What Recent Local Stories Has The Nome Nugget Reported?

The Nome Nugget's recent coverage centers on Nome city government, public safety staffing, a federal permitting meeting for a mining project, and community events, alongside a photo feature on Port of Nome operations. The items below are drawn from the homepage of nomenugget.net, which identifies itself as "Alaska's Oldest Newspaper." The site lists a homepage date of October 19, 2026, and several stories carry October dates, so the headlines reflect that publication window.

City government and the utility board

One lead story reports that the Nome Common Council requested the utility board meet at city hall. The same article covers the swearing-in of new council member Randy Oles by Deputy City Clerk Wali Rana, along with two planning commission members, including Jennifer Dean-Johnson, newly appointed to seat G. The meeting was held Tuesday, Oct. 13.

This is the item to read if you follow how Nome's elected body interacts with its utility governance, or if you want the roster changes on the council and planning commission.

Public safety hiring

The Nugget reported that the Nome Police Department hired its first Nome-grown police officer in years. The story, by Ariana Crockett O'Harra, profiles new officer Son Erikson, who said the job is "always been what I've wanted to do since high school" and that he wanted to help people and "do good."

The angle here is local: a department staffing up with someone raised in the community, rather than an outside hire.

Mining permitting and a federal meeting

A third story covers Graphite One permitting, noting that the Alaska District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is holding a public meeting in Nome on a Thursday in October. The homepage excerpt cuts off before giving the full date and location details, so readers who want to attend or comment should open the full article rather than rely on the teaser.

Community, environment, and daily life

Other recent items on the homepage include:

• Nome celebrates Indigenous Peoples' Day — a community event story.
• Port of Nome sea-ice conditions — a photo feature by Diana Haecker noting that the late arrival of sea ice extends Port of Nome operations from five to six or seven months.
• Mail and goods delays — a report that flight embargoes and USPS staffing issues slowed mail, groceries, and Amazon deliveries to Nome and regional communities.
• Anvil City Science Academy — a classroom feature on middle schoolers in Rachel Ventress's writing class working with paper binders and assignment packets.
• Sports — the Nanooks sending five runners to the state cross-country championships after the Big West Regional Meet held in Nome on Saturday, Sept. 26, with competitors from Kotzebue, Utqiagvik, Bethel, and Nome.
• Birder's Notebook — a column on long-billed dowitchers staging at Safety Sound in late September.

How to find these stories

The homepage organizes content under main menu sections including News, Sports, Education, Arts, Opinion, Obituaries, Around The Sound, Classifieds, Features, Birder's Notebook, Calendar, Climate Watch, e-Edition, Image Galleries, Subscriptions, Newsletter, and Archives. The site also has a search form, a login/user menu, and a Payment Center link for paying invoices online.

If you are looking for a specific story, the search form or the section menus are the direct routes. For ongoing access to the e-Edition and archives, the site lists a Subscriptions section; the homepage does not state prices, so check that page for current terms.