Cordova

Alaska Copper River salmon have begun their long journey from the ocean to dinner plates across the country, as commercial fishermen were allowed to begin casting nets for the fish Thursday morning. Fishermen in Cordova hope to cash in on the prized salmon, known for its superiority in the culinary world. Processing plants will get a better idea of the size of Thursday's catch, permitted during a 12-hour period, once ships begin returning later Thursday night. Channel 2 spoke with many fishermen on the water during the opener, however, who said they weren't getting much of a haul.

by Angela Blanchard Wednesday, June 25, 2008 CORDOVA, Alaska -- It may have been over 19 years ago that the Exxon Valdez dumped 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound but the people of Cordova say they haven't stopped talking about it since. Locals here say although it never actually washed up in Cordova harbor it didn't stop the oil from ruining their livelihood -- fishing. And after Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling many here say it's like being "dumped on" all over again.

After days of shoveling and periodically shutting down the highway because of fears of an avalanche, things have calmed down in the city of Cordova. "We are ahead of the game now with this good weather," Cordova Public Information Officer Tim Joyce said Saturday afternoon. Temperatures have dropped, and the skies have cleared, giving Cordova residents an opportunity to catch up before the next storm.   The Alaska Army National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard are still on hand to help shovel the enormous piles of snow that are sitting all over town.

by Jason Lamb Thursday, May 13, 2010 CORDOVA, Alaska -- This year's first catch of Alaska Salmon is heading to the processing plants after the fishery opener in Cordova Thursday morning at 7:00.  By all accounts, it was a mediocre day of fishing. Several boats were back in their docks early without a whole lot of fish to show for their day's work. Behind the rain you'll find Nathan Doll. "We're gillnetting the Copper River Flats I guess," he said with a laugh.

A Cordova man died early Monday morning aboard the fishing vessel Northern Mariner, according to Alaska State Troopers. The Coast Guard notified troopers at about 6:45 a.m. of the death of crew member Sean M. Johnson, 34, between midnight and 5:30 a.m. The Coast Guard considers any fatality aboard a fishing vessel a serious marine incident, and is investigating Johnson's death. The Northern Mariner is en route to Cordova and is expected to arrive late Monday evening. State officials expect to take possession of Johnson's body, which has been requested for autopsy by the state medical examiner's office.

Cordova residents say at this time of year, there are more shovels than people in town -- but even with all the shovels, they can't seem to dig themselves out of more than 14 feet of snow they're facing. "I've never seen this before," said commercial fisherman Jeff Bailey. Bailey flew into Cordova from Anchorage Monday morning, but he couldn't even drop his luggage off at his home because his doorstep was covered in several feet of snow. "I have to tunnel us straight into the front door," Bailey said.

Cordova residents didn't see much of a break in Monday's winter weather on Tuesday, waking up to blustery wind and falling snow -- with rain right around the corner. Around town visibility was extremely low, with falling snow and snow blowing off of rooftops. The weather has made it too dangerous for members of the Alaska National Guard to continue shoveling rooftops, so instead they're working on ground projects like removing snow from fire hydrants and digging people's homes out. Meteorologists are predicting temperatures to warm up as the day continues, which will turn the wet snow into rain.

Alaska State Troopers say the body of one of two men who were on board a plane found washed ashore last week has been recovered. Alaska Wildlife Troopers were alerted Sunday morning that a body on shore near the Seal River had been spotted from the air by a plane from a Cordova-based carrier. Troopers flew to the area by helicopter and retrieved the body of 59-year-old John S. Dick of Tulsa, Okla. Dick, along with 68-year-old pilot Richard Stoltzfus of Cordova, was on a PA-18-150 Piper Supercub that apparently crashed on takeoff from the mouth of the Seal River.

The Alaska Copper River commerical salmon season opener awaits fishermen in Cordova, poised to make a profit on the prized fish they're able to catch, beginning Thursday. It's the season many of the fishermen have been waiting months for, because Copper River salmon is prized by restaurant chefs and fish mongers as some of the best salmon in the world. "The Copper River is a very strong, powerful river, so these fish naturally have to be a stronger animal to fight these currents and get up to the spawning grounds," said Billy Green with Copper River Seafoods.

Air National Guard searchers found a missing plane with two people aboard Tuesday morning safely landed but inoperable about 185 miles southeast of Anchorage. According to ANG spokesperson Kalei Rupp, the Maule M-4 aircraft was reported overdue to the 11th Rescue Coordination Center by the Federal Aviation Administration shortly after 10 p.m. Monday. No emergency locator transmitter signal was picked up, and the FAA conducted ramp checks at airports along the aircraft’s flight plan from Yakutat to Anchorage via Cordova to see if it had landed.

