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Today's top stories

Elks Cancels Flag Day Parade

The Sitka Elks Lodge #1662 announced this evening that its Flag Day parade, scheduled for noon Saturday, has been cancelled. The Elks said on social media that the Flag Day event at Pioneers Home is still planned for 1 p.m. on the front...

Season Opens Sunday In Dungeness Crab Fishery

Southeast Alaska crabbers are cutting loose from the docks ahead of the 2025/26 commercial Dungeness crab fishery opening this weekend. Waters throughout the region will open to the summer Dungeness fishery at 8 a.m. Sunday, the Alaska Department...
Tourists fill the sidewalks on Lincoln Street on an especially heavy cruise ship day earlier this year.

Tourism Panel: Lincoln Street Stays Open

The Tourism Commission voted unanimously Thursday to keep Lincoln Street open until the end of the tourist season and to recommend that the City start exploring options to change its current memorandum of understanding (MOU) into a memorandum of...
Award winning American bluegrass musicians Mark and Maggie O’Connor.

Acclaimed Folk Duo Plays Here Saturday

Almost 3,000 miles away from the heartland of American bluegrass music, Grammy-winning musicians Mark and Maggie O’Connor will play their unique blend of folk and classical styles to an almost sold-out audience at Centennial Hall tomorrow night,...
Community news
Liz Chikayaasix̂ Morrow (Unangax̂)
Sheldon Jackson Museum To Showcase Native Artist
Liz Chikayaasix̂ Morrow is the first artist in this season’s Alaska Native Artist Residency Program at Sheldon Jackson Museum, the Friends of the Sheldon Jackson Museum announced. She will be in residence June 17- July 3. She will be focusing on...
Library Friends Meeting on Tap
The Friends of the Sitka Public Library invites the community to its board meeting 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, to select books for the “Challenge of the Books,” an adult reading program launching in August. A suggested book list will be available....
School Board Meets June 18
The Sitka School District School Board will hold its regular monthly meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the District Office Boardroom. The full meeting agenda can be found by following the link on the district’s website at...
Climate Connection: Growing Gardens
The U.S. Department of Agriculture divides the United States into 13 plant hardiness zones based on 30-year averages of the lowest temperatures. These zones are a guide to what plants can flourish, although many factors other than lowest...
Instructor Nicole Filipik shows kids how to take water measurements in the ocean near Sitka as part of the 4-H pH program this spring. (Photo provided by Jasmine Shaw)
4-H pH Project Teaches Kids How to Test Ocean
About a dozen Sitka kids spent five months testing the water as part of an ocean acidification education program called 4-H pH.  The program is led by personnel from three units at the University of Alaska Fairbanks: 4-H program assistant...
Police Chief Candidate at Meet-and-Greet
The City and Borough of Sitka invites the public to meet Sitka police chief candidate Michael Hall at a meet-and-greet 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, at Harrigan Centennial Hall in meeting room 3. For more information contact the Human...
New Advisories Listed for PST
Advisories have been issued for Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research sites that have been found to have paralytic shellfish with toxin levels above the FDA regulatory limit of 80 µg/100 g. The latest beaches having tested above the limit by...
Community Calendar, June 12-14, 2025
THURSDAY 11-2 Salvation Army Little Store open Noon Sitka Music Festival Bach’s Lunch, Odess Theater on SJ Campus Noon AA, St. Peter’s basement, AA hotline 907-747-8866 for information Noon STA Transportation/Community Development, 204...
Community Calendar, June 11-13, 2025
WEDNESDAY 4:30 p.m. Sitka Parkinson’s Support Group, 1212 Seward Ave. (the old BOQ) 907 747-3461 5:30 p.m. Scripture Walk, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, at Sitka National Historical Park visitor center 6-8 p.m. Open swim, MEHS Aquatic...
High Hazard Evacuation Drill
The city electric department will  conduct a full-scale high hazard evacuation drill functional test 9-9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 17. The test will consist of activating the sirens and systems within the Blue Lake Campground, Blue Lake...
Police blotter

Police Blotter, June 13, 2025

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department logged the following calls in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. today. June 12 Emergency Calls Sitka Fire Department received In Court Kory Ron Hansen, 35, on a March 29 charge of driving under the...

Obituaries
Joyce Marvel Martin Dies; Former Resident Was 94
Joyce Marvel Martin, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on June 6 at the age of 94. Joyce got her name because, as her family put it, marvelous day!” “The day of her birth was a joyous and Born on...
Agnes J. Greimann Dies; Longtime Alaskan was 92
AGNES J. GREIMANN  Agnes Joyce Greimann passed away, peacefully, on March 29, 2025. Agnes was born on December 15, 1932, in Alberta, Canada. On February 19, 1949, Agnes met Paul, in Edmonton, Alberta. After a week of dating , Paul left for...
Longtime Sitka Resident Marian Blankenship Dies
Longtime Sitka resident, Marian Blankenship, passed on to her eternal home, in the early morning hours of May 28, 2025, at the age of 92. Marian was born Marian Jean Myers, to Clarence and Sadie Myers, on March 8,1933, in Ketchikan AK.  She...
Barbara Pamela (Craig) Chittenden
Memorial Service June 13 For Barbara Chittenden
Memorial Service June 13 For Barbara Chittenden Memorial services for Barbara Pamela (Craig) Chittenden, who had deep roots in Sitka, will be Friday, June 13, at Sitka National Cemetery. Her ashes, along with those of her husband Gene, will be...
Sports

Sitka Wolves Sweep State Championships in Baseball and Softball

The Sitka Wolves baseball and softball teams hold their 2025 state championship trophies Saturday at Anchorage's Mulchay Stadium. (photo courtesy Heather Gluth)
Baseball By KLAS STOLPE For the Sentinel With just one out waiting to be closed on Saturday, Sitka senior Bryce Compagno-Calhoun looked down from the pitcher’s mound toward senior catcher Tanner Steinson.   “It was, I don’t know,...

Sitka boys advance to Saturday state baseball championship Hodges strikes out 14, Wolves top Colony 4-2 to earn title game

The Sitka Wolves put their undefeated 18-0 season record (24-2-1 overall) on the line in a semifinal against the Colony Knights (14-9) on Friday afternoon at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division I Baseball State Championships at...
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Sitka Yesterday, June 13, 2025

20 YEARS AGO

June 2005

For the seven seniors on the Sitka High School girls softball team, the third time was the charm. After going 1-2 the previous two years at the state tournament, the Lady Wolves won four consecutive games to claim the inaugural “small school” softball state championship in Fairbanks. “They played the best ball they played all year all weekend long,” said Sitka Coach Lesa Way.

50 YEARS AGO

June 1975

Record Review ZRBF by M. Tackabery. Ta da! The Rock is open again and you know what that means – you’re going to have to put up with me, your vicious neighborhood record reviewer again. And what better way to open my column than by zinging an original Beatle album. ....

Around Alaska

GAO report says Alaska pipeline regulation office should revitalize, update operations

The multiagency group that coordinates oversight of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System needs an update to better operate in changing conditions, said a federal report released on Thursday. The Joint Pipeline Office, a consortium of federal and state agencies with various regulatory duties, has scaled back its operations over the past several years, leading to […]

Offshore in Cook Inlet, a ‘silent economy’ hunts for gas to keep Alaska running

SPARTAN 151 RIG, COOK INLET — Deep below the ocean floor outside Anchorage this spring, a huge drill bit chewed through multi-million-year-old sandstone, sending crushed bits of rock back to the surface through a mile-long hole. The hunt for natural gas, to keep Alaska warm, had resumed. Here, on crowded platforms perched above the icy […]

Alaska gets its first-ever heat advisories from National Weather Service

With temperatures forecast to soar as high as 89 degrees in Interior Alaska, the National Weather Service has issued its first-ever heat advisories for the state. The advisories, which started Thursday and are in effect through Sunday, warn residents in the Fairbanks area and a wider swath of Interior Alaska to be careful about outdoor […]

Appeals court upholds approval of Willow project on Alaska’s North Slope

A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the Biden administration’s approval of a major oil development on Alaska’s North Slope, even though it identified one flaw with the action. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a divided decision, said the U.S. Bureau of Land Management largely abided by federal laws when it granted […]

Local officials warn of possible lawsuit in wake of Alaska governor’s education funding veto

One day after Gov. Mike Dunleavy made a precedent-setting veto by cutting funding for the state’s public school education formula, a group of city and borough leaders denounced the decision during a joint news conference, with some saying that they expect a lawsuit to challenge it. “Everybody needs to start talking about what a lawsuit […]

Alaska House Judiciary Committee to hold a fact-finding hearing on ICE detention in state prisons

The Alaska House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a hearing June 20 on the use of Alaska Department of Corrections facilities to house and supervise federal detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The announcement comes following news of DOC holding 42 people arrested and detained by ICE from out of state over the weekend, […]

The National Weather Service issues Alaska's first ever heat advisory

The first ever heat advisory has been issued in the state of Alaska. The National Weather Service is warning that temperatures could hit 85 degrees in the Fairbanks area on Sunday. The agency only …

US appeals court refuses to overturn Biden approval of Alaska's Willow oil project

A federal appeals court panel has refused to overturn the approval of the massive Willow oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope. The decision from a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court …
From the Associated Press
National news
Iranian protesters hold up Iranian and Palestinian flags in an anti-Israeli gathering in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran

