NATIVE HISTORY TALK – Father Herman Belt talks about St. Yakov (Jacob) Netsvetov (1802-1864) Wednesday night in the Russian Bishop’s House chapel, where St. Yakov once preached, as part of the special Native American Heritage Month events held in November. St. Yakov, whose father was Russian and mother was Unangan Aleut, was responsible for establishing churches in the Aleutians and interior Alaska in the second quarter of the 19th century. He preached in Native languages and led, by all accounts, an extraordinary life. He died in Sitka and is buried near the Russian Block House. In his talk, which was hosted by the National Park Service, Belt described the current efforts to locate the exact burial site of the saint and to beautify the area. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s Parks and Recreation Division hopes the [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska elections officials added more than 8,500 ballots to the s [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that sought to overturn n [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The Department of the Interior has set the stage for a controvers [ ... ]
“Big Breath In,” John Straley, Soho Press. Publishing date: Nov. 12, 2024. 288 pages. Hardcover [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
November 13
A calle [ ... ]
Pet Family
Portraits on Tap
Friends of the Sitka Animal Shelter will host the third annual pet family [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Assembly members at a busy meeting on Tuesday approve [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Yeidikook’áa (Dionne) Brady-Howard has been electe [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A five-member state commission has approved plans for a new local [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich has almost clinched a [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
November 11
At 8:09 [ ... ]
Planning Event for
Afterschool Programs
The City and Borough of Sitka Parks and Recreation will host a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, heading into her second term [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
Alaska lawmakers expect bipartisan coalitions to control the stat [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Economic Development Association is seeking mor [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka rescued three fishermen [ ... ]
By CATHY LI
Special to the Sentinel
Sitka Homeless Coalition held a community walk up Jarvis Street Sa [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka High swimmers posted personal best times and ra [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The world’s biggest sockeye salmon run will be larger than average nex [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska Judicial Council has nominated an Anchorage judge, an [ ... ]
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
November 8
At 5:47 p.m. a vehicle [ ... ]
Fall Art Walk
Slated Saturday
To Feature Sitkans
The Fall Art Walk, 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, will sh [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Through grants and other financial aid to training and [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Virus Fears Cut State’s Election Worker Rolls
ANCHORAGE (AP) — A shortage of election workers because of coronavirus concerns has Alaska officials searching for solutions and warning the state could close some polling sites.
The shortage is particularly severe in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.
Alaska communities have up to three forthcoming elections. The statewide primary is set for Aug. 18, while municipal elections across much of the state, excluding Anchorage, will be Oct. 6. The national general election will be held Nov. 3.
Two months before the statewide primary, none of the state’s House districts have enough election workers.
None of the 12 polling places in the state House districts covering Chugiak and Eagle River had enlisted a full staff of workers by Friday, the Alaska Division of Elections statistics said.
The state needs between 2,500 and 3,000 temporary workers during the primary and during the Nov. 3 general election, elections division Director Gail Fenumiai said.
The state has asked nonprofit organizations for assistance through the Adopt-A-Precinct program. Organizations can recruit polling staff and the state will pay the organization rather than the volunteers.
Seven polling stations have been covered by the program so far.
Older Alaskans are considered particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 and they began isolating themselves when the pandemic began, officials said.
Anchorage City Clerk Barbara Jones told the Anchorage Assembly that 95% of the municipality’s regular election workers declined to help in this year’s local elections.
Five of the city’s six in-person voting locations were closed. Even though most ballots were cast by mail, the city needed regular municipal employees to process votes because of the lack of workers, Jones said.
Ember Jackinsky is among those who says she won’t work again as an Anchorage poll worker.
“The majority of us are either high-risk because of advanced years or because of underlying medical conditions,” Jackinsky said.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
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20 YEARS AGO
November 2004
In the WhaleFest Run Saturday, Keith Reeves was first at 38:55, followed by Ivan Grutter and Scott Totten. Robin Beebee, won the women’s 10K in 41:18, followed by Rosemary Sheldon and Amanda Kass. Hank Romine won the 5K race in 20:19, followed by Daniel Erickson and Lincoln Wild. Carolyn Heuer won the women’s 5K in 25:01 followed by Kristy Totten and Heidi Herter.
50 YEARS AGO
November 1974
Susan Salo, a senior medical student at the University of Washington, has finished six weeks of clinical training in Omak, Wash. ... Miss Salo, a 1967graduate of Sitka High, is the daughter of Tauno and Siri Salo.
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