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
Gov Recall Group Gets High Court OK
By The Associated Press
and Sentinel Staff
JUNEAU — The Alaska Supreme Court agreed today to allow a group seeking to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy to gather signatures while the court weighs an appeal in the case.
Last month, Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth put a hold on his ruling that would have allowed the Recall Dunleavy group to advance to a new, signature-gathering phase. In issuing the stay, Aarseth agreed with arguments from the recall opposition group Stand Tall With Mike, which argued that voter confusion could arise if the signature-gathering began and the high court subsequently invalidated part of the recall application.
The order from the Supreme Court today said Aarseth “did not expressly consider the harm to Recall Dunleavy resulting from a stay.”
“The loss of several months of signature-gathering in this process is at least a ‘not inconsiderable’ injury,” the order states.
The order directs the state Division of Elections to prepare petition booklets “forthwith” for issuance to the recall group. The division previously stated that process would take a week, division Director Gail Fenumiai said by email today.
A briefing schedule on the appeal is pending.
Attorney General Kevin Clarkson, in a statement, said the division awaits notice on the briefing schedule and “is prepared to proceed according to the order” issued today. The Department of Law, which Clarkson oversees, is representing the division in this case.
The division in November rejected the recall application, a decision Fenumiai has said was based on a legal opinion from Clarkson. That opinion found the reasons listed for recall were “factually and legally deficient.” Clarkson is a Dunleavy appointee who was confirmed by legislators.
A message seeking comment was left for an attorney with Stand Tall With Mike.
Claire Pywell, who manages the Recall Dunleavy campaign, said the group was grateful for the order. The group will need to gather 71,252 signatures in seeking to force a recall election.
Dunleavy, a Republican, took office in late 2018, and public anger over deep budget cuts he proposed during his first year helped fuel the recall effort. He has said the recall effort is political.
Grounds for recall in Alaska are lack of fitness, incompetence, neglect of duties or corruption.
Recall Dunleavy, among its claims, said the governor violated the law by not appointing a judge within a required time frame, misused state funds for partisan online ads and mailers, and improperly used his veto authority to “attack the judiciary.”
Sitkan recall advocate Beth Short-Rhoads told the Sentinel that “the local recall team has been waiting for this day. We are pleased but not surprised to hear that signature gathering efforts can begin unimpeded.”
She said local signature gathering will begin once petition books are received.
The next step for the recall effort is the pending state Supreme Court case which will decide if the grounds for recall are valid.
“We fully expect to win that, there’s just way too much grounds for recall,” Short-Rhoads said. In the event that a recall election takes place, it could occur as a special election, or be bundled into the already scheduled election in November.
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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 .....