FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Bad Day For Sitka: Phones, Internet Out
By BRIELLE SCHAEFFER
Sentinel Staff Writer
Internet, cable and telephone communications were spotty or shut down completely in Sitka today.
A GCI spokesman said the problem was traced to a damaged fiber optic cable on Douglas Island, and the company expected it to be repaired in the next 24 hours.
“Perhaps sooner,” said GCI’s Director of Corporate Communications Heather Handyside this afternoon. “In the meantime satellite service is being used as a backup for wireless calls and texts and for internet. Users may experience slower speeds until we can transition back to the fiber.”
The problems in Sitka started around 7 a.m., when landline telephone service was shut down completely.
Regular phones were still not working as the Sentinel went to press today, although calls could still be made from some cell phones.
During the periods when the internet was up, data speed was down to a fraction of normal.
Handyside told the Sentinel via email that the problem extended to other Southeast communities as well as Sitka.
“The disruption appears to be having the most impact in Sitka and Angoon,” Handyside said.
Crews are working to determine the best strategy for fiber repair, Handyside said.
This morning, dozens of people stopped by the GCI store on Harbor Drive to find out more information. Amy Sweeney was one of them.
She had thought that it was just a problem with her cell phone, but she learned that this was not the case.
“I’m totally incommunicado,” Sweeney said. “It’s like we’re going back to the ’70s, but I don’t even have a landline. Now all of a sudden I’m like, ‘Maybe I do live in an isolated place.’ I kind of forgot that.”
The outages caused big problems for downtown shops. Autumn Scheisser, who works at Sitka Bazaar, had to keep telling cruise ship passengers this morning that they could only take cash and not credit cards.
At least the tourists were being understanding, she said.
AT&T service was also affected by the outage, Sitka’s AT&T assistant store manager Aron Brundidge said.
“Hopefully they’ll fix it soon,” he said.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....