Katherine Rose, Author at KCAW

Assembly passes budgets on first reading with rate increases

When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (4-28-20), it passed a $29 million dollar general fund budget for next fiscal year. And it approved all of the enterprise fund budgets on first reading.

City to receive federal disaster aid money, Secure Rural Schools funds

Some much-needed federal dollars will be arriving soon in Sitka, but local officials remain uncertain where they’ll land.

Sitka Long-Term Care resident tests positive for coronavirus

Sitka now has its first confirmed case of the coronavirus.In a press release on Saturday (4-25-20), the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium announced that the patient is a resident at Sitka Long Term Care. No other identifying information about the patient was disclosed.

As state begins reopening, local shelter-in-place, quarantine orders still stand

Governor Mike Dunleavy may be opening the state back up, but Sitka’s hunker down order remains in place, for now.

Sitka Assembly holds emergency meeting to discuss COVID-19 orders

The Sitka Assembly is holding an emergency meeting, Thursday (4/23/20), to discuss the city’s current pandemic-related orders and how they align with Governor Mike Dunleavy’s plan to open up parts of the state economy for business, beginning this Friday.

Human remains discovered on Kruzof Island

Sitka Police Chief Robert Baty said they received a call on Sunday, April 12, around 3:30 in the afternoon. A group of hikers in the Babcock Fort area had discovered human remains. The police department responded, along with Alaska State troopers and the Forest Service.

Sitka’s ‘hunker down’ order extended to mid-May

Sitkans are being told to hunker down for at least another month. When the assembly met Tuesday, it extended the emergency resolution to “hunker down” until May 12.

A Covid-free Sitka to quarantine incoming seasonal workers

The Sitka Assembly has passed a controversial ordinance that would place tight restrictions on seasonal workers coming to Sitka -- tighter, in fact, than already required under a mandate from the governor. And while most on the assembly believe tough rules are necessary right now, there is concern over whether the city might be overstepping its bounds, and facing a legal challenge from state government.

April 14, 2020: What’s happening at tonight’s assembly meeting?

Numerous emergency ordinances are up for discussion when the Sitka Assembly meets tonight (4/14/20), all related to the coronavirus pandemic. As of Monday, there were still no confirmed coronavirus cases in Sitka, and the assembly may put tougher measures in place in an attempt to keep it that way.

Assembly looks to ease financial stress caused by coronavirus

At the same time that the Sitka Assembly is trying to budget for next year, it’s also trying to ease the financial pain of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.