Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

New COVID-19 cases prompt Sitka to shift to ‘high alert’

Six Sitkans have tested positive for the coronavirus since Sunday (11-1-20), prompting the city and Sitka School District to shift to a “high” alert level.

Sitka’s COVID-19 count increases by 2 over the weekend

Two more coronavirus cases were reported over the weekend.

Sitka braces for another weekend with heavy rainfall, high winds

After last week’s torrential downpour that caused at least one landslide, Sitkans are preparing for another torrential downpour this weekend.

Can cities anticipate COVID-19 spikes before they happen? Researchers make haste by testing waste

What if there was a faster way to predict when a COVID-19 wave was about to happen before the positive cases started rolling in? Researchers at the University of Alaska are partnering with communities around the state to figure out if we can make haste, by testing waste.

As CARES Act deadline approaches, some city programs in full swing

The City of Sitka is rapidly working its way through $14 million in federal CARES Act relief. With the deadline just over two months away, local officials are in the unusual position of spending money as fast as they can.

Downpours in Sitka cause slides, flooding

Harbor Mountain and Blue Lake Road are closed to the public after at least one landslide happened over the weekend.

COVID-19 case identified at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary

A staff member at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Assembly reviews appeals from local businesses requesting more CARES Act funding

The Sitka Assembly has spent the last few months doling out $14 million in federal CARES Act funding to the community. While it’s set to distribute more of those funds in November, several recipients from the first round of business and nonprofit grants appealed to the assembly for more money.

Assembly considers options for haulout project

With no federal or state funding available to support the project, plans for a new marine haulout in Sitka have come to a standstill. The Sitka Assembly this week (10-13-20) went back to the drawing board to look for new ideas to develop a haulout, which is considered vital to Sitka’s maritime industries.

Assembly recognizes outgoing and swears in new members

When the Sitka Assembly met Tuesday night (10-13-20), it held a ‘changing of the guard’-- recognizing outgoing assembly members, and certifying the results from last week’s municipal election.