Israel and Iran have opened a new chapter in their long history of conflict. Israel launched a major attack with strikes early Friday that set off explosions in the Iranian capital of Tehran. …
Israeli soldiers dig through rubble to search for survivors in a residential area hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025.(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The Latest: Death toll grows as Israel and Iran trade attacks for third day

The death toll is rising as Israel and Iran traded missile strikes for a third straight day. Israel on Sunday hit targets in Tehran, including the Defense Ministry and sites it claims are tied to …
People take shelter during sirens warning of incoming fire at Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service during a blood drive to prepare for mass casualties in the event of strikes by Iran, in Jerusalem, Saturday, June 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Photos of escalating Israel-Iran conflict

Iran launched a second night of missile attacks against Israel on Saturday as Israel continued to strike Tehran and other locations, following a major Israeli offensive targeting Iran’s nuclear and …

Today In History: June 15, over 1,000 killed in New York steamboat accident

Today is Sunday, June 15, the 166th day of 2025. There are 199 days left in the year. This is Father’s Day. Today in history: On June 15, 1904, more than 1,000 people died when fire …
International
Investigators come out after visiting Thursday's Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad, India, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Authorities start handing remains of Air India crash victims over to relatives

Indian authorities have started handing over remains of the victims of one of India’s worst aviation disasters after identifying some through DNA tests. The Air India flight crashed shortly after …
FILE - A boat navigates large icebergs near Kulusuk, in eastern Greenland, on Aug. 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

First direct flight from US to Greenland since 2008 lands on Trump's birthday

The first direct flight from the U.S. to Greenland by an American airline has landed in the capital city of Nuuk. The United Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 departed from Newark International …
Pit crew members work on the No.51 a Ferrari 499P with Alessandro Pier Guidi of Italy, James Calado of Great Britain and Antonio Giovinazzi of Italy, races during the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race, Sunday, June 15, 2025 in Le Mans, western France. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

The 24 hours of Le Mans endurance auto racing in photos

LE MANS, France (AP) — Every June, drivers from different countries compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. Established more than 100 years ago, the endurance race is won by the car covering …

1 killed and 19 injured as hot air balloons crash in central Turkey

Turkish media are reporting that one person has been killed and 19 injured when two hot air balloons crashed in central Turkey. The private Ilhas News Agency and other outlets say the accident …
National Sports

Tottenham signs Mathys Tel on a permanent long-term deal until 2031

Tottenham says it has signed forward Mathys Tel to a permanent contract. The 20-year-old joined the London club on loan in February from Bayern Munich. Tottenham says Tel will sign a contract until …

Shohei Ohtani hits 2 homers against Giants, ending the Dodgers star's 10-game homer drought

Shohei Ohtani has hit two homers against the San Francisco Giants, emphatically ending the three-time MVP’s longest homer drought since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani led off the game with …

Chawinga's late goal seals Kansas City Current's fifth straight win, 4-2 over Racing Louisville

Temwa Chawinga scored her eighth goal of the season and the Kansas City Current won their fifth straight game, beating Racing Louisville 4-2 in the National Women’s Soccer League . Elsewhere in the …
Entertainment
In this screen shot from Prime Video broadcast released by Prime Video, The "Burn Bar," lower left, is used to measure Ryan Blaney's performance during a NASCAR on Prime broadcast of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race from Lebanon, Tennessee, on June 1, 2025. The AI tool was developed by Prime Video to measure a car's burn rate and fuel levels. (Prime Video via AP)

How Prime Video's 'Burn Bar' is changing the way we watch NASCAR

NASCAR fans have grown accustomed to seeing speed, throttle and braking on broadcasts for years. There has been one measurement though that has eluded networks and viewers for years. Until now. …

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez to spotlight Venice's artisanal heritage during upcoming nuptials

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have invited celebrity friends like fellow space traveler Katy Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger and Ivanka Trump for their Venice nuptials later this month, but the …

Slick Rick returns after 26 years with 'Victory' album and proves hip-hop storytelling still reigns

Hip-hop legend Slick Rick is proving his creative spark is far from fading. The English-born rapper — known for his signature eye patch and masterful storytelling — returned to the booth for his …
Health
FILE - A stand for Georgia Pathways is seen at a job fair in Atlanta, Ga., June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Sudhin Thanawala, file)

Medicaid enrollees fear losing health coverage if Congress enacts work requirements

The prospect of a work requirement for able-bodied Medicaid recipients is sparking fears. The measure is part of a sweeping federal spending bill supported by President Donald Trump that has cleared …

'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts

Health officials want you to think twice before buying brightly colored energy shots and supplements often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. The products are sometimes called …

Trump administration gives personal data of immigrant Medicaid enrollees to deportation officials

President Donald Trump's administration has released to deportation officials the personal data for millions of Medicaid enrollees, including their immigration status. That's according to an internal …