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Detour

Lincoln Street around St. Michael's Cathedral is closed to traffic today as Sitka Public Works and SECON workers prepare to make repairs to a three-inch galvanized water line servicing the Cathedral Arms apartment building. Through traffic is diverted up American Street until the work is completed October 15. The next section of pipe to be replaced is beneath Maksoutoff Street seaward of Harbor Drive.
DETOUR - Lincoln Street around St. Michael's Cathedral is closed to traffic today as Sitka Public Works and SECON workers prepare to make repairs to a three-inch galvanized water line servicing the Cathedral Arms apartment building. Through...
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2026 Municipal Election Hub

Your guide to Sitka’s municipal election, with candidate answers, ballot information, and more.
Today's top stories

Sitka Voters to Choose School, City Officials

Election worker Denise Klingler, right, helps Carolyn Mork cast an early ballot in the municipal election today at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Today is the last day for early voting before the regular election.
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Harrigan Centennial Hall in Tuesday’s municipal election. Early voting wraps up today at 4:30 at Centennial Hall. On the ballot are candidates for mayor, Assembly and School Board, and a ballot...
Former KCAW-FM news director Rob Woolsey holds an Alaska Legislative Citation honoring him. It was presented to him this morning during the public radio station's fund drive.

Legislators Honor Raven Radio's Rob Woolsey

Phone lines were buzzing as a crowd gathered in the Cable House for the first day of the Raven Radio's fall fundraising drive, to witness a special surprise for Robert Woolsey, who Phones rang steady at the Cable House on Monday ears of...
Mayoral candiadtes from left, Kevin Mosher, Thor Christianson, and Lisa Lane.

Mayoral Candidates State Views, Concerns

Sitkans will elect two Assembly members, three School Board members and a new mayor, and weigh in on the Assembly’s special election discretion when they vote in the municipal election on Tuesday, Oct. 6. To help voters make informed decisions,...
Cosley Bruno, with Sitka Conservation Society, gives public testimony on rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule in the Tongass Wednesday evening at ANB Founders Hall.

Sitkans Testify: Keep Roadless Rule

All who testified in the Alaska subsistence hearings the U.S. Forest Service held via teleconference Wednesday said the 2001 Roadless Rule should be kept in place to protect subsistence harvest opportunities, particularly on the Tongass National...

New Education Credits Raise Local Questions

The governor has approved the state’s first 20 Scholarship Granting Organizations under the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, the state Department of Education and Early Development announced. Sitka school representatives say...

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Community news
Community Calendar
October 6-8, 2026
TUESDAY 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Municipal Election Polls Open, Harrigan Centennial Hall 6-8 a.m. MEHS Aquatic Center Pool Open  10:30 a.m. Sitka Sprouts, pre-kindergarten, Sitka Sound Science Center 11 a.m. Xoots Elementary Title 1/AK Reads Act...
Moller Park Lot Closed for Paving
City and Borough of Sitka’s contractor has scheduled paving of the Moller Field parking lot for Wednesday and Thursday. The main parking lot will be fully closed both days while paving is underway. Alternate parking will be available at the...
Emblem Club Meets Thursday
Sitka Emblem Club 142 will hold a business meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Sitka Elks Lodge. Those with questions can call Judi at 907 738-6326.
Xoots Title 1/AK Meeting Oct. 6
Xoots Elementary Title 1/AK Reads Act informational meeting will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the commons at the school.
Open Sewing Slated Saturday
Ocean Wave Quilters sponsors a free open sewing session 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 10, at United Methodist Church. All are invited to attend. Irons, ironing boards, tables and chairs are provided. Lunch is potluck.  For information, call Linda...
Quilters Meet On Tuesday
Ocean Wave Quilters will meet 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the United Methodist Church.  Monthly meetings, September through June are open to all, members or not. Those wishing to pay the $25 dues receive a monthly newsletter, discounts on...
Public Discussion on Vehicle Ordinance
y members Thor Christianson and Scott Saline will be held 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at Harrigan Centennial Hall to discuss the proposed Commercial Passenger Vehicle Ordinance.  The ordinance would repeal the city’s existing “Taxicabs” chapter (Sitka...
Community Calendar
October 5-7, 2026
MONDAY 6-8 a.m. MEHS Aquatic Center Pool Open  Noon AA, St. Peter’s basement, call AA hotline 747-8866 for information  1:30-2:30 p.m. Senior Art Club, Swan Lake Senior Center 4:45-6 p.m. Sitka Skippers registration, Keet Gooshi Heen...
Life Celebration for Burgess Bauder
A celebration of the life of Burgess Bauder will be held at Halibut Point Recreation Area from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 4. Burgess died on Aug. 27 in Sitka. Attendees can take a dish to share, their own drinks, and wear pink in his honor,...
Max E. Williams Services Oct. 10
Services for Max Edmund Williams, whose Tlingit name was K’wanee, will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the New Life Apostolic Church, 101 Cascade Creek Road. Max was born in Yakutat on Sept. 9, 1944, and passed away peacefully at home in...

