Author: Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

A ballot initiative seeking to make land disposal deals in excess of five hundred thousand dollars at Sawmill Cove Industrial Park subject to voter approval, is still awaiting a decision. Superior Court Judge David George held a full hearing today (8/19/08) and hopefully will make a decision before August 26th. KCAW’s Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock has this update:

Democratic Candidate for US House of Representatives, Diane Benson says she believes in clean elections, alternative energy, and universal health care, among other things. She stopped by Raven Radio and filled in KCAW's Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock on just a few of the things she feels strongly about, starting with her refusal to accept campaign donations from industry lobbyists.

While many Sitka residents have long known the value of eating local seafood or wild edible plants, organizers of the town’s first farmer's market hope to increase the community’s ability to “eat locally” even more. The Farmer’s market is slated to run for three consecutive Saturdays, beginning this weekend (8-16-08) at the ANB Hall. KCAW’s Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock reports:

A superior court judge has ordered the city of Sitka to prepare petition booklets for a voter initiative about large land disposals. Representatives of Sitkans for Responsible Government are calling Judge David George’s decision Monday morning (8-13-08) “good news.”

Sitka voters are not going to weigh in on the much-debated roundabout question after all. The Sitka assembly last night (8-12-08) struck down a proposed advisory question for the October election, and granted the Department of Transportation the right-of-way to proceed with the project.

The victims of Sunday night’s plane crash in Peril Straits have been identified, and with the help of Sitka Mountain Rescue the bodies have been recovered and sent to Anchorage as part of the ongoing investigation into the crash. But as KCAW’s Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock reports, it’s a big week for missing aircraft in other parts of the state as well:

The city of Sitka banked $1-point-2 million dollars from the statewide cruise ship head tax last year, but the money has some major strings attached. The Sitka assembly Tuesday night created a mechanism for dealing with revenues from the Marine Passenger Fee Fund. The intent was to establish clear guidelines for distributing the fees, in order to stay far from legal entanglements.

A crowd of about 350 people gathered last Friday, August 8th under rainy skies for a dedication and Totem Raising in honor of Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino, who spent almost three decades photographing Alaska’s wildlife. Hoshino was killed by a brown bear, more than a decade ago. KCAW’s Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock has more:

Starbucks may be downsizing, but Americans are not losing their taste for coffee. In fact, a new generation may be embracing the old beverage in large numbers – but leaving off the whip cream and sprinkles. KCAW’s Leah Mann believes that her peers – whether for economy or style – have adopted the basic cup of coffee as their drink of choice. She toured the local coffee scene in Sitka, and filed this report:

Long after their deployments have ended, National Guardsmen at Ft. Richardson are being screened for physical and emotional health problems that may have developed as a result of their service in Afghanistan. Kari Lundgren, a physician’s assistant at the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium in Sitka, is among a number of mid-level practioners recruited to conduct detailed interviews with soldiers returning to the state. Lundgren spent last week at Ft. Richardson performing screenings for Logistics Health Incorporated, a government contractor responsible for monitoring the health of troops. The guardsmen Lundgren interviewed had been home about four months from their deployment in Afghanistan. She talked with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about how the men and women in the military in Alaska are faring under the strain of our country’s extended engagement in the Middle East: