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Today's top stories
Dots indicate the locations of active short-term rentals in the Short Term Rental Report presented at the Planning Commission meeting Wednesday.

Planners Grant STR, Receive 2024 Report

A conditional use permit for a short-term rental at 115 Anna Drive was approved unanimously at Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting.  The commission also heard the 2024 annual short-term rental report and continued its discussion of...
Letter from Alaska Superintendents Association

Dunleavy Says He'll Veto School Funds

The Sentinel received the following press release after we had gone to print today.
Sitka Studio of Dance students rehearse recently for this Saturday's  spring dance recital at the Performing Arts Center, "Dancing through Time." The show will be in two sections, one for smaller kids starting at 2 p.m., and one for older dancers starting at 7 p.m.

Recital to Feature Dancers of All Ages

Dancers of all ages will take to the stage with a broad range of performances, from traditional ballet pieces to hip hop and jazz numbers in two different showings, Saturday, in this year’s spring recital put on by the Sitka Studio of...
Community news
JACK Quartet to Perform Friday
Sitka Music Festival will present the award-winning JACK Quartet 7 p.m. Friday, May 16, at the Odess Theater at Allen Hall on the SJ Campus. The concert will feature a premiere by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, and former Alaskan resident, John...
William Fredrickson Passes Away At Age 87
William John Fredrickson passed away May 11 in Sitka. The longtime Sitkan was 87. An obituary will be published later in the Sentinel.
Sheenák Offering Locals Day Event
Sheenák Park/Sheet’ká Treetop Adventures will offer a locals day event noon-3 p.m. May 18 at 4951 Halibut Point Road, just past the cruise terminal. Event highlights include a cultural welcome and ribbon cutting, noon-12:45 p.m.; barbecue lunch,...
Meeting May 15 On Sportfish Rules
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Wildlife Troopers, NOAA, and U.S. Coast Guard will host a public meeting regarding the sport fishing season 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Staff will be available to answer...
Path of Hope Cleanup on Tap
Sitka Cancer Survivor’s Society invites the public to help with a spring cleanup event at the Path of Hope noon Saturday, May 31. ‘‘We trim, rake, clean, shine and enjoy each other’s company,’’ organizers said. ‘‘So bring your gear and join us...
Sitka Tells Tales About Place
Sitka Tells Tales, the local live storytelling series, will present  the radio broadcast premiere of “About Place: Stories of Seeing and Celebrating the Tongass” 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20. It will air and stream on Raven Radio,...
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 beach having tested above the limit is...
School Policy Panel to Meet
Sitka School District’s policy committee will meet 5 p.m. May 15 in the District Office Boardroom. A link to a full list of policies to be reviewed may be found on the district website. No action will be taken at this open meeting.
School Board to be At Graduations
Sitka School Board members will attend graduation ceremonies for Pacific High School on May 17 and Sitka High School on May 19. The board also will attend the Blatchley Middle School Rites of Passage on May 21.
Police blotter

Police Blotter, May 12, 2025

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department received the following calls over the weekend. May 9 At 8 a.m. a vehicle clipped a one-way traffic sign on Barracks Street. Public Works was notified. At 10:56 p.m. a woman said she had been gardening on...

Obituaries
Life of Irene Shuler, 85, To be Celebrated May 24
Irene Shuler, 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends, on April 24, 2025, in Sitka, Alaska. Irene is survived by her cherished husband of 47 years, Kaye Dethridge; her loving brother, Dennis; her nieces Chelsea and Elyse,...
Former Sitkan Cindy Davis Dies in Hawaii at Age 69
Today would have been Cindy Davis's 70th Birthday. However, it was not meant to be. This is a clip of Cindy's life. She always said, “Every year after 30 is a bonus.” Cynthia Nadine...
Donald R. Soukup
Donald R. Soukup Services April 26
The family of Donald R. Soukup invites friends and community members to join them 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26, at St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church for memorial services. Following the service, a celebration of life will take place in the See...
Victor D. Jones Sr. Dies; Celebration of Life April 19
A celebration of the life of Victor D. Jones Sr. will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19, at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi community house, 200 Katlian Street. Following the service and refreshments, a potluck barbeque will be held at Pioneer...
Sports
Sitka High’s Caleb Calhoun pitches against Ketchikan Thursday on Moller Field. Sitka routed Kayhi 10-0. The teams play again today at 4 and 7 p.m. on Moller Field. (Sentinel photo by James Poulson)

Wolves Score Milestone Wins

Sitka High’s baseball team routed Ketchikan in a three game series, Friday and Saturday in Ketchikan, winning 3-2 Friday before shutting down Kayhi’s batters entirely Saturday. Sitka won the second game 24-0 and the third 16-0. Wolves’ pitcher...
Ketchikan's firstbaseman E Shull follows through after tagging out a Sitka runner Friday night at Moller Field.

