Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Former assembly candidate denied police commission seat

Austin Cranford, pictured here shortly after he filed to run for a seat on the Sitka Assembly in...

Possible bowhead whale sighting in Sitka Sound raises questions

In late March, a local whale biologist spotted something out of place in Sitka Sound. She’s still having a hard time believing it, but pictures suggest an incredibly rare sighting– a juvenile bowhead whale.

City to raise fee for car rental companies

The city will begin collecting more money from car rental companies in Sitka this fall. When the Sitka Assembly met last night, on a 5-1 vote it approved an increase to the city’s driver facility charge from four to eight percent.

Sitkan indicted for reckless driving after car chase down Smith Street

A Sitka man was indicted in March for reckless driving and resisting arrest after a high speed car chase. Other Sitkans were indicted on charges of forgery and sex abuse.

Assembly asks SEARHC to reconsider home health closure

The Sitka Assembly is calling for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC (like search), to reconsider a decision it made last fall to close its home health department. The assembly unanimously approved a resolution at its meeting on April 9.

April 9, 2024: What’s on the agenda when the Sitka Assembly meets tonight?

Sitkans continue to call for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, to reestablish its home healthcare department after it closed last fall. When the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (4-9-24) it will consider a resolution urging SEARHC to re-establish the Medicare-certified department.

City to take over management of Blatchley Middle School pool

The City of Sitka will take over management of the Blatchley Middle School swimming pool from the Sitka School District. At a special budget meeting on Thursday (4-4-24) the Sitka Assembly unanimously agreed to assume pool operations at a time when the school district is struggling to contend with uncertainties surrounding state funding.

Sitka School board grapples with funding uncertainty as budget deadline approaches

The Sitka School District was still in a precarious place with its budget, when Sitka’s new superintendent Deidre Jenson got into the driver’s seat officially on Wednesday night (4-3-24).

Sitkans have until April 7 to comment on next phase of seawalk

Sitkans have until the end of this week to comment on the next phase of the Sitka Seawalk.

Sustainability Commission honing in on solid waste, electric vehicles for city in 2024-2025 plan

Sitka’s newest commission has bitten off a lot, but not more than it can chew. When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday, it heard an update from the Sustainability Commission on progress on its 2024 goals, and plans for next 2025. Commission Chair Katie Riley said they were big goals, and they’d made a bit of progress.