Northern Journal reporter Nat Herz is covering the petition to list Alaskan king salmon under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Fisheries doesn't have to accept the petition (from the Wild Fish Conservancy), and even if it does, Herz says "these things tend to get bogged down in litigation."
Read More
The Sitka Fine Arts Camp has won a $45,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The award is validation of the camp's success, and a boon to Sitka's growing arts economy.
Read More
Financial responsibility for the maintenance of Sitka's schools -- including the Blatchley Swimming Pool -- would transfer from the school district to the City of Sitka, in a plan discussed by the assembly and school board in a January work session.
Read More
Extensive sampling around Kruzof Island by the UAF Geophysical Institute last summer did not detect any volcanic gases from Mt. Edgecumbe. But doctoral researcher Claire Pulieio told the Sitka Rotary that the data form a good baseline for future research.
Read More
As a freshman legislator last year, Rebecca Himschoot jumped "into the fire with both feet" sponsoring a resolution in Defense of Alaska Fisheries, which was the first legislation to reach the floor for a full vote. This year, her legislative agenda will likely move at a more stately pace.
Read More
Kari Sagel put in over 25 years working in Sitka's schools, most memorably as the librarian at Blatchley Middle School. Sagel urged the board to look for ways to support teachers and promote professional longevity.
Read More
Teacher salaries in Alaska once were the best in the nation. Now, they are slightly ahead of the national average, but continue to fall significantly behind the cost of living in the state.
Read More
Most wild king salmon runs in Southeast Alaska will not have enough large fish return to meet escapement goals -- with the exception of the Chilkat River in Haines.
Read More
Dr. Tom Jacobsen began his career as the itinerant dental officer for the Indian Health Service (before the advent of SEARHC), flying around Southeast with a miniature dental lab in the back of a beaver floatplane. He's retiring this month after more than 50 years practicing dentistry in Sitka.
Read More
Patience and preparation are two of the most important considerations as buyers enter the extraordinarily tight housing market in Sitka, say a realtor and banker who work everyday to connect people with new homes.
Read More
