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Most read stories

Police Chief Hall Warns of Fentanyl Danger

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

3 days ago

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

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

Yesterday at 8:14 PM

Coast Guard Goes To Rescue of Sitka Skipper

By Sentinel Staff
Wednesday, September 30

Keystone Kops

3 days ago

Today's top stories

Parade and Traditions Mark 2026 Alaska Day

Attendees at the 2025 Alaska Day Ball twirl to the music of the Seattle Firefighters Pipes & Drums band Friday night at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
A full slate of Alaska Day Festival and other activities will lead up to Alaska Day itself on Sunday, October 18. The packed schedule will include the Alaska Day Ball, parade, and a re-enactment of the October 18, 1867, transfer ceremony atop...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

37 minutes ago
Barbara DeLong, Sitka Historical Society treasurer, shakes hands with this year's recipient of the Isabel Miller prize, Blake Conaway, as Tim Eddy looks on during the society's annual meeting Thursday night at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Eddy was given special recognition for his work for the Sitka Historical Society Museum.

Historical Society Salutes Volunteers, Illustrators

A 21st Century parlor game and antique model trains, all with roots in Sitka, were front and center Thursday night at the Sitka Historical Society & Museum's annual meeting at Centennial Hall. For his part in keeping model trains a moving part of...
By Sentinel Staff
39 minutes ago
Democratic candidate for governor Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins talks to Sitkans gathered at the North Shelter at Halibut Point Recreation Area Friday, September 4, 2026.

JKT Brings Campaign, With Music, to Town

Alaska gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will return to his hometown of Sitka Sunday for an Alaska Day concert by the Rain Dogs and Pedal Boys at Odess Theater on the Sheldon Jackson campus.  The event is hosted by...
By MAYA GRAHAM
Special to the Sentinel
39 minutes ago
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.

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

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
Community news
PUMPKIN PATCH – 3 to 5 Preschool morning class students have proud smiles on their faces after stuffing old Mr. Scarecrow to get him ready for Saturday’s  Pumpkin Patch fundraiser at AC Lakeside. All are invited to walk through the patch 11-2 p.m. and select pumpkins to purchase.  A variety of fall photo opportunities will be up toward the Delta Gas station and around the Pumpkin Patch area. The Donut Lady, Jessie’s Uptown Dogs and Sitka Swirls will have special treats. The preschool expressed appreciation to sponsors AC Lakeside, Sitka Swirls, Sitka Bottling, Charlie’s Produce, The Donut Lady, Jessie’s Uptown Dogs and Fisheye; volunteers from the Mt. Edgecumbe  and  Sitka high school National Honor Societies and others who are helping before and during the sale. (Photo provided to the Sentinel)   
PUMPKIN PATCH
PUMPKIN PATCH – 3 to 5 Preschool morning class students have proud smiles on their faces after stuffing old Mr. Scarecrow to get him ready for Saturday’s  Pumpkin Patch fundraiser at AC Lakeside. All are invited to walk through the patch 11-2...
2 hours ago
Holiday Closure For City Offices
In observance of Alaska Day, City and Borough of Sitka offices will be closed Monday, Oct. 19. Essential services, including police, fire, emergency medical response, and dispatch services, will remain in operation.
2 hours ago
4-H Birding Club To Meet Oct. 22
Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H Club invites those ages 5-18 to join a monthly birding club. The next gathering will be on Thursday, Oct. 22. Greg Filipek will lead a bird walk through Sitka National Historical Park. Youths must be registered as 4-H...
2 hours ago
Traffic, Parking Changes Announced For Alaska Day
The city has announced traffic and parking changes downtown Sunday, Oct. 18, to accommodate the 1:30 p.m. Alaska Day Parade. Beginning at 10 a.m., no parking will be permitted on Lincoln Street between Lake Street and Harbor Way. Lincoln Street...
2 hours ago
Alaska Day Dance At Odess Theater
An Alaska Day concert by the Rain Dogs and Pedal Boys will be staged 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Odess Theater on the SJ Campus.  The event, hosted by Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkinsʼ campaign, is free and open to the public. JKT is a...
2 hours ago
1966 Sitka Fire Accounts Sought
Those having first-hand accounts of the January 2, 1966, downtown Sitka fire, and the rescue of items in St. Michael’s Cathedral, are being sought to be included in a documentary. To offer a story for consideration, go to...
2 hours ago
Unitarians Gather For Sunday Meet
David Kanosh will present a program on the Tlingit perspective on Alaska Day at Sunday's meeting of the Sitka Unitarian Fellowship. The Fellowship Hall is located at 408 Marine Street, with parking and entry on the Spruce Street side of the...
2 hours ago
Alaska Children’s Trust Visits Sitka
The Alaska Children's Trust will host a listening session 5-7 p.m. Oct. 22 at Harrigan Centennial Hall for an open conversation about "PreventTogether," Alaska's first statewide plan to prevent child sexual abuse. All are invited to learn about...
2 hours ago
SAFV Dinner Date Announced
Sitkans Against Family Violence is asking Sitkans to save the date of its Fall Family Dinner and Dessert Auction Sunday, Nov. 8, at ANB Founders Hall. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with tickets sold at the door for $15 for adults and $10 for...
2 hours ago
Climate Connection: Federal Track Record
Federal Track Record In 20 months, this administration has demolished five decades worth of climate and environmental protections. Controlling global warming requires international collaboration, but the U.S. has withdrawn from the 2015 Paris...
2 hours ago
Police blotter