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Police blotter

Police Blotter
October 5, 2026

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department logged the following calls over the weekend. Friday, October 2 At 9:27 a.m. a woman was found sleeping on a bathroom floor at the ANB Harbor. She left when asked. At 8:38 p.m. a woman was reported...

Read previous police reports

Obituaries
 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,...
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,...
Burgess Bauder with LuvBug, left, and Ralph the white greyhound. (Photo provided)
Burgess Bauder's Full Life to be Celebrated
Please print the week of September 28—October 2 Obituary for Burgess Bauder Burgess Bauder finally died… he loved pink. But before he died… he survived. Burgess survived growing up in Tacoma, Washington, as an only child, born December...
Life of Deborah Vilandre To be Celebrated Sept. 20
In the presence of her loving family, Deborah Suzanne (Bernhardt) Vilandre passed away on June 11, 2026, at her home in Cheney, Washington, after a two-year battle with ALS.  She was 63 years old. A celebration of her life will be held 2-4...

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Sports

Runner-Up Finish Caps Off Lady Wolves XC Season, Boys Battle for Fifth Place

High school runners start the Division II girls Alaska State XC Championships at Anchorage's Bartlett High School trails, Saturday, Oct 3, 2026. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)
The Sitka Wolves ran in the definition of a pack, finishing as runner-up to Grace Christian in the Division II Alaska State Cross-Country Championships on the Bartlett High School trails on Saturday. The Wolves fell just two points shy of winning...

Wolves Crush in Juneau Falling Short in Semifinals

Sitka girls varsity volleyball players crushed the competition in pool play, and fell to Cordova in the semifinals of the Juneau Invitational Volleyball Extravaganza (JIVE) tournament in Juneau this weekend. Juneau-Douglas High School: Yada.aat...

Wolves to Take the Courts in Juneau For JIVE Volleyball Tournament

Mt. Edgecumbe High School junior Kasia Barnes spikes as Sitka High senior Bristol Clifton defends Tuesday night at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Sitka High will go up against Cordova in opening round pool play this afternoon in the Juneau JIVE volleyball tournament. Other participating teams in the two-day tournament hosted by Yadaa.at Kalé Juneau High School are Juneau-Douglas varsity...

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Sitka Yesterday
October 5, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

September 2006

The woodstove currently in the North Beach Cabin on Kruzof will be replaced with an oil stove this month. Firewood will no longer be cut for this cabin, and there is no firewood supply at this time. ... The cabin has used more firewood than any other district cabin heated with wood, the Forest Service said.

50 YEARS AGO

September 1976

The cast of the Baranof Little Theatre Guild’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” includes Esther Billman and Gail Davis as the two aunts who poison their lonely gentlemen callers. Mrs. Billman is curator of the Sheldon Jackson Museum and Mrs. Davis came to Sitka from Alabama in 1954 to work as a nurse at Mt. Edgecumbe hospital.

