Month: August 2010

A Sitka grand jury on Friday (8-13-10) indicted an Elfin Cove resident for allegedly brandishing a pistol at man on the community’s dock. Forty-six year old Travis J. Lewis faces one count of third-degree assault, a felony, for recklessly placing another man in fear of his life in the Elfin Cove harbor on August 8 of this year.

The remaining trustees of Sheldon Jackson College are trying to achieve a “dignified end” for Alaska’s oldest educational institution. The school closed abruptly in June of 2007, after the administration failed to win a $1-million emergency loan from the Sitka assembly. The college at the time was reportedly sinking under around $12-million in debt. That debt load now has been halved through land sales. College officials hope the school’s major creditor will grant some relief, and allow the Sheldon Jackson Campus to be turned over to another institution without further subdivision.

Incumbent Lon Garrison is the lone candidate for the single seat on the Sitka School Board. He spoke with KCAW's Robert Woolsey. The municipal election is Tuesday, October 5.

Lon Garrison says he’ll continue to support technology in Sitka’s schools, because “it’s where the world is going.” Garrison is the lone candidate in this year’s school board election. He’s seeking a second three-year term. He spoke with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey recently about some of the issues the board is likely to face in the coming year.

The Sitka police department says the city’s nuisance bear ordinance is unenforceable. The ordinance was adopted just over two years ago (April 2008), and the department has yet to write a single citation under the new law, despite a steady increase in the number of nuisance bears.

A fourth ballot proposition will also head to second reading next Tuesday. The assembly last night unanimously approved putting an advisory question before voters, seeking their opinion on whether the city should bond for $50 million to expand the Blue Lake hydro project.

Sitka voters will likely get a chance this fall to decide the future of the Hames Athletic Center. The assembly passed on first reading last night (8-10-10) three ballot propositions that would ask voters to purchase and improve the facility, and raise property taxes to pay for the deal.

A second aircraft sent to Sitka on Sunday to replace Alaska Airlines Flight 68 after it was grounded by an eagle strike, also hit an eagle on takeoff. The Department of Transportation confirms that the substitute aircraft struck the bird on the runway, but was able to proceed normally with its flight to Seattle.

A man is safe after becoming separated from his hiking party in thick fog on Harbor Mountain over the weekend. Sitka Mountain rescue located the man near the Gavan Loop hiking shelter in the early afternoon on Saturday, after instructing him via cell phone to stay put until they arrived.

State Rep. Peggy Wilson represents Sitka, Petersburg, Wrangell and the surrounding communities in the Alaska House of Representatives. The Wrangell Republican is seeking her sixth term, and will be competing for the party's nomination with Steven Samuelson, of Petersburg. Wilson spoke with KCAW's Ed Ronco earlier this week about some of the issues on the campaign trail.