FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The future of management and operations at the Perform [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
By SHIRLEY SNEVE
Indian Country Today
A major renovation at an Alaska museum to attract tourist [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 26
At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city’s reassessment of taxable real estate, alo [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel ports Editor
Competing in the state 3A basketball tournament in Anc [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
A bill that passed the Alaska House of Representatives on Monday [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ
Northern Journal
Gus Schumacher, the Anchorage Olympic cross-country skier, a [ ... ]
By CLAIRE STREMPLE
Alaska Beacon
Alaska’s rural schools are on track to access faster interne [ ... ]
By YERETH ROSEN
Alaska Beacon
In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff
Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
ME Students Face Delays Returning
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Canceled flights and positive COVID-19 tests are delaying the return to class for more than half of Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s 380-student enrollment.
Superintendent Janelle Vanasse said the 180 who have already returned after the mid-year break are generally happy to be back for the first school day of the year on Monday, January 10. (That number was up to 265 by press time today.)
“It’s been an interesting re-entry,” she said. “Weather across the state has been crazy – delayed flights, in addition to COVID.”
The bad weather up north caused flights to be canceled, delayed and rescheduled. Other cancellations have been caused by staffing shortages related to the surge in COVID cases.
A flight from Anchorage got stuck in Juneau on Sunday. Most of the Mt. Edgecumbe students aboard were rebooked and got to Sitka the same day, but eight had to overnight in Juneau. Another flight from Anchorage was also delayed, and arrived in Sitka at 3:30 a.m. Monday.
All students were tested for COVID on arrival at the airport, and seven were positive for the virus by Monday, Vanasse said. That figure for arriving students was updated to 19 positive cases today.
The school COVID mitigation plan calls for students to quarantine upon arrival until receiving test results. Those testing positive are isolating on and off campus, she said. A second negative result is needed for unvaccinated students.
The state boarding school is in its second full year of operating with COVID precautions, and teachers have adjusted to accommodate students not able to attend class in person due to quarantine and isolation.
Vanasse said the school staff had expected to see some students testing positive upon return to school.
“We expected that,” she said. “That’s the information we’ve been hearing with the Omicron variant: it’s quick to spread and many are asymptomatic or have light symptoms. The reality of this variant is that the kids who are asymptomatic – they don’t know they’re positive until they test.”
Vanasse said the school’s plan for limiting the spread of COVID has been working, but it does require flexibility on the part of students and staff when unexpected things like flight cancellations and delays occur due to weather.
“With the travel craziness we did a lot of juggling – the staff is getting darn good at it, even when they find themselves at the airport at 3 a.m. to pick kids up,” she said.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....