ON TRACK – Blake Conaway assembles a 1957 Lionel pastel-colored model train set, originally marketed for girls, at Harrigan Centennial Hall Wednesday. Nine train sets will be on display this weekend as part of the annual Christmas events hosted by the Sitka Historical Society. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
City Attorney Rachel Jones told the Assembly Tuesday [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
A Christmas parade, a gingerbread house contest, and a [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
December 18
At 1:35 [ ... ]
Memorial Service
Saturday For
Wayne Hagerman
A memorial service for Dr. Wayne T. Hagerman will be held [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Meetings of the Gary Paxton Industrial Park board of [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
After more than two hours of discussion and public co [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Music Festival will give a boost to holiday che [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Though Sitka High fielded a small wrestling team this [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is asking President-elect Donald Trump to imme [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
December 17
At 11:1 [ ... ]
Memorial Service
Saturday For
Wayne Hagerman
A memorial service for Dr. Wayne T. Hagerman will be held [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city clerk’s office on Monday certified an appl [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe high school drama, debate and forens [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Facing off against wrestlers from across Southeast, M [ ... ]
By BETH SHORT-RHOADS
Alaska Beacon
Have you ever stepped into an old-growth forest alive with a [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
December 16
A man r [ ... ]
Christmas Bird
Count Meet Set
Planning for the annual Audobon Christmas Bird Count will be 6 p.m. Wedn [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Blatchley Middle School concert on Tuesday will h [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
In the sixth and final presentation in a series on chi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Competing against top wrestlers from across Southeast [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
The loss of an estimated 4 million common murres during the marin [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka Police received the following calls as of midnight last night.
December 13
At 9:38 [ ... ]
Letters to Santa
Dear Santa: I want a robot cat please. Sahdlie, age 7
Senior Exercise
Classes [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
A federal program making thousands of dollars availabl [ ... ]
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
December 2004
Baranof Barracudas collected a trophy last weekend for having the most swimmers record their best times at the Alaska Age Group Championships in Fairbanks. Ben Adams and Alexandra Broschat earned the team of 13’s top finishes.
50 YEARS AGO
December 1974
The Baranof Senior Squadron, Civil Air Patrol thanks all of Sitka for helping the patrol celebrate CAP’s 33rd anniversary. Bob LaGuire, vice commodore of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, gave Commodore David Delong of the 17th Coast Guard Auxiliary of Juneau a tour of the new Sitka headquarters.
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