Attention subscribers
 If you are a current subscriber but do not have an online account, click here to set up your free access.
Not yet a subscriber? click here to subscribe today.
Daily Sitka Sentinel logo
Log in Subscribe
Most read stories

Sitkans Testify: Keep Roadless Rule

Cosley Bruno, with Sitka Conservation Society, gives public testimony on rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule in the Tongass Wednesday evening at ANB Founders Hall.
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...
E-edition

View previous issues

Subscribe Now
Donate
Advertise

 

2026 Municipal Election Hub

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

Mayoral Candidates State Views, Concerns

Mayoral candiadtes from left, Kevin Mosher, Thor Christianson, and Lisa Lane.
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,...

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...
BRANCHING OUT – A brown-footed booby, a tropical bird, joins Alaska fishermen aboard the 58-foot seiner longliner El Dorado at Kelp Bay recently. Skipper Jasper Allbrett said the bird showed up at the boat about Sept. 19 and hung out with the crew for some three days, perching on the bow, watching the crew work and eating the fish they fed him. "He was feisty,"Allbrett said. "He'd squawk if the boys got too close." A Sitkan since 2007, Allbrett grew up in Hawaii and saw many boobys there. And now El Nino seems to be pushing the warm-weather birds north, Allbrett said. When the El Dorado left the bay, the bird flew off, Allbrett said, with regret. "It's a cool bird – I was bummed."

Branching Out

BRANCHING OUT – A brown-footed booby, a tropical bird, joins Alaska fishermen aboard the 58-foot seiner longliner El Dorado at Kelp Bay recently. Skipper Jasper Allbrett said the bird showed up at the boat about Sept. 19 and hung out with the crew...
OPEN AT LAST - A man and a child walk across Maksoutoff Street Thursday morning as the last of the portable restrooms that blocked the city street the past five months is towed away. The street is the only vehicle connection from Harbor Drive to Sitka's main business street, and was shut down for the benefit of passengers on the 326 port calls to Sitka during the cruise ships season, which ended Wednesday.

OPEN AT LAST

OPEN AT LAST - A man and a child walk across Maksoutoff Street Thursday morning as the last of the portable restrooms that blocked the city street the past five months is towed away. The street is the only vehicle connection from Harbor Drive to...
The Naa Kahidi Dancers perform Wednesday night during the Orange Shirt Day Remembrance Event at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. The event, organized by Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Outer Coast, was held to honor the lives and resiliency of those impacted by the Indian residential school experience. More than 100 people attended the evening program that included a dinner served by Outer Coast students.

Orange Shirt Day

ORANGE SHIRT DAY - The Naa Kahidi Dancers perform Wednesday night during the Orange Shirt Day Remembrance Event at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. The event, organized by Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Outer Coast, was held to honor the lives and...

Read more local news

Community news
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...
Fisheries Trust Gets Grant For Data Collection in S.E.
Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust has received $293,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to expand electronic logbook and industry-led oceanographic data collection in the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery. Data will be...
School Board Meets Oct. 7
The Sitka School Board will hold its regular meeting 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at Harrigan Centennial Hall. The meeting will be preceded by a work session at 4:30 p.m. and staff recognitions at 5:45 p.m. The full agenda can be found by following the link on...
Early Voting Event Oct. 17
All are invited to stop by the Crescent Harbor shelter 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Oct. 17, to learn about early voting in Alaska – why it is important and where and how to do it. The free public event is sponsored by No Kings and Sitka...
Broadcast Set of Sitka Tells Tales
Sitka Tells Tales, the live storytelling series, will present the broadcast premiere of “Why Not: Stories of Taking Risks, Making a Change and Giving Back,” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, airing and streaming on KCAW Raven Radio. The program features...
Unitarians Gather For Discussion
Sitka Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship on Sunday, Oct. 4, will join in a lay-led discussion on the role of prayer in religious faith. The fellowship will gather for coffee and conversation at 10:30 a.m., with the service starting at 10:45. At...
City’s Commercial Passenger Vehicle Ordinance Discussed
An informal meeting with Assembly members Thor Christianson and Scott Saline will be held 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Harrigan Centennial Hall to discuss the proposed Commercial Passenger Vehicle Ordinance. The Ordinance would repeal the city’s...
Sitka Woman’s Club To Meet Saturday
Sitka Woman’s Club will meet noon Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Pioneers Home Manager’s House for a regular business meeting. An informal ‘‘Meet and Greet’’ with Assembly candidates will start the meeting, along with coffee, tea and cookies. ‘‘Bring...
‘Monster Mash Bash’ on Oct. 23
The city Parks and Recreation division will host the Monster Mash Bash 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Blatchley Middle School. The public is invited to this family Halloween event. It will include Halloween-themed games, crafts, prizes, a photo...

See more events

Police blotter

Police Blotter
October 2, 2026

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department logged the following calls Thursday. Thursday, October 1 Vehicles left parked at Back Beach and Eliason Harbor for some time were tagged for impounding. A report of fraud was logged at 1:13 p.m. A...

