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Sitkans Testify: Keep Roadless Rule

Cosley Bruno, with Sitka Conservation Society, gives public testimony on rescinding the 2001 Roadless Rule in the Tongass Wednesday evening at ANB Founders Hall.
All who testified in the Alaska subsistence hearings the U.S. Forest Service held via teleconference Wednesday said the 2001 Roadless Rule should be kept in place to protect subsistence harvest opportunities, particularly on the Tongass National...
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2026 Municipal Election Hub

Your guide to Sitka’s municipal election, with candidate answers, ballot information, and more.
Today's top stories

Mayoral Candidates State Views, Concerns

Mayoral candiadtes from left, Kevin Mosher, Thor Christianson, and Lisa Lane.
Sitkans will elect two Assembly members, three School Board members and a new mayor, and weigh in on the Assembly’s special election discretion when they vote in the municipal election on Tuesday, Oct. 6. To help voters make informed decisions,...

New Education Credits Raise Local Questions

The governor has approved the state’s first 20 Scholarship Granting Organizations under the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program, the state Department of Education and Early Development announced. Sitka school representatives say...
BRANCHING OUT – A brown-footed booby, a tropical bird, joins Alaska fishermen aboard the 58-foot seiner longliner El Dorado at Kelp Bay recently. Skipper Jasper Allbrett said the bird showed up at the boat about Sept. 19 and hung out with the crew for some three days, perching on the bow, watching the crew work and eating the fish they fed him. "He was feisty,"Allbrett said. "He'd squawk if the boys got too close." A Sitkan since 2007, Allbrett grew up in Hawaii and saw many boobys there. And now El Nino seems to be pushing the warm-weather birds north, Allbrett said. When the El Dorado left the bay, the bird flew off, Allbrett said, with regret. "It's a cool bird – I was bummed."

Branching Out

BRANCHING OUT – A brown-footed booby, a tropical bird, joins Alaska fishermen aboard the 58-foot seiner longliner El Dorado at Kelp Bay recently. Skipper Jasper Allbrett said the bird showed up at the boat about Sept. 19 and hung out with the crew...
OPEN AT LAST - A man and a child walk across Maksoutoff Street Thursday morning as the last of the portable restrooms that blocked the city street the past five months is towed away. The street is the only vehicle connection from Harbor Drive to Sitka's main business street, and was shut down for the benefit of passengers on the 326 port calls to Sitka during the cruise ships season, which ended Wednesday.

OPEN AT LAST

OPEN AT LAST - A man and a child walk across Maksoutoff Street Thursday morning as the last of the portable restrooms that blocked the city street the past five months is towed away. The street is the only vehicle connection from Harbor Drive to...
The Naa Kahidi Dancers perform Wednesday night during the Orange Shirt Day Remembrance Event at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. The event, organized by Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Outer Coast, was held to honor the lives and resiliency of those impacted by the Indian residential school experience. More than 100 people attended the evening program that included a dinner served by Outer Coast students.

Orange Shirt Day

ORANGE SHIRT DAY - The Naa Kahidi Dancers perform Wednesday night during the Orange Shirt Day Remembrance Event at the Sheet'ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi. The event, organized by Sitka Tribe of Alaska and Outer Coast, was held to honor the lives and...

