Month: August 2010

Michelle Putz (pronounced "puts") says she’s the person people go to when they want things done. Putz is one of four candidates running for two seats this October on the Sitka assembly. She stopped by KCAW recently and spoke with Robert Woolsey.

A top official in the Department of Agriculture was in Sitka today (Fri 8-20-10) for a meeting on the Forest Service’s “transition framework.” Undersecretary Harris Sherman, who reports directly to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak, spent four hours in the Sitka Tribe’s community house asking questions and listening to various perspectives the Forest Service’s plans to shift to young-growth management and forest restoration.

With Tuesday’s primary election less than a week away, the two Republican candidates for the 2nd District state House seat continue campaigning across the region. Earlier this month, Petersburg resident Steven Samuelson addressed the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce. This week, it was state Representative Peggy Wilson’s turn.

A radio-collared brown bear sow has been found dead of unknown causes near Sitka. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game reports that the carcass of the sow, which was captured and collared on July 27, was discovered near a Sawmill Creek Road neighborhood this morning (Thu 8-19-10).

Dignitaries from around the nation will be gathering in Anchorage tomorrow afternoon (8-18-10) to pay final respects to the former Senator Ted Stevens. Former colleagues, like Vice President Joe Biden, are expected to recount Stevens’ achievements during a tenure that saw him become the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. Among those achievements is one in particular that literally speaks for itself: Senator Stevens held a long-standing and consistent vision for public broadcasting in Alaska.

Extended audio from a 2007 interview with Sen. Ted Stevens. With KCAW's Robert Woolsey.

Senator Ted Stevens’ last visit to Sitka was in August of 2007. It was a campaign trip; he made no public appearances, but as was his habit when in town, he made an impromptu visit to the studios of KCAW. Although Stevens was not indicted by a federal grand jury until almost a year later, it was well known at the time that he was under investigation. His press secretary called ahead to forestall any questions about the matter, but the senator himself, when he sat down with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey, said he was happy to answer any questions at all.

Sen. Hollis French of Anchorage is running for the Democratic nomination for governor. The state primary election is Tuesday, August 24.

Hollis French says Alaska’s current governor is on a “glide path” to the November statewide election. French, a state senator from Anchorage, is one of two remaining major contenders for the Democratic nomination for governor in next week’s primary, following the withdrawal of businessman Bob Poe. French was in Sitka last week for his second visit of the primary campaign. He spoke with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about the issues, and what separates him from his rival for the nomination, former House Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz.