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The KUCB Newsroom provides newscasts Monday through Thursday at noon and 5 PM on KUCB Radio. You can find many of our local news stories here.

MOTA Reopens After Yearlong Closure

KUCB

The Museum of the Aleutians has officially reopened after a scandal closed the space for nearly a year.

Last week, new Executive Director Dr. Neal Hitch announced the museum has set regular hours for the first time since last fall, when the former director resigned after items from the collection were found in her home.

In his first month on the job, Hitch has reopened the museum gradually — allowing visitors during cruise ship and ferry stops, even though the building's technically been closed.

So far, he said the museum has had more than 1,500 visitors.

"In the first six weeks of this fiscal year, we're going to eclipse our visitation numbers for the entire last year," he said.

The museum has hired two part-time employees to staff the front desk, and Hitch said he's looking for a full-time collections manager. He's also applying for grants to fund future exhibits.

The Museum of the Aleutians is now open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Laura Kraegel reported for KUCB from 2016 until 2020. She was KUCB's news director starting in 2019. We are proud to have her back in the spring of 2023 filling in as an interim reporter for KUCB.
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