Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

July 25, 2023: What’s on the agenda when the Sitka Assembly meets tonight?

The final plan for Sitka’s long-awaited marine haulout will come before the Sitka Assembly tonight (7-25-23) for approval.

Firefighters extinguish small tour bus tire fire in downtown Sitka

The wheels of a large tour bus caught fire Friday (7-21-23) in downtown Sitka. Fire officials suspect the vehicle’s brakes had seized and overheated.

Community Garden proposal will advance to assembly table

Supporters of a Community Garden in Sitka hope to address local food insecurity from the ground up, literally, by building gardens and renting out plots to green thumbs who want to grow their own food. But there are many challenges ahead for the project, including some neighborhood opposition.

Filling a job vacant for a year, Sitka’s new animal control officer puts his pet and people skills to work

After around a year without one, Sitka has a new animal control officer. Sam Pointer took on the job in June, and brings optimism and a community-driven approach to a role that can be as challenging as it is rewarding.

Two propositions dealing with Sitka’s schools may go out to voters this fall

Sitka is thinking about capitalizing on the rebound in cruise tourism to help maintain its schools. A ballot proposition that would impose a dedicated one-percent seasonal sales tax passed the local assembly this week (Tuesday 7-11-23), and is likely to appear before voters this fall.

Strum and get it: fine arts campers score free guitars

The Sitka Fine Arts Camp’s high school camp wraps up at the end of this week, and campers won’t just be taking memories home with them. Each one will be bringing home a brand new guitar. It’s possible through a new partnership with Free Guitars for Kids. Ben Dudley is the executive director of the nonprofit.

Assembly approves resolution affirming June as Pride Month in Sitka

For the first time ever, the assembly has officially declared June “Pride Month” in Sitka, affirming “the rights of all members of the LGBTQIA+ community to live their authentic lives.”

NTSB points to navigation, communication in Sitka cruise ship mishap

Miscommunication and an out-of-date navigational chart were both found to be factors when a Royal Caribbean cruise ship slammed into the dock at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal last summer. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a 14-page report on the incident late last month.

Residential treatment facility for unhoused teens greenlit after assembly overturns permit denial

After a couple of setbacks, Youth Advocates of Sitka can now move forward with plans to create a residential treatment program for teens and young adults experiencing homelessness in Sitka. Earlier this year, the group had applied for a permit to convert a duplex into the facility, but was initially denied by the local planning commission. The nonprofit successfully appealed that decision before the Sitka Assembly on Tuesday (6-13-23

Sitka Judge Jude Pate becomes 27th Alaska Supreme Court Justice

Earlier this year, Governor Mike Dunleavy appointed Sitka Superior Court Judge Jude Pate to the Alaska Supreme Court. He’s the first justice from Sitka to serve on the state’s highest court, and the first to come directly from a rural community in decades. He was sworn in last week in Sitka.