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Most read stories

Missing Boater Found Dead

By Sentinel Staff
3 days ago

Hyperphagia

Monday, October 26

Players Call Their Shots in Neil Huff Pool Tourney

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago

Taxi, Tour Drivers Share Views on Ordinance

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

Thursday, October 22

Coast Guard Preparing Kukui for Fright Nights

MAYA GRAHAM
Special to the Sentinel
4 days ago

Spooks on The Street? It's Just the Stardust Ball

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 days ago

Today's top stories

Spooks on The Street? It's Just the Stardust Ball

Randy Ferguson and Susan Brandt-Ferguson arrive at Harrigan Centennial Hall for the 2024 Stardust Ball dressed as green and red buoys. This year's ball takes place Saturday.
The day of the annual Stardust Ball on Saturday, you’re apt to run into someone putting the finishing touches on a Sitka-theme get-up for the costume contest. Or just as likely combing thrift stores for inspiration hours before doors...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 days ago
The Stratton Library building on the SJ campus is pictured today. The Sitka Planning Commission is set to consider a conditional use permit to allow use of the building as a courthouse.

Stratton Courthouse Hearing Set for Nov. 4

Sitka Planning Commission on Wednesday will consider a conditional use permit to convert the first floor of the Stratton Library into a new courthouse for Sitka. The property is the Residential-2 zone which requires a conditional use permit for...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND and ANNA LAFFREY Sentinel Staff

2 days ago
Sitka Tribe of Alaska Director Bert Adams.

STA Child Center Gets National Accreditation

STA Earns Accreditation from National Children’s Alliance Sitka Tribe of Alaska announced this week that its Child Advocacy Center has earned national accreditation reserved for programs providing the highest quality of services possible to...
By Sentinel Staff
2 days ago
Trollers ply Sitka Sound near Mt. Edgecumbe August, 2026.

Seafood Industry Urges Fishermen: Cast a Vote

A coalition of Alaska commercial seafood industry organizations is giving fishermen and processors tools to boost voter turnout in the governor’s race. The nonpartisan Dock the Vote task force is educating fishermen on absentee and early voting,...

By ANNA LAFFREY
For the Wrangell Sentinel

3 days ago
Bill Hill, independent candidate for Alaska’s U.S. House seat, center, sits with Sitka fishermen Jeff Farvour, left, and Dick Curran during a meet-and-greet at the Seafood Producers Cooperative plant on Wednesday afternoon. Hill brought his campaign to Sitka less than a week before the Nov. 3 general election. He is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Nick Begich with the endorsement of the Alaska Democratic Party.In the SPC break room, fishermen discussed challenges facing Southeast Alaska’s commercial fisheries, including rising fuel and equipment costs, shifts in harvest allocations from commercial to sport fishing, competition with the cruise tourism industry for waterfront facilities, a shortage of housing for processing workers and difficulties obtaining vessel insurance.Hill shared his experiences as a Bristol Bay commercial fisherman. In King Salmon, near his hometown of Naknek, he said, charter fishing operations are owned and operated by people who do not live in the community. “They come in the spring to get things ready. ... They fly out in the fall and don’t leave a lot behind,” Hill said.The fishermen discussed ways Alaska’s U.S. representative could support Southeast commercial fisheries, including protecting fish habitat and forests, limiting trawl-fishery bycatch of important commercial species, supporting energy-efficiency projects and ensuring U.S. Department of Agriculture seafood funding benefits locally owned processors amid corporate consolidation.They also described the role that independent, fisherman-owned operations such as SPC play in supporting commercial fishermen.

Fish Bill

FISH BILL - Bill Hill, independent candidate for Alaska’s U.S. House seat, center, sits with Sitka fishermen Jeff Farvour, left, and Dick Curran during a meet-and-greet at the Seafood Producers Cooperative plant on Wednesday afternoon. Hill...
3 days ago
The village of Angoon, Alaska in 2014.

Missing Boater Found Dead

A Southeast Alaska boater missing since Tuesday was found dead early Wednesday afternoon, troopers said. Angoon resident Roger Williams Jr. was reported missing to Alaska State Troopers at about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after the 35-year-old didn’t...
By Sentinel Staff
3 days ago
Sports

MEHS Braves Reflect on Tourney Play in Juneau

Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe High School wrestlers got their first taste of tournament competition this season at the Southeast Showdown in Juneau over the weekend, where the Wolves and Braves came away with several strong finishes and an early...

