When the Sitka School Board met Tuesday evening (11-3-26), it agreed on its goals for the school year and reviewed the district’s current grants.

The Sitka School District recently received $80,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to go toward playground equipment or after-school programs to train for a recently-revived national fitness test. The origins of the Presidential Fitness Test date back to 1958. The program underwent several modifications before it was retired in 2012 under the Obama administration, and was restored by the Trump administration earlier this year.

Superintendent Deidre Jenson said the district is still working out exactly how those funds would be applied.

“You can’t buy a set of swings for this grant because you’re not going to be tested on how well [or] how high you can swing. You’re gonna be tested on chin ups. You’re gonna be tested on endurance,” she said.

Jenson said the grant is supposed to provide consistent funding over the next five years, but she isn’t sure how the amount might be affected if more school districts decide to participate. 

In other funding news, the board reviewed other grants Sitka schools receive and how they’re used. According to Jenson, grants help cover the salaries of 8.243 full-time positions. Pacific High School Principal Matt Groen said nearly all his staff heavily depend on grant funds.

He also spoke to the board about current successes and challenges at Pacific High. While the school’s enrollment is down from the past two years, the student population is greater than a decade ago. But Groen said dropping attendance rates are a big concern.

“Our student government is actually actively engaging in this. That’s why they did Spirit Week. I know that’s like putting a finger in a flooding dam, but it is something,” Groen said.

He said Pacific High staff have been collecting data on which days and classes see the highest number of absences to work toward solutions.

The school board also approved its three goals established at its retreat last month, including its approach to the district’s shrinking student body. School Board President Phil Burdick said community conversations about whether or not to close a school “will no doubt be heartfelt.”

“It’s a difficult conversation, so we just really want to get out in front of that,” Burdick said.

The board agreed to postpone approving the district’s annual priorities until its next meeting on Dec. 2.

Lone Democratic candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins remains in the lead in the race for Alaska governor. The former state representative from Sitka spent election night in Downtown Anchorage, watching results roll in with a crowd of 350 family members, friends, and supporters.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Kreiss-Tomkins had 49.1% of the vote, with nearly all precincts reporting. Republican Bernadette Wilson trails behind at 29.2%. Kreiss-Tomkins would need more than 50% to avoid going to a second round of voting, under Alaska’s ranked-choice system. 

KCAW’s Hope McKenney sat down with Kreiss-Tomkins Wednesday afternoon to talk to him about election night and how he’s feeling about his bid for the governor’s seat. Listen to the conversation here:

TRANSCRIPT:

KCAW: As of this afternoon, you’re leading in the polls. How are you feeling? Are you feeling optimistic?

KREISS-TOMKINS: Yes, we think there’s a pretty decent chance that as additional outstanding ballots are counted, given where those ballots are coming from, that we will push north of 50% in the polls, and that’s always been our reach goal: is to crack 50% in the first round so that ranking isn’t required. [I] feel cautiously optimistic we’re on track to do that. 

KCAW: And so people are talking about this kind of “blue wave” that swept across the country on election night. Democrats flipped Congress, won races in historically conservative states. Now, Alaska could have its first Democratic governor in more than two decades. What’s your reaction to all of that?

KREISS-TOMKINS: I feel we were building a big tent campaign that had the ability to win this race in Alaska no matter what the national climate was. I think there is a lot of fundamental strength in our campaign, and that we will see in the numbers, when all the votes are counted, that suggest that to be the case. And also, I think the national climate, the national dissatisfaction with I think the president, to some extent, and just the state of the country, it definitely put wind in our sails with this race on the state level.

KCAW: So, if you do become governor, what are the biggest priorities you’d want to tackle first?

KREISS-TOMKINS: Just as I campaigned, [I’m] really focused on the basics and finding common ground and solving problems that most Alaskans can agree on. Very high on the list is public education and reinvesting in K-12 education and forward funding education, as well as passing retirement for teachers as well as public employees. So, you know, those are two immediate legislative pushes, both of which have broad legislative support, but have just been frustrated by vetoes from Governor Dunleavy in the last year. And then also tackling cost of living, whether it’s housing or energy and electricity, or childcare. So there’s a lot of work to be done, but those are a couple of issues that really jump first to mind.

KCAW: So yesterday I spent some time down at the polls talking to people, and you have widespread support here in Sitka. I think that we’re at like 66, 67 percent of folks voted for you in the election. Do you have anything you’d like to say to Sitka voters who really turned out for you on election day?

KREISS-TOMKINS: Well, I’m just so grateful. Sitka and my old district at large in Southeast Alaska, even more broadly, were key reasons why we won the primary election out of 17 candidates. And the extraordinary support from home means the world to me on a personal level and was materially significant on a statewide level in the primary. And continuing to see that support going forward in the general election just means a lot. This community made me who I am, and I, you know, won’t ever forget that. And it’s always home, and I’m just very grateful to have that support from home, and it’s been there every step of the way from this campaign, including when we launched it in the Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Naa Kahídi on on February 4.

