A warning that some listeners may find this story disturbing – it contains descriptions of violence and will last approximately one minute and six seconds.

A 33-year-old man was indicted by a Ketchikan grand jury Thursday on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault. The charges stem from incidents last Friday afternoon when law enforcement officers say Nathan Ta’ala beat, kidnapped, and threatened to cut another man’s throat.

Lt. Nick Zito with the Troopers said he witnessed the victim running down a main road north of Ketchikan. He was near the 4000 block of on North Tongass Highway, bloodied with duct-taped hands and was getting in the way of traffic.

The man was wearing a bloody shirt with visible wounds and told the trooper that Nathan Ta’ala was trying to kill him. The man said Ta’ala had hit him in the head with a splitting maul, drug him by the neck with a ratchet strap, and threatened to cut his throat with a butcher knife. He said Ta’ala cut his head with the knife.

He said Ta’ala then covered his head with a hood, taped his hands together and forced him in his car. The man was able to escape the vehicle and ran through traffic until troopers found him. 

The statement says that the victim “looked to his left and he was able to exit the vehicle and escape.” The statement also says that the victim had been trying to escape from Ta’ala for around 45 minutes.

Troopers and Ketchikan Police officers observed wounds that aligned with the victim’s statements. Ketchikan Police Department officer Kevin Manabat also noted that the victim was bleeding from his head, and had a swollen neck caked with blood.

Ta’ala was indicted on one count of attempted murder, one count of third-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of kidnapping.

He is being represented by attorney Deborah Macaulay, who did not return a phone call on Friday. 

The post Man indicted for assault, kidnapping and attempted murder appeared first on KRBD.

Ketchikan’s borough assembly will consider adopting the town’s new tourism strategy plan at its Monday meeting. 

The Ketchikan Tourism Strategy plan is a 92-page document that lays out goals for the next five years. It prioritizes managing the flow of visitors and traffic congestion, addressing housing and labor shortages, marketing Ketchikan as a year-round destination, and monitoring how tourism affects the town overall. Over the years, the plan would see updates to signage to direct visitors more quickly through the downtown core, a transportation plan, new bus services and even a bike rental program. There would also be a new housing task force and a new housing coordinator position. Changes to the cruise ship berths are also outlined, along with other task forces and monitoring programs. 

The plan was based on numerous workshops, meetings and work sessions over the past few months. 

More than 1,000 Ketchikan residents took a survey that helped to guide the plan’s goals. About 64% of them reported they didn’t feel heard by their town when it comes to how tourism affects their daily lives. Nearly 70% felt like locals don’t have enough of a say in how tourism looks in Ketchikan.

Many residents who took the survey say that there’s just too many people visiting every day. More than half — 54% — reported that the number of visitors negatively impacts their lives, while nine out of ten said they feel like the visitors create traffic problems and around 62% think their recreational options are limited in the summer months.

Altogether, 97% of people surveyed say they simply want fewer visitors in town. A cruise ship calendar from the local visitor’s bureau showed that more than 70,000 visitors were predicted for this past week alone.

The plan’s final draft is up for adoption, and staff would be able to begin working on the goals outlined. 

Ketchikan’s Borough Assembly is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the White Cliff Building. The meeting in assembly chambers is live streamed on local cable channels and the borough’s website. Members of the public can speak to the assembly during public hearings and at the beginning of the meeting.

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There’s no state ferry service to Prince Rupert this summer, a town in British Columbia around 90 nautical miles from Ketchikan. In the past, ferries ran so often, high schoolers could make a quick trip over to play basketball, old friends got to meet up without missing several days of work, and tourism was lively.

Prince Rupert’s mayor, Herb Pond, says 30 years ago, the ferry ran three or four times a week. But over the years, that’s all changed — there’s not the same level of service, and sometimes, none at all.

Pond visited Ketchikan during the Fourth of July festivities and walked in the parade. He met a lot of residents who said they wanted the regular run back. Pond also spoke with KRBD’s Raegan Miller about the situation. He remembers when the service started to go downhill, and how it changed the two towns’ connection.

POND: “With the absence of ferry service, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it at all. But I was able to run up with a volunteer search and rescue team that was going up, and so I walked in the parade — and although hardly anyone would have known I was there – but it was great to connect with old friends and make some new acquaintances and we’re certainly going to plan on next year.”

KRBD: “And did you hear from any Ketchikan residents who wanted to talk to you about what the lack of ferry service has been like for them?” 

