“In the last few days, we have started to see case counts bump back up a little bit,” said Dr. Joe McLaughlin, an epidemiologist with the state. “So I just want to really encourage people to continue to remain vigilant.”
The first 150 or so tests came back negative.Â
Last spring, health care workers in Kodiak had swabbed somewhere around 150 noses, looking for a mysterious new virus called COVID-19, before they found any.Â
Testing efforts started in March of this year as Kodiak and the rest of the world began to grasp the magnitude of the growing COVID-19 pandemic. But it wasnât until April 15 that anyone tested positive for the virus here, officially marking its arrival in Kodiak. That day, health officials said 153 tests had been performed so far.Â
Eight months, 905 cases, five deaths, thousands of tests and countless closures, cancellations and Zoom meetings later, COVID-19 is still deeply affecting Kodiak. There was no bigger story in 2020. It touched everything, and even though vaccines are slowly rolling out across the country, the virus will likely dominate headlines for months to come.Â
Last week, the residents of Hemlock Street received an early Christmas present â the cleanup of an unsightly, rat-infested pile of abandoned junk that for months had overflowed from a private property onto the street.Â
âMr. Mike did a really good job,â said Belma Llorente, one of the residents who led the effort to have the site cleaned up.
The âMr. Mikeâ she referred to was City Manager Mike Tvenge.
âAll the neighbors are very happy now for the quick action,â she said.
The âquick actionâ took a while to get started, though.
The junk heap first appeared in March, and grew larger as the months passed. Eventually, the stench emanating from the pile became unbearable.Â
Gov. Mike Dunleavy released his proposed budget for the state on Dec. 11.
The Kodiak Island Borough has started broad conversations. And the Kodiak Island Borough School District has begun to talk about what its budget will look like for Fiscal Year 2022.Â
Itâs early, so there are plenty of unknowns. The district doesnât know how much it will get from the borough or the state, how much insurance will cost, or how much money will be left over from this year, if any.Â
âThis budget process will continue for months as we adapt and get more information,â Superintendent Larry LeDoux said at a Board of Education work session last week.Â