Read previous Sitka Yesterdays

Around Alaska

Vice President Vance flies to Fairbanks to stump for incumbent Alaska senator

Near the end of a 33-minute speech to an enthusiastic Republican crowd gathered in a Fairbanks airport hangar on Monday, Vice President JD Vance got to the point about why he was making an extraordinary campaign stop in Alaska. Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, is facing a stiff challenge in the midterm […]

Alaska’s congressional elections pit “thousandaires” against millionaires and “billionaire buddies”

One of the starkest contrasts in Alaska’s federal races for Senate and House this election season is about money. Two of the candidates, from rural Alaska and running to the left of two Republican incumbents, have few assets to their name. Mary Peltola, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, […]

Alaskans still have time to appeal FEMA denials for disaster assistance, agency says

Alaskans who have applied for disaster assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and received a denial may still appeal, according to an agency update. “This may not be the final decision as FEMA may simply require more information or additional supporting documentation from the applicant. Read your FEMA letter carefully to determine what […]
President Donald Trump gestures from the stairs of Air Force One upon his departure at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Trump heads to Nebraska, where his plan to import more beef has angered ranchers

President Donald Trump is campaigning in Nebraska on Monday alongside GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts. Trump is visiting Grand Island, a conservative area, as part of what he says is a 32-day campaign blitz. …

Feds approve $150 million for second power link between Interior and Southcentral Alaska

The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday that it has approved $150 million to partially fund a second electrical intertie between Southcentral Alaska and the Interior. When built, the Beluga-Healy Transmission Project would result in a redundant power link between Fairbanks and Anchorage, increasing the ability of power companies to use the cheapest electricity […]

After Democrats boost JKT, national Republicans send $1.6 million to Alaska for governor’s race

A national Republican organization has put $1.6 million into the Alaska governor’s race — going toe-to-toe with Democratic money that’s also flooded into the state in recent days.

We’re making a tough call on an upcoming U.S. House debate

Over the past few weeks, the four of us here at the Beacon have been wrestling with a pretty tough decision, and we’d like to get your feedback. A few months ago, Jeff Landfield of the Alaska Landmine asked us if we’d be willing to help with an AARP-sponsored candidate debate. The Beacon would co-host […]

The general election is in a month. We have an updated Alaska 2026 Voter Guide.

HED: The general election is in a month. We have an updated Alaska 2026 Voter Guide. As Alaska heads into the general election, the Alaska Beacon, Alaska Public Media, KTOO and the Anchorage Daily News have an updated voter guide. Just like we did for the primary election, we worked together to build a guide […]

Read more Alaska news

From the Associated Press
National news
FILE - An aerial view shows the home of Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan on July 16, 2025, in Arcadia, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

California couple arrested on child abuse charges in horrifying surrogacy probe

A California couple has been arrested on child abuse charges following an investigation into a surrogacy scheme involving at least 21 children ranging in age from a few months to 13 years. Los …
FILE - Nelson County, Ky., jailer Justin Hall shows an electric shock glove that is used at his facility, Aug. 13, 2026, in Bardstown, Ky. (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan, File)

Army study found shock gloves purchased by ICE cause pain, compliance and fear

The shock gloves immigration agents could soon use to control detainees worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting and feared additional …
FILE - Kilmar Abrego Garcia, center, arrives at the federal courthouse Feb. 26, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

Kilmar Ábrego Garcia is set to be back in court as he battles deportation to Liberia

Kilmar Ábrego Garcia will be back in federal court in Maryland as the government keeps trying to deport him. His legal team wants to make a preliminary injunction permanent to prevent his …
A vendor walks under a billboard showing Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi with a phrase that reads in Arabic: "The Saudi accusation against our people deserves to be described as the lie of the century" in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

Saudi Arabia says 2 airports were hit in renewed fighting with Houthis and other Mideast news

Saudi Arabia says three people were injured in the latest attacks on its airports since fighting with Yemen’s Houthi rebels reignited. Meanwhile on Tuesday, Gaza's Shifa Hospital says an Israeli …
International
A motorcyclist gets fuel on subsidised rates in a recently government scheme for low income people, at a fuel station, in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

Pakistan provides fuel aid to over 9 million low-income people as Middle East war drives up prices

