A home-owned newspaper serving Sitka, Alaska since 1940

Test Spin

New Archangel Dancers rehearse at Harrigan Centennial Hall Wednesday night. The dancers will perform a show 7 p.m. Friday as part of the Alaska Day Festival. The show also will feature Sitka Studio of Dance and will have tickets available at the door.

TEST SPIN - New Archangel Dancers rehearse at Harrigan Centennial Hall Wednesday night. The dancers will perform a show 7 p.m. Friday as part of the Alaska Day Festival. The show also will feature Sitka Studio of Dance and will have tickets...

Yesterday at 8:02 PM

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Today's top stories

At State Board of Education Meeting, MEHS Students Urge Transparency, Accountability

Alaska State Board of Education members listen to a gamut of recommendations by the Mt. Edgecumbe High School Ad Hoc Committee, during the board's fall meeting in the Gil Truitt Activities Center at MEHS on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mt. Edgecumbe High School students took the helm of the State Board of Education’s fall meeting this week, leading board members through the dorms and halls of the World War II-era campus, and saying their piece on operations at the boarding...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 8:14 PM

Sitkans mingle during the Sitka Economic Development Association's 9th Annual Brew Fest & Chili Cook Off in front of Harrigan Centennial Hall Saturday, October 18, 2025.

Beans or Not, Chili Cookoff Set for Alaska Day

The fundraising Alaska Day Chili Cookoff will not resolve the eternal question of whether it’s actually “chili” if it includes beans. But whether you are pro or con on the issue, all entries will be considered for the $250 first prize in the 10th...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 8:12 PM

Some of the more than 300 protesters standing in Totem Square listen to speakers Saturday during a No Kings rally on March 28, 2026.

Sitkans Plan Rally For 'No Kings Day'

As the Nov. 3 general election approaches, some Sitkans are organizing the town’s fourth “No Kings Day” rally for Saturday morning, this time with a get-out-the-vote theme: “No Kings: Vote Early.” Hundreds of Sitkans have taken part in local...

By Sentinel Staff

Yesterday at 8:12 PM

Sitka police today show evidence gathered at a recent drug bust.

Police Chief Hall Warns of Fentanyl Danger

As law enforcement agencies across Alaska coordinate to combat the state's ongoing fentanyl crisis, Sitka Police Chief Mike Hall said that the crisis exists at a local level. Sitka police last week arrested three people for carrying suspected...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 days ago

Keystone Kops

KEYSTONE KOPS - Alaska State Trooper Bryce Schwartz shakes hands with Laurie Nesheim as this year's contingent of Keystone Kops look on in front of the Prospector statue in front of the Pioneer Home, Sunday morning. Trooper Schwartz swore-in the...

2 days ago

Police Blotter
October 15, 2026

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department logged the following calls Wednesday. Wednesday, October 14 A caller reported losing a black wallet. A resident reported getting a call saying there was a warrant for the resident's arrest and to send...

Yesterday at 7:34 PM

Read previous police reports

Obituaries

Former Sitkan Mackenzie Clarke Dies in Seattle

The family of Mackenzie Augustus Clarke, 37, with profound sadness writes that he died unexpectedly on September 16 in Seattle. The former Sitkan, a Sitka High graduate, was the beloved son of David and Raine Clarke, brother of Kelsie and Zachary...

Friday, October 9

Wrangell Teacher, Coach Phil Wayne Dies in Sitka

Phillip I. Wayne passed away peacefully at his home in Sitka on Monday, September 27, at the age of 89. Phil’s arrival on February 7, 1937, in Corbin, Kentucky, was prominently featured in the Corbin Times as the first Caesarean birth in Laurel...

Friday, October 9

SE Alaskan Harlan Adams Dies at 86

Harlan J. Adams passed away on May 26, 2026, at Swedish Hospital, Cherry Hill Campus, Seattle, Washington. Harlan was born on February 9, 1940, in Yakutat, Alaska. He and his family moved to Kake, Alaska in 1953. Harlan married Lavina on May 13,...

Monday, October 5

Max Edmund Williams Dies; Life-long Alaskan Was 81

Max Edmund Williams, whose Tlingit name was K’wanee, was born in Yakutat, Alaska, on September 9, 1944, to Ned and Emma Williams. He passed away peacefully at home in Sitka on August 11, 2026, leaving behind a life filled with adventure, family,...

Monday, October 5

More obituaries

Sports

Sitka High freshman Rosie Starbuck (#9) sets the ball as her teammates move into position for an attack at the net.

Wolves Look Ahead to Series Against Nikiski

Sitka High volleyball has a busy weekend of play kicking off today with home games against Nikiski tonight through Saturday. The Kenai Peninsula visitors play in Region III, but like Sitka compete in the 3A division. The Bulldogs' overall record...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 8:01 PM

Leading The Way

Father Herman Belt coaches football players on Moller Field Tuesday evening. The rest of the week is jampacked with youth football games. 4th and 5th grade flag football teams play Friday, 7 p.m. at Upper Moller Field. The Sitka Tritons Youth Football 7th and 8th grade team plays Juneau Youth Football at Lower Moller Saturday, at 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. or directly after the Alaska Day Parade, the Sitka Tritons 6th and 7th grade team plays Juneau Youth Football at Moller Field.

LEADING THE WAY - Father Herman Belt coaches football players on Moller Field Tuesday evening. The rest of the week is jampacked with youth football games. 4th and 5th grade flag football teams play Friday, 7 p.m. at Upper Moller Field. The Sitka...

Yesterday at 7:58 PM

Huge Mt. Edgecumbe Braves Team Ready to Start New Season

A roster of 90 Mt. Edgecumbe High School students -- 49 girls and 41 boys -- is the largest that the Braves wrestling program has seen in at least five years, coaches Deedee Creed and Aaron Routon said during a regular practice on Thursday.

Mt. Edgecumbe High School wrestlers are starting the season with a large squad of newcomers and returners who represent about a quarter of the student body, and are leaning on each other to build a competitive squad by the end of the...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

3 days ago

Sitka Yesterday
October 15, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

October 2006

Photo caption: Some of the hundreds of participants in the Breast Cancer Awareness Group Walk make their way back over the O’Connell Bridge. The annual event saw a record turnout and raised about $3,500 for the Sitka Cancer Survivor’s Society. The 3-mile walk was sponsored by Brenner’s Fine Clothing and SEARHC.

50 YEARS AGO

October 1976

Parents are being encouraged by Public Health nurse Nancy Eliason to have their children immunized for measles and rubella. Shots may be obtained at local doctors’ office or at the Sitka Health Center. Mumps shots can be given at the same time, Mrs. Eliason said.

Yesterday at 7:36 PM

Read previous Sitka Yesterdays

President Donald Trump speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House during an event for first responders, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The Latest: Trump will rally Georgia Republicans despite party divisions in the battleground state

President Donald Trump’s midterm campaign blitz is arriving in Georgia for a rally with top Republican candidates in a state that has long been the epicenter of the president’s false claims about …

By The Associated Press

3 hours ago

Special committee identifies improvements for state-run Mt. Edgecumbe High School

Clear communication at the state-run boarding school Mt. Edgecumbe High School is among the top priority areas to improve students’ residential and academic life, a special committee told members of the Alaska State Board of Education this week. The state board established the committee last March to review concerns and create recommendations for improvements after […]

By Corinne Smith

4 hours ago

Who pays when a remote Alaska village can no longer stay?

In Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, schools in the flood zone remained closed. Homes swept away are still scattered across the tundra. Where crushing waves snapped essential boardwalks, the days now carry the drone of power tools worked by young Yup’iks determined to rebuild them. From a bird’s eye view, the land seems to signal it has […]

By Jenni Monet

9 hours ago

President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks at a campaign rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Wasilla, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Sullivan, Peltola set to meet in televised debate in high-stakes Alaska US Senate race

The two major candidates in Alaska’s closely watched U.S. Senate race are set to debate before a statewide audience, just days after President Donald Trump visited the state in support of …

By BECKY BOHRER

11 hours ago

In Alaska campaign rally, Trump and Sullivan say Iran war is worth the cost to Americans

At a rally in Wasilla on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said America’s war with Iran is worth the resulting increased cost of fuel and food for Americans. “No matter what it is, it’s a small price to pay for stopping them from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump said of […]

By James Brooks

Yesterday at 8:43 PM

President Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at Majestic Valley Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Kalispell, Mont. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Latest: AP-NORC poll: Strong majority of voters believes Trump is failing at home and abroad

A strong majority of voters believes President Donald Trump is falling short at home and abroad, and they want major change in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a new AP-NORC poll that …

By The Associated Press

Yesterday at 8:32 PM

Trump administration expands vehicle access to Alaska’s Denali National Park

More buses and cars will be allowed to travel on the sole road through Denali National Park, under a rule announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. The new rule sets a limit of 160 permitted vehicles a day for the season that runs from the week before […]

By Yereth Rosen

Yesterday at 7:22 PM

Department of Justice hasn’t requested late removal of suspected noncitizens from Alaska voter rolls

One day after the U.S. Department of Justice requested the state of California remove suspected noncitizens from that state’s voter list, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Elections said the DOJ has not made a similar request here. “We can confirm that to date the DOE has not received any requests from the DOJ […]

By James Brooks

Yesterday at 4:00 PM

NCAA sues Ohio governor over his executive order allowing schools to ignore new eligibility rule

The NCAA has filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. This comes after DeWine signed an executive order allowing Ohio colleges to let athletes who graduated in 2022 play a fifth year. …

By EDDIE PELLS

3 hours ago

Attractions are seen at Six Flags Over Georgia, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Mableton. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Georgia amusement park to reopen as scheduled days after roller coaster death

Six Flags Over Georgia is expected to open for the first time since a man fell to his death from the Goliath roller coaster. Authorities are investigating the death, which occurred Monday. Witnesses …

3 hours ago

Trump will rally Georgia Republicans despite party divisions in battleground state

Donald Trump is headed to Georgia on Friday to campaign with Republican candidates for the Senate and governor. But the show of GOP unity actually highlights party divisions and risks in the …

By BILL BARROW

3 hours ago

A vigil was held for victims Thursday after a teenage shooter killed three students and a teacher at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. Authorities say a 16-year-old shot his way through locked doors to get into the elementary school. He was shot by a person at the scene who pursued him into the school.

Governor praises local who helped end the mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school

Oregon's governor says a community member likely saved lives by chasing down a teenager who shot and killed three children and a teacher at an elementary school in the city of Bend. Gov. Tina Kotek …

By HAVEN DALEY, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER

3 hours ago

International

Water cascades over the cliffs of Iguazu Falls in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

El Niño rains flood South America, sending residents fleeing and cattle swimming

Rivers swollen by El Niño rains have flooded parts of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, driving thousands of people from their homes. On Friday, the mayor of the Paraguayan border city of Ayolas said …

By ALMUDENA CALATRAVA

3 hours ago

Palestinians and activists collect olives following an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Abu Falah, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Israeli settlers torch cars and trees in West Bank villages, disrupting Palestinians' olive harvest

Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian villages across the West Bank. They set fire to cars and trees and beating residents and a foreign journalist. Local officials and the Palestine Red …

By SAM METZ and LEO CORREA

3 hours ago

Supporters wave a flag shows Serbia's populist leader Aleksandar Vucic during a pre-election rally of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) ahead of early parliamentary elections in Novi Sad, Serbia, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian populist leader Aleksandar Vucic returns to tragedy-hit Novi Sad for preelection rally

Serbia’s populist leader Aleksandar Vucic has returned to Novi Sad, the northern city where 16 people died in a train station tragedy almost two years ago that set off a wave of anti-government …

By MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC

4 hours ago

A helicopter from Brazil's environmental agency flies over an area of the Amazon rainforest during a wildfire-fighting operation in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazil says Amazon deforestation fell to the lowest level since 1988

