Commercial troll fishermen were out on the water July 1 as the Southeast Alaska summer king salmon fishery opened.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will close the fishery once the catch estimate approaches the harvest target of about 81,300 treaty kings.
The department expects that will take seven to 10 days, putting the closure sometime this week.
About 70% of the summer commercial troll harvest quota of 116,100 treaty kings is allocated to the July fishery; the rest is held for an August opening that will begin no later than Aug. 20.
This past winter, Southeast trollers harvested 18,100 treaty kings, and the spring troll fishery harvest is projected to total 8,100 treaty kings when all of the fish tickets are tallied, the department said in a recent advisory announcement.
The harvest limit for trollers is based on Southeast Alaska’s king allocation under the Pacific Salmon Treaty, which the Alaska Board of Fisheries allocates among user groups. The quotas on treaty kings — which migrant through U.S. and Canadian waters — does not apply to kings raised in Alaska hatcheries.
The 2026 quota for all Southeast gear groups is 205,300 treaty kings, and the troll fleet’s share is 146,000. The rest goes to other commercial catches and sportfishing.
The state projects that trollers will harvest about 10,000 Alaska hatchery kings between the winter, spring and summer seasons.
In a recent in-season update, the department reported that the current spring troll king average weight of 11.1 pounds is below the 2025 and five-year averages of 11.6 and 11.3 pounds, respectively, for the same period.
The spring seasonal average price of $9.36 per pound is above the 2025 price and five-year averages of $8.83 and $8.62.
Fans became understandably concerned when Brooks & Dunn posted a video revealing that Ronnie Dunn, 73, had been in the hospital just one day prior to taking the stage at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC as special guests on Morgan Wallen’s Still The Problem Tour. The country music icon shared an update on his health while remaining in relatively good spirits.
Dunn opened up about a recent trip to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after experiencing some vocal struggles during the previous week. While he initially worried he may have injured his vocal cords, he says doctors determined that wasn’t the case and instead diagnosed him with bronchitis.
“I don’t feel too good tonight. Went to Vanderbilt yesterday. I struggled a little bit last week. Thought I maybe injured my vocals cords,” he explained. “They said I didn’t, but I got a touch of bronchitis.”
Photo Courtesy of Brooks & Dunn
He went on to admit that he still wasn’t feeling the best and didn’t want to be around people, which was unusual for him.
“I think my blood sugars off or something…having bronchitis is driving me crazy” said Dunn as the video captured him and his duo partner Kix Brooks making their way to the stage and greeting fans along the way.
The video kept things lighthearted, thanks to Dunn’s humor, which appeared remain strong amid the diagnosis. Meanwhile, Brooks couldn’t have appeared more excited to be jamming out in South Carolina.
“They said hydrate, and I’ve been drinking stuff all day, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to pee my pants onstage,” he said before joking that even though having an accident in front of 75,000 people wasn’t ideal, he would still do it if he had to.
They were able to power through and cross off yet another performance on Morgan Wallen’s stadium run. After giving it his all, Dunn came off stage and told the camera, “I’m alright. I’m over-hydrated” and confirmed that he “didn’t pee my pants.”
Fans showed support for Ronnie Dunn in the comment section and sent him well wishes during his recovery.
One user wrote, “You’re a trooper Ronnie!”
“You guys were amazing at Clemson!!!!! The family & I rocked out!!! Feel better Ronnie!!🎸🎤,” said another.
“😂So funny! Prayers u get better. Be careful w that bronchitis! Blessings to you and your families!”
“Ronnie take care of yourself! Your health is the most important thing to you plus I couldn’t make it so reschedule! Clemson SC is the best but I was sick and went to the doctor yesterday so I really understand!”
“Well Kix was looking great , you both sounded great. Im just glad you didn’t pee on yourself Ronnie👏👏”
Photo Courtesy of Brooks & Dunn
The award-winning duo has just two more shows on Wallen’s I’m Still the Problem Tour before continuing their own Neon Moon Tour 2026. Fans can catch them closing out their run with the superstar on Friday, July 17 in Baltimore, MD and on Friday, July 31 in Philadelphia, PA.
