January 15, 2026

·11 min·1 clip

A canceled ferry trip meant a mammogram van couldn't reach a remote Alaskan village, delaying cancer detection for residents.

The episode opens with news that Sitka will pay $25,000 to the Southeast Childhood Collective for a childcare needs study, approved unanimously by the Assembly. Assembly members Kevin Mosier and J.J. Carlson discuss the childcare crisis, linking it to housing shortages and Sitka's geographic isolation. In other business, the Assembly extends Municipal Administrator John Leach's resignation date to December and sets his salary at $230,000. The report shifts to ferry issues, with KCAW's Catherine Rose covering public input on the Alaska Marine Highway System's summer schedule. Residents from communities like Cake and Yakutat testify about reduced service affecting medical access and economics, including a missed mammogram van due to a canceled trip. Marine Director Craig Tornga cites staffing shortages as a barrier to restoring full service. State Representative Rebecca Hemshoot raises problems with electric vehicle bookings on ferries, leading to a policy change requiring phone reservations. Feedback also includes positive notes from Skagway's tourism director and a Sitka resident emphasizing the ferry's role in community connection. The episode concludes with sports news: biathlete Maxim Germain, born in Juneau, discusses his path to the 2026 Winter Olympics and Alaska's influence on his career. The weather forecast for Sitka ends the broadcast.

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