Read previous police reports

Obituaries
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...
Jennifer (Hanson) Mayville Dies in Washington at 61
Jennifer Eileen (Hanson) Mayville went to be with the Lord on August 30, 2026, at her home in Bellingham, Washington. She was 61. She was born in Sitka on November 19, 1964, the daughter of Kent …
In Loving Memory – Keith Gibson
June 13, 1962-August 27, 2026 Keith Gibson of Sitka, Alaska, lived a life marked by service, creativity, faith, and a deep love for the natural world. A gifted storyteller with a remarkable range of talents, Keith brought curiosity, humor, and...

More obituaries

Sports

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...

Wolves Ready to Spike, Set, Bump in Juneau

Sitka High School sophomore Addie Marx bumps the ball in a game against Mt. Edgecumbe High School Tuesday night in the B.J. McGillis Gym.
After a late-night win against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves on Tuesday, the Sitka High volleyball team was full of energy Wednesday as they went back to work on their skills to be ready for this weekend's Juneau Jive tournament, Friday and...

Wolves Volleyball Beats Braves in Second Battle of the Bridge

Sitka High School senior Bristol Clifton spikes past Mt. Edgecumbe High School defenders senior Marlee Chris and junior Kasia Barnes Tuesday night at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School's B.J McGillis gymnasium, the Sitka High Wolves varsity volleyball team won their third set to secure the second "Battle of the Bridge" game between the two teams this season. "It was an...

Read More Sports News

Find us on Facebook
Facebook

Sitka Yesterday
October 2, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

September 2006

SEARHC will raise the Kooteeyaa Project Wellbriety totem pole during a ceremony in front of the SEARHC Community Health Services building. The totem pole will have the Tlingit name Yei eek kwa neix, which means “you are going to get well.” Tlingit master carver Wayne Price has been working on the pole since April.

50 YEARS AGO

September 1976

Claims from political ads: “Free Rides to the Polls - Call Republican headquarters.  Don Young cares about Southeast Alaska!  Repeal Limited Entry! paid for by Jud Lanier •• District 3 has good, honest, experienced Representation. Why Change? Re-Elect Rep. Richard I. (Dick) Eliason. ** Save Our Salmon! Keep Limited Entry, Vote ‘No” on Prop. 5!!!!

Read previous Sitka Yesterdays

Around Alaska
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in DFW Airport, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Latest: Trump will campaign in Alabama ahead of the midterm elections

President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail as he seeks to shore up lagging enthusiasm in his party ahead of next month’s midterm elections. On Friday, he’ll attend a rally in Alabama, …

Navy warship named for Alaska statesman Ted Stevens

Before he was known to Alaskans as “Uncle Ted,” Ted Stevens was a decorated war hero, making dangerous missions behind enemy lines as part of the Flying Tigers, a group of American pilots who fought the Japanese in the China-Burma-India theater of World War II. Stevens represented Alaska as one of the longest-serving U.S. senators […]

Local code and utility tariffs are tools Alaska can use to fix the housing shortage

Alaska has roughly the population it had in 2013. What little growth the state has seen in the past three years came from residents over 65, while the working-age population shrank. A state that is not growing should not have a housing shortage. It has one anyway. Rental vacancy in March was 4.9% in Anchorage, […]

Vice President Vance to visit Fairbanks on Monday, Trump expected in Alaska later this month

Vice President J.D. Vance will hold a campaign event on Monday in Fairbanks to boost Republican candidates in this year’s general election, and President Donald Trump is expected to visit Alaska later this month on a similar mission. The vice-president’s visit was officially announced Friday by the Trump 47 Committee, an operation of the Republican […]

Some commercial fishermen have turned on President Donald Trump, blaming his actions and policies for generating high fuel prices, trade wars and economic uncertainties that undermine their businesses. (AP Video and Production by Rodrique Ngowi)

Trump tried to make an ally out of fishermen. Some have started to turn on him

Some commercial fishermen have come to question whether Trump is meeting the needs of an industry he has long leaned on for support. Trump sought to make an ally out of fishermen during his first …

Korean officials confirm no deal exists to invest in Alaska natural gas pipeline

Korea has not agreed to invest $54 billion in the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline — and has not even agreed to invest at all, its national industry minister, Kim Jung-kwan, told reporters in Seoul on Thursday. His remarks came hours after President Donald Trump held a news conference in the White House to incorrectly […]

Living with bears in Anchorage: We can do better

News that 20 or more bears have been killed in Anchorage this year, mostly because they’ve gotten into the habit of eating human trash, is both disheartening and infuriating. People who live in the municipality, like elsewhere in Alaska, have long known what steps to take to minimize bear-human conflicts. At the top of the […]
FILE - Permafrost melts on the coast in Newtok, Alaska, Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Heat-trapping gas once frozen in Arctic ground is slowly leaking and warming the planet

Scientists warn that thawing permafrost in the Arctic is releasing large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, adding to global warming. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the …

Read more Alaska news

From the Associated Press
National news

Budding food scrap pickup services across the US want your coffee grounds and eggshells

Composting leftover coffee grounds, eggshells and carrot tops is a way to reduce the amount of food waste that goes into landfills, where it produces the potent greenhouse gas methane. It also helps …
Michael Douglas poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP)