Sitkans Against Family Violence Director Natalie Wojcik and Board Chair Emma Bruhl join KCAW to talk about their organization’s services and upcoming fundraiser. SAFV is hosting its second annual fall family dinner and dessert auction this Sunday, Nov. 8, at ANB Founders Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner starts at 6 p.m. Listen to the conversation here:

Updated 11/4/26 at 12 p.m.

It looks like Independent incumbent Representative Rebecca Himschoot of Sitka has won her reelection bid in the District 2 State House race. That’s according to unofficial results from Tuesday night, with all precincts reporting. She ran against Republican Kenny Karl Skaflestad of Hoonah and Independent Alston Evans of Klawock. 

District 2 covers a large geographical area, representing the entire western coastline of Southeast Alaska from Yakutat down to Hydaburg, including Sitka and Petersburg. 

As of about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, Himschoot held a strong lead with nearly 56% of the vote. At least 143 absentee, early, and questioned ballots remain uncounted that the state will tabulate over the coming weeks, but it should not affect the final result. 

Himschoot, who has held the District 2 seat since 2022, talked with KCAW at a watch party on election night. She said after serving two terms, she feels more prepared. 

“I have 21 communities spread over 500 miles, and it’s the most spectacular district in the state. I’m absolutely certain of that,” Himschoot said. “But it takes time to get to communities. It takes time to get to know the people. So for me personally, each year that I get to have this role, I think I become more competent in the legislating work, but also in the work of knowing the district and knowing the issues in the communities.”

Himschoot said the possibility of having a Democratic governor for the first time in more than two decades will serve them in the Legislature. As of 11:30 p.m., fellow Sitkan Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins was leading the gubernatorial race with 49% of the vote. 

“Our conflict in the legislature for the last four years has been really kind of the Legislature versus the governor,” she said. “And we’re in a position now that looks like it will be the governor and the Legislature being in a better position to work together. So, in the last four years, not much has changed in the legislature, but in the next four years, I expect significant changes.”

Himschoot said each election cycle is a lot of work, and she’s happy to put this one in the rearview mirror. 

The District 2 House seat is a 2-year term, with an annual salary of $84,000.

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of Sitka Whalefest. The event kicks off Thursday evening with a film festival and runs through Sunday. Phyllis Hackett, Lauren Wild, and Lauren Bell joined KCAW on the Morning Interview to discuss how the event has changed over the past three decades, and what to expect from this year’s event. Listen to their conversation here:

Tomorrow is election day, and many Sitkans have already cast their ballots. In this election, voters around the state will choose Alaska’s next governor, as well as their state and national representatives, and vote on a ballot measure that would repeal Alaska’s open primary and ranked choice voting systems. 

Wilma Stokes-Leslie is a local election official. She said there was a steady turnout of early voters at Harrigan Centennial Hall, with about 150 Sitkans casting their ballots, on average, each day. Today saw an exceptionally large turnout, with 271 Sitkans voting early. 

“We had 40 people in the first half hour, and they were waiting outside the door at 10 o’clock,” Stokes-Leslie said.

As for the voting process, Stokes-Leslie said each voter registered to vote absentee, then filled out a ballot and put it in a security sleeve to place in a locked ballot box. 

“Then at the end of the day, all the doors are locked, and the workers take the ballots out and they count them out, and they check on the register and they’re put into a special envelope and they’re mailed to Juneau,” she said.

In all, 1,627 Sitkans had voted early in the election, according to Stokes-Leslie. That’s about a fifth of registered voters in Sitka, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. Stokes-Leslie said there were a few reasons for the early turnout.

“We’ve been all over the national news, so I think that’s been an incentive,” Stokes-Leslie said. “Also, there’s a lot of folks that are working. Some people mentioned they’re heading out fishing, or they’re going out of town for whatever reason, vacation.”

Early votes cast in Sitka will be tallied in Juneau at the Region I Elections Office on election night. 

If you didn’t get a chance to vote early, polls are open for Alaska’s general election Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall. 

Every other year, Sitka Studio of Dance hosts a dance showcase, where Sitkans show off their ballet, jazz, Zumba, and contemporary talents. Sitkans Can Dance! will take place on Saturday, November 14, at 7 p.m. at the Sitka Performing Arts Center. Melinda McAdams, Ella Branch, and Kincaid Parsons joined KCAW on the Morning Interview to discuss the upcoming showcase. Listen to their conversation here:

Sheet’ká Ḵwáan Sitka Tribe of Alaska’s new general manager, Bert Adams – Deix’wudu’oo, has been on the job for a few months, and he hopes to spend the next year planning for the Tribe’s future.

