Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Voters to decide on cannabis tax in October 4 election

Voters will now decide whether Sitka adopts a new cannabis tax. On Tuesday (6-29-22), the Sitka Assembly voted to put a consumer’s sales tax on marijuana on the municipal election ballot this fall.

For new MEHS superintendent, ‘culturally responsive education’ is key

Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka is undergoing a leadership shift this summer. A new superintendent was hired to take over the state-run boarding school, and she is no stranger to the campus, or to its mission of combining a rigorous academic education with deeply-held cultural traditions.

Bird flu shows signs of slowing in Sitka, with only one recent case reported

Since late April, six eagles have tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or “bird flu” in Sitka. But only one of those cases was discovered in the last five weeks.

June 28, 2022: What’s on the agenda when the assembly meets tonight?

When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (6-28-2) it will consider, on final reading, whether to put a new cannabis consumers tax out to the voters this fall.

Sitka’s SAR team rescues hiker injured from fall

Sitka’s Search and Rescue team rescued an injured hiker on Thursday evening. The hiker was walking across the first bridge on the Indian River Trail when the handrail gave way, and he fell, injuring his ankle.

Sitkans protest Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

A small group of demonstrators gathered at Sitka's roundabout at noon, following the Supreme Court's decision, holding signs that read, "Bans off our bodies" and "Protect our right to choose."

Sitka’s water scores second place in national taste competition

Sitka’s drinking water is officially “prize winning” on a national level. The city’s tap water, locally sourced from Blue Lake, won second place last week (6-14-22) at the American Water Works Association (AWWA) taste test competition.

In Japan, marketers spawn new strategies to sell herring eggs

Herring season wrapped up earlier this spring in Sitka Sound with the largest commercial harvest in the history of the sac roe fishery. Herring management nevertheless continues to be controversial, and – many would argue – weighted heavily toward market demand in Asia. But what exactly is that market? Earlier this year, KCAW spoke with a Japanese anthropologist studying the history of herring in his home country, and how the market is changing along with the tastes and habits of the Japanese themselves.

City raises Lincoln Street closure threshold to 4000 cruise passengers

Since the beginning of the summer cruise season, the city has been closing the street to through traffic on days when 3,000 or more cruise passengers are in town. Beginning next week, the threshold will increase to 4,000.

Sitka reported 28 new COVID cases last week

Twenty-seven Sitkans and one non-resident tested positive for the coronavirus last week in Sitka, as reported by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.