A full list of upcoming tour dates can be found on their official website.
JAG Ketchikan LLC, which began operating the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard in September, has secured a nearly $100 million contract for a service-life extension project involving a federal research vessel.
The $99.6 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island based fisheries survey ship Henry B. Bigelow has a start time of June 6 for procurement of long lead-time materials and an estimated completion date of April 14, 2029, according to information from NOAA and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority that owns the Ketchikan Shipyard.
The new project adds to NOAA’s work for the Ketchikan Shipyard, which in October already had four NOAA projects scheduled. That included a $95 million mid-life renovation project for NOAA’s Kodiak-based ship Oscar Dyson.
JAG Marine Group President Doug Huff said that JMG is “encouraged by the continued faith” that NOAA has placed in the group.
“NOAA plays an important and significant role in maritime commerce, port safety, nautical charting, research, and fishing and resource management,” Huff said, as quoted in a Monday press release from AIDEA. “The investment being made in the NOAA vessels will allow them to fulfill their responsibilities well into the future. JMG is pleased to play a small role in advancing NOAA’s mission.
“This award will positively impact the shipyard, our employees, the State of Alaska, the City and Borough of Ketchikan, through continued growth in the economic activity of the region,” Huff continued. “JMG specifically appreciates our employees and partners for their support in making this ‘win’ possible.”
NOAA’s solicitation for a request for proposals for the Henry B. Bigelow project was issued in January. The solicitation includes an extensive list of “base work items” such as vessel repowering, structural repairs to the hull and house, and replacing the propellor blades and hub, in addition to a wide variety of inspection, maintenance and other overhaul tasks.
The engineering phase of the project continue through Feb. 14, 2028, with the industrial phase running from Feb. 15, 2028, through April 14 2029, according to the solicitation.
AIDEA and JAG anticipate that the Henry B. Bigelow project “is expected to drive additional demand for skilled maritime labor, including core trades and specialized engineering, electrical, mechanical and fabrication expertise,” according to the press release, which adds that the project is expected to “support more stable year-round employment by adding long-duration vessel modernization work beyond seasonal Alaska Marine Highway System maintenance cycles.”
The four-page AIDEA press release included comments from Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, Alaska Rep. Nick Begich III, state Sen. Bert Stedman, City of Ketchikan Mayor Bob Sivertsen, Generations Southeast Prince of Wales Campus Director Charles Edwardson, and Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development Commissioner Julie Sande.
“Much appreciation goes to (AIDEA Executive Director) Randy Ruaro for the hard work that was done to help bring JAG to Ketchikan as the operator of the shipyard,” Sande said in the prepared statement.
In early 2025, AIDEA announced that it would not be extending its operating agreement with the shipyard’s then operator, Vigor Alaska, and in September transferred the operating agreement to the JAG Marine Group.
Another subsidiary of the Michigan-based JMG, JAG Alaska Inc., has operated the Seward Shipyard since 2018.
Sande said that the improvement at the shipyard has been “tremendous.”
“As a community member, I see it firsthand when I drive past the shipyard parking lot,” she said. “The progress is clear: what had been an underutilized and underperforming state asset is now showing visible momentum. The shipyard is not only Ketchikan’s Shipyard; it is an asset for the entire state of Alaska, and it is so encouraging to continue hearing good news from JAG.”
Mayor Sivertsen called the NOAA contract “welcome news” for Ketchikan and the shipyard’s “skilled men and women who make the shipyard such an important part of our local economy.
“The continued growth of work at the Ketchikan Shipyard means more family-supporting jobs, more opportunities for young people to enter the trades, and a stronger economic foundation for our community and Southeast Alaska,” Sivertsen said in the prepared statement. “The shipyard is an economic driver that is poised for growth within our community. This contract is just an example of opportunity that lies ahead Ketchikan.”
