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Today's top stories

First One Out

About a dozen Sitkans watch as the first boat is hauled out of Silver Bay at the new city haulout facility in the Gary Paxton Industrial Park Thursday afternoon. Sitka fisherman Eric Jordan was eager to have his troller, the F/V I Gotta, be the first one to use the facility that was mostly paid for using funds from the city's sale of the community hospital property to SEARHC.
About a dozen Sitkans watch as the first boat is hauled out of Silver Bay at the new city haulout facility in the Gary Paxton Industrial Park Thursday afternoon. Sitka fisherman Eric Jordan was eager to have his troller, the F/V I Gotta, be the...

Sitka Suit for Damages Kept Alive by Appeal

A civil lawsuit filed against Richard McGrath, a former Sitka Community Hospital doctor, will proceed, likely for years, as the plaintiff appeals a jury’s December finding that McGrath was not liable for alleged medical malpractice. On December 9...

MEHS Makes Staff Cuts to Balance Budget

Staffing reductions at Mt. Edgecumbe High School won’t cut as deep as initially anticipated by administrators, though the school is in the process of making cuts as the boarding school, which serves students from across Alaska, faces a seven-digit...

STA, Assembly Talk About Mutual Issues

During a wide-reaching dinner meeting on Tuesday, leaders of Sitka Tribe of Alaska and the City and Borough of Sitka discussed the need to care for local clan houses, mitigate bear-human interactions, and collaborate on development projects...
Sitka High School students rehearse a scene from the play “The Game’s Afoot” by Ken Ludwig, Wednesday night at the Performing Arts Center. The play, a whimsical murder mystery set in a Connecticut castle in December 1936, opens Friday at 7 p.m. Pictured are, from left, Lazaria Kubacki, Caellum Wentzel, Rita Christianson, Alex Callistini, Aiden LaFriniere and Naomi Capp.

‘The Game’s Afoot’ in SHS Mystery Staged at PAC

This week, the Performing Arts Center will be transformed into the 20th-century playhouse of an eccentric actor, whose weekend of fun quickly goes awry as one of his guests is murdered.  Deftly maneuvering among hidden rooms, mounted swords...
Community news
A REVIEW: 'Secret Alaska' Revealing
As a new Alaskan resident, it felt like a rite of passage to learn about Haines’ Hammer Museum with a 20-foot hammer in the front yard, or the potentially history-altering boarding house in Fairbanks that may or may not have contributed to...
‘Buzz’ Brown Jr. Dies at Age 77
Lifelong Sitkan Morris Otto ‘‘Buzz’’ Brown Jr. passed away May 12, 2025, at ANMC Hospital in Anchorage. An obituary will follow later.
Two Volunteering At Sitka Lutheran
Valparaiso University, Indiana, student Cam Haggett, and veteran Aloha Harp of Couperville, Wash., are volunteers at Sitka Lutheran Church this month. Haggett served as assistant minister at College Lutheran in Salem, Virginia, which is not far...
Mariner’s First Aid, CPR Class Slated
AMSEA is conducting a Mariner’s First Aid and CPR/AED class 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. May 30, at NSRAA, 1308 Sawmill Creek Road. The cost for the class is $125. Attendees will receive the U.S. Coast Guard-accepted two-year first aid and CPR certification...
Sheldon Jackson Museum Closure
Sheldon Jackson Museum will close Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Museum is closed on state holidays. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, free for ages 18 and...
Climate and Chocolate
Tariffs affect the cost of chocolate because U.S. commercial production of cocoa is limited to Hawaii. However, a more important effect on price is global climate change. In crop year 2023-2024, Africa produced nearly three-fourths of the world’s...
Sitka Charitable Trust Gives $98,423 in Grants
The Sitka Alaska Permanent Trust board of advisors met Wednesday night to make grants totaling $98,423 to 13 Sitka nonprofits and educational institutions . The trust”s seven member advisory board, all Sitka residents, makes annual grants from...
Community Garden Ground-Breaking Set
Sitka Community Gardens announces its long-awaited groundbreaking 1-1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the upper end of Jarvis Street. All are invited to attend to learn more about the planned garden and membership structure, and to sign up for a...
Police blotter

Police Blotter May 16, 2025

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department received the following calls in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. today May 15 At 10:34 a.m. some threatening was reported among high schoolers at Moller ball field. The schools were to handle the matter. A...

Obituaries
Janice Limbaugh
Service for Janice Limbaugh Scheduled Sunday, May 18
A celebration of the life of Janice Marie (Williams) Limbaugh will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, May 18, at the ANB Founders Hall. It will be potluck-style. Janice died Oct. 13, 2024, in Spokane, Washington. A former Sitkan, she had been a resident of...
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...
Sports

Sitka Faces Rivals at Rainy Late-Season Meet

Sitka High School seniors react to applause from the audience as they're recognized during a track meet on Lower Moller Field Saturday afternoon.
Racing in the final home meet of the season, Sitka High’s track and field athletes tested themselves against runners from other Southeast schools and, as has been usual through the season, snagged a series of top finishes, Friday and Saturday at...
Sitka's Caleb Calhoun pitches a perfect game, striking out all 15 batters he faced in a 24-0, five-inning Sitka win over Kayhi at Norman Walker Field on Saturday. Photo by Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News

Sitka High Pitcher Logs Rare Perfect Game

The series started with a no-hitter on Friday pitched by Sitka High senior Bryce Compagno-Calhoun. The next day, his cousin, Caleb Calhoun, a junior, followed up with not only a no-hitter but one of the rarest accomplishments in baseball -- a perfect game.

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...
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Sitka Yesterday May 16, 2025

20 YEARS AGO

May 2005

The Assembly Friday decided to stick to an earlier decision to raise city employee pay by an across-the-board 1.5 percent. A raise of 2.5 percent was proposed in the administrator’s budget but a majority of the Assembly agreed to the 1.5 percent, which will save $110,000.

50 YEARS AGO

May 1975

At  the School Board meeting, President Ed Spencer read a letter from Mrs. Isabella Brady informing the board that a consultant will be in Sitka to discuss the educational concept of “Foxfire” with Mt. Edgecumbe administrators. Foxfire is about students writing about the people and customs peculiar to their home areas.

Around Alaska

Alaska House votes to streamline Alaska’s sexual assault kit tracking system

The Alaska House voted to advance a bill that would establish a statewide tracking system for sexual assault examination kits, expedite processing times, and ensure that survivors can privately monitor the status of their own kit.  Gov. Mike Dunleavy proposed the legislation, House Bill 62, and the House passed the bill on Friday with a […]

Alaska would benefit from keeping out finfish farms

As a fourth-generation sockeye salmon fisherman, I have my own reasons for disliking farmed fish. I started fishing with my family in Bristol Bay in 1979 on my great-grandfather’s site. That was the first year independent fishermen were paid $1 per pound for their salmon. The price increased for several years and then declined drastically […]

Former representative’s lawsuit prompts Alaska Legislature to redo bills in session’s final days

Rep. David Eastman lost his bid for reelection last November, but the Wasilla Republican’s legacy is still affecting the Alaska Legislature. On Friday, the Legislature passed four bills that are attempts to redo legislation that passed the Capitol last year. The redo was encouraged by a lawsuit filed by Eastman against the Legislature in November.  […]

Former water division head picked to lead Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has chosen a state government veteran to be the new commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Dunleavy announced Thursday that he has selected Randy Bates, a former head of the department’s Division of Water. “Randy is uniquely suited to assume the role of commissioner-designee for DEC and continue to push […]

Alaska utility execs to lawmakers: Let’s revive Susitna hydroelectric megaproject

With urban Alaska facing a shortfall in the natural gas long used to generate the vast majority of its power, renewable energy advocates have been pressuring the region’s utilities to advance large-scale wind and solar development to meet future power demands. But no such projects have been built in the past few years, even with […]

Alaska Senate passes elections overhaul to update voter rolls, introduce ballot tracking, curing

The Alaska Senate voted to enact new rules to streamline the voting process in Alaska and expand voter access. If signed into law, the legislation would update the state’s voter rolls, mandate that the state pay for postage for mailed ballots, introduce a new ballot tracking system, and repeal a requirement that a witness sign […]

As Trump tells some Afghan war allies to leave US, the Alaska Legislature is asking for more

On Monday, the Trump administration announced that it is canceling permission for about 9,000 Afghanistan refugees to remain in the United States, including some who aided America’s war effort in Afghanistan. The move came eight days after the Alaska House of Representatives voted unanimously to approve a resolution that asks the administration to resume evacuation […]

After federal funding cut, Alaska Legislature asks Congress to help rural schools

A group of Alaska’s rural school districts are asking for help after the federal government failed to renew a program that sends grant money to logging-dependent areas. On Monday, the Alaska Legislature joined the call for help by passing House Joint Resolution 5, which asks Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination […]
From the Associated Press
National news
A tree lays on a house in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)

Severe thunderstorms down trees, knock out power to thousands across parts of Great Lakes region

Storms accompanied by deep, booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan overnight — leaving scores of trees down …

Gov. Andy Beshear says at least 14 are dead in Kentucky after severe storms, including a devastating tornado

Gov. Andy Beshear says at least 14 are dead in Kentucky after severe storms, including a devastating tornado.

Authorities say 11 inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail; 10 still missing after one recaptured

Authorities in Louisiana say they're in pursuit of 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail. At least one of them has been convicted of murder. In a social media post, the Louisiana State …
FILE - The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Student loans have been confusing lately. Here's a guide to know where you stand

Between collections resuming, courts challenging student loan programs and layoffs in the Education Department, borrowers might be confused about the status their student loans. Recently, the …
International
Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov talks to journalists, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Russian drone strike in northeastern Ukraine kills 9 people, officials say

A Russian drone has struck a passenger bus in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, killing nine people and injuring four others. Ukrainian officials said the attack happened on Saturday, just hours …
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, center right, welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas upon arrival at Baghdad International Airport ahead of the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday May 16, 2025. (Murtadha Al-Sudani/Pool Photo via AP)

Arab League summit kicks off in Baghdad with Gaza at the top of the agenda

Regional leaders are to meet in Baghdad at the annual summit of the Arab League, with the war in Gaza expected to once again loom large.  Arab leaders endorsed in March at an emergency summit in …
KAJ from Sweden performs the song "Bara Bada Bastu" during the dress rehearsal for the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, Friday, May 16 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Lights, camera, glitter ball: The Eurovision Song Contest reaches its grand final

The world’s largest live music event has reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Acts from 26 countries will perform on Saturday to some 160 …

British police charge 3 Iranian men with spying after counterterror probe

British police have charged three Iranian men with spying offenses after an investigation by counterterror detectives. The Metropolitan Police force charged Mostafa Sepahvand, Farhad Javadi Manesh …
National Sports
Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen, left, and Bournemouth's Illya Zabarnyi celebrate at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Bournemouth at Emirates stadium in London, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Real Madrid signs Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth

Real Madrid has signed highly rated Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in its first reinforcement of the offeason. The Spanish powerhouse says the 20-year-old Huijsen has signed a five-year …

Nantes striker opts out of French league’s campaign against homophobia

At least one Ligue 1 player has refused to take part in Saturday’s campaign against homophobia despite many incidents that once again marred the soccer season. Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed does …

PGA Championship: When it starts, how to watch, what's at stake, betting odds for golf's next major

The PGA Championship returns to Quail Hollow and there is no shortage of storylines. The anticipation is on par with the Masters with so many possibilities. That starts with Masters champion Rory …
Entertainment
Emma Stone, from left, Austin Butler, director Ari Aster, Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Eddington' at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Ari Aster's 'Eddington,' about America losing its mind in 2020, finds a mixed reception at Cannes

Ari Aster’s COVID-era Western “Eddington.” premiered to a mixed reception at the Cannes Film Festival. It's about a 2020 America quickly losing its mind to conspiracy theories, TikTok and …

AP PHOTOS: Highlights from Day 5 of the Cannes Film Festival

CANNES, France (AP) — Much of the cinema world has descended on the Cannes Film Festival as the French Riviera extravaganza holds its 78th edition. This gallery features daily highlights from …

Musician charged with Chris Brown in alleged London nightclub assault

British police say a musician and friend of Chris Brown has been charged alongside the Grammy-winning singer on allegations they beat and seriously injured a music producer at a London nightclub in …
Health
FILE - A woman looks at her phone while watching the sun set in Kansas City, Mo., on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Easily distracted? How to improve your attention span

Attention spans are shrinking, with research showing the average person's has declined from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to 47 seconds now. Experts say it's good to take a break from your smartphone alerts …

Case of brain-dead pregnant woman kept on life support in Georgia raises tricky questions

The case of a pregnant woman in Georgia who was declared brain dead and has been on life support for three months has given rise to complicated questions about abortion law and whether a fetus is a …

The US has 1,001 measles cases and 11 states with active outbreaks

The U.S. is up to 1,001 confirmed measles cases. Texas posted one of its lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since its large outbreak began three months ago. Texas still accounts for the vast …