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Community news
Life Celebration for Burgess Bauder
A celebration of the life of Burgess Bauder will be held at Halibut Point Recreation Area from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 4. Burgess died on Aug. 27 in Sitka. Attendees can take a dish to share, their own drinks, and wear pink in his honor,...
Max E. Williams Services Oct. 10
Services for Max Edmund Williams, whose Tlingit name was K’wanee, will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at the New Life Apostolic Church, 101 Cascade Creek Road. Max was born in Yakutat on Sept. 9, 1944, and passed away peacefully at home in...
Fisheries Trust Gets Grant For Data Collection in S.E.
Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust has received $293,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to expand electronic logbook and industry-led oceanographic data collection in the Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery. Data will be...
School Board Meets Oct. 7
The Sitka School Board will hold its regular meeting 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at Harrigan Centennial Hall. The meeting will be preceded by a work session at 4:30 p.m. and staff recognitions at 5:45 p.m. The full agenda can be found by following the link on...
Early Voting Event Oct. 17
All are invited to stop by the Crescent Harbor shelter 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Oct. 17, to learn about early voting in Alaska – why it is important and where and how to do it. The free public event is sponsored by No Kings and Sitka...
Broadcast Set of Sitka Tells Tales
Sitka Tells Tales, the live storytelling series, will present the broadcast premiere of “Why Not: Stories of Taking Risks, Making a Change and Giving Back,” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, airing and streaming on KCAW Raven Radio. The program features...
Unitarians Gather For Discussion
Sitka Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship on Sunday, Oct. 4, will join in a lay-led discussion on the role of prayer in religious faith. The fellowship will gather for coffee and conversation at 10:30 a.m., with the service starting at 10:45. At...
City’s Commercial Passenger Vehicle Ordinance Discussed
An informal meeting with Assembly members Thor Christianson and Scott Saline will be held 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Harrigan Centennial Hall to discuss the proposed Commercial Passenger Vehicle Ordinance. The Ordinance would repeal the city’s...
Sitka Woman’s Club To Meet Saturday
Sitka Woman’s Club will meet noon Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Pioneers Home Manager’s House for a regular business meeting. An informal ‘‘Meet and Greet’’ with Assembly candidates will start the meeting, along with coffee, tea and cookies. ‘‘Bring...
‘Monster Mash Bash’ on Oct. 23
The city Parks and Recreation division will host the Monster Mash Bash 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Blatchley Middle School. The public is invited to this family Halloween event. It will include Halloween-themed games, crafts, prizes, a photo...

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Police blotter

Police Blotter
October 2, 2026

Police Blotter Sitka Police Department logged the following calls Thursday. Thursday, October 1 Vehicles left parked at Back Beach and Eliason Harbor for some time were tagged for impounding. A report of fraud was logged at 1:13 p.m. A...

Read previous police reports

Obituaries
Burgess Bauder with LuvBug, left, and Ralph the white greyhound. (Photo provided)
Burgess Bauder's Full Life to be Celebrated
Please print the week of September 28—October 2 Obituary for Burgess Bauder Burgess Bauder finally died… he loved pink. But before he died… he survived. Burgess survived growing up in Tacoma, Washington, as an only child, born December...
Life of Deborah Vilandre To be Celebrated Sept. 20
In the presence of her loving family, Deborah Suzanne (Bernhardt) Vilandre passed away on June 11, 2026, at her home in Cheney, Washington, after a two-year battle with ALS.  She was 63 years old. A celebration of her life will be held 2-4...
Jennifer (Hanson) Mayville Dies in Washington at 61
Jennifer Eileen (Hanson) Mayville went to be with the Lord on August 30, 2026, at her home in Bellingham, Washington. She was 61. She was born in Sitka on November 19, 1964, the daughter of Kent …
In Loving Memory – Keith Gibson
June 13, 1962-August 27, 2026 Keith Gibson of Sitka, Alaska, lived a life marked by service, creativity, faith, and a deep love for the natural world. A gifted storyteller with a remarkable range of talents, Keith brought curiosity, humor, and...

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Sports

Wolves to Take the Courts in Juneau For JIVE Volleyball Tournament

Mt. Edgecumbe High School junior Kasia Barnes spikes as Sitka High senior Bristol Clifton defends Tuesday night at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Sitka High will go up against Cordova in opening round pool play this afternoon in the Juneau JIVE volleyball tournament. Other participating teams in the two-day tournament hosted by Yadaa.at Kalé Juneau High School are Juneau-Douglas varsity...

Wolves Ready to Spike, Set, Bump in Juneau

Sitka High School sophomore Addie Marx bumps the ball in a game against Mt. Edgecumbe High School Tuesday night in the B.J. McGillis Gym.
After a late-night win against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves on Tuesday, the Sitka High volleyball team was full of energy Wednesday as they went back to work on their skills to be ready for this weekend's Juneau Jive tournament, Friday and...

Wolves Volleyball Beats Braves in Second Battle of the Bridge

Sitka High School senior Bristol Clifton spikes past Mt. Edgecumbe High School defenders senior Marlee Chris and junior Kasia Barnes Tuesday night at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
Just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School's B.J McGillis gymnasium, the Sitka High Wolves varsity volleyball team won their third set to secure the second "Battle of the Bridge" game between the two teams this season. "It was an...