These are security and maintenance releases that include two security fixes, along with a number of compatibility improvements, bug fixes, and code modernization updates. We strongly recommend updating your sites as soon as possible.
Highlights
Two security issues:
Prevent user ID spoofing in the Messages REST API endpoint via improved validation.
Restrict Component management to Users with the appropriate Capabilities.
Improves compatibility with WordPress 6.9, including support for block style loading optimizations and replacement of deprecated WordPress APIs where appropriate.
Includes numerous bug fixes across BuddyPress, including BP Nouveau, Groups, Friends, Activity, Administration, and several PHP 8.x compatibility improvements.
Download
You can update automatically from your WordPress Dashboard, or download BuddyPress 14.5.0 directly:
Thanks to everyone who contributed patches, testing, reviews, bug reports, and responsible security disclosures that helped make this release possible.
Two high-quality interactive web cameras have recently been installed atop Five Finger Lighthouse – one of the world’s most renowned humpback whale watching locations.
The Five Finger Lighthouse Society (FFLS) installed a similar camera earlier this year at the lower boathouse level. Now, there are two more atop the lighthouse – one facing north, one south.
The FFLS is a Petersburg-based non-profit organization. All summer, the lighthouse is maintained by volunteer keepers, who stay in the lighthouse for around two weeks.
The keepers give tours, work on maintenance projects, and enjoy the scenic isolation of the tiny island – situated several miles from shore in any direction at the eastern edge of Stephens Passage and the northern extreme of Frederick Sound – around 45 miles north of Petersburg.
Courtney Cox was recently a keeper from May 25 to June 16.
“[We] tidy up, try to keep everything here pretty natural, because it’s part of what makes this really beautiful,” Cox said.
Couple Irene Tresser and Chris Brown were also keepers from May 29 to June 26. During their overlapping time, the three did volunteer projects such as redoing the helicopter pad walkway, keeping paths kept for visitors, and maintaining necessary island functions.
The keepers are rewarded with the unique sights and sounds of Five Finger Island.
“There might have been 10 or 12 different whales around the island,” Brown said. “They kind of hang around, so that’s pretty entertaining to watch their fin slapping… There were two of them a ways out, maybe a mile, not half mile out there, and they both had their tails up, and they’re just going back and forth with their tails.”
Now, with two webcams atop the lighthouse, these beautiful scenes are available remotely.
How to access the cameras
There are a few steps required to utilize these special cameras.
The app “CamHiPro” must be downloaded. Then, find the “add a camera” section of the app – and scan the QR code for a specific camera, and it grants permanent access to the camera. This must be done for all three individually to access all of them.
“It’s pretty intuitive, when you get CameraHiPro,” FFLS president Jeff Erickson said.
Once the QR code is scanned and the camera is on the app, any user can move the camera around and zoom in and out. The quality of the camera allows even sometimes to see into the water.
“Now you got zoom in, and you can zoom out, and then we can go left, or we can go up and down,” Erickson said.
Erickson, FFLS board member David Dial, and wife Lori Dial worked to get the cameras put up. David Dial specializes in electric work and put his skills to use.
“We’ve still got some things we’re playing with, but for the most part it’s up and running right now, the way we had planned it,” David Dial said.
The Dials were keepers May 18 to May 30, and were able to get the cameras mounted, plugged in, and connected to Wifi atop the historic lighthouse.
The cameras have been used for entertainment as well as practicality.
“The weather is obviously the biggest thing, but the birds nesting, it’s been super fun to watch, the cameras also have sound,” Erickson said. “So that’s kind of cool, you can have a conversation, you can see how the tides are doing.”
An Oystercatcher family hangs out right in front of one of the cameras.
Fishermen and sailors can use the cameras to view conditions in the area.
“There’s a few [other cameras] like the one at Cape Fanshaw… it just does pictures and updates every 10 minutes,” Erickson said.
But the lighthouse’s cameras specialize in what a viewer can see and control, also being live.
The opportunity for the FFLS to complete this project came from the Petersburg Community Foundation, who granted funding for the cameras.
“[At the lighthouse] we’re a long ways away from Petersburg, so we always felt we had to come up with an idea,” Erickson said. “We got one camera here this winter… and that gave us the [idea]: let’s get some more cameras.”
Many Petersburg residents have not yet visited the Lighthouse, as it is roughly a half-day adventure roundtrip from town. For the FFLS, these cameras are a way to bring the community whose support helps keep the nonprofit afloat that much closer to experiencing the place. Visitors and residents alike are welcome to check out the cameras.
“It’s open to everybody, pilots, fishermen, yacht people, people that transit the area can get a real-time weather report,” Erickson said.
Blake Whiten is finally introducing fans to his story with the release of his debut album, Something To Say. Out now via Enchntmnt/Warner Records, the 12-track collection is the result of more than two years of songwriting, with the 21-year-old serving as a co-writer on every song alongside Nashville and Los Angeles songwriters, including Bailey Zimmerman, JKash, Ben Johnson, Taylor Phillips, Hunter Phelps, Erik Dylan, and more.
Produced by Austin Shawn, the full-length project blends Whiten’s raw Southern roots with a country-rock edge inspired by the sounds of the artists he was raised on, which ranges from Keith Whitley to Alan Jackson, AC/DC, Creed, Nickelback, Buckcherry, HARDY, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Photo Courtesy of Blake Whiten
Growing up in the small town of Six Mile, South Carolina, Whiten found his love for music and songwriting while drawing from the values of the close-knit community, the experiences that he’s had up to this point and the lessons he’s learned since strumming his very first guitar at seven years old. The memories of those early days up to this point all shine throughout the entirety of the album.
Even while his career is reaching new heights, with moments like his TODAY show debut, arena dates alongside Bailey Zimmerman, upcoming stadium shows with Morgan Wallen and his headlining Something To Say Tour launching this fall, Whiten still remains deeply connected to the people and place that raised him. Just days after the album’s release, he returned home to Six Mile to treat the community to free gas and food at the local station before closing out the celebration with a truck-bed performance, barbecue and fireworks.
Ahead of the album’s release, we sat down with Blake Whiten to discuss the stories behind the songs, his packed year of touring and why staying connected to his hometown remains so important to him.
How are you feeling ahead of making your TV debuton the TODAY show on album release day?
Super excited. Definitely a little nervous, but more so just super excited to get up there and do it. I know we got to be there pretty early. That’s kind of the only thing that I’m worried about right now.
This album has been a long time coming for you. Why did you decide Something To Say was the right title for your first full-length collection?
Something to Say it was an idea that came to my head when I was trying to figure out what we were going to call the album. For a long time I was kind of honestly going with maybe putting it as one of the song tracks that was on the album. And I was just sitting there one day and it kind of just hit me out of nowhere. I was like, I feel like I just have something to say and this is the perfect way for me to say that I have something to say. And it kind of just fell in place after that.
Blake Whiten; Something To Say
What kinds of messages did you really want to portray through these 12 tracks?
I’ve had these songs sitting around for two to two and a half years now. We’ve kind of just been stacking them up for forever. And I feel like these songs specifically have become my best friends over the last two and a half years. I’ve just been listening to the demos over and over again. And I feel like these kind of tell a good story in the aspect of people don’t really exactly know who I am. I feel like this is a good way to let people know who I am.
The project starts out strong with “This Bar Is My Friend.” Talk about this song and why you wanted to open the album in this way.
This was one of the first songwriting sessions I ever went to. And ever since that day in that songwriting session, I would practically pull this song up every single day and listen to it. It’s just got a different kind of vibe that I didn’t think I had ever even heard before, in my opinion. And I felt like it was a great way to start the album. I kind of wanted to put a song as the very first song that would definitely make you listen to the second song and this one felt like the perfect one.
You grew up on a wide range of music from Keith Whitley to AC/DC and so much more in between. How do those musical influences show up throughout this album?