Sitka Splits Softball Series 2-1 with Ketchikan

Sitka High scored two wins and suffered one loss in a home softball series against Ketchikan Friday and Saturday, and celebrated their seniors in the final home games the team was slated to play this season. The Lady Wolves led off with a 13-5...

Runners Celebrate Herring in 5k

Runners competed in the annual Herring Protectors 5 kilometer race along the shore of Eastern Channel on the Sawmill Creek multi-use path, Sunday. There were 20 runners on the course, running in a brief period of fair weather in an otherwise rainy...

Wolves Sweep Series against Crimson Bears

Propelled by strong pitching that kept the Crimson Bears from scoring runs – or even getting on base much of the time – Sitka High swept to victory in a three-game baseball series against Juneau-Douglas, last Friday and Saturday in Juneau. Sitka...
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Sitka Yesterday, May 12, 2025

20 YEARS AGO

May 2005

Photo caption: Teachers retiring at the end of the school year – Linda Swanson, Linda Selvig and Marilyn Guhl – have cake at a retirement party held before the School Board meeting. The three, along with fellow retiring teacher Cal Hayashi, were honored at the retirement celebration.

50 YEARS AGO

May 1975

Baranof Senior Squadron-Civil Air Patrol is asking for help from all Sitka boaters. To better operate as a search and rescue unit, the group is attempting to compile a list of all boats in the Sitka area and surrounding logging camps. ... The Baranof Senior Squadon has volunteered to patrol the Sitka Sportsman’s Association Salmon Derby this year.

Around Alaska

Alaska commission proposes $49,000 fine against Hilcorp for Cook Inlet violations

Alaska regulators have assessed a $49,000 fine against Hilcorp for lapses in Cook Inlet offshore well management. The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said on Monday that Hilcorp, the dominant operator in the Cook Inlet basin, failed to meet an annual deadline to discuss its well plugging and abandonment activities. That annual meeting was […]

Taking grievances to the street for 248 years 

Here it is, torn from the battered and abused pages of the Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” No question about it. We Alaskans […]

Long-term efforts to clean air in Alaska’s second-largest city are paying off

Just 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle, far from any major industrial or population centers, Alaska’s second-largest city has struggled for decades with some of the nation’s worst winter air pollution. Now years of work to clear particulate pollution from the air in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the approximately 7,500-square mile district encompassing […]
Musk oxen are shown Saturday, May 10, 2025, at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

An Alaska Mother's Day tradition: Mingling with ice age survivors on a farm

It is one of Alaska’s favorite Mother’s Day traditions, getting up close and personal with animals that have survived the ice age. All moms get a flower and free admission Sunday at the Musk Ox …

Conservation group lawsuit seeks to speed listing of Alaska king salmon under Endangered Species Act

A Washington state-based conservation group filed a lawsuit this week in an effort to speed up the federal government’s review of a proposal to list king salmon as threatened or endangered across the Gulf of Alaska. The Wild Fish Conservancy filed its lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., saying that the National […]

Alaska small businesses need investment, not abandoned contracts

This week is National Small Business Week, a time to celebrate the entrepreneurs who keep our communities vibrant and full of opportunity. In Anchorage, we’re lucky we don’t have to look far to see that spirit in action. Just last  week, a room full of small business owners, proud families, and community members gathered in […]

Arctic refuge oil exploration could begin as soon as this winter, court documents indicate

Alaska’s state-owned investment bank could get permission to start oil exploration work in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as soon as the third quarter of this year, according to court documents filed Friday in Anchorage. In a status report on a series of lawsuits seeking to block oil development in the refuge, attorneys representing the […]

Alaska to resume bear-killing program, despite court order finding it to be void

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said Friday it will resume its predator control this weekend in Western Alaska, despite a court ruling two days earlier that determined the program remains in violation of the state constitution. The program, which is using aircraft to kill bears in the area used by the ailing Mulchatna […]
From the Associated Press
National news
A man carries a mattress into a tent set up on a sidewalk, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

What to know about California Gov. Gavin Newsom's move to ban encampments

California’s governor once again called upon the state’s cities and counties to ban homeless encampments. His office provided blueprint legislation this week for dismantling the tents lining …
FILE - Actors Gerard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve are seen in Cannes, southern France, on May 11 1984. (AP Photo/Michel Lipchitz, File)

A timeline of the rise and fall of French movie star Gérard Depardieu

For over half a century, Gérard Depardieu stood as a towering figure in French cinema, a titan known for his commanding physical presence, instinct, sensibility and remarkable versatility. A bon …
FILE - This Oct. 24, 2016 file photo shows dollar bills in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

The best places to park your short-term investments

As you sift among the various options for your short-term investments, keep these key items on your dashboard: yield, guarantees, liquidity and your individual situation. The short-term investments …
A person walks in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei index at a securities firm Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Asian shares gain after Wall Street's rally, but hopes are tempered by trade war uncertainties

Asian shares have advanced after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war. But the gains were tempered by uncertainties over the longer term, as analysts warned …
International
FILE - In this photo provided by the News and Information Bureau, Malacanang Palace, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, left, takes his oath before Philippine Supreme Court Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes during inauguration ceremony in Malacanang Palace, June 30, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Holding the bible is President Duterte's daughter Veronica. Others in photo are Duterte's children, from right, Paolo Duterte, Sarah Duterte and Sebastian Duterte. (The News and Information Bureau, Malacanang Palace via AP, file)

Detained Philippines ex-President Duterte poised to win mayoral race in his home city

Despite his detention by the International Criminal Court, former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to have been elected as mayor in his home city by a landslide, according to …
A police cordon is seen in Kentish Town, near British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's house in north London, Monday, May 12, 2025. (James Manning/PA via AP)

A man has been arrested over a fire at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's private house

British police say they have arrested a man on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life over a fire at the London house where U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer lived before he was elected to …
FILE - Kim Kardashian attends the Victoria Beckham Spring/Summer 2024 womenswear fashion collection presented on Sept. 29, 2023 in Paris. (AP Photo/Vianney Le Caer, File)

Kim Kardashian will testify in the Paris trial about the jewelry heist that upended her life

The last time Kim Kardashian faced the men that police say robbed her, she was bound with zip ties and held at gunpoint. On Tuesday she returns to Paris to testify against them. One of the most …
Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Stephanie Lecocq/Pool via AP)

Syrian president will not attend Arab summit in Baghdad after invitation triggers divisions

The office of Syria's president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, says he will not attend an Arab League summit in Iraq this week. Tuesday's statement said the country’s delegation will be headed by the foreign …
National Sports
Dallas Mavericks' Rolando Blackman celebrates after NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced that the Mavericks won the first pick in the NBA basketball draft lottery in Chicago, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Rick Welts was there in 1985 when the lottery was born. And he was there for a Dallas win Monday

Rick Welts was there, 40 years to the date earlier, when the NBA draft lottery got started. He worked for the league then and was in the room when that first one took place. And it seems he’s spent …

Novak Djokovic ends coaching partnership with Andy Murray

Novak Djokovic is splitting with coach Andy Murray, just two weeks ahead of the French Open. Murray’s representatives said in a statement Tuesday that the two former No. 1-ranked players will “no …

Son, Kim and Lee tasting success in Europe despite South Korea's soccer struggles

South Korea’s national soccer team may be stumbling toward 2026 World Cup qualification and its clubs may have struggled in the Asian Champions League but three of its biggest stars have been …
Entertainment
The Palais des festivals ahead of the 78th international film festival in Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 11, 2025. The Cannes film festival runs from May 13 until May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Cannes set to open with a 3 film salute to Ukraine and De Niro getting an honorary Palme d'Or

The 78th Cannes Film Festival opens Tuesday with expectations running high for what could be a banner edition. Over the next 12 days, Cannes will play host to megawatt premieres including those of …

A Paris court is to rule in French actor Gérard Depardieu's sexual assault case

A Paris court is set to deliver its verdict on accusations that French actor Gérard Depardieu sexually assaulted two women who were working on a film with him. The actor is accused of having groped …

Paris court gives actor Gérard Depardieu a 18-month suspended sentence after he was convicted in a sexual assault case

Paris court gives actor Gérard Depardieu a 18-month suspended sentence after he was convicted in a sexual assault case.
Health
Palestinians struggle to obtain donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Friday, May 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

UN agencies warn Israel plans for aid distribution endanger lives in Gaza

International aid agencies warn that plans presented by Israel to control aid distribution in Gaza will only increase suffering and death in the devastated Palestinian territory. They called on …

Food security experts warn Gaza is at critical risk of famine if Israel doesn't end its campaign

Food security experts say the Gaza Strip is at critical risk of famine if Israel doesn’t lift its blockade and stop its military campaign. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a leading …

Mercury fuels gold mining in Senegal. And it’s poisoning the people who use it

In Senegal’s gold-rich Kedougou region, women and children face serious health risks from mercury exposure used in gold processing. Despite Senegal’s 2016 pledge to reduce mercury use, the toxic …