In a joint interview with KCAW and the Daily Sitka Sentinel on Thursday (10-29-26), Adams discussed his background and experience, including over two-dozen years of work in Tribal leadership across Alaska. Most recently, he worked in Intergovernmental Affairs at Knik Tribe and previously served as Special Projects Manager and Executive Director for the Native Village of Eyak. Prior to that, he spent 13 years as general manager of Yakutat Tlingit Tribe.

He said it was in his role at the Native Village of Eyak that grounded him in the work, and where he gained experience in federal and state partnerships and funding structures. 

“Getting [the departments] all involved in the tribal strategic planning, and all working together as one unit in terms of strategies on funding and programs, what we were going to target, and and then getting them to really buy into that,” Adams said. During that time, he said the Tribe’s budget nearly doubled from $32 to $89 million. He said that was thanks to a couple of large infrastructure projects and growing its 8A business program- that provides a pathway for federally recognized Tribes to bring in for-profit revenue.

For now, he said the top priority is grounding the Tribe, working on the internal structure and flow of the Tribe’s administrative department first, then branching out to department directors. 

“And then the next phase is the strategic planning for Sitka Tribe, and that’s going to really outline the 2027 priorities between the Council and the departments,” he said.

Adams said input from Tribal Citizens collected earlier this year through a needs assessment survey will be central to the strategic planning process.

“Tribal Citizens are, that’s why we’re here,” Adams said. “So we’ll always have the door open to them and listen to what they have to say.”

He’s hopeful that in 2028, the planning work will begin to pay off. 

“[2028] is when we can really hopefully see the growth of STA, and really kind of an identity in terms of how we’re going to be moving forward within as a tribal government,” Adams said. “And how that impact could be with the community of Sitka.”

Adams, who grew up in Yakutat and has family ties to Sitka, is eager to get to know the community better. A longtime basketball coach, he’s looking forward to the busy winter athletic schedule to gear up, and traveling during the holiday season to see his kids and grandkids. 

After a year off, spurred by the government shutdown, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kukui is once again a haunted ship. Here’s how the crew was preparing for the return of Sitka’s long-standing Halloween tradition: 

At the stern of the Kukui, four Coast Guard crew pour fake blood onto a white sheet. Gabe Fortin’s hands are stained with the red goo he’s using to draw a ring around a big X, like a cult circle. 

“We’ve been trying it for a long time, and so you can see there’s all kinds of dead bodies everywhere,” Fortin says.

A Tyvek suit stuffed with rags lies flat on the deck. The protective coveralls are splattered with blood made from beet juice.

“He was late to his [midnight] watch, so he got punished,” Fortin jokes. “My idea is like a cult execution theme where we’re doing a ritual to do something, maybe to give us power.”

Fortin says crew members will circle around him while he chants into a microphone. He’s still workshopping what he’ll say as the cult leader.

“I have to come up with an appropriate chant,” he says.

That’s just one scene that will be featured on the Kukui for Sitka’s annual haunted ship. Down on the buoy deck, black plastic tarps line the sides to prevent any passerby from peering in.

“We’re going for somewhat of a chainsaw massacre theme down here,” says Steven Calcaterra who’s in charge of the scene on the buoy deck. As people make their way past coffins and dummy corpses, they’ll be running from scare actors wielding chainsaws.

It’s still a work in progress. The crew has just two days to throw everything together.  

“I was doing a round of the ship, seeing how everything was going, and I was very pleasantly surprised coming to the buoy deck, seeing everybody working together,” says Anjali Friedman, the ship’s morale officer.

Friedman says it’s all a team effort. One crew member holds a coffin door open while another trims it with an electric saw. Another group spray paints two big pieces of cardboard they plan to hide behind. 

Inside the cutter’s halls, black tarps cover up windows so it’s dark, except for the eerie red glow of emergency lights.

“Here we’re gonna have a fog machine and we’re gonna black this out and kind of have it like a claustrophobic space. Here’s a jump scare opportunity,” Friedman says.

They’ll be using props collected over the years from previous crews and decorations donated by the community. 

The sick bay is like an operating room straight out of a horror movie. Strobe lights shine on a table littered with bloody limbs. But Michael Overstreet, the commanding officer of the Kukui, says they don’t need donated props for this area. 

“We have all of these limbs and things as part of our normal medical training that we do,” Overstreet explains.

The haunted ship was a job requirement Overstreet says he only found out about once he stepped in for the previous commanding officer. But he’s learned just how much Sitkans love the annual tradition. Especially after calling off the haunted ship last year because of the government shutdown.

“There’s a lot of pent up demand from the community, so they’re all excited to get back on board Kukui and and come here for the frights,” Overstreet says.

Friedman says Halloween is her favorite holiday, so she’s thrilled to be in charge of the haunted ship — cults, chainsaws, and all. And if her crewmates feel differently, she says they have no choice.

“They must work,” Friedman jokes.

But many seem devoted to their work. Like Fortin, the cult leader, whose hands will probably be stained by the beet juice blood till November.