Listening to all my influences, I kind of just tried to take little bitty pieces of all of their songs, which I mean even listening to Creed when I was 12 years old, I can remember doing that in the car with my family and just here and there I’ll hear a melody and I’m like, “It sounds like Creed would do that, but it’s kind of sick. I kind of want to do it now.” And I definitely carry a lot of influences into every single one of my songs for sure.
How would you describe the sound that you have right now?
I usually tell people that it’s almost like as new school as old school could get.
You also have a stacked list of co-writers across these songs, including Bailey Zimmerman on “Barely Getting By.” What was it like bringing this story to life with him?
Very cool. I just finished up a big tour with him too. He’s like my big brother it feels like at this point. I’ve known him so long. And honestly, that song kind of came out of nowhere. It took a little while to write, but we were honestly just hanging out and that song kind of just started being written. We didn’t finish it the first time we started writing it. Took six months to finally get the song put together. We finally brought it back up. And it was very cool having him on it though.
Is there anything you learned from being on the road with Bailey?
He’s just always having so much fun up there. Even if the slightest little thing goes wrong, he looks happy the entire time that it’s happening. It’s honestly fun to watch his shows and just sit back and watch him run around and jump around and do flips.
Did you feel any pressure with releasing your debut album or have you just been feeling excited and ready for fans to hear the project of your hard work?
I’m just super excited to let people finally hear it. I’ve been sitting on these songs for forever. I feel like I grew up and they’re my friends at this point.
You also get to have a full-circle moment while opening a few dates on Morgan Wallen’s 2026 stadium run. How does it feel to get this opportunity, especially after your breakout moment that came after your cover of Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem” went viral and sent you on your very first flight to Nashville?
It’s pretty awesome. I’m ready to get out there. That’s going to be the biggest show I’ve ever been a part of and I’m glad that he’s bringing me along. But it’s definitely going to be kind of a full circle moment for me. That’ll probably be the show that I might get emotional at. Hopefully I can keep it together on stage.
What can fans expect from your headlining Something To Say Tour that launches this fall?
We’re going to make you a little sad and then we’re going to pick it up by the middle of the set probably and make you a little bit happier and then they might make you cry again. It’s probably going to be all over the place, but it’s going to be a really fun show either way.
Even with all the exciting things happening for you right now, you still took the time to go back home to help your community. Why was it important for you to give back in this way?
I live in a very, very small town and some people have money struggles or maybe other things going on in their life, but that’s my home. And I kind of wanted to figure out how I was going to give back to them in some sort of way. And this just felt like the perfect way. I’m going to get to go back and see everybody while at the same time helping a bunch of people out that I personally know from back in my hometown. So it’s pretty cool.
How has the support been from everyone in your hometown, including the Mayor, as you go along this amazing journey?
It’s been great. Every time I go back, I go to the local gas station and people are stopping me, talking to me, asking me where I was, where I’m going next.
More than half of the Senate Democratic caucus has called for Graham Platner to drop out of the Maine Senate race, less than 24 hours after POLITICO reported that a woman the oysterman once dated had accused him of sexual assault.
Platner has denied the allegation.
Most Democrats previously stuck by Platner even as his beleaguered campaign battled scandal after scandal in recent months. By Tuesday, the tide had turned firmly against Platner, with 34 of the Senate’s 47 Democratic senators calling for him to drop out as of early Tuesday afternoon.
The revolt included some top former allies who had previously defied calls to distance themselves from Platner. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement Tuesday that he had spoken with Platner and “in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
And Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Monday said that there “can be no tolerance for sexual assault,” just months after referring to the progressive outsider as “my kind of man” while stumping for him in April.
The list — according to POLITICO’s tally of every sitting Democratic senator’s social media posts and public statements — also includes some of the party’s top leaders. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in a joint statement that he should withdraw and the DSCC “will not invest in the Maine Senate race if Platner remains on the ballot.”
