Although the council did have a quorum, many of the council members were joining remotely, including the city manager who was attending to personal issues.

On Aug. 9, the Bethel City Council will vote on a ballot proposition that would put to voters the question of whether Bethel should allow a package store that sells beer and wine.

Schools across rural Alaska often struggle to find and retain teachers. The Lower Kuskokwim School District has a program that helps get local people in those positions.

People along the Yukon River are facing food insecurity in the wake of chinook and salmon crashes for the second year in a row. But this year, sky-high costs of groceries due to inflation has made the situation worse.

In Hooper Bay, public safety officers are cutting back on patrols. In Aniak, the city is spending twice as much for the same amount of bulk fuel as last year. In Bethel, folks are paying hundreds of dollars to fill up their tanks at the gas station.

In 2016, a mid-air collision between two small commercial airplanes near Russian Mission resulted in the death of both pilots and all passengers. Following the crash, the pilot's employer, Renfro's Alaskan Adventures, and his widow pursued a lawsuit against the other company.