By ANNA LAFFREY
Sentinel Staff Writer

2 days ago

Sports Calendar: 10/30/26

Today, Oct. 27 Sitka High and Mt. Edgecumbe High School musicians participate in Honor Music Festival @ Haines Friday, Oct. 30 5:15 p.m. SHS Swim & Dive competes in ASAA Region V Championship preliminaries @ Dimond Park Aquatic Center in...
2 days ago
Sitka High School's Tommy McCarthy swims the boys' 100-yard freestyle during the Juneau Invitational at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.

SHS Wolves Swimmers Prepare for Regionals

The tapering may continue, but Southeast Alaska’s high school swim and dive athletes will be striving to post top state qualifying times at the Dimond Park Aquatic Center. Sitka High Wolves swimmers are traveling for the region meet hosted by the...
By KLAS STOLPE
Juneau Independent
3 days ago

City League Basketball Update: 10/29/26

Blanco's Buckets forfeit a City League basketball game Yuyo's Edge on Tuesday. Regular season games continue through Dec. 17, and division tournaments run the whole month of January. City League games at Blatchley are free and open to the...
Sentinel Staff
3 days ago
Josh Partido, no. 3, rises for a layup in traffic during a game against Kenai Central Kardinals, February 13, 2026.

Wolves Basketball Fish & Chips Dinner Fundraiser Set for Sunday

The Sitka High basketball team hopes its fundraiser Sunday will assist in delivering a solid financial slam dunk just ahead of the official start of the season. The team’s fish and chips dinner and dessert auction fundraiser is 5 p.m. this Sunday...

By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer

4 days ago
Community News
Police blotter

Police Blotter
October 30, 2026

Police Blotter Sitka Police. Department logged the following calls Thursday. Thursday, October 29 Police were asked to check on the welfare of a person. The person was OK. A fire alarm went off at 11:25 a.m. on Lake Street but there was no...

2 days ago
Obituaries
Aaron D. Wrenn Dies at 59; Was Former Sitka Resident
Aaron D. Wrenn, of Wasilla, Alaska, died on August 7, 2026 from a long battle with cancer, he was 59 years old. Aaron was born June 20, 1967 at Mt. Edgecumbe hospital, he was the 8th child of Wayne and Selina Wrenn. He attended Sitka High School...
3 days ago
Screenshot
Wayne C. Bowers Dies; Business Owner was 69
Wayne Cameron Bowers, a construction company owner, fisherman, and a 24-year Sitka resident, died August 11 of a heart condition in Burien, Washington. He was 69. No services are scheduled at this time. Wayne was born June 22, 1957, in Chapel...
Friday, October 23
Dr. Thomas Edwin Jacobsen, DDS
Dr. Tom Jacobsen Dies; Service to Be on Nov. 8
Dr. Thomas Edwin Jacobsen, DDS, age 79, of Sitka, died September 7, 2026. Tom was born December 27, 1946, in Sioux City, Iowa, the son of Donald and Marian Jacobsen. He earned an undergraduate degree in general science from the University of Iowa...
Friday, October 16
Former Sitkan Mackenzie Clarke Dies in Seattle
The family of Mackenzie Augustus Clarke, 37, with profound sadness writes that he died unexpectedly on September 16 in Seattle. The former Sitkan, a Sitka High graduate, was the beloved son of David and Raine Clarke, brother of Kelsie and Zachary...
Friday, October 9
Alaska News
FILE - This combination photo shows Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, left, in Palmer, Alaska, Aug. 17, 2026, and a candidate in Alaska's Senate race, Dan Sullivan, right, in Petersburg, Alaska, July 3, 2026. (AP Photos/Mark Thiessen/Becky Bohrer, File)

FBI visits Dan J. Sullivan donor in candidate's home town as Alaska Senate inquiry widens

Federal authorities have intensified their investigation into an Alaska Senate candidate named Dan J. Sullivan, who shares a name with the Republican incumbent. The FBI began contacting donors on …
By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN
8 hours ago
This photo provided by KOSU shows Hodokii Johnson, Muscogee and descendant of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, holding the hand of Kristin Gentry, Choctaw, as they hand poke three brown lines on each finger on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (Sarah Liese/KOSU via AP)

From salmonberry harvests to traditional tattoos, Native American culture is spotlighted in November

November marks the start of National Native American Heritage Month. It's a time to celebrate the diverse histories and cultures of hundreds of tribal communities across the U.S. In Alaska, a family …
By JESSICA HILL
Yesterday at 4:41 PM
FILE - Dan J. Sullivan, a candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race who shares a name with the incumbent seeking reelection, talks in front of a welcome sign near downtown Petersburg, Alaska, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