Less than a dozen Democratic senators appeared to have not yet publicly commented on Platner, and did not respond to POLITICO’s request for comment on their stance. Six senators — Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.); Chris Murphy (D-Conn.); Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii); Patty Murray (D-Wash.); Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — said Platner should drop out after the initial publication of this tracker.
It’s not just senators who are breaking with Platner. The Maine Democratic Party put out a joint statement calling for him to exit the race, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who shares a number of top advisers with Platner but never endorsed him, also called for him to step down on Tuesday.
Platner has denied the allegations. But he said his campaign is “mindful of the political reality” and “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward for the state that I love” in a video released on social media Monday, shortly after POLITICO published its article.
Platner had not yet reached a final decision on his campaign.
Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the calls from senators for him to step aside.
The office of Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats and will serve with the eventual winner of the 2026 Maine Senate election, said he would not be commenting on Platner, per a longstanding policy not to comment on races involving his colleagues.
Two Democratic senators who had previously endorsed Platner, Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) condemned him and withdrew their endorsements, but did not explicitly call for him to drop out of the race in social media posts. Whitehouse’s office pointed to his Thursday statement when asked if he would demand Platner drop out, while Gallego did not immediately respond to a question on if he believed he should exit the race.
“The allegations against Graham Platner are troubling and deeply serious,” Gallego said on X. “I am rescinding my endorsement.”
Spam has been a canned staple for decades, and the brand has more flavors than you might realize. But how do they stack up? We tasted and ranked a bunch.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he told Maine Democrat Graham Platner to end his Senate bid on Tuesday, in the wake of a POLITICO report that a woman who Platner dated said he forced her to have sex with him.
“I have spoken with Graham Platner about the best path forward for Maine. In light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside,” Sanders said in a statement.
Platner has denied the allegations, saying in a statement this week that “any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically untrue.”
It’s Sanders’ first public remarks about Platner since the POLITICO report, and it comes after he’s stood beside Platner in the wake of other scandals. Numerous other elected Democrats and officials called on Platner to step down on Monday night.
Shortly after POLITICO published the report, Platner posted a video saying he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” on his candidacy.
Already, Democrats in the Pine Tree State are wrangling to replace Platner, something that can happen only if the nominee himself chooses to step aside. Platner would have to make the decision by July 13, as outlined in Maine state law. From there, the state Democratic Party will determine who will replace him, and that person must be named by July 27.
Sanders’ call on Platner is particularly notable, given he endorsed him and has rallied with him repeatedly in Maine. Platner’s campaign did not immediately respond to an email regarding Sanders’ decision.
Numerous other former supporters of Platner, from progressive commentators to elected officials, called on him to end his campaign on Monday and Tuesday. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democrats’ top Senate super PAC both pulled their financial support on Monday, saying they could not invest in the race to defeat GOP Sen. Susan Collins with Platner as the nominee.
The mass exodus comes after the party had largely stood behind Platner in other scandals, including resurfaced controversial social media posts and a Nazi-linked tattoo.
But POLITICO’s Monday report, where 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot said Platner entered her home uninvited nearly five years ago and forced himself on her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop, proved to be enough for the party to ditch him.
Racicot said she cut off contact with him after telling him that his actions that night were not consensual.
“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told POLITICO. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”
In past rallies and comments, Sanders had stood behind Platner, even after an earlier storyfrom The New York Times about Platner’s past relationships reported how some women who dated the Maine oysterman said they found some of his behavior unsettling.
“Platner won a landslide victory last night, and I am quite confident that Democrats who want to regain the Senate will be supporting him as the Democratic nominee,” Sanders told reporters on Capitol Hill last month, just after the primary.
Our Revolution, an organization that grew out of Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, called on Platner to end his candidacy before the senator joined in. And they are calling for the Democratic Party not to choose an establishment candidate if he were to be replaced.
“To the Democratic establishment: this is not your opening,” Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese said in a statement. “Whoever leads this movement forward must be someone who has actually lived the fight Graham Platner ran on: a record with working people, with unions, against corporate money, already tested and trusted by the same base that delivered this result.”
