Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Researcher examines future effects of climate change on Sitka’s herring

Predicting the future is hard, unless you’ve got a crystal ball. In the basement of the Sitka Sound Science Center, a researcher has designed an experiment to study the future of ocean acidification, and her “crystal ball” is herring.

Sitka’s COVID-19 case count jumps to 26

Sitka’s coronavirus count increased by four today (Friday, 7-17-20).

Sitka artist honored with Rasmuson fellowship

Sitka artist Jennifer Younger has been creating jewelry for the past few years, and in that time she’s garnered a local following for her work that blends traditional metal carving with her unique style. Earlier this month, Younger was selected as a 2020 Rasmuson Individual Artist, one of 36 artists in the state to receive the prestigious award and one of only 10 to receive a competitive fellowship for mid-career artists.

Sitka health officials announce one new coronavirus case

Sitka health officials have announced the first positive case of coronavirus in a person under 20 years old. The information was released today (7-16-20), and is the youngest case reported in Sitka so far.

No shirt, no shoes, no mask? No problem-Sitka rejects local mask mandate

Sitka won’t require people to wear masks in public. A divided Sitka Assembly voted 3 to 4 to nix a resolution Tuesday (7-14-20) that would’ve asked people to cover their faces while in public indoor spaces, in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Assembly approves plan to relocate Baranov statue

For more than 30 years, a bronze statue of Russian colonial administrator Alexander Baranov has stood in front of one of Sitka’s most prominent government buildings. But not for much longer. That’s following Tuesday’s (7-14-20) action by the Sitka Assembly.

As state tracks herring population growth across the Gulf, concerns for Sitka’s stocks remain

After two seasons without a commercial fishery, herring stocks in Sitka Sound are on the rebound, according to state scientists tracking the data. But subsistence users are skeptical: What herring there are in the Sound seem to be both thinly distributed and moving farther out of reach, suggesting that stocks remain stressed.

On split vote, assembly approves COVID-19 relief budget

In a split vote Tuesday (7-7-20), the Sitka Assembly passed a budget that broadly allocates over 14 million dollars in federal economic relief. But the fireworks over the CARES Act funding may just be getting started, as officials try to determine who gets money, and how much.

Another non-resident tests positive for COVID-19

Sitka health officials announced a new coronavirus case today (7-9-20). The patient is in his fifties and received a positive test result on Wednesday, July 8, according to a city press release. He had no symptoms at the time of testing.

Assembly to review $14M CARES Act budget

The city’s plan to distribute over 14 million dollars in CARES Act funding continues to take shape. Although most of the work is happening behind closed doors, there’s another opportunity for public input tonight (7-7-20) when the Sitka Assembly meets.