Attorneys for Alaska say 'meritless' Trump demand to set aside Senate ballots 'not even possible'

Alaska’s Republican-run state government is urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at President Donald Trump’s direction to stop the certification of a possible Democratic win in that …
By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and BECKY BOHRER
Yesterday at 4:30 PM
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Sitka Yesterday
October 30, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

October 2006 

Halloween! Raven Radio’s annual Stardust Ball and Lip Sync Extravaganza will be Oct. 28 at Centennial Hall. *** Sitka Edgecumbe Youth Football League will present the Haunted Hotel at Shee Atika Totem Square Inn this weekend. *** The Blatchley Kids Carnival will be Oct. 28 in the school multi-purpose room. *** Betty Eliason Child Care Center invites young Sitkans to the Halloween Spooky House and Carnival. *** The Outdoor Recreation Community Access group will have a pumpkin carving at the Salvation Army.

50 YEARS AGO

October 1976

The Alaska salmon harvest for 1976 totaled 41.7 million fish, the highest catch in nearlky five years but still signifcantly below the long-term average for the state, The Department of Fish and Game said today. The salmon season, which officially closed Thursday, represented a catch increase of 16 million fish over last year.

2 days ago
From the Associated Press
National news

Valkyries and Dream set for first-ever WNBA Finals Game 7 after Atlanta ties series

WNBA will crown first-time champion as Golden State and Atlanta meet in Game 7. After three cross-country trips and a physical, entertaining best-of-seven series between the Atlanta Dream and …
By JANIE McCAULEY
45 minutes ago

Today in History: November 1, Seabiscuit wins 'Race of the Century'

Today is Sunday, Nov. 1, the 305th day of 2026. There are 60 days left in the year. Today in history: On Nov. 1, 1938, in a two-horse match, Seabiscuit defeated the favored Triple Crown …
By The Associated Press
47 minutes ago
Heidi Klum underwent a bloody transformation to become a giant, gruesome severed hand at the 25th anniversary of her iconic Halloween party Saturday. Klum, accompanied by an ensemble of helpers in blood-stained hazmat suits, was unrecognizable with only her eyes and mouth showing, blood dripping from her mouth as she stuck her tongue out.

Heidi Klum reveals Halloween costume as her iconic party marks 25 years

Heidi Klum underwent a bloody transformation to become a giant, gruesome severed hand for Halloween. Klum unveiled her costume Saturday as her iconic costume party marked 25 years in New York. Klum …
By JAIMIE DING
4 hours ago
Florida tight end Lacota Dippre (17) catches a pass for a touchdown against Texas during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

It's been a scary season for ranked teams as Halloween arrives with intrigue for Top 25

College football fans are buzzing about Week 9 after nearly three weeks of upsets Saturday features two Top 25 matchups: No. 22 Arizona faces No. 13 Texas Tech, and No. 17 Florida takes on No. 3 …
By JOHN MARSHALL
5 hours ago
International
FILE - Youngsters hold a photograph of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the militant Kurdish group, or PKK, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Feb. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Metin Yoksu, File)

Turkey moves Kurdish militant leader Ocalan to a new part of an island prison under peace push

Turkey has moved Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan to a new section of his island prison. This move is part of efforts to end decades of conflict, according to a senior Kurdish official. …
34 minutes ago
People shout slogans at a protest called by the Congress party and its allies against the revision of electoral rolls begins in New Delhi, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

Indian opposition parties stage new protest against the elections chief

India’s opposition parties have renewed calls for the resignation of the country’s elections chief, staging fresh protests in the latest display of public dissent against Prime Minister Narendra …
By RISHI LEKHI
2 hours ago
For some vegans, concerns about animal products extend beyond what's on the dinner plate to what happens in the bedroom. Some companies in the Netherlands are offering products such as condoms, lubricants and sex toys made without animal-derived ingredients. (AP video by Aleksandar Furtula)

For vegans, it's not just what's on the dinner plate, but also what happens after the dinner date

On World Vegan Day, some people are exploring vegan alternatives beyond food, including in the bedroom. Worries about the environment and concerns about animal welfare are on the rise. That has led …
By MOLLY QUELL
3 hours ago
People with skull makeup march during the Paseo de las Animas parade as part of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Merida, Mexico, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)

Mexico comes alive during annual Day of the Dead celebrations

Bright orange marigolds, glowing candles, and painted faces fill Mexico's streets during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Festivities begin in October and lead up to November 1 and 2, when the souls …
3 hours ago