Ed Ronco, KPLU - Seattle
Ed Ronco is a reporter at KCAW in Sitka.
Talking Trash: Follow the garbage Southeast ships south
When you toss a candy wrapper in the trash in five Southeast Alaska communities, you’re sending it on a thousand-mile journey to a Lower 48 landfill. Listen now
Sitka Shops For Teachers At Seattle Fair
For school districts in rural Alaska, this is prime recruiting season. Next week, they’ll hold a job fair in downtown Anchorage, looking for teachers to fill hundreds of openings statewide. But they’re also looking outside the 49th state.
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Cantwell Urges White House To Stop Alaska Pebble Mine Project, Protect Fishermen
A U.S. senator from the Lower 48 is asking the White House to stop the Pebble Mine. Democrat Maria Cantwell, of Washington, says the proposed mine in Western Alaska threatens fishing jobs in her state.
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Critical Sitka Weather Buoy Back in Service
The Cape Edgecumbe weather buoy, which records observations and reports them on a website from a station off-shore from Sitka, is back in service.
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‘Seussical’ To Open At Sitka PAC After 2 Weeks’ Work
Those are sounds from a rehearsal of “Seussical, The Musical.” The Dr. Seuss-themed show takes to the stage in Sitka today and tomorrow. A group of high school students and recent graduates from across the country have spent the last two weeks putting the show together, as part of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp’s musical theater session. The musical relies on contributions from 18 of Dr. Seuss’s books — from the well-known “Green Eggs and Ham” to the less famous “McElligot’s Pool.”
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AK: Eyes On The Sky
For most Americans, local weather information comes from a variety of high-tech instruments. There's Doppler radar, digital thermometers and barometers, satellite images, weather buoys and more. But in Port Alexander, a small Southeast community, the daily weather report depends on two human beings.
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Tenakee Seeks Families To Keep School Open
The school in Tenakee Springs has less than a month to double the size of its student body or risk closing. School board members in the small Southeast city are hoping families will move to town and boost the numbers. If the school closes, Tenakee’s population may drop further as the few remaining students and their families look elsewhere for an education.
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Sitka Enlisted Man Jailed, Discharged From USCG
A military judge sentenced a Sitka Coast Guardsman to nine months confinement in the brig and kicked him out of the service on Saturday. Petty Officer 2nd Class James Grover pleaded guilty at a court martial in Juneau to charges related to the possession of child pornography and making false official statements.
Stedman Adds Name to Petition to Repeal New Oil Tax Structure
State Sen. Bert Stedman has added his name to the list of Alaskans hoping to repeal the state’s new oil tax structure. The Sitka Republican signed a petition on Tuesday against Senate Bill 21. Supporters of the measure, which was signed into law by Governor Sean Parnell, say it will spur more development in Alaska. But opponents, like Stedman, call it an oil giveaway.
Sitka Ammonia Leak Victim Was Longtime Fisherman
A man injured during an ammonia leak aboard a fishing vessel in Sitka has died. Charles “Chuck” Baker, of Auburn, Wash., was aboard the Eigil B. The tender vessel was tied up at Sitka Sound Seafoods at the time of the incident, around 11:15 a.m. Monday.
Assembly Nixes Further Sitka Street Closures
The City of Sitka canceled plans to create a temporary pedestrian mall along Sitka’s main downtown thoroughfare. A group of community volunteers trying to boost the image of the city’s central business district was trying to close the street for four consecutive Wednesdays, to see if a street mall might appeal to visitors and locals. But the closure annoyed motorists and caused controversy in the Southeast Alaska community.
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USCG Suspends Search For Missing Fisherman
The Coast Guard suspended its search late Tuesday night for a fisherman who went overboard from a boat north of Hoonah.
Crewman Missing From Vessel In Icy Strait
The Coast Guard is searching the waters near Hoonah for a crewman who went overboard from the fishing vessel “Swift” late Monday night. The 34-foot boat is reportedly based in Juneau, but state records show it registered to a Sitka captain.
Rofkar: ‘So Many More Discoveries’ To Make
Up a staircase, through a bedroom, and there it is: a room lit by skylights and tall windows. The studio, whereTeri Rofkar weaves her work.
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Coast Guard Helicopter Crash Survivor Denied Promotion
The sole survivor of a Coast Guard helicopter crash has been denied promotion, possibly ending his military career.
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Sitka Father, Son Plan Lower 48 Run Against GMOs
A Sitka man and his 14-year-old son are hoping to convince you that genetically modified organisms are bad for your health, and for the environment.
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Dead Eagle Near Sitka Made News in 1995
In mid-April, a hiker in Sitka found an eagle dead in the woods. It was picked up by the Alaska Raptor Center. Ordinarily, this would not be a news story, except that this eagle was wearing some jewelry.
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Americorps Workers Embrace Sitka
In our on-going series about culture in Alaska, we’ve been talking about how we define ourselves and live our lives as Alaskans. Last week, we asked how long you have to live here to call yourself an Alaskan.
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‘Day of Loss’ as Bill Brady Center Closes its Doors
Tuesday was the last day of operation for the Bill Brady Healing Center. The inpatient drug-and-alcohol rehab program has existed in its current form since 1996. Its closure is blamed on federal budget cutbacks. The center is part of the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, or SEARHC, which relies heavily on federal money.
Neighbors Wake Woman From Nap As House Burns In Sitka
A Sitka woman is feeling lucky today, after escaping a fire at her apartment over the weekend. No one was injured in the blaze, which happened around 10 a.m. Saturday in the 400 block of Hemlock Street.