Regional

The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking help from the public in its investigation of a Dutch Harbor-based fishing vessel that was lost off the Alaska Peninsula along with five crew members.

KUCB's partnership with ProPublica began Sept. 1. The investigative journalism nonprofit selected KUCB's former reporter, Zoë Sobel, to join its Local Reporting Network, along with five other public radio station reporters across the country.

Bering Sea pollock fishermen had a close encounter Wednesday with Russian military vessels conducting pre-planned exercises, according to industry officials and a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman.

"They are telling American fishing vessels to move out of the way," said Brent Paine, executive director of United Catcher Boats, an industry trade group. "They've got some submarines and destroyers and nobody knows anything about it."

The Alaska Marine Highway Reshaping Work Group meets Wednesday in the first of its two public forums, and is requesting public comment on the future of its 10-ferry fleet. 

Two airlines are vying to resume direct flights connecting Unalaska with Anchorage. Servant Air and Float Alaska have each made filings stating they would like to fill the gap left by Ravn which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.