By:  Megan Gannon The Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference, or WAISC for short, was held in Nome last week. Hosted by Alaska Sea Grant and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus, the meeting brought together a few dozen researchers and knowledge holders from across the state and Lower 48. Talks covered a vast array of topics, from harmful algal blooms and coastal storms to energy efficient design and reindeer husbandry. Presenters included scientists who live in Massachusetts as well as high school students at Nome-Beltz. As the theme of this year’s gatheri ..read more

By:  Diana Haecker The Nome Common Council signed off on a Memorandum of Agreement with Norton Sound Health Corporation to take over ground ambulance services, currently run by the city’s volunteer ambulance department. In January, the council had decided to relinquish the service to NSHC. The city had run the Nome Volunteer Ambulance Department since 1996, but an uptick in complaints from the public regarding lagging response times and a smaller pool of ambulance volunteers forced the council to weigh the pros and cons for a city-run ambulance vis-à-vis an ambulance service operated b ..read more

Choices Housing is too expensive Cost of living is too expensive It's not aesthetically appealing Not enough jobs available Hard to make ends meet, overall Not enough entertainment or opportunities for young people ..read more

Choices Removing personal property tax exemptions for commercial aircraft Increasing property tax mill rate Pursuing state or federal grants Increasing the sales tax Increasing bed and hotel taxes Cutting the budget at the expense of services delivered ..read more

By:  Anna Lionas This year the Nome Pool will stay open during the summer after being closed for its regular winter season for an retrofitting the sanitation system from saltwater back to a chlorine system that it was built for. Lead contractor of the pool project, Bob Walker, and co-contractors will finalize commissioning the system, beginning April 13 with an expected completion date of April 20. After this it will take at least two weeks for the lifeguards to become recertified which will determine the opening date, City Manager Glenn Steckman said in an email to the Nugget. The pro ..read more

By:  Anna Lionas The Nome Public Safety Advisory Commission met Monday for the first time since August 2023, with a full quorum. The commission heard from four community members who voiced frustrations with Nome Police Department’s arrest procedures, officer’s behavior and the handling of sexual assault cases regarding minors. Trinh and Mark Johnson and Rexodus and Shawn Pomrenke all spoke out during the public comments period of the meeting. “I don’t hate cops. I just don’t like bad cops. I don’t like bad behavior going out there in our community. We live in a small town, we should b ..read more

Choices I agree I disagree I have no preference ..read more

By:  Anna Lionas Clutching their State Championship trophy, the Nome Nanooks Boys’ Basketball team exited the Alaska Airlines terminal in Nome on Sunday to a true hero’s welcome. A crowd of Nanook fans gathered as snow fell, holding signs praising the winning team and welcoming them home. As Mayor John Handeland belted out the Nome-Beltz Alma Mater, the boys and cheer team boarded the bus to begin their victory lap through town. Fans jumped out of their cars with posters at the sound of the approaching ambulance sirens in the parade. “Don’t Stop Believing” could be heard playing from ..read more

Choices Yes, I was there in person Yes, I was at a watch party Yes, I followed it on social media No ..read more

Choices Yes No ..read more