Lydia Jacoby’s Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Olympic team placed fifth at the finals with a time of 3:40:58. New to the Olympics this year, the event sees teams of two men and two women competing in four swimming styles. Jacoby swam the breaststroke leg, second in the lineup that began with Ryan…

According to the Olympic website, Seward’s Lydia Jacoby will be swimming again for a medal in the Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay tonight at 6:43 p.m. Alaska time. Jacoby will be joined by Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, and Caeleb Dressel.

Update: The Tsunami Warning System has lifted the warning. 

Seward’s Lydia Jacoby took the gold in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.95 beating out both teammate Lilly King and South African Tatiana Schoenmaker. King was the 2016 gold medalist in the event.

As the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continues to widen its foothold in the State of Alaska, Seward is no exception to the increase in reported positive coronavirus tests. After the city enjoyed a virtually coronavirus free June, local cases began appearing at the beginn…

Seward’s own 17-year-old Olympian Lydia Jacoby took second in the 100M Breaststroke qualifying overnight in Tokyo and third in the semifinals this evening, advancing to the finals, to be held Monday evening at 6:17 p.m. AKDT.

A hiker required an airlift to Providence Seward Medical Center on Monday after sustaining injuries on Kenai Fjords National Park’s Harding Icefield Trail. At approximately 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, a 911 call was placed to Alaska State Troopers (AST) reporting that the hiker had suffered …

Little did Ryan Davidson know that a visit to the Seward Community Library & Museum this past May would result in an exhibit honoring his uncle who died in 1963 in a climbing accident on Mt. Alice.

On Sunday, July 4, at 9:16 a.m., Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified of a bear attacking a man in his camper at Fourth of July Beach. The victim was asleep inside with the door open when a black bear invaded the camper and scratched his leg. It then attempted to bite his leg, but the man …

Lydia Jacoby is now the second fastest 100M breaststroke swimmer in the world. The 17-year-old Seward swimming legend overtook Annie Lazor late in the race at the Olympic Trial Finals in Omaha, Nebraska Tuesday night, placing her second behind world record holder Lilly King with a new person…

The Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) paint striping that caused delays recently from mile 0 to mile 37 of the Seward Highway is resuming today. Motorists can expect additional delays as crews perform another pass over the road, sweeping along the center lines, before making a third …

New research provides the first scientific evidence of overwintering fires in Alaska and Canada boreal forests. Due to climate change, these “zombie fires” appear to be increasing in frequency.

Public Safety Report

The Seward Community Library has announced its 2021 Summer Reading Challenge, for which this year’s theme is Reading Colors Your World. Participants are invited to read a total of 24 hours from June 1 - Aug. 7, with registration divided into three age groups: Tots, Youth and Adults. All entr…

A local Seward student has founded a program to provide a free food resource to the community, available five days a week. After seeing news accounts of similar initiatives on the local news in Los Angeles, 11-year-old Maren Bickling was inspired to create the Seward Freedge, a refrigerator …

Last week, the City Council acting in its capacity as a Board of Adjustments approved two findings of facts and conclusions of law from the May 14 appeal hearings regarding a conditional use permit (CUP) for the property at 402 Second Avenue. On April 6, the Planning & Zoning Commission …

The City of Seward now operates under a permanent city manager for the first time since October. Wadena, Minnesota’s Janette Bower assumed the post on Monday, replacing Harbormaster Norm Regis, who had taken up the role of acting city manager since the dismissal of Scott Meszaros left a vaca…

Update: The suspension is lifted effective noon on May 28.

The 15th Annual Armed Services YMCA Combat Fishing Tournament will return to Seward on May 26. The event, hosted by the Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, will send 200 junior enlisted service members on a deep-sea fishing trip of a lifetime to thank them for their service. In just a few short y…

As Seward prepares for another prosperous salmon fishing season, commercial fisheries and anglers alike will plumb the depths of Resurrection Bay for the countless sockeye and coho that return to local waters every year. Many of the returning fish were raised as part of the Cook Inlet Aquacu…

The Public Safety Report is compiled from numerous sources, both official and unofficial, including police, fire, and EMS dispatches, press releases, official reports, court documents, interviews, and other sources. 

At a Zoom event Tuesday, Alaska internet and wireless provider GCI announced the upcoming availability of two Gbps internet speeds to roughly 77 percent of its customer base. The bump in speed, which will be available to Seward, is set to roll out in 2022 and will be an automatically upgrade…

The Seward Community Foundation (SCF) has now surpassed its one millionth dollar donated to area nonprofit organizations. The SCF announced the milestone on May 3 after awarding  $71,130 in funds in its current grant cycle, which includes donations to the Alaska SeaLife Center, Kenai Mountai…

The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) admitted a juvenile ringed seal to the Wildlife Response Program on May 12.

