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Most read stories

From Sitka to Juneau, JKT's Remarkable Rise

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 4

Missing Boater Found Dead

By Sentinel Staff
Thursday, October 29

Sitka Planners Reject Courthouse Proposal

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago

Stedman Staying Out Of Majority Coalition

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 7:50 PM

FBI Visits Sitka Home In Senate Race Probe

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

Monday, November 2

Tree Down

Yesterday at 7:44 PM

Today's top stories
Alaska Sen. Bert Stedman

Stedman Staying Out Of Majority Coalition

Sen. Bert Stedman says he wasn't surprised to see a leftward shift in the Legislature since the Nov. 3 “blue tidal wave” election, and he sees it as unlikely he will be part of a majority bipartisan coalition in the Senate this coming...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 7:50 PM

Ferry Stuck In Ketchikan Has Engine Part Arrive

The state ferry M/V Columbia is delayed in Ketchikan because of a mechanical problem with the port main engine of the vessel, the Alaska Marine Highway System reports. Engine repairs are scheduled to begin Thursday morning once a technician...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 7:50 PM
TREE DOWN - Trees rest on the eaves of a house on Baranof Street this morning before work crews from Absolute Tree Care removed them. Other trees fell victim to the wind, which hit gusts as high as 55 mph over the morning. One tree fell on the bike path on Sawmill Creek Road along the National Park, another went down on Castle Hill behind City Hall, and at 11 a.m. police said a caller reported a tree had fallen on the Cross Trail entrance near the Kimsham ball fields. Police official Serena Wild said other items were blown about – including some garbage cans, tote lids at the harbor, and even part of a roof. But she said Sitkans – who had received lots of advance warning from the National Weather Service, which the city had passed along – apparently had secured their property.

Tree Down

TREE DOWN - Trees rest on the eaves of a house on Baranof Street this morning before work crews from Absolute Tree Care removed them. Other trees fell victim to the wind, which hit gusts as high as 55 mph over the morning. One tree fell on the...
Yesterday at 7:44 PM
The planning commission meeting room at Harrigan Centennial Hall is packed with Sitkans as the commission considers a conditional use permit to allow a courthouse on the SJ campus, currently zoned R-2.

Sitka Planners Reject Courthouse Proposal

The Sitka Planning Commission turned down on a 3-0 vote a proposal for converting the Stratton Library on the SJ Campus into a new courthouse. The decision came following testimony by 16 Sitkans representing the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, and their...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago
Adrienne Wilber hangs tags next to her prints at the Island Artists Gallery Thursday evening. Wilber's art will be featured at the gallery during Saturday's Greater Sitka Arts Council Art Walk.

Streets to Open Saturday for Fall Art Walk

Born and raised Sitkan Adrienne Wilber was busy hanging up relief prints on the walls of the Island Artists Gallery on Thursday afternoon. And throughout the downtown Sitka area 18 other businesses and artists are making similar plans, to be...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago

JKT Team Predicts Outright Win in Election

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins' campaign is showing confidence that JKT and running-mate Zac Johnson are on track to win the Alaska governor's race outright.
By Sentinel Staff
4 days ago
Sports

Sitka Boys Runners-Up at State Championship

Sitka High School boys raced to finish second in Alaska swimming at the ASAA State Swim and Dive Championships at Bartlett High School in Anchorage over the weekend.  "I feel like they did great," Wolves Coach Robby Jarvill told the Sentinel...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND and ANNA LAFFREY Sentinel Staff

Yesterday at 7:58 PM
The Sitka High School girls volleyball team pose with the Alaska Airlines Region V 3A Championship trophy after defeating Mt. Edgecumbe 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-23) for the title in Juneau's George Houston Gymnasium, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. Sitka advances to play in the state tournament at Anchorage's Alaska Airlines Center starting Thursday.

