WEEKEND HANGOUT – Gina Lusher, foreground right, and other Sitka Cirque aerialists rehearse Thursday night for this weekend’s show, Cirque Noir, at the 207 Smith Street studio. The show includes cage dancers, live music and champagne. Kids from first grade through high school will have a separate fundraiser showcase event Saturday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tickets for both shows are available online at sitkacirque.com. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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By Sentinel Staff Sitkans can get a glimpse into a chapter of local history at an open house 1 to 3 [ ... ]
By NATHANIEL HERZ Northern Journal The Biden administration could jump into a high-profile lawsuit [ ... ]
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Climate Connection: Outdoor and Indoor strong style="font-size: 12.16px; line-height: 1.3em;">Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide (CO2) is formed from burning [ ... ]
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Police Blotter Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today: December 5 At 12:51 p.m [ ... ]
David Williams Jr. Dies in N. Carolina Sitka resident David Grayson Williams Jr., 61, passed away [ ... ]
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Winter Tumbling Registration Open Registration is open for winter tumbling programming at recreati [ ... ]
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
Drop in Alaska Oil Price Could Hit School Bonus
By JAMES BROOKS
Alaska Beacon
North Slope oil prices are expected to run well below spring predictions, endangering a bonus year of K-12 school funding approved by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and state legislators.
The change to the state’s outlook was made public in a notice published Monday by the Alaska Department of Revenue. The notice was part of a department procedure that calls for a forecast update if prices vary by more than 10% from what was expected.
In March, Revenue officials said they expected prices to average $101 per barrel between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the period known as Fiscal Year 2023.
Through the first two and a half months of the fiscal year, that forecast was accurate: the price of a barrel of North Slope Crude averaged $103.09 between July 1 and Sept. 15.
But on Monday, Revenue officials — relying on global futures markets that trade in oil from Europe’s North Sea — said they expect the average annual price to drop to $91.96 per barrel by the end of the fiscal year.
“While this update does not incorporate the level of rigor and detail that we put into the official spring and fall revenue forecasts, it does give an indication of how revenues are expected to perform based on the most currently available information,” the new estimate said.
If the forecast holds true, it would not significantly affect state services, but it would erase most of $1.2 billion in bonus funding for K-12 public schools.
This spring, state lawmakers earmarked $1.2 billion for public schools in the 2022-2023 school year. Because oil prices were expected to be high, they set aside another $1.2 billion in bonus funding — an advance payment for the 2023-2024 school year — calling it a way to save for the future.
That bonus funding comes with a financial trigger — if oil prices fall, the amount is automatically reduced to an amount the state can afford. At $89 per barrel, the bonus funding would be entirely eliminated. If oil falls below $89 per barrel, the state would have to spend from savings to balance the budget.
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https://alaskabeacon.com/james-brooks
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AK COVID-19
At a Glance
(updated 9-12-2023)
By Sentinel Staff
The state Department of Health and Social Services has posted the following update on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of 8:57 a.m. Tuesday, September 12.
New cases as of Tuesday: 278
Total cases (cumulative) statewide – 301,513
Total (cumulative) deaths – 1,485
Case Rate per 100,000 – 38.14
To visit the Alaska DHSS Corona Response dashboard website click here.
COVID in Sitka
The Sitka community level is now "Low.'' Case statistics are as of Tuesday.
Case Rate/100,000 – 152.50
Cases in last 7 days – 13
Cumulative Sitka cases – 3,575
Deceased (cumulative) – 10
The local case data are from Alaska DHSS.
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20 YEARS AGO
December 2003
The Sawmill Cove Industrial Park board of directors endorsed a final contract tuesday for the city to sell a minimum of 40 million gallons of reservoir water per year to an export company based in New York City. ... under the contract Quest would have the right to purchase up to 1 billion gallons of water per year at 1 cent per gallon
50 YEARS AGO
December 1973
The City and Borough of Sitka conducted a community public opinion poll evaluating municipal services and facilities. ... The overall results gave this priority order: 1. roads and highways; 2. water and sewer; 3. downtown parking; 4. garbage collection and disposal; 5. hospital and medical facilities; 6. planning and zoning; 7. boat harbors.
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