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Sitka Yesterday
October 2, 2026

20 YEARS AGO

September 2006

SEARHC will raise the Kooteeyaa Project Wellbriety totem pole during a ceremony in front of the SEARHC Community Health Services building. The totem pole will have the Tlingit name Yei eek kwa neix, which means “you are going to get well.” Tlingit master carver Wayne Price has been working on the pole since April.

50 YEARS AGO

September 1976

Claims from political ads: “Free Rides to the Polls - Call Republican headquarters.  Don Young cares about Southeast Alaska!  Repeal Limited Entry! paid for by Jud Lanier •• District 3 has good, honest, experienced Representation. Why Change? Re-Elect Rep. Richard I. (Dick) Eliason. ** Save Our Salmon! Keep Limited Entry, Vote ‘No” on Prop. 5!!!!

Read previous Sitka Yesterdays

Around Alaska
President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in DFW Airport, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Latest: Trump will campaign in Alabama ahead of the midterm elections

President Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail as he seeks to shore up lagging enthusiasm in his party ahead of next month’s midterm elections. On Friday, he’ll attend a rally in Alabama, …

Local code and utility tariffs are tools Alaska can use to fix the housing shortage

Alaska has roughly the population it had in 2013. What little growth the state has seen in the past three years came from residents over 65, while the working-age population shrank. A state that is not growing should not have a housing shortage. It has one anyway. Rental vacancy in March was 4.9% in Anchorage, […]

Vice President Vance to visit Fairbanks on Monday, Trump expected in Alaska later this month

Vice President J.D. Vance will hold a campaign event on Monday in Fairbanks to boost Republican candidates in this year’s general election, and President Donald Trump is expected to visit Alaska later this month on a similar mission. The vice-president’s visit was officially announced Friday by the Trump 47 Committee, an operation of the Republican […]
Some commercial fishermen have turned on President Donald Trump, blaming his actions and policies for generating high fuel prices, trade wars and economic uncertainties that undermine their businesses. (AP Video and Production by Rodrique Ngowi)

Trump tried to make an ally out of fishermen. Some have started to turn on him

Some commercial fishermen have come to question whether Trump is meeting the needs of an industry he has long leaned on for support. Trump sought to make an ally out of fishermen during his first …

Korean officials confirm no deal exists to invest in Alaska natural gas pipeline

Korea has not agreed to invest $54 billion in the proposed trans-Alaska natural gas pipeline — and has not even agreed to invest at all, its national industry minister, Kim Jung-kwan, told reporters in Seoul on Thursday. His remarks came hours after President Donald Trump held a news conference in the White House to incorrectly […]

Living with bears in Anchorage: We can do better

News that 20 or more bears have been killed in Anchorage this year, mostly because they’ve gotten into the habit of eating human trash, is both disheartening and infuriating. People who live in the municipality, like elsewhere in Alaska, have long known what steps to take to minimize bear-human conflicts. At the top of the […]

FILE - Permafrost melts on the coast in Newtok, Alaska, Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Heat-trapping gas once frozen in Arctic ground is slowly leaking and warming the planet

Scientists warn that thawing permafrost in the Arctic is releasing large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, adding to global warming. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the …

Trump touts Korea as source of funding for long-desired Alaska gas project

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that he had secured a deal with the Republic of Korea to spend $54 billion on a long-desired Alaska natural gas pipeline project, part of a $200 billion package of investments that include a major power plant in Texas and several nuclear power plants. South Korea’s trade minister quickly […]

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From the Associated Press
National news
People react as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Choctaw Event Center, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Durant, Okla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Trump heads to Alabama: 'I go there because they want to see me there'

President Donald Trump will continue his midterm campaign swing with a rally in deep red Alabama Friday, returning to the place where he drew his first mega crowd. Trump will be stumping for …
FILE - Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera speaks with media outside a federal court in Miami, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Joshua Goodman, File)

Former GOP Rep. David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying

A former Miami congressman has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a secret $50 million lobbying campaign for Venezuela during President Donald Trump’s first term. Republican David Rivera, a …
Emergency vehicles leave Riverbend Maximum Security Institution after the execution of Christa Pike was halted Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Christa Pike was on a ventilator and unconscious after failed Tennessee execution, attorneys say

Christa Pike's attorneys say she remained in a hospital where she was placed on a ventilator and unconscious hours after her failed execution in Tennessee. Her lawyers said in a court filing Friday …
Media witnesses recount the moments before the execution of Christa Pike was halted Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

