BIG RIGS – Max Bennett, 2, checks out the steering on a steamroller during the 3 to 5 Preschool’s Big Rig fundraiser in front of Mt. Edgecumbe High School Saturday. Hundreds of kids and parents braved the wet weather to check out the assortment of machines, including road building trucks, a U.S. Coast Guard ANT boat, police cars and fire department rigs. Kids were able to ride as passengers on ATVs. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
From high costs and low availability to challenges sur [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A number of participants at Thursday’s community me [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE Alaska Beacon TJ Beers stood across the street from the Capitol in a nav [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
When it rains hard enough in the Prince of Wales Island town of C [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
A designated wilderness area in Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Fo [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Julie Kitka, the longtime president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 12
At 5:18 p.m. a caller asked for a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka Tourism Task Force reviewed a number of recomme [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Almost exactly a century ago, the engines of four modi [ ... ]
By RACHEL BECKER
Alaska Beacon
In a devastating blow to California’s fishing industry, federa [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said a poll shows there is strong su [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a long-a [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
When the federal government established an Arctic Domain Awareness Cente [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 11
At 2:14 a.m. a report was logged t [ ... ]
Card of Thanks
Dear Sitka, I would like to say thank you for the outpouring of love and support for t [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
High school musicians and directors from around South [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Recent changes in the collection of recyclable materia [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Opening the softball season strong at a tournament in [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
The Alaska House of Representatives has voted to provide state fu [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
An Alaska conservation group has released a new series of reports [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
Sixty years after North America’s most powerful earthquake on record r [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
April 10
A dog was reported running loose i [ ... ]
Big Rig Event
Set Saturday
For All Ages
All types of vehicles, food and activities are planned for the [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
After hearing testimony from a number of residents, t [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Ferry System Study: DOT Given Options
ANCHORAGE (AP) — The Alaska Department of Transportation is considering how to act on a study addressing issues within the Alaska Marine Highway System, including an aging fleet and decreased ridership, officials said.
The study conducted by research firm Northern Economics evaluated 11 options for overhauling the network of vessels that moves people, vehicles and goods, The Alaska Journal of Commerce reported Wednesday.
The ferry system reaches 35 communities spread over more than 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) from the Aleutian Islands to Bellingham, Washington.
Ferry ridership has declined from about 350,000 passengers in 1998 to 251,000 passengers in 2018. The drop coincides with GPS and other technological advances that have made flying safer and more consistent, transportation department Commissioner John MacKinnon said.
“The chance of them doing a flyover now and not being able to land is a lot smaller than it used to be, so our competition is just technology that the airlines have been able to use to improve their performance,” MacKinnon said.
Vehicle transport has remained steady at about 100,000 car, truck and van shipments per year, according to ferry service figures.
Ten of the state’s 12 ferries are 37 years old on average and six ferries are more than 40 years old. Two fast shuttle ferries are docked and will be sold because they are not fuel efficient and have been plagued by engine problems and hull cracking, officials said.
The ferry system’s budget has been cut in half since its peak of $111.2 million in fiscal year 2012 and service levels have been cut about 25% over that time. This year’s budget calls for a $56 million state subsidy, which is a compromise between the Legislature and Republican Gov. Michael J. Dunleavy’s original proposal of $21.8 million.
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20 YEARS AGO
April 2004
Responding to the requests of athletes, coaches and parents, the Sitka School Board voted unanimously Monday against a proposal that would have changed Sitka High School’s classification from Class 4A, which includes Juneau and Ketchikan, to the 3A, which has schools with enrollment of 100 to 400 students.
50 YEARS AGO
April 1974
Memories of Sitka’s first radio station have been revived by a St. Louis, Mo., man who was one of the founders. Fred A. Wiethuchter recently wrote a letter to “Mayor Sitka, Alaska” asking about the town since he was here during World War II. He was an Army private at Fort Ray when he was attached to Armed Services Radio Station KRAY and WVCX ....
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