BLUE RIBBON COOL – Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School students wear blue sunglasses and bead necklaces given to them as part of the Blue Ribbon celebration at the school today. In September the school was named one of three schools in Alaska and 353 across the nation to win the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools. The recognition as Exemplary High-Performing Schools was based on their overall academic performance as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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By Sentinel Staff
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Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
May 16
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Climate Building Science
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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CLAIRE STREMPLE and
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The 33rd Alaska State Legislature [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
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Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
May 15
Shortly after noon, callers complain [ ... ]
U.S. Coast Guard
Sets Town Hall
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The U.S. Coast Guard will hold a town hall 5-8 p.m. to [ ... ]
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sentinel Staff Writer
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Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
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At 7:46 a.m. a reckless driver was r [ ... ]
Life Celebration
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The family of Carl Peterson, 85, will have a celebration of his lif [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka Fugitive Found in Tunnel
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka police arrested a man wanted on criminal warrants Wednesday after finding him hiding in what they called “an elaborate tunnel system” under a trailer at Vitskari Trailer Court.
Landlord Marcel Prato, left, reacts as he and Sitka Police Lt. Lance Ewers, right, look at tunnels dug under a trailer owned by Prato, this morning in Vitskari trailer park. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Jeremy Beebe, 42, was being sought for failing to report to the police department on Jan. 12 following his conviction on theft, criminal mischief and felony drug charges, Lt. Lance Ewers said.
Acting on a tip, Ewers and fellow officers conducted a stakeout at the trailer park starting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, and at 7:30 p.m. they spotted Beebe going into the trailer. The woman who answered the door said Beebe was not there and that she didn’t know where he was.
On the outside of the mobile home the officers found a plywood door to a crawl space or basement. After receiving no answer to their knock they used a battering ram to get through the door, which opened onto a dug-out space high enough to enter on foot.
But as officers walked farther into the tunnel it narrowed and they had to proceed on their knees, and finally on their stomachs. Shining a light ahead, they could see Beebe, in a hoodie, facing them. He continued to back away until he was out of sight.
Fearing he would escape, officers went around to the other side of the trailer, where they spotted Beebe’s foot sticking out of another hidden entrance. An officer grabbed him by the ankle but Beebe disappeared again under the trailer. He was finally caught after one of the officers peeled back the skirting around the trailer, saw the suspect’s face and pulled him out by his upper body.
Ewers said the incident was over by 9:30 or 10 p.m.
Ewers said it was important to capture Beebe, who had been sentenced to 21 months in prison on charges of stealing and destroying items, and using drugs.
Beebe may now be facing additional charges of contempt of court for failing to remand to the jail as required, the lieutenant said.
Vitskari Trailer Court is on Vitskari Street, at the end of Burkhart Street.
“The city building inspector examined the tunnel system (today) and deemed the residence uninhabitable due to safety concerns,” police said today.
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20 YEARS AGO
May 2004
Photo caption: Sara Roa wipes a tear as retiring Sheldon Jackson College Professor Mel Seifert accepts a citation honoring his 29 years of teaching at the college, during graduation ceremonies this morning at the Hames P.E. Center.
50 YEARS AGO
May 1974
From On the Go: Vyola Belle and Kybor are leaving the Canoe Club, where they’ve been cooking for the past two years. Vyola Belle will devote her time to her Maksoutoff Caterers and Kyber will become a chef for the Marine Highway System aboard the Wickersham.
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