The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three hunters near Sand Point on Wednesday after the group's boat sank on the southern end of Popof Island.

Iliuliuk Family and Health Services’ clinic director is stepping down after more than two years at the helm of the Unalaska clinic.Melanee Tiura will be taking a job as an administrator with Providence Medical Center in Valdez. Her last day at IFHS is Dec. 10.

The Unalaska Department of Public Utilities is upgrading electrical equipment that’s caused some of the island’s recent power outages.The new, more robust transformers will be able to better handle the harsh Aleutian weather, according to acting public utilities director Steve Tompkins. They’re also equipped for possible upgrades to the island’s energy grid, such as renewable energy from nearby Makushin Volcano.

Unalaska may be one step closer to cleaning up some of the contaminated military sites left over from World War II.Formerly Used Defense Sites — or FUDS — are properties the military used for things like defense or weapons testing. And as anyone who has spent any time in Unalaska surely knows, there are World War II sites all over the island.Rena Flint is the project coordinator for the Amaknak FUDS, which covers 190 thousand acres across Unalaska and Amaknak Islands. And while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has taken strides to clean up some of those places, it’s been a long road, with lots of red tape.

House Speaker Louise Stutes has appointed a former Unalaska mayor to a new ferry oversight board.Shirley Marquardt will be joining the nine-member Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, which was established through the passage of House Bill 63 — introduced by Speaker Stutes last session.

A new airline that’s announced regular air connections between Unalaska and Anchorage has delayed its launch to the island until next spring, saying it’s studying safety recommendations made in the wake of 2019’s fatal crash at Dutch Harbor involving the same type of aircraft.

Alaska’s coastal communities face pronounced threats as climate change creates new hurdles around the globe.The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska hosted an event in early November, designed to help local, regional, statewide and national partners share knowledge about how to face those challenges.The event was mainly virtual, but there were also group gatherings in Unalaska, Akutan and Sand Point. Around a dozen people attended the in-person event at the Grand Aleutian Hotel in Unalaska.

The City of St. Paul says two essential workers tested positive for COVID-19 Monday, after flying into the community. The tests were performed at the local health center as part of the city’s travel testing requirements, according to a city statement.

Army Pvt. George Fox is the only known Unangax̂ soldier killed in action in World War II and any war since. He’s also been buried in an unmarked grave in Unalaska for over 70 years.Now, nearly a decade of work will culminate in a Memorial Day 2022 ceremony to recognize and honor him.

Masks will remain optional at Unalaska schools, despite the district returning to its medium COVID-19 transmission threshold, according to Unalaska City School District officials.The loosened masking rules took effect on Monday, after the city reported zero active community acquired COVID-19 cases the prior week. According to the district’s mitigation plan, that drop meant the schools would shift their transmission level to low and masks would no longer be required.