Welcome to our new website!
Please note that for a brief period we will be offering complimentary access to the full site. No login is currently required.
If you're not yet a subscriber, click here to subscribe today, and receive a 10% discount.
Today's top stories

Hats Off

Sitka High School graduates throw their mortarboards in the air after receiving their degrees Monday night in the school gymnasium. The gym was standing-room-only for the ceremony that saw 72 seniors graduate. Guest speaker for the evening was Stacy Golden, Sitka High science teacher. Following the commencement graduates were driven in a parade over the O'Connell Bridge, a Covid-era tradition that has been maintained. Photos of the event are on the Sentinel website, sitkasentinel.com.
Sitka High School graduates throw their mortarboards in the air after receiving their degrees Monday night in the school gymnasium. The gym was standing-room-only for the ceremony that saw 72 seniors graduate. Guest speaker for the evening was...
Sitka School District students learn boat safety at an AMSEA safety fair at Crescent Harbor in 2019.

AMSEA Cuts Can Keep Fishermen on the Dock

The loss of federal funding, caused by mass firings at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has put lifesaving safety classes for commercial fishermen in jeopardy, with possibly serious consequences for the wellbeing of fishermen, and...
Tourists and locals walk through the lobby at Harrigan Centennial Hall recently in front of a room dedicated to early voting. On average each day 150 people have been casting votes in the election to decide on a ballot initiative to limit the number of cruise ships visiting Sitka. The regular election is slated for May 28.

Voter Turnout Averages 150 In Early Voting

Early voting has been brisk for the May 28 special election on a proposition to limit cruise ship visitation in Sitka, the city clerk said. The number of voters going to the polls since early voting started May 13 has ranged from 83 to 206 per...
Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka and a supporter of HB 57, is seen on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, next to Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, who voted to sustain Gov. Mike Dunleavy's veto of the bill. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Himschoot, Stedman Say Funds Still at Risk

Sitka’s lawmakers say today’s veto override marks progress in securing a permanent funding increase, but say it still leaves uncertainty to school districts in setting their budgets for 2025-26 school year. “Hopefully as we work through our...
A drawing shows the new Crescent Park pre-fabricated restroom.

Park Restroom Gets Replacement

The recently demolished Crescent Harbor restroom, located near the 700 block of Lincoln Street, will be replaced by the end of June, Project Manager Jason Hudson said.  The City of Sitka is working with McG Constructors, whose bid was about...
Community news
Native Artists to Teach At Sheldon Jackson Museum
The Sheldon Jackson Museum and Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum invite the public to sign up for free hands-on art classes with Alaska Native artists-in-residence between June and September.  The classes will be held at the Sheldon Jackson...
Drill Conductor Classes in Sitka
AMSEA will conduct a fishing vessel drill conductor class 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. May 29 at the NSRAA building, 1308 Sawmill Creek Road. The cost is free for commercial fishermen and $300 for all others. It meets the U.S. Coast Guard training...
Public Meeting On Cell Towers
A public meeting will be held 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 22, at Harrigan Centennial Hall to discuss the installation of five new cell phone towers around Sitka. A group is working to encourage the City and Borough of Sitka to adopt building code...
Correction
In Friday’s front page story on the ongoing civil case against Dr. Richard McGrath and the city of Sitka, it was incorrectly stated that attorney’s fees owed by the plaintiff were calculated by Alaska Civil Rule 82. In this case, attorney’s fees...
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...
Police blotter

Police Blotter May 20, 2025

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department received the following calls in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. today. May 19 At 9:47 a.m. a fender bender was reported at Etolin Way and Lake Street, when a vehicle backed into another. Damage was minor. 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
itka High’s Bryce Compagno-Calhoun pitches against Petersburg Friday on Moller Field. Sitka swept the 3-game series. 

Baseball, Track Teams Compete

Sitka High’s baseball squad routed the Petersburg Vikings in a three-game home series over the weekend. The Wolves blanked Petersburg 17-0 Friday in foul weather before playing twice more in better conditions Saturday, winning 11-1 and...

