Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Sac roe fishery open daily until further notice

The Sitka Sound Sac Roe herring fishery is now open ten hours a day until further notice.

‘This isn’t going to break my spirit’: Hiker recalls the misstep that sent him tumbling 1,100 feet off a Sitka peak

Last month (3-26-22), a man fell more than 1000 feet down the side of a snowy peak behind Sitka. Not only did Jeff Wright live to tell the tale – albeit with serious injuries – he says the misadventure helped sharpen his appreciation for the outdoors.

More than a week after running aground, the Western Mariner returns to Sitka

A tugboat that ran aground in Neva Strait last week has been towed back to Sitka.

Seafood safety advisory issued following diesel spill in Neva Strait

It’s been over a week since a tugboat ran aground north of Sitka, leading to a large diesel spill. Now that the spring herring run is in full swing, the state is advising against the harvest of herring eggs in some areas where fuel has been seen.

Herring fishery opens twice over weekend, once on Monday

The Sitka Sound Sac Roe herring fishery opened for the third time on Monday (3-28-22). Seiners worked from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Hayward Strait area and in the southern part of Krestof Sound, around the Magoun Islands.

Subsistence harvesters, seiners react to fuel spill north of Sitka

Herring seiners and subsistence harvesters are grappling with a large diesel spill near Sitka that happened on Monday (3-21-22).

No more fuel escaping from grounded tug, but sheen continues to spread

Crews have been working for four days to contain a fuel spill in Neva Strait, after a tugboat ran aground early Monday morning (3-21-22). The Western Mariner was towing an Alaska Marine Lines freight barge when the two vessels collided after a steering failure, and the tug was pushed onto the beach.

Two years into the pandemic, Sitka’s EOC suspends operations

Two years after it was established in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Sitka Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is suspending operations.

Assembly rejects temporary short-term rental freeze

The Sitka Assembly will not issue a temporary moratorium on short-term rental permits after all. When the assembly met on Tuesday (3-22-22) it narrowly voted down a measure that would have prohibited new short term rental permits in residential zones for one year.

Assembly considers ATV code ‘tune up’ that would prohibit rentals

A new law allowing All-Terrain-Vehicle use on Sitka’s streets, is already getting its first tune-up. ATVs have been street legal in Sitka just since late February. But some assembly members were concerned that the new law left a loophole for a business to rent ATVs to tourists. So when the assembly met on Tuesday (3-22-22) it approved an amendment that would prohibit leasing or renting “all-purpose vehicles” for driving or tours.