Police Blotter
October 16, 2026

Sitka Police Sitka Police Department logged the following calls Thursday. Thursday, October 15 A woman reported at 8:27 a.m. that her greenhouse had blown away in the 300 block of Peterson Avenue. A woman said she had been scammed and a caller...

2 hours ago
Obituaries
Dr. Thomas Edwin Jacobsen, DDS
Dr. Tom Jacobsen Dies; Service to Be on Nov. 8
Dr. Thomas Edwin Jacobsen, DDS, age 79, of Sitka, died September 7, 2026. Tom was born December 27, 1946, in Sioux City, Iowa, the son of Donald and Marian Jacobsen. He earned an undergraduate degree in general science from the University of Iowa...
2 hours ago
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
Sports

Tritons' Football Grows, Bringing Young Sitkans Together

Members of the Sitka Tritons football program walk downtown during an Alaska Day Parade on October 18, 2024.
"Football is about camaraderie,” EJ Richards, who grew up enmeshed in the Sitka Tritons football program, commented during a practice under sunny skies Tuesday on Moller Field.  In the far corner of the field, elementary-aged tykes sparred...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 hours ago

Wolves Wrestling Shoots to Win

Sitka High School wrestlers practice in the school gym Wednesday evening. The team heads to Haines for a tournament this weekend.
The Sitka High School wrestling team is building a solid complement of talent and putting in hours of practice to be ready for the upcoming season. “The salt shaker shook itself out and we got our crew in,” said Michael Callahan, who's now in his...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 hours ago
BUMP UP - Mt. Edgecumbe High School sophomore Kiana O'Brien bumps in a game against Nikiski Thursday night in the B.J. McGillis Gym. Nikiski beat Edgecumbe 3-1 Thursday; the visiting Bulldogs took the first two games 25-22 and 25-12; MEHS took the third 25-18 and Nikiski closed the match by winning the fourth game 25-22. Also Thursday Sitka lost to Nikiski. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Bump Up

2 hours ago
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Sitka Yesterday
October 16, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

October 2006 

Photo caption: Ashlie Romine watches as Kyleigh McArthur kicks a soccer ball between two posts at Blatchley Middle School during the annual Elks Soccer Shoot. Youths under age 10 took 15 shots at a goal 15 feet away.

50 YEARS AGO

October 1976

A storm-churned sea sank a steel-hulled 44-foot commercial fishing boat in a matter of minutes in Chatham Strait but the two men aboard escaped. Boat owner Jim Cooper and his friend Sam Martin, had no time to grab life jackets or make a distress call but got into the 7-foot Sport Yak as the boat swamped. ... They made it to shore, used the dinghy for shelter and the next morning, using driftwood lumber for paddles, made it across Kelp Bay and headed to a logging operation. They hiked the last three miles, Martin wearing only socks and refusing to share Cooper’s boots ...

2 hours ago
Around Alaska
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
4 hours ago

On the campaign trail for Republicans, Trump changes course and advocates for mail-in voting

Weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting in this year’s midterm elections, the president is calling on voters to vote early and by mail as he campaigns in support of Republican candidates nationwide. National polling has indicated that Democrats are more enthusiastic about voting in this year’s […]
By James Brooks
6 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
8 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
Today

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
Today

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

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
From the Associated Press
National news
Several brush fires were burning in Southern California on Thursday evening, stoked by hot, windy weather that caused utility companies to shut off electricity for tens of thousands of people around the state. A rapidly spreading blaze in Malibu, a coastal town west of Los Angeles, prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a large swathe of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Multiple Southern California homes are ablaze in a fast-moving wildfire fueled by hot, windy weather

A fast-moving fire burned multiple homes in Southern California as hot, windy weather gripped the region Friday, prompting evacuations and power outages. TV footage on KTLA showed several homes …
By AMY TAXIN and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
15 minutes ago
White-barked aspen trees stand among yellow and orange fall foliage on the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Ariz., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey)

