Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Sitka Coast Guard crew rescues crewmember from Canadian fishing vessel

A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka medevaced a fisherman from a Canadian fishing vessel just south of Dixon Entrance on Friday.

March 14, 2023: What’s on the agenda when the Sitka Assembly meets tonight?

When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight it will likely establish a “tourism task force” that will be “tasked” with looking into the recent surge in tourism. If it passes, the nine-member group would investigate whether Sitka can or should limit cruise traffic, develop a review cycle for the city’s tourism operations, and create a tourism best-practices program.

Raven’s Way moving out of Sitka in merger with Juneau Youth Services

A Sitka-based residential treatment program for Alaska teenagers is moving to Juneau.Raven’s Way treats teens who have been diagnosed with substance use or dependence. It’s operated by the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC). But sometime later this year, the program will merge with Juneau Youth Services (JYS), which SEARHC is in the process of acquiring.

Compensation study to investigate solutions for city’s staffing shortage

It’s beginning to look like Sitka will have a bit more money than it needs next year, but fewer employees.When the Sitka Assembly met in a special budget meeting last week, it learned that – due to a combination of factors – it could enjoy a small surplus in the 2024 budget. But a staff shortage is reaching serious levels.

Sitka’s police dispatch will now answer 911 calls from Whittier, AK

Residents of Whittier and Girdwood will now have their 9-1-1 calls answered over 500 miles away – in Sitka. The Sitka Assembly on Tuesday (2-28-23) approved a contract worth $55,000 to provide dispatch services for those two communities, in a move Sitka’s police chief says will help him shore up efforts to recruit local dispatchers.

Assembly plans for new ‘Tourism Task Force’

The Sitka Assembly wants to establish a tourism task force, but they’re still fine-tuning the details. When it met on Tuesday (2-28-23), the assembly discussed creating a committee that would look into the recent surge in tourism and make recommendations, but struggled over the composition of the group.

Recent survey shows Sitka’s ‘enthusiasm’ for trail improvement plans

Sitka’s trail plan is due for an update. Trail works, the local nonprofit which created the original plan twenty years ago, recently surveyed the community for its ideas on new cabins, trails, toilets, and bear-proof trash containers. Over 500 Sitkans responded, generating over 3,000 detailed comments. Trail Works has been crunching the numbers. KCAW’s Katherine Rose spoke with executive director Ben Hughey to learn how the new plan is taking shape.

Rates hikes likely for all city enterprise funds, with wastewater seeing biggest increase

Rates for several of the city’s enterprise funds– electric, water, wastewater and solid waste – will likely go up next year, pending assembly approval. Some will increase at or below inflation, but other funds are encountering unanticipated costs.

Students brew up potential barista careers during DYP week

It’s “Discover Your Potential” week at Blatchley Middle School, and a group of 8th graders is discovering their potential, plus picking up serious job skills, training as baristas at a local coffee bar. KCAW’s Katherine Rose stopped by to see how it’s going, and sent this audio postcard:

Alaska’s gymnastics team scores big at Arctic Winter Games

Alaska’s gymnastics team scored big at the Arctic Games in Alberta, Canada, earlier this month. The four gymnasts from around the state won the top award for the team competition, the Gold Ulu. Then two days later they racked up medals during individual team competition. Sitkan Trisha Bessert coached them to victory.