Due to recent warm temperatures and snow melt, Kenai Fjords National Park has closed the Exit Glacier Developed Area to snowmachine use. This closure includes the road to Exit Glacier within the park boundary, parking areas, the designated route through the campground to Exit Creek, and with…

The Iron Mountain FFA chapter is preparing for the chance to compete at the 94th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, October 27-30. Last year the Agriculture Technology and Mechanics team was unable to attend due to the cancellation of the event due to the pandemic. With many changes an…

Public Safety Report

On Tuesday the Seward Chamber of Commerce unveiled a newly updated seward.com, featuring an attractive redesign and comprehensive navigation showcasing all the town has to offer. A useful resource for locals as well as tourists, the new site boasts a community calendar keeping visitors abrea…

At the City Council meeting on Monday, Seward Police Chief Alan Nickell reported that the department has hired a DMV clerk to fill the vacancies that forced a complete shutdown of the city’s DMV office last month. Nickell went on to say that training for the replacement clerk will begin in J…

This weekend, May 15-16, Seward will celebrate the 2021 Harbor Opening and Blessing of the Fleet as well as the Seward Mermaid Festival, held at the South Harbor parking lot. Many activities are planned for the weekend, along with a host of food vendors and musical acts. The Harbor Opening h…

A Kenai Peninsula-based business with a strong presence in Seward was named 2020 Franchise of the Year by its franchisor parent company last year. Sea Tow Southcentral Alaska, owned by Homer’s Captain Trey Hill and his wife Alyssa, took home the coveted honor from among its over 100 fellow m…

The Public Safety Report is compiled from numerous sources, both official and unofficial, including police, fire, and EMS dispatches, press releases, official reports, court documents, interviews, and other sources. 

The City of Seward is now advertising for a new finance director only weeks after Lakewood, Ohio’s Jennifer Pae assumed the role in March. Pae, who has been working remotely from Ohio since her March orientation visit, will continue to fulfill her duties as finance director remotely until Ma…

On March 29, 1989, Prince William Sound became the site of the most environmentally damaging oil spill in world history when the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef, spilling 10.8 million gallons of crude oil into Alaskan waters over the following several days. Over 30 years since the disaster, t…

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game (F&G) says to “Clean Up Your Act Now” to prevent bear issues this summer and ramp up your bear etiquette. As the snow melts bears are starting to stir and Alaskans need to clean up food around the home that attract bears.

On Saturday, April 24, the Mermaid Grotto Café and Boutique played host to the 2021 Seward Chamber Community Awards, presented by the Seward Chamber of Commerce. This year the Chamber awarded four awards to local individuals and organizations in recognition of their various contributions to …

On Saturday, April 10 the Seward Volunteer Fire Department recognized those firefighters who provided outstanding service to the Seward area during the 2020 calendar year. Among the awards bestowed this year was a Alaska State Firefighter of the Year award, personally presented by Alaska Sta…

Last week firefighters responded to a blaze in the Eadsville area of the Bear Creek fire service area. Bear Creek firefighters were joined by Lowell Point and Seward fire departments as well as the Seward Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SVAC) in response to a 1:51 p.m. call regarding a structure …

On April 15, the Seward Department of Motor Vehicles office temporarily ceased operation due to the departure of all city employees trained in DMV procedures. Not officially part of the Alaska DMV, the City of Seward is contracted by the state to address the needs of its citizens, and the lo…

The name Michael Moriarty has been synonymous with excellence in dentistry in Seward for thirty years. Practicing here since April of 1991, this month Dr. Moriarty begins his fourth decade of service to the people of Seward and to their smiles. As long as he has been a mainstay of the commun…

On April 10, at the finals of the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo, California, Seward swimming sensation Lydia Jacoby attained a new personal best time in the 100-meter breaststroke at 1:06.38, placing her second behind Olympic gold medalist and current world record holder Lilly King. J…

Earlier this month the Seward City Council unanimously approved the sale of 3.31 acres of land on the Ft. Raymond property to the Chugachmiut Tribal consortium for the construction of a new medical center. After hearing a 10-minute presentation by Chugachmiut’s Kelley Baker, the project rece…

Providence Seward Medical Center (PSMC) recently completed installation of a new imaging suite, completely replacing the aging radiology equipment in use at the facility since 2003. In addition to state-of-the-art low-dose replacements for the medical center’s X-ray machines and CT scanners,…

Concerned spectators gathered along Waterfront Park on Sunday to witness a barge that was listing as it floated into Resurrection Bay under supplemental tug support. The stern port quarter of the 300' x 100' SeaTac Atlas appeared to be dipping into the water as the barge was escorted over th…

Public Safety Report

A resolution will come before the Seward City Council tonight to approve the sale of land on the City’s Ft. Raymond property to Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium which serves the seven Native communities in the state’s Chugach region. If sold, the 3.31-acre parcel of land would become the s…

Public Works crews are continuing efforts Friday afternoon to clear three avalanche sites along Lowell Point Road. High winds are forcing a continual snow surge from Bear Mountain onto each site along the road, which now requires ongoing attention to remain open to traffic.

The Seward Chamber of Commerce has reported that its Shop Seward CARES Act fund program proved a tremendous success for area businesses and nonprofits. Over 200 households participated in the program, each spending over $200 on participating businesses, which granted them another $100 in vou…