What to know about Christa Pike, who survived a lethal injection execution attempt in Tennessee

Christa Pike is still alive following a lethal injection execution attempt in Tennessee. The 50-year-old woman remains in critical condition. Her execution was initially halted by a federal appeals …
International

South Korea’s military says North Korea fired projectile toward its eastern waters

South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired at least one projectile toward its eastern waters. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately say whether the weapon was a ballistic …

South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired a projectile toward the sea

South Korea’s military says North Korea has fired a projectile toward the sea.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, center, accompanied by Senate candidates Benedita da Silva, right, and Pedro Paulo, attends a campaign rally in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

US and Australia suspend consular services in Brazil ahead of election citing security concerns

U.S. consular services and the Australian embassy have closed in Brazil due to security concerns. Authorities from both countries announced the closures on Friday, two days before Brazilians head to …

Suspected Boko Haram militants kill at least 15 in Nigeria's Borno State, police say. 3 missing

Police in Nigeria say suspected Boko Haram militants have killed at least 15 farmers and firewood gatherers in northeastern Borno State. Police and human rights officials reported the attack on …
National Sports
FILE - San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York stands on the sideline before a preseason NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos, Aug. 9, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L Cox, File)

49ers owner Jed York suspended for 6 games after his arrest in prostitution sting

The NFL has suspended San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York for six games following his arrest earlier this year in a prostitution sting in Ohio. The league announced that York also was fined $500,000 …

FILE - Los Angeles Kings left wing Andrei Kuzmenko skates before an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Nov. 28, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang, File)

Penguins F Andrei Kuzmenko switches jersey to No. 62 to honor father killed in bear attack in Russia

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko is changing his jersey number to 62 to honor his father Alexander, who died in a bear attack in Russia last week at age 62. Kuzmenko has returned to …

Minor leaguers Francisco Rivero and Raudi Perez suspended following positive drug tests

Washington Nationals catcher Francisco Rivero and free agent pitcher Raudi Perez have been suspended for 56 games each following positive tests for a performance-enhancing substance under …
Entertainment
A model wears a creation as part of the Saint Laurent Womenswear Spring Summer 2027 collection presented in Paris, France, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Teresa Suarez)

Jennifer Lopez and golden glamour dazzle at Paris Fashion Week

Saint Laurent dazzles with a river of gold at Paris Fashion Week, featuring a glossy black runway and a shimmering Eiffel Tower in the background. The show drew stars like Catherine Deneuve and Kate …

FILE - Dolly Parton poses at the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Ceremony in New York, on Oct. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

Dolly Parton's nephew wants more time to defend himself against restraining order from her estate

Dolly Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, is seeking more time to secure a lawyer in a legal battle involving a restraining order taken out by her estate. The order was granted to Parton’s estate …
This combination of images show promotional art for the films "Disclosure Day," from left, "Matchbox The Music," and "Don't Look Back in Anger." (Universal Pictures/Apple TV/Disney via AP)

What to Stream: Oasis doc, Pitbull, 'Carrie' series, 'Gears of War: E-Day' and 'Disclosure Day'

New streaming entertainment options are arriving this week, including an Oasis documentary, Pitbull record, and a new game in the blockbuster "Gears of War" franchise. The documentary "Oasis: Don't …
Health
FILE - This undated photo taken through a microscope and provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. (CDC via AP, File)

Cyclospora found at Mexican farmed linked to lettuce outbreak, FDA says

The Food and Drug Administration says it found the cyclospora parasite at a Mexican farm identified as the source of a massive lettuce-borne outbreak. The announcement Friday brings the agency’s …

A healthcare worker in protective clothing is disinfected by a colleague inside a treatment center for Ebola patients in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)

Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,000 as health workers protest delayed payment

Congo's Ebola outbreak has now recorded more than 4,000 deaths as authorities struggle to contain the virus. The Health Ministry released the latest figures on Thursday, showing 4,018 deaths among …
FILE - This 2006 photo provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a female Aedes aegypti mosquito in the process of acquiring a blood meal from a human host. (James Gathany/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP, File)

Florida's dengue outbreak is now the largest in the continental US in decades

Florida is experiencing its largest dengue outbreak in decades, with over 250 locally acquired cases reported this year. Most cases are in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. Officials declared local …
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