FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
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By CLAIRE STREMPLE
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A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
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Northern Journal
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Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
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By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
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Alaska Beacon
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By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
COVID Cases Reported At Trooper Academy
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Eight new COVID-19 cases were added to the city dashboard today, taking the weekly case count to 32 and the case rate to 375.45.
The uptick in the last few days follows a generally downward trend in cases on the dashboard since the summer.
The eight cases reported on Thursday, followed a 10-case day on Wednesday, and five on Tuesday. Until Tuesday, cases per day this week had been ranging from 1 to 3 since October 7.
Most of the positive cases from the last week were for residents. Of the 32 cases, five were nonresidents and 27 residents.
Adding to the nonresident totals in Sitka over the past few weeks were a number of cases at the Alaska Public Safety Academy, the Department of Public Safety said today.
Responding to a question by the Sentinel the troopers said “multiple” recruits and staff members at the academy had tested positive for COVID-19. No information was available on the number, but a spokesman said there were no hospitalizations or deaths.
“The recruits that tested positive are recovering within the academy,” said Austin McDaniel, acting communications director at the Alaska State Troopers in the Department of Public Safety.
“Training at the academy was paused last week and we anticipate it resuming some time next week after those that tested positive complete their isolation periods,” he said in an email. “The academy has conducted three successful academies since COVID-19 became prevalent in Alaska without any major outbreaks. We continue to work closely with our partners in the Alaska Division of Public Health to reduce the risk of an outbreak and any avoidable spread of COVID-19.”
McDaniel added, “We will continue to work closely with (our) partners in the Alaska Division of Public Health to reduce the risk of an outbreak and any avoidable spread of COVID-19.”
The academy currently has 23 recruits, in addition to 11 staff members, for the 16-week course for training for the Alaska State Troopers and those going to work for police departments and other law enforcement agencies in Alaska. As a result of the COVID cases and pause in training, graduation has been pushed out by a week, McDaniel said.
Recruits come from all over the state for training, are housed at the academy and are mainly on campus, “outside a couple of excursions,” McDaniel said.
Mt. Edgecumbe High School has students who, for COVID reporting, are “resident” because their homes are in Sitka; “nonresident” students are from other places in Alaska.
Janelle Vanasse, Mt. Edgecumbe High School Superintendent, provided an update today, reporting no positive cases at the weekly test on Tuesday. Among the 300 tested were the students who participate in sports and activities, town students, and a sampling of the rest of the student body; and optional testing of staff members.
“We’re really excited: we had some COVID initially (at the beginning of the school year) and worked through that,” Vanasse said. “With our closed campus and mask mitigation we feel we have control of it now. We’re looking for ways to expand activities our kids can have access to, of course still thinking about mitigation and COVID safety.”
She said it was “energizing” to see the kids once again as spectators for a volleyball game this week, after determining that cases were under control and the activity could be done safely.
The Sitka School District reported three active cases at this time, with updates scheduled for 5 p.m. weekdays. All schools in the district have been conducting classes in-person since the start of the school year.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....