Robert Woolsey, KCAW, Author at KCAW

Report: Sitka’s economic rebound a study in contrasts

Sitka’s economy is thriving – according to the numbers, anyway. At the annual presentation on Sitka’s economy delivered last week (9-12-24) by Rain Coast Data, residents learned that the workforce, wages, and other economic indicators had all returned to pre-pandemic levels – and then some. But there were a couple of very serious negatives, too.

Legislative update: Rep. Himschoot says deep cuts a disservice to Alaskans

Rep. Rebecca Himschoot thinks the last legislative session had examples of both good and bad governance. Nevertheless, she believes the state government could be doing a better job serving Alaskans. She delivered a legislative update to the Sitka Chamber on August 28.

A major headache for some, Sitka’s internet outage is a ‘snow day’ for the overconnected

As Sitka’s internet outage extends into a second week, plenty of people have felt the frustration of being unable to communicate, whether it’s a postponed surgical procedure that required telemedicine, or just setting up a carpool for their child. But something else is going on, too, and it’s not simply nostalgia for the days when the entire world wasn’t a click away. KCAW’s Robert Woolsey spoke with a clinical mental health counselor to learn more about the unexpected upside of being out of touch.

‘Cruise Boom’ documentary makes national debut on PBS

A documentary examining the impact of the explosive growth of cruise tourism in Sitka will debut this weekend on national television. Cruise Boom looks at both the positive economics of cruise tourism, and its potential to drive harmful change – not just in Sitka, but in port communities around the world.

With internet down, Sitka’s students go old-school

Sitka High's limited internet connectivity during the outage is causing some teachers to revert to past methods of instruction: Paper and pencil.

Rep. Peltola makes a campaign swing through Sitka

Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola (right) speaks with Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association...

Alaska Bar looks to improve diversity, access in state court system

Lawyers in Alaska are hoping to become a more diverse profession, and ideally more accessible. The top officers of the Alaska Bar Association recently visited Sitka, as part of ongoing outreach and education for attorneys in remote areas.

Himschoot’s education bill allows out-of-state teachers to bring more years into state retirement system

A bill to help ease Alaska’s teacher shortage is on the governor’s desk awaiting his signature. House Bill 230, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, lowers barriers to bringing in experienced teachers to work in Alaska’s schools. However, the nonpartisan Sitka legislator, and former teacher, says the state has a long way to go to solve the education crisis.

‘Indigenous Futurism’ comes home in Gilbert’s five-part sci-fi odyssey

Author Matt Gilbert has concluded his epic sci-fi series – but it took five books, rather than the trilogy he originally envisioned. The Arctic Village novelist has spent years spinning the tale of Maxwell Wilkes, who, like his creator, is Gwich’in Athabaskan. Now, his hero is home, and Gilbert is looking forward to other creative pursuits.

Casualty Report: In ’23 Sitka charter tragedy, a swell overwhelmed the Awakin, throwing its master overboard, and its passengers into chaos

The loss of a charter vessel in Sitka Sound one year ago was sudden and catastrophic. An investigative team from the US Coast Guard spent the past twelve months reconstructing the final trip of the Awakin, gathering clues that may shed light on what befell the boat and the five people on board. They shared their conclusions at a town hall meeting in Sitka Thursday night (5-16-24).