Wolves Volleyball Defeat MEHS 3-2 to Win 3A Region V

The Sitka Wolves volleyball team defeated their John O’Connell Bridge neighbors Mt. Edgecumbe 3-0 (25-11, 25-23, 25-23) on Friday to sweep the 2026 Alaska Airlines Region V Volleyball 3A Championship in two matches at Juneau’s George Houston...
By KLAS STOLPE
Juneau Independent
Yesterday at 7:41 PM

City League Basketball Update: 11/9/26

Designated Drivers edged Yuyo’s Edge 75-72 Sunday in the closest of five City League basketball games, behind a 42-point performance from Zach Anderson. Tlingit Hustlers beat Vangreens 63-54, with Zach Klein leading all scorers with 15...
Yesterday at 7:40 PM
Sitka High School senior Bristol Clifton (3) and junior Kailee Brady (15) kill the match winner against Mt. Edgecumbe during the opening game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships at Juneau's George Houston Gymnasium, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. The Lady Wolves defeated the Lady Braves 3-2 (27-25, 25-21, 19-25, 21-25, 16-14). The two sides play again at 5:15 p.m. Friday in their best two-out-of-three matches for the title.

Wolves Defeat Braves to Open Region V Volleyball Tourney

Teamwork has been a trademark of the Sitka High School and Mt. Edgecumbe High School volleyball teams all season and the first match of the 2026 Alaska Airlines Region V 3A/4A Volleyball Championships was no different as the Wolves held off the...
By KLAS STOLPE
Juneau Independent
4 days ago

SHS Wrestlers Reflect on Tourney Ahead of Weekend Dual Meet

Sitka High wrestlers racked up valuable competition experience at last weekend’s tournament in Anchorage, setting the stage for a good season ahead. The Wolves will go up against Ketchikan today and Saturday, and are looking forward to a dual...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago
Community News

Community Calendar
November 10-12, 2026

5 hours ago

TUESDAY 6-8 a.m. MEHS Aquatic Center Pool Open  8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sitka Tribe of Alaska Tribal Elections, Sheet’ká Kwáan Naa Kahídi 9 a.m.-5 p.m. NSRAA board meeting, 1308 Sawmill Creek Road  Noon Sitka Parks and Recreation Committee,...

Moose Lodge to Honor Veterans
Yesterday at 7:53 PM
ANS To Meet On Tuesday
Yesterday at 7:53 PM
SEREMS Board To Meet Online
Yesterday at 7:53 PM
Police blotter

Police Blotter
November 9, 2026

Sitka Police Department logged the following calls over the weekend. Friday, November 6 A man and a woman talked to police about an issue regarding rent. Officers advised them of options. Public Works was advised of a waste water alarm going...

Yesterday at 7:53 PM
Obituaries
Dave Turcott Dies at 81; Memorial to Be Nov. 8
Long-time Sitka resident Dave Turcott passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of August 29, 2026, at the age of 81. Although he had been diagnosed with cancer and was in treatment, he was responding well and had a good prognosis....
5 days ago
Dennis C. Bernhoft Dies; Service to be Wednesday
Dennis Charles Bernhoft, a longtime Sitka psychologist, passed away in Sitka on Oct. 20, 2026. A potluck service will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4, celebrating what would have been his 67th birthday. It will be noon to 2 p.m. at 700 Katlian St. Suite...
Monday, November 2
Aaron D. Wrenn Dies at 59; Was Former Sitka Resident
Aaron D. Wrenn, of Wasilla, Alaska, died on August 7, 2026 from a long battle with cancer, he was 59 years old. Aaron was born June 20, 1967 at Mt. Edgecumbe hospital, he was the 8th child of Wayne and Selina Wrenn. He attended Sitka High School...
Thursday, October 29
Screenshot
Wayne C. Bowers Dies; Business Owner was 69
Wayne Cameron Bowers, a construction company owner, fisherman, and a 24-year Sitka resident, died August 11 of a heart condition in Burien, Washington. He was 69. No services are scheduled at this time. Wayne was born June 22, 1957, in Chapel...
Friday, October 23
Alaska News

Alaska Supreme Court revives state’s opioid pharmacy lawsuit against Albertsons, Kroger

The Alaska Supreme Court on Friday overturned a two-year-old lower court decision that dismissed a state lawsuit against Albertsons and Kroger, the corporate parents of Safeway and Fred Meyer, for their role in the state’s prescription opioid addiction epidemic. Writing unanimously for the court, Justice Jude Pate wrote, “we hold that the pharmacies’ failure to […]
By James Brooks
8 hours ago

Peltola extends lead over Sullivan in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race as ballot-counting continues

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola extended her lead over incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in an updated vote total published Monday by the Alaska Division of Elections. While Peltola has had more first-choice votes since Election Day, preliminary calculations by the Alaska Beacon have shown Sullivan leading when the results of the state’s […]
By James Brooks
Yesterday at 8:46 PM