WATCH LIVE: New England's having an 'elite' year, but there's fall foliage elsewhere, too

Leaf-peeping season is underway, but some areas of the U.S. are seeing lots more color than others. Kyle Cotner, who owns The Foliage Report website, tracks fall foliage across the U.S. He says New …
By HOLLY RAMER
2 hours ago
A Chinese takeout container with fried rice inside is photographed in Phoenix, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)

A humble oyster pail turned takeout icon: The American story of the Chinese food carton

It’s an icon, the small white receptacle made from a single piece of cardboard folded into a trapezoid-shaped box. Sometimes there’s a wire handle, sometimes a bright red graphic of a …
By DEEPTI HAJELA
2 hours ago

US Coast Guard rescues at least 16 and is searching for more in the water off Mexico's Baja Coast

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has rescued at least 16 people seen floating in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico’s Baja California coast and were searching for several others. The rescue took place before …
By JULIE WATSON
2 hours ago
International
This undated handout issued by Metropolitan Police on July 29, 2026 shows Norwegian Johannes Kongsnes Natland. (Metropolitan Police/PA via AP)

Norwegian teen sentenced to 20 years in prison for plotting murder in UK for Iran-linked gang

A Norwegian teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for traveling to Britain to carry out a contract killing for an international crime gang linked to Iran. The 19-year-old Johannes …
By PAN PYLAS
3 hours ago
A supporter holds a sign with a message reading in Portuguese, "When we reach the goal, we double the goal," referring to Meta Platforms and concerns about possible election interference, before the arrival of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, at a campaign rally in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Meta denies accusation of anti-Lula political bias in Brazil after electoral court ruling

Tech giant Meta has denied accusations it has acted with political bias during Brazil’s presidential campaign. The denial comes less than a day after the country’s electoral court ruled it must …
By MAURICIO SAVARESE
3 hours ago
Prime Minister Mark Carney attends a national unity rally in Red Deer alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canadian Prime Minister Carney and Alberta premier unite against separation ahead of referendum

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have put aside their political differences to make a joint appeal for national unity. It comes three days before voters in the …
By ROB GILLIES
5 hours ago

2 missiles strike the airport in Yemen's port city of Aden, officials say

Two missiles have struck the airport in Yemen’s port city of Aden, according to police. They blame Iran-backed Houthi rebels for the second such attack in less than a week. Police said no …
By AHMED AL-HAJ and TOQA EZZIDIN
5 hours ago
National Sports
The field is covered before Game 4 of an American League Championship Series baseball game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays in Cleveland, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

ALCS Game 4 postponed by rain; Rays and Guardians to resume series Saturday

Game 4 of the American League Championship Series has been postponed because of rain. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians will resume their series on Saturday at 8 p.m., with Game 5 on Sunday …

By JOE REEDY
20 minutes ago

Nuggets guard/forward Julian Strawther to be re-evaluated in 6 weeks after spraining left knee

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Julian Strawther will be out indefinitely after spraining his left knee while playing a preseason game at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Nuggets said Friday night that …
36 minutes ago

Ansel Haugsjaa, Chevonne Forgan win 2 titles at USA Luge's national start championships

Ansel Haugsjaa and Chevonne Forgan went to the Olympics last winter as doubles sliders. They did just fine on their own in the season’s opening race. Haugsjaa and Forgan pulled off rare feats by …
2 hours ago
Entertainment
Actor Selma Blair has been arrested after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a trip from Los Angeles to New York. She was also accused of kicking a police officer taking her to the hospital and kicking a nurse once she got there. (Oct. 13)

Selma Blair's representatives say she didn't intend to hurt anyone on flight that led to her arrest

Selma Blair's representatives have stated she did not intend to harm anyone during a recent flight incident. Blair, who has multiple sclerosis, experienced a medical emergency on a Delta flight from …

By ANDREW DALTON and MICHAEL R. SISAK
3 hours ago

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

Legendary producer Chuck Lorre, known for hits like “The Big Bang Theory,” reflects on his career in his new memoir, “Sitcom.” Lorre initially resisted writing the book but found it …
By ALICIA RANCILIO
3 hours ago

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 …
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
5 hours ago

FACT FOCUS: Posts falsely claim Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico was at a mental facility

Republican officials and conservative social media users are spreading unfounded rumors that state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in a competitive Texas Senate race, was treated in an …
By MELISSA GOLDIN and JESSE BEDAYN
6 hours ago

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

Pope Leo XIV’s recovery from lung surgery is progressing well, leading the Vatican to stop morning updates about his condition. On Friday, Vatican officials considered scenarios for Leo to recite …
By NICOLE WINFIELD
8 hours ago