Pakistan’s government is providing fuel subsidies to over 9 million low-income people as the U.S.-Iran war drives up energy prices. Rising petrol and diesel costs have added pressure on the …
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, is welcomed by Iceland's Foreign Minister Thorgerour Katrín Gunnarsdottir, center, and William Long, the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland, as he arrives at Keflavik Airport, Iceland, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Rubio begins three-nation NATO tour in Iceland, which is wary of Trump’s Arctic intentions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a three-nation tour of NATO allies with a stop in Iceland. Unease persists there about the Trump administration’s Arctic intentions even after a deal …
High school students in France returned to the barricades this week as their protest movement rattles the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Teachers and students mobilized against staff shortages at a lycée, or high school, in Créteil, on the southeastern outskirts of the French capital. (AP video by: Oleg Cetinic, Catherine Gaschka)

Protesting pupils blockade French high schools again, testing a weekslong movement

Protesting students have blockaded high schools again, demanding more resources for the school system. Schools across France were closed on Tuesday, a measure authorities began last week to reduce …
FILE - Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella speaks during a bilateral agreements signing ceremony with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, Pool, File)

Colombia's president offers support to veterans extradited to US over Haitian leader's killing

Colombian president Abelardo de la Espriella has offered legal assistance to a group of Colombian military veterans who were arrested over the 2021 killing of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse. The 17 …
National Sports
FILE - Marco Penge, of England, watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, April 10, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

Englishman Marco Penge back in Spain to defend title of the tournament that 'changed my life'

It would be hard for Marco Penge not to have fond memories of the Spanish Open. It was thanks to his playoff victory in Madrid a year ago that the Englishman got to play at the Masters for the first …

Tuesday's Transactions

FOOTBALL National Football League INDIANAPOLIS COLTS — Signed WR Quez Watkins to the practice squad. Released CB Elijah Culp from the practice squad. LOS ANGELES RAMS — Signed LB Eric …
FILE - Former NFL football player Terrell Owens speaks at the NFL's Super Bowl Radio Row in San Francisco, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

3 of Nolan Wells' friends sue NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation

Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from a Mississippi island and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation. According to the …
Entertainment
FILE - A journalist records video near a CNN sign on an athletic field outside the Clements Recreation Center where the CNN/New York Times will host the Democratic presidential primary debate at Otterbein University, Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

CNN now has a new owner. What will the future of the network be under Skydance?

CNN has a new owner: Skydance. After a tumultuous, roughly yearlong process, Skydance-owned Paramount closed its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday. And beyond Hollywood, the …

FILE - Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

ABC and Trump's FCC battle in federal court over issues of free speech and jurisdiction

A lawyer for ABC has asked a federal judge to prevent the Trump administration from conducting an unusual, early review of its broadcast licenses, likening it to a looming execution by guillotine. …
FILE - Freddie Jackson attends a special screening of "The Magnificent Seven" in New York on Sept. 19, 2016. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Grammy-nominated R&B singer Freddie Jackson, known for '80s hits like 'You Are My Lady,' dies at 70

Grammy-nominated R&B singer Freddie Jackson, known for hits like “Rock Me Tonight” and “You Are My Lady,” has died at 70. His family confirmed he died Monday through a statement on Instagram. …
Health

Embed-Map-Kenya-Ebola, ADVISORY

KENYA-EBOLA — Map. This AP digital embed map shows Europe, Africa and Asia and highlights four countries where Ebola cases have been detected. A Kenyan citizen who had been living in Congo before …

FILE -An aerial view of the slum of Kibera with the Nairobi skyline in the background, Kenya, Jan. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Riccardo Gangale, File)

Kenya confirms first Ebola case imported from Congo after patient dies in Nairobi

Kenya’s Health Ministry has confirmed the country’s first imported Ebola case from Congo. Health Minister Aden Duale said on Tuesday the patient, a Kenyan citizen, arrived in the country Saturday …
This undated photo released in 2019 by the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East, shows the institute workers in a lab. (The Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and Far East via AP) ADDITION: adding photo was released in 2019

How Russia and the world are responding to a possible case of pneumonic plague after lab worker dies

The World Health Organization says that a possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia poses a "very low" risk outside the country. A lab employee died from pneumonia there last week, prompting an …
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