Alaska withdraws plan to privatize state employees’ payroll system

The Alaska Department of Administration has canceled a request for proposals that could have led to the privatization of the state’s payroll system for 14,000 public employees. In an Oct. 29 memo, DOA Commissioner Paula Vrana wrote, “The procurement process has now concluded and the State has cancelled the RFP. Instead of pursuing a contract […]
By James Brooks
Yesterday at 8:42 PM
Find us on Facebook

Sitka Yesterday
November 9, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

November 2006 

Four years ago David “Deuce” Audette raised $10,000 for two young Sitka brothers in need of kidney transplants by raffling off a 15-foot aluminum skiff he built. This year he’ll “push the envelope” and raise even more money toward the brothers’ medical expenses by raffling off a 23-foot aluminum boat he built, complete with 140 Suzuki motor and Carnai trailer.

50 YEARS AGO

November 1976

Cook Mary Pelayo (Kaa T’eix) has contracted to work with junior high and Sitka high students under the ANB Education program. She is working with home economics instructors Mrs. Marilyn Wilson and Mrs. Jackie McGregor. The first project was fish chowder.

Yesterday at 7:56 PM
From the Associated Press
National news

US charges 3 men with plotting terror attacks, including planned assault on UK airbase

U.S. authorities have charged three men with plotting a campaign of nearly 20 attacks targeting Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S., along with a British military base, RAF Fairford. Charges …
By LARRY NEUMEISTER
3 hours ago
A photo of Sandra Birchmore is displayed during a Stronger Together Standout gathering, where the groups Free Karen Read, Justice for Sandra Birchmore & Justice for Juston Root protested together, outside of the Norfolk District Attorney's office, Nov. 13, 2024, in Canton, Mass. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via AP, File)

Ex-officer convicted of killing Sandra Birchmore to keep Massachusetts woman quiet about sex abuse

A former Massachusetts police detective has been convicted of murdering a pregnant woman to keep her from revealing he had sexually abused her when she was 15. Matthew Farwell was convicted Tuesday …
By MICHAEL CASEY
3 hours ago
FILE - Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, takes part in the Scar Tree Walk in Melbourne, Australia on April 16, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, cut off his ankle monitor, DOJ says

A prosecutor says 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, cut an electronic monitoring device off his ankle, just days after his arrest for keeping child sexual abuse material …
3 hours ago
FILE - President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

A note to ‘46’: Donald Trump’s private message to Joe Biden emerges in new White House memoir

Former President Joe Biden is releasing a new memoir in which President Donald Trump privately praised Biden in a letter left for him as he departed office in January 2021. Trump expressed confidence …
By MEG KINNARD
3 hours ago
International

US soldier arrested in Britain on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia

Counterterror police in England have arrested a U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of espionage related to Russia. The 41-year-old man was taken into custody Tuesday near Gloucester. Authorities suspect …
By BRIAN MELLEY, KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and EMMA BURROWS
3 hours ago
FILE - Workers walk at Kalyon Karapinar solar power plant in Karapinar, Konya province, Turkey, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File)

Brazil to present plan for moving economies toward renewable energies at UN climate talks

Brazil will launch a road map to help countries transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies. This initiative, unveiled during the COP31 climate talks in Turkey, aims to guide nations in …
By SUZAN FRASER, SIBI ARASU and SETH BORENSTEIN
3 hours ago
Amateur boxers Alejandro Seron, front, and Sebastian Gomez compete in a street fight flash boxing tournament in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Street boxing matches gain popularity in Bogota

Santiago Abril has been organizing pop-up boxing matches in parks around Bogota, Colombia, without official permits. He sets up a portable ring made of rubber and plastic, where young men and women …
By ASTRID SUÁREZ and MARKO ÁLVAREZ
4 hours ago
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are greeted by the Archbishop of Toledo, Francisco Cerro Chaves, as they arrive for a funeral Mass at Toledo Cathedral in memory of the 69 people killed in a collision between two high-speed trains near Urda on Oct. 28, in Toledo, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Spain holds state funeral for 69 killed in high-speed rail crash

Relatives of the 69 people killed in a high-speed rail collision in Spain last month attended a state funeral Tuesday. Spanish King Felipe VI attended the ceremony at Toledo Cathedral, south of …
By FRANCISCO SECO and SUMAN NAISHADHAM
4 hours ago