During the next several days millions of shorebirds will migrate north, with hundreds of thousands stopping in Cordova to eat and rest. The annual tradition has evolved into the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, which started in 1990 -- with this year's event beginning Thursday. It's described as a “boutique” festival because only about 100 to 200 additional people will fly or take a ferry to the small city. Most will be birders or photographers. A majority of the shorebirds that fly into Cordova to eat along Hartney Bay are Dunlins, black oystercatchers, greater yellowlegs and Wilson's snipe.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers are seeking a 50-year-old man, currently facing charges in seven criminal cases and previously the subject of a 1999 manhunt, after he removed an ankle monitor and fled from a court-approved custodian Thursday. An Alaska State Troopers dispatch Tuesday says Michael Anthony Roberts, also known as Tony Roberts, is wanted on a $50,000 arrest warrant for contempt of court. He has been charged with offenses including guiding without a license, flying without a pilot's license and driving with a revoked driver's license.

The Anchorage Police Department said the Eddie Dean Trammell, the Cordova Center escapee, was arrested Tuesday night. Lt. Dave Parker, APD Public Information Officer, said the 50-year-old Trammell, an unsentenced felon, was found around 9:30 p.m. in the area of 72nd Avenue and Obrien Street in south Anchorage. Police released a photo of Trammell on July 21st - a day after an alleged kidnapping and carjacking of 18-year-old Devin Walsh, of South Anchorage , that shutdown the Seward Highway while APD searched for a suspect.

A New Mexico man who tried to flee from Alaska State Troopers at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport was arrested Thursday, after investigators seized nearly $40,000 in heroin and methamphetamines from his possessions. According to a Thursday AST dispatch, 21-year-old Enrique Lino of Las Cruces, N.M., was awaiting a flight from Anchorage to Cordova when he was contacted by investigators with AST's Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team. “During the contact investigators informed Lino that he was being detained pending the application for a search warrant,” troopers wrote.

A Cordova man died early Monday morning aboard the fishing vessel Northern Mariner, according to Alaska State Troopers. The Coast Guard notified troopers at about 6:45 a.m. of the death of crew member Sean M. Johnson, 34, between midnight and 5:30 a.m. The Coast Guard considers any fatality aboard a fishing vessel a serious marine incident, and is investigating Johnson's death. The Northern Mariner is en route to Cordova and is expected to arrive late Monday evening. State officials expect to take possession of Johnson's body, which has been requested for autopsy by the state medical examiner's office.

A 55-foot fishing tender that had to be abandoned by its crew Friday night has gone aground between Yakutat and Kayak Island on the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Coast Guard crews rescued five people after the "St. Joseph" lost steering control about 50 miles southeast of Cordova. The crew issued a mayday call on Friday evening. Petty Officer Jacques Castro said 20 ft high seas made it too unsafe to leave them aboard the boat. A helicopter crew hoisted the five people to safety that evening and took them to Cordova.

Alaska Copper River salmon have begun their long journey from the ocean to dinner plates across the country, as commercial fishermen were allowed to begin casting nets for the fish Thursday morning. Fishermen in Cordova hope to cash in on the prized salmon, known for its superiority in the culinary world. Processing plants will get a better idea of the size of Thursday's catch, permitted during a 12-hour period, once ships begin returning later Thursday night. Channel 2 spoke with many fishermen on the water during the opener, however, who said they weren't getting much of a haul.

The Alaska Copper River commerical salmon season opener awaits fishermen in Cordova, poised to make a profit on the prized fish they're able to catch, beginning Thursday. It's the season many of the fishermen have been waiting months for, because Copper River salmon is prized by restaurant chefs and fish mongers as some of the best salmon in the world. "The Copper River is a very strong, powerful river, so these fish naturally have to be a stronger animal to fight these currents and get up to the spawning grounds," said Billy Green with Copper River Seafoods.

Weather in the southern half of the state is dominated by a vertically stacked low near Bristol Bay. Strong wind gusts moved through Portage Valley (70 mph) and Cordova (60 mph) overnight. The high winds are expected to last through late Thursday night. Areas around Turnagain arm and the higher elevations around Anchorage could see gusts to 65 miles per hour through tonight. The strong front associated with this same system is driving moisture in to the Gulf coast. Expect heavy rain today around Cordova and Yakutat.

Several months after its sale, the Cordova Times newspaper, according to locals, is thriving. Last year it was one of several publications that Calista, an Alaska native corporation, decided to shed from its portfolio of assets. The local news business was "not supportive of the company's long-term financial interests," a press release read at the time. A lot of people in small Alaska towns like Cordova wondered where they'd get their fix of local stories, photos, and gossip.