Sitka Faces Rivals at Rainy Late-Season Meet

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...
Find us on Facebook

Sitka Yesterday May 20, 2025

20 YEARS AGO

May 2005

Photo caption: A plaque proclaiming Sheldon Jackson College campus a  National Historic Landmark is unveiled by SJC trustees Richard Scheumann, at left, and Monte Wilson National Park Service Alaska Region regional director Victory Knox, in front of Allen Auditorium. Knox said the school is the oldest educational institution in the state.

50 YEARS AGO

May 1975

Precipitation was .15 inch below normal for Sitka in April, Sitka Observatory reports. In all, 5.20 inches of rain and snow fell, and Sitka is now .17 inch below normal. The highest temperature was a 55 reading on April 25, and the lowest was a 25 on April 4.

Around Alaska

Alaska Legislature urges congressional delegation to oppose Medicaid cuts

The Alaska Legislature has voted to urge the state’s congressional delegation to oppose cuts to Medicaid, as the state faces a potential annual loss of $194 million in federal spending and tens of thousands more uninsured residents. The House passed Senate Joint Resolution 15 on Sunday by a vote of 27-13, and the Senate approved […]

The Dunleavy Decline: a legacy that’s left Alaska’s students behind

Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of the latest education funding bill, House Bill 57, following his recent veto of House Bill 69, cements the decline of Alaska’s public education system as the hallmark of his administration.  Dunleavy has been notably absent from debates and legislative negotiations on education. Even Sen. James Kaufman criticized his failure to […]

Looking to keep wildlife out of the ‘emergency room,’ states expand managers’ role

State wildlife agencies have a big job. While the federal government protects animals listed under the Endangered Species Act, states are tasked with keeping the vast majority of other species out of the “emergency room.” Habitat loss, pollution and climate change are making that job much more difficult. At the same time, states are finding […]

Alaska Gov. Dunleavy vetoes second education funding bill, repeats calls for policy changes

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed an education funding bill for the second time this year, prompting legislators to move on an immediate override vote scheduled for Tuesday.  Lawmakers on Monday expressed more confidence that the veto override would be successful.  Lawmakers passed House Bill 57 in late April, which would permanently increase the base student […]

Decades of inaction by Alaska’s leadership is leaving kids with the bill.  Why are we OK with that? 

For decades, our elected leadership at both the legislative and executive levels have neglected to look ahead and find ways to cement a sustainable future for Alaskans.  Instead of working to establish and secure new revenue streams, we married ourselves to oil and mining companies that inexplicably continue to receive massive tax cuts, even as […]

Alaska Legislature finalizes $1,000 PFD; vote expected as soon as Tuesday

This year’s Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,000, according to a final draft state budget approved Sunday afternoon by six House and Senate negotiators. The dividend was among the biggest items in a $5.9 billion document that will fund state services from July 1 this year through June 30 next year.  The draft approved Sunday […]

Republican opposition kills bill intended to fix Alaska’s absentee voting problems

A major elections reform bill, a priority of House and Senate leaders, is dead in the Alaska Legislature. Wednesday is the last day of the regular legislative session, and members of the House’s multipartisan majority said on Saturday that they lack the support needed to overcome the opposition of the House’s Republican minority in the […]

Most state services will see no new funding in final Alaska state budget draft

There will be no extra money for the University of Alaska’s sports teams, its effort to become a top-tier research university or its attempts to hire and keep staff. On Friday, the legislative committee assigned to write the final version of Alaska’s state operating budget axed all of those items — and many more — […]
From the Associated Press
National news
In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, Russian servicemen attend a combat training for assault units in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Putin visited the Kursk region for the first time since Russia said it expelled Ukrainian forces

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited the Kursk region for the first time since Russia said it expelled Ukrainian forces from the area in April. The Kremlin said Wednesday that Putin visited …
Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Asian shares climb and oil prices gain after a report Israel may attack Iran's nuclear facilities

Shares are higher in Asia while oil prices jumped more than 1% after a report by CNN said Israel may be planning an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Tokyo's benchmark fell while other markets …
FILE - Elon Musk speaks at a town hall March 30, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps, File)