Michael Douglas on 'immortality,' Kirk Douglas and the memories he once avoided

Michael Douglas, the award-winning actor and producer, recently turned 82 and has released a memoir titled “One Helluva Ride.” In it, he reflects on his life, career, and family legacy, beginning …
In this photo provided by the Government of Dubai Media Office, Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, left, visits injured Indian Flydubai Capt. Smit Machchhar at a hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (Government of Dubai Media Office via AP)

Australia launches probe into FlyDubai co-pilot’s past, and other Mideast news

Australian authorities are investigating an Omani FlyDubai co-pilot's time in Australia after he allegedly tried to seize an Israel-bound aircraft. The pilot is currently detained in the UAE. On …
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Asian shares are higher as easing worries over inflation reduce odds for another Fed rate hike

Asian shares have advanced at the start of a busy week for U.S. economic updates. Investors were encouraged by easing worries over inflation, which reduces the likelihood of another rate hike by the …
International
FILE - A close-up view of a Nobel Prize medal at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Md., Dec. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

The Nobel Prize week is kicking off in Stockholm with the medicine award

This year’s Nobel Prizes kick off with the awarding of the medicine prize at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The prize money this year is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million, …
People disembark from a FlyDubai carrying Israeli passengers who had earlier been aboard another FlyDubai aircraft that made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia approaches Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

FACT FOCUS: What's known about the FlyDubai attack probe and the red flags about the suspect

The investigation into the thwarted FlyDubai cockpit attack has expanded from the Middle East to New Zealand. Authorities are trying to understand how the suspect, co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, who had …
A mother surrounded by family cries sitting by the coffin of her son Illia Honcharenko, 14, killed by a Russian rocket strike on a residential house on Sept. 30, during their funeral, in Vyshhorod, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Ukraine claims its attacks have taken out more than half of Russia's oil refining capacity

Ukraine says its long-range strikes have neutralized over half of Russia's oil refining capacity. The Defense Ministry announced Sunday that recent attacks on refineries in cities like Moscow and …
Front, from left, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov pose for a photo ahead of the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russia hosts a Taliban delegation, others for consultations on Afghanistan

Russia has hosted consultations on Afghanistan that included a delegation of the country's ruling Taliban government along with officials from China, India, Iran, Pakistan and other nations. …
National Sports
Ireland's head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson speaks during a press conference ahead of the Nations League soccer match between Republic of Ireland and Israel in Backa Topola, Serbia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Ireland coach wants UEFA to keep team apart from Israel after contentious games

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson wants UEFA to keep Ireland and Israel apart in future competitions after their contentious Nations League games. The teams drew 1-1 in Ireland’s “home” game …

England's Alex Scott attends a training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Ground, London, Monday Sept. 28, 2026. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Konsa and Scott out of England squad ahead of Nations League match against the Czech Republic

Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott have been withdrawn from England’s squad ahead of the team’s Nations League match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday. England …

Carlos Alcaraz loses 16 straight points before rallying to reach Japan Open final

Carlos Alcaraz is going to play his first final since coming back from a 4 ½-month layoff for a right wrist injury. The third-ranked Alcaraz overcame a sudden lapse of form at the end of the first …
Entertainment
FILE - A Banned Books Week display stands at the Mott Haven branch of the New York Public Library in the Bronx borough of New York City, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

PEN America: Nearly 12,000 school book bans in a year, a record high

A new study from PEN America reveals that there were nearly 12,000 book bans in public schools over the past year, the highest since tracking began five years ago. Stephen King remains the most …

FILE - Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, May 15, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

Pope Francis' diaries to be published next month, revealing reflections on Vatican years

Pope Francis' journal entries from his time in the Vatican and years before will be published this fall. Image, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced Monday that "The Private Diary of Pope …
This combination of images show promotional art for the films "Disclosure Day," from left, "Matchbox The Music," and "Don't Look Back in Anger." (Universal Pictures/Apple TV/Disney via AP)

What to Stream: Oasis doc, Pitbull, 'Carrie' series, 'Gears of War: E-Day' and 'Disclosure Day'

New streaming entertainment options are arriving this week, including an Oasis documentary, Pitbull record, and a new game in the blockbuster "Gears of War" franchise. The documentary "Oasis: Don't …
Health
This undated photo released 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)

A Russian report says a worker at a Siberian plague institute fell ill and died of an unknown cause

Russian authorities say a staffer at a plague research institute in Siberia contracted pneumonia of an unknown cause, and local state TV reported the woman died last week. Authorities said they found …

FILE - A Nobel diploma and medal are displayed, Dec. 8, 2020, during a ceremony in New York. (Angela Weiss/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win Nobel Prize in medicine

Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel win Nobel Prize in medicine.
FILE - ChatGPT history by a teenager is seen at a coffee shop in Russellville, Ark., on July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Katie Adkins, File)

A reckoning on social media addiction came late for many kids. Will AI safety be different?

The lengthy campaigns to protect kids on social media offer some lessons for those looking to protect children using artificial intelligence. AI companies have begun rolling out some safety features …
© Copyright 2026 Daily Sitka Sentinel
Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions