlin Gold, which is expected to put the Alaska mine project under one owner Dec. 1.

Kotlik man charged with first-degree assault after alleged knife attack
Troopers charged a Kotlik man with first-degree assault after they say he cut a friend repeatedly with a knife early Monday. The friend was medevaced to Bethel.

Bethel police, tribal court and clinic hosted a two-day suicide prevention training
Bethel police, ONC's tribal court and Bethel Family Clinic hosted a two-day suicide prevention training for local organizations, led by NAMI New Hampshire.

Week of Nov 2
Bethel problem property cases stall over owners it can't reach
Bethel is trying to clean up problem properties, but its tracking sheet shows what's in the way: dead owners, owners it can't reach and, at one shop, squatters.

Bethel tells water customers to get their lines and tanks ready for freeze-up
Bethel told water customers to turn on their heat trace or glycol and keep hookups reachable. If a service line freezes anyway, the owner has to fix it.

NovaGold shareholders approve trading stock for Paulson's share of Donlin Gold
NovaGold shareholders voted to swap stock for Paulson's 40% of Donlin Gold, which would give one company the project. Building it waits on a 2027 study.

FEMA obligates about $14,500 for Umkumiut building contents destroyed in 2025 storms
FEMA approved $14,536 for Umkumiut, a Nelson Island subsistence camp hit hard by Typhoon Halong. Most of its $5.2 million in projects are still in review.

Bethel parks committee to discuss a $1 fitness center fix projected to save $46,000 a year
A $1 change to YK Fitness Center ventilation settings could save the Bethel center nearly $46,000 a year, an audit says. A city committee discusses it Monday.

More from Y-K Delta
Bethel parks committee will discuss reorganizing jobs around a fitness center manager
Bethel's parks committee will weigh a plan for a fitness center manager. It would cut committee record-keeping from the job as an "inefficient use of time."

State skips Kuskokwim subsistence salmon survey after grant request goes unfunded
Fish and Game skipped its door-to-door count of Kuskokwim subsistence salmon harvests this year after its federal grant request went unfunded.

Bethel offers free bus rides to the Cultural Center polling place on Election Day
Bethel is offering free bus rides Tuesday to and from the Cultural Center polling place. The posted schedule's last stop there is 6 pm; polls close at 8.

Week of Oct 26
Bethel has 36 of 121 city jobs open, including most of its water and sewer haulers
Bethel has 36 of 121 city jobs open, including 14 of 19 on the crew that trucks water and hauls sewage. Police and dispatch are short-handed, too.

Troopers say Bethel man killed Emmonak woman in Kotlik, then shot himself
Troopers say a 43-year-old Bethel man killed a 35-year-old Emmonak woman in a Kotlik home, then shot himself. The two were found dead early Tuesday.

Bethel tells Bethel Heights water customers to boil water after E. coli test
About 2,200 Bethel residents on the Bethel Heights piped water system should boil their water after a sample tested positive for E. coli, the city said.

Alaska Board of Fisheries picks Bethel and Dillingham for 2028 regional finfish meetings
The Board of Fisheries will take its 2028 AYK and Bristol Bay meetings to Bethel and Dillingham, after some debate over hotel rooms and winter dining.

Tuluksak School's new hydroponic tower is growing tomatoes, onions and basil
Tuluksak School has a new hydroponic tower growing tomatoes, onions and basil, part of a Yupiit School District project to get fresh produce to its schools.

About Y-K Delta
The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, often called the Y-K Delta, is a vast tundra and wetland region in Western Alaska where the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers meet the Bering Sea. Bethel is its hub city, and most of its villages have no road connection. People travel by boat, snowmachine and small plane.
Subsistence salmon fishing and goose hunting sit at the center of life in the region. Its stories return to Kuskokwim and Yukon salmon closures, the effect of Bering Sea pollock bycatch on Western Alaska chum, coastal and river flooding from Bering Sea storms, and the high cost of power and fuel in rural villages.
Regional institutions include the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Calista Corporation, the Kuskokwim Corporation and the AVEC rural power cooperative. State and federal fisheries managers make many of the decisions that shape the region's harvests.
More from Y-K Delta
Calista tops 40,100 shareholders as most regional Native corporations enroll descendants
Calista now has more than 40,100 shareholders, triple its original count. Most regionals have voted to add descendants; 7(i) still uses the 1971 roll.

Bethel's landfill score drops to 69.6% on its state inspection, down from 90.9%
Bethel's landfill score on its state inspection fell from 90.9% to 69.6%. The state flagged undrained vehicles and no one checking incoming trash loads.

FEMA public assistance obligated for Typhoon Halong recovery reaches $9 million
FEMA has obligated just over $9 million in disaster aid for Typhoon Halong recovery in western Alaska. The biggest chunk so far, about $3.4 million, covers debris removal in Napakiak and Tununak.

Weather service extends Yukon Delta Coast high surf advisory to Wednesday
High surf advisory for the Yukon Delta Coast is extended until 4 am Wednesday, with gusts up to 50 mph and waves 2 to 4 feet above high tide.

Week of Oct 19
Bethel residents press for higher firefighter pay as union contract talks continue
Six Bethel residents asked the council to pay firefighters more, as union talks continue and the fire department prepares for staffing reductions.

Kuskokwim Corporation hosts Zoom craft night Oct. 29 through its TKC ROOTS program
The Kuskokwim Corporation is hosting a Zoom craft night Oct. 29 through its TKC ROOTS program. Bring beading, sewing, knitting, drawing or whatever else.

Bering Sea storm floods roads in Hooper Bay, Teller and Wales, with gusts to 71 mph
Friday's Bering Sea storm flooded roads in Hooper Bay, Teller and Wales, and gusts hit 71 mph at Wales. The wind has eased, but more storms are coming.

Bethel council to consider backing AVCP plan for a regional emergency response system
Bethel's mayor wants the City Council to back AVCP's plan for a tribally led public safety and emergency response system for Western Alaska, hub in Bethel.

Bethel council to hear plan for statewide commission to collect taxes on platform sales
Bethel may hand a statewide commission the job of collecting its sales and bed taxes on lodging, delivery and travel sold through online platforms.

Flood warning says Hooper Bay water could rise up to 7.5 feet above high tide Friday
Weather Service warns Hooper Bay could see 5 to 7.5 feet of flooding above high tide from Friday through Sunday, flooding roads and low buildings.

Wrongful death lawsuit against Mountain Village concerns 2024 police station fire
A wrongful death suit against Mountain Village concerns Lawrence Chiklak, 39, who died in a 2024 fire at the police station while police were detaining him.

Bethel hires a Louisiana firm to audit local businesses for unpaid city taxes
Bethel hired a Louisiana firm, without bidding, to audit local businesses for unpaid city taxes. It meets the Finance Committee Monday. Final price: not public.

Flood watch warns Hooper Bay water could rise 4 to 8 feet above high tide
The weather service warned water could rise up to 8 feet above high tide at Hooper Bay starting late Thursday, with flood watches from Kipnuk to Diomede.

Troopers arrest Marshall man, 23, on child sexual abuse and assault charges
Troopers arrested a 23-year-old Marshall man Saturday on seven charges, including sexual abuse of a minor, after a girl's assault was reported in September.

Week of Oct 12
Kotlik man charged with attempted murder after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people
Alaska State Troopers arrested a 21-year-old Kotlik man on two counts of attempted murder and 14 other charges after reports he pointed a shotgun at two people.

Anchorage Assembly to weigh asking Congress to let disaster aid support relocation
A year after Typhoon Halong, an Anchorage Assembly resolution would urge Congress to let disaster aid help villages relocate, not only rebuild where they were.

Bethel council elects mayor Tuesday after election brings in Joseph Klejka
Bethel's council picks its mayor by secret ballot Tuesday, two weeks after about 7% of the city's voters returned three incumbents and replaced a fourth.

Klejka wins Bethel's fourth council seat by 15 votes after canvass
Joseph Klejka won Bethel's last council seat by 15 votes. The resolution certifying it gives him a "one-year term ending October 2028," a math problem.

NovaGold sets Nov. 3 vote on owning all of Donlin; filing details a dropped three-way deal
Shareholders vote Nov. 3 on putting all of Donlin Gold under one company, nearly 40% owned by Paulson's firm. The filing details a 3-way deal that fell apart.

Week of Oct 5
Bering Sea pollock fleet nears its 2026 limits as salmon bycatch debate continues
The Bering Sea pollock fleet nearly has its 2026 limits. Yukon tribes say salmon fishing stayed closed; a tribal group says bycatch rules are years off.

Y-K Delta hunters face lower white-fronted goose limits as the Pacific population declines
Y-K Delta hunters can now take six white-fronted geese a day, down from 10, as Alaska and three West Coast states try to reverse the birds' decline.

Kwigillingok, Kongiganak forecast for highest water in surf advisory
National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory Friday for the Kuskokwim Delta Coast through afternoon, forecasting water 1 to 2 feet above normal high tide in Kwigillingok and Kongiganak.

State estimates $1.2 million to keep cleaning up Typhoon Halong fuel spills
Alaska's environmental agency estimates it needs about $1.2 million to keep cleaning up fuel spills in Western Alaska communities hit by Typhoon Halong.

Bethel council holds hearing Tuesday on leasing six city lots to Alaska Directional
Bethel City Council holds a public hearing Tuesday on leasing six city lots to a Palmer fiber contractor for $16,800 a month without taking competitive bids.