Elon Musk's pullback from politics comes after his last big investment was a flop

Wisconsin could go down as billionaire Elon Musk’s last big spend on a political campaign. And it was a flop. Musk, the richest person in the world, said Tuesday that he would be spending less on …

Tennessee prepares to execute Oscar Smith, 3 years after last-minute reprieve

Oscar Smith came within minutes of being executed before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a surprise reprieve just over three years ago. It turned out there were problems with the lethal injection …
International
In this photo released by the Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs the meeting of the National Security Committee, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Prime Minister's Office via AP)

A suicide car bomber strikes a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing 5 people

Officials say a suicide car bomber struck a school bus in southwestern Pakistan, killing five people, including at least three children and wounding 38 others. A local deputy commissioner said the …

Kremlin says Putin visits the Kursk region for the first time since Russia expelled Ukrainian forces

Kremlin says Putin visits the Kursk region for the first time since Russia expelled Ukrainian forces.

Germany says it broke up a far-right group that planned attacks. 5 people have been arrested

German police have arrested five people on accusations of involvement with a far-right group that calls itself “Last Defense Wave” and allegedly aims to destabilize Germany’s democratic system …
Posters for the proposed Golden Dome for America missile defense shield are displayed before an event with President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan was inspired by Israel's multitiered defenses

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for a “Golden Dome” to protect the United States from long-range missiles was at least partly inspired by Israel’s multitiered missile defenses. Israel, …
National Sports
FILE - England's Steve Harmison, center, celebrates his dismissal of Zimbabwe's Douglas Hondo, with teammates Robert Key, left, and Michael Vaughan, to give England a victory of an innings and 69 runs, in the second cricket Test between England and Zimbabwe at Chester-le-Street, England, Saturday, June 7, 2003.(AP Photo/Max Nash, File)

England prepares for India with its first test against Zimbabwe in 22 years

For England, the cricket test against Zimbabwe in Nottingham this week is little more than a warm-up match ahead of much sterner examinations to come. For Zimbabwe, it means everything. Trent Bridge …

Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto has no-hit bid broken up in 7th against the Diamondbacks

Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers has had his no-hit bid against the Arizona Diamondbacks broken up in the seventh inning. The Japanese right-hander allowed a single to right by Ketel …

O'Hoppe has HR and tiebreaking RBI single, Moncada also goes deep as Angels beat Athletics 7-5

Logan O’Hoppe homered and had a tiebreaking RBI single as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Athletics 7-5 for their fifth straight win. Kenley Jansen gave up pinch-hitter Seth Brown’s RBI single in …
Entertainment
FILE - Kid Cudi appears at the Los Angeles premiere of "Sonic The Hedgehog 2," on April 5, 2022. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Rapper Kid Cudi expected to testify at Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial

Rapper and actor Kid Cudi is expected to testify at the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial. He is likely to take the witness stand either Wednesday or Thursday to tell the jury about his …

Bust of Doors singer Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly 40 years ago has been recovered

Police have found a bust of Jim Morrison that was stolen nearly four decades ago from the Paris grave that has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans of the legendary Doors singer and poet. Paris …

EU will provide emergency funds to help keep Radio Free Europe afloat after US cuts

The European Union plans to provide emergency funds to help keep Radio Free Europe afloat after the Trump administration stopped grants to the pro-democracy media outlet. Radio Free Europe/Radio …
Health
Dr. Austin Dennard holds her son as she poses for a portrait at her home in Dallas, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

A Texas effort to clarify abortion ban reaches a key vote, but doubts remain

Several states with near-total abortion bans have introduced legislation seeking to make their medical exceptions clearer. In Texas, a similar bill would specify doctors cannot face criminal charges …

For kids with autism, swim classes can be lifesaving

Some studies have shown that children with autism are more at risk of drowning. Experts say swimming instruction can help, but classes specifically designed for kids with autism aren't always easy to …

Justice Department is investigating whether ex-NY Gov. Cuomo lied to Congress in COVID-19 testimony, AP source says

Justice Department is investigating whether ex-NY Gov. Cuomo lied to Congress in COVID-19 testimony, AP source says.