The Nome Nugget 61826 Alaska's Oldest Newspaper

MALE NORTHERN HARRIER – A male harrier is carrying a redpoll it captured north of Salmon Lake. Males and females are colored and marked differently, and males are smaller. Males are slate gray with a white breast, prominent black wingtips and black bands on the tail. They are sometimes referred to as “the gray ghost.” All harriers have an eye-catching white rump patch. This harrier caught a redpoll, but voles are their main food.

Northern Harrier––An owl-like hawk with a breathtaking courtship display

The Nome Common Council reduced the contribution to Nome Public Schools from $3.4 million to $2.7 million.

Council sets mill rate at 11.5, reduces contribution to Nome schools

By Diana Haecker

SENIOR VP– Mike Schaffner, Senior Vice President of Operations at Graphite One, presents at the community meeting held at Old St. Joe’s Hall.

Graphite One listens to concerns at meeting in Nome

By Diana Haecker

Nome-Beltz students perform ‘I Hate Shakespeare!’

Story and photos by Anna Lionas

AT WORK— William “Lee” Smith III is Nome’s new city manager.

New city manager tackles budget

By Diana Haecker

Nomeites demand justice for missing and murdered relatives

KEEP WORKING–Teacher Ian McRae lets speedy the snake slither around the room during work time but only if students promise not to get distracted.

School’s out for summer, but not for Speedy the snake 406f6j

Photo by Ian McRae SPEEDY OUTSIDE–Speedy the snake hangs out at the Nome Elementary School playground. By Anna Lionas It’s finally summertime which means Speedy the snake will have Nome Elementary School to himself for a few months....

Nome Search and Rescue finds missing man q2u1a

By Anna Lionas After more than 24 hours of searching, the Nome Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue team found Dexter Irrigoo, 67, on Monday afternoon at the base of Gold Hill and transported him to Norton Sound Regional Hospital. Irrigoo,...

GRADUATED— Alohna Johnson was one of 40 students who celebrated graduation from Nome-Beltz last week on Wednesday, May 28.

Forty students graduate from Nome-Beltz 415i2i

By Laura Robertson On Wednesday, May 28, Nome’s streets filled up with trucks and cars decorated in Nanook blue and white, celebrating the Nome-Beltz graduating Class of 2025 with a customary graduation parade. Seniors sat in the backs of trucks...

State may be on the hook for partial SNAP funding 60tj

By Laura Robertson The federal budget bill before Congress, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” ed the House of Representatives on May 22, including cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, that about 3,530 people in the...

Council sets mill rate at 11.5, reduces contribution to Nome schools e3zd

By Diana Haecker In work session after work session, the Nome Common Council is fine combing the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget, trying to balance the budget while keeping services to citizens intact and not laying off any employees. On Tuesday...

Graphite One listens to concerns at meeting in Nome 3q5s41

By Diana Haecker In a series of meetings in Teller, Brevig Mission and Nome last week, Graphite One Alaska updated the public on their plans to develop a graphite mine on the northern slopes of the Kigluaik Mountains and to hear people’s concerns...

SENATOR–Senator Donny Olson in his office in Juneau on April 23.

Sen. Olson explains key moves in the legislative session 64131v

By Anna Lionas State Sen. Donny Olson (D-Golovin) is still recovering from a health issue earlier this year that took him out of the legislative session for six weeks. Olson returned to the state Capitol to represent Senate District T on March 11....

CITY LAWYER— Charles Cacciola, a lawyer representing the City of Nome, listens to Common Council questions during the May 15 Norton Sound Health Corporation property tax appeal hearing.

Board of Equalization considers NSHC property tax appeals 2c1m2a

By Anna Lionas Sitting as the Board of Equalization, Nome Common Council sat down for a hearing last week between Norton Sound Health Corporation lawyers and an attorney for the City to review NSHC’s appeal of the city’s denial of property...

Nome-Beltz students perform ‘I Hate Shakespeare!’ 6j134

Story and photos by Anna Lionas To laugh or not to laugh –- if that was the question, then the answer was a no brainer for audience attending the Nome-Beltz student production of I Hate Shakespeare! which ran May 14-16. The elementary school...

Proposed mine is in the wrong zone 103s29

By Anna Lionas Local gold miner Shawn Pomerenke has an application out for a permit to mine for gold at a long-standing claim within city limits. Last week it was discovered some of the land he proposes to mine is not zoned for resource...

ACCOMPLISHED— The Northwest Campus UAF graduating Class of 2025 move their tassels, during the 49th Commencement Ceremony held at Old St. Joe’s on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Northwest Campus celebrates Class of 2025 6n96a

By Laura Robertson Faculty, dignitaries and families ed the Class of 2025 at Old St. Joe’s on Thursday, May 8, as 41 students — not all present — graduated from University of Alaska Fairbank’s Northwest Campus with master’s, bachelor’s and...

Alaska Senate votes on state budget, with $1,000 PFD c54o

By Anna Lionas The Alaska Legislature is working to finalize a tight state operating budget for 2026 with just over a week to go until the regular session is scheduled to end on May 21. The latest version proposes a $1,000 Permanent Fund Dividend...