Brazil’s government announces that annual deforestation in the Amazon has fallen to its lowest level since 1988. Official data show the rainforest lost 3,335 square kilometers from August 2025 …

By GABRIELA SÁ PESSOA

4 hours ago

National Sports

Friday's Transactions

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association BOSTON CELTICS — Re-signed G Payton Pritchard to a veteran extension. FOOTBALL National Football League CAROLINA PANTHERS — …

By The Associated Press

3 hours ago

Entertainment

This image released by Netflix shows Guitarricadelafuente, left, and Miguel Bernardeau in a scene from "La Bola Negra." (Carla Oset/Netflix via AP)

Movie Review: In Spain’s ‘La Bola Negra,’ a gay drama with historical sweep

“La Bola Negra” is a Spanish flim that explores the lives of gay men in Spain in 1932, 1937 and 2017. Directed by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo, the film draws inspiration from Federico …

By LINDSEY BAHR

4 hours ago

Health

Cesar Espinosa of FIEL speaks during a news conference at FIEL headquarters in Houston on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, disputing Immigration and Customs Enforcement's account of the Oct. 10 enforcement action that left Miguel Parra with a broken leg. (Raquel Natalicchio /Houston Chronicle via AP)

ICE pursuit in Houston that broke a man's leg targeted a suspect who died years ago, family says

A federal immigration vehicle hit a Houston construction worker in Houston while pursuing a man who apparently died years ago. That's according to the alleged suspect's family and the immigration …

By LEKAN OYEKANMI, JACK BROOK and VAL GONZALEZ

4 hours ago

Test Spin

At State Board of Education Meeting, MEHS Students Urge Transparency, Accountability

Beans or Not, Chili Cookoff Set for Alaska Day

Sitkans Plan Rally For 'No Kings Day'

Police Chief Hall Warns of Fentanyl Danger

Keystone Kops

Police Blotter
October 15, 2026

Wolves Look Ahead to Series Against Nikiski

Leading The Way

Huge Mt. Edgecumbe Braves Team Ready to Start New Season

Sitka Yesterday
October 15, 2026

The Latest: Trump will rally Georgia Republicans despite party divisions in the battleground state

Special committee identifies improvements for state-run Mt. Edgecumbe High School

Who pays when a remote Alaska village can no longer stay?

Sullivan, Peltola set to meet in televised debate in high-stakes Alaska US Senate race

In Alaska campaign rally, Trump and Sullivan say Iran war is worth the cost to Americans

The Latest: AP-NORC poll: Strong majority of voters believes Trump is failing at home and abroad

Trump administration expands vehicle access to Alaska’s Denali National Park

Department of Justice hasn’t requested late removal of suspected noncitizens from Alaska voter rolls

NCAA sues Ohio governor over his executive order allowing schools to ignore new eligibility rule

Georgia amusement park to reopen as scheduled days after roller coaster death

Trump will rally Georgia Republicans despite party divisions in battleground state

Governor praises local who helped end the mass shooting at an Oregon elementary school

El Niño rains flood South America, sending residents fleeing and cattle swimming

Israeli settlers torch cars and trees in West Bank villages, disrupting Palestinians' olive harvest

Serbian populist leader Aleksandar Vucic returns to tragedy-hit Novi Sad for preelection rally

Brazil says Amazon deforestation fell to the lowest level since 1988

Friday's Transactions

Packers receiver Christian Watson is healthy and having a breakout season

Chiefs rule out WR Rashee Rice and LT Josh Simmons for Sunday's game against the Chargers

Movie Review: In Spain’s ‘La Bola Negra,’ a gay drama with historical sweep

Can DC blend horror with a superhero movie? 'Clayface' wants to blur genres

Chuck Lorre gets candid on hits, flops and hard lessons in new memoir 'Sitcom'

ICE pursuit in Houston that broke a man's leg targeted a suspect who died years ago, family says

Vatican games out possible Sunday prayer appearance as Pope Leo recovers from lung surgery

Amputations and cancer treatment delays: Lawmakers hear testimony on Mississippi prison healthcare