At the end of a four and a half-hour meeting Tuesday night the Assembly voted unanimously to direct city staff to negotiate an employment contract with Gerrie Cotter as Sitka administrator. Cotter was the only applicant under consideration to...
Alaska’s mariculture industry turned over a new leaf Friday when the tug boat Ethan B towed a floating mariculture laboratory into Sitka Channel, completing a three-day journey from Ketchikan. The mariculture barge – a blue, two-story building on...
A network of multi-use trails on Kruzof Island are in top shape -- and back in use by a steady stream of hunters, hikers, bikers, and ATV riders -- following a months-long rehabilitation project led by Sitka Trail Works. The trails lead from Mud...
WINDING DOWN - Kari Perensovich smiles as passengers board her tour bus this afternoon outside Harrigan Centennial Hall. As many as 6,302 passengers aboard the cruise ships Seabourn Encore, Voyager fo the Seas and Serenade of the Seas were in town...
The Assembly at its meeting tonight will consider an ordinance to “update, modernize, and streamline” provisions for accessory dwelling units. Sponsored by Katie Riley, Scott Saline and Kevin Mosher, the ordinance is intended to promote the...
Just days off the visit of Gerrie Cotter, the Assembly will consider her hire at Tuesday’s regular Assembly meeting. Cotter, the township administrator for Perry (Ohio) Township for the past year, is the sole applicant at this point for the...
Scientists continued collecting information today about a 57-foot-long dead fin whale that was pulled off the bow of a cruise ship Thursday morning about a mile from the Sitka terminal. The NOAA law enforcement is investigating the...
Sitka is experiencing both growth and growing pains, a Sitka audience was told Wednesday. The good news, said consultant Meilani Schijvens, included the population up by 10, wage increases are outpacing inflation and record job numbers. But...
WATCHMAN KOOTEEYAAS - Carver Will Peterson stands in front of one of two 10-foot Watchman Kooteeyaas (totems) he carved over a year-and-a-half period, Thursday during an unveiling ceremony attended by more than 250 people at the Alaska Department...
The four candidates for Assembly in this year's city election took questions on subjects from child care to affordable housing Wednesday evening at a public forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. Candidates for the two open Assembly seats...
A dead fin whale was pulled from the bulbous bow of the cruise ship Norwegian Joy this morning as the ship made its way toward the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal for its port call in Sitka. The fin whale was removed from the bow and towed by a tug...
Sitkans get caught up with each other during the first Community Elder Coffee Time for Elders of The the season today at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Scores turned out for the free event that included a meal prepared by Sitka Tribe of Alaska's...
A few weeks into the new school year, one of Sitka’s principals is finding himself on both new and familiar ground. “It’s been really fun to come back to work into the district again in a slightly different capacity,” said Xoots Elementary...
BUOYS UP - Phyllis Hackett holds a hand-made buoy as fellow Brave Heart Volunteers board member Valerie Waddell takes bids Saturday night at Odess Theater during the organization's annual fundraiser. Brave Heart Volunteers is a nonprofit organization offering free social, emotional, and educational support services to those facing illness, isolation, end of life, and grief. It was founded 25 years ago.
The annual report on the state of Sitka's economy this year will be presented at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Harrigan Centennial Hall. The public is invited to attend the event, which is sponsored by the Sitka Economic Development Association. "I was...
In the UAS hangar, two watchmen are the highest figures being carved and painted out of ten-and-a-half-foot red cedar logs. One watchman sits atop a raven and wears a cedarbark strap and a traditional hat. The other sits above an eagle, wearing a...
Two receptions are scheduled this weekend for the public to meet Gerrie Cotter, the sole candidate for city administrator. The community events are 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Harrigan Centennial Hall. "This is an opportunity...
HONORING HEROES - Members of the Sitka Elks Lodge and Sitka Emblem Club carry a 38-foot long garrison flag to Totem Square Friday afternoon. The march was held in recognition of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade...
The 2026 summer cruise tourism season is just winding down, but it was the 2027 and 2028 seasons that were the subject of a heated debate at a regular meeting of the city’s Tourism Commission at Harrigan Centennial Hall Tuesday night. Commission...
After an interview and a short executive session, the Assembly agreed Thursday night to invite Gerrie Cotter, an applicant for the city administrator position, to come to Sitka “as soon as possible" for a final interview and a "meet and greet"...