POND: “What I heard from a number of people was, in Alaska ferries won’t come south to Rupert, can you get B.C. ferries to come north to Ketchikan? And I actually got on a bus — there was a reunion, high school reunion, and I think it was a class of ‘63. And so, they remember very much what it was like to come back and forth very freely. And that group was dialed right in, they were. They remembered playing basketball. As a matter of fact, I got on the bus, said I’m the mayor of Prince of Rupert, right away one of them said ‘Rainmakers!’ Which was the Rupert team, so those connections are alive, right, this isn’t ancient history. This is very much in people’s minds. People used to come down to golf in Prince Rupert. All the time.” 

KRBD: “So it sounds like maybe there’s a contingent of people who remember how easy it used to be, and they kind of want that to come back.”

POND: “Yeah, I’d love it to come back. I mean, it used to be a nice easy getaway weekend, to be able to board an Alaska (ferry). It was just such good memories, right? My wife and I could get on an Alaska ferry, we would go to the lounge, have an Alaskan Amber and sit and get off and wander the streets of Ketchikan and spend their money there and easily come back home in time to, you know, hardly miss any work at all. And that’s just a long lost memory now.” 

KRBD: “And did you notice anything about Ketchikan or also Prince Rupert since the ferry service started to go away? Have there been any effects on these towns?”

POND: “Yeah, there’s no question there’s been a shift in tourism – without doubt. But it’s been a slow dwindling reality for you know, two decades now .The impact of that rubber tire traffic that would do some sort of circle route that usually includes, you know, the Alaska Highway up through the Yukon and, you know, maybe into Skagway and down onto the marine highway system. That has dwindled and dwindled and dwindled over the years in Prince Rupert. It used to be a significant part of the tourism business in Prince Rupert, used to be a big part of the hotel business in Prince Rupert. It has really fallen off over the years.”

KRBD: “And do you think that there are ways to reconnect even if the ferry service doesn’t fall into place?” 

POND: “It’s going to be difficult. You know, over the years, a number of people have tried small airlines and floatplane service. And, but shy of that robust and affordable form of transportation, it’s hard to imagine.”

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Alaskans in Southeast might want to slip off their Xtratufs and find some shade this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for heat in the region. And it comes just a few days after what scientists are unofficially calling the hottest day on record for the world.

Edward Liske, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Juneau office, said people will be feeling the heat. He said to expect temperatures hovering around 80 degrees through Friday and into Saturday.

“And then (a) little bit cooler towards Saturday, probably mid 70s,” Liske said. “And then we’re going down, then we’re cooling down as we get into Sunday and Monday, but we’re still going to be around 70 for those time periods.”

The Southern Southeast area and the inside channels will get the bulk of the heat through the weekend, but some outside channels will also see warmer weather than usual. 

Prince of Wales Island and Ketchikan are expected to reach highs around or just above 80. Petersburg could see temperatures in the mid 70s to 80, while Wrangell is expected to hover in the high 70s. Juneau is also expected to see temperatures stay in the mid- to upper 70s. Sitka’s forecast is a bit cooler with temperatures in the upper 60s through the weekend. 

It’s warmer than usual, but Liske said it’s not supposed to break records in Ketchikan. Temperatures would have to top 88 degrees on Friday, 87 on Saturday and 80 on Sunday.

Those records were set in 1923, 1975 and 1953 respectively, according to Liske.

Liske explained what’s causing the hot conditions in the southern panhandle. 

“We got a ridge of high pressure just to our west, that’s keeping us with offshore flow,” Liske said. “So that’s why we have the clear of clouds and sunny conditions, and that usually gives us the warmer temperatures that we have during the summertime months.”

Liske offered some advice for staying cool this weekend — drink lots of water and limit your outdoor exercise. 

“If you’re feeling hot, get feeling warm, get inside somewhere cool,” he noted. “Get in the shade.”

Temperatures are supposed to dip back down next week.

Editor’s note: this story has been updated to correct the record-breaking temperature for Friday.

Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at KRBD.org/donate.

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The traditional voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a arrived in Ketchikan on Saturday, marking yet another stop on its global journey celebrating the ocean and Indigenous knowledge. The voyagers were met with speeches, gifts, dancing and celebrations that lasted the whole weekend.

A crowd of people clad in regalia, traditional robes and cedar hats crowded around the water at the old mill building in Ward Cove, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Hōkūle’a’s twin hulls as they carved through the water. Ketchikan is one of the last Alaska stops of the canoe’s Moananuiākea journey, which kicked off earlier this summer. 

The Polynesian Voyaging Society canoe and its guide vessel pulled up to the dock just after 4 p.m. Saturday, after being delayed a day leaving Wrangell due to poor weather. Drumming and dancing rippled through the crowd as the canoe came to the dock, and kids ran along the waterfront with drums. Energy was high when tribe leaders made their way to the dock for a traditional greeting.

Nathan Jackson and Richard Jackson asked the crew what their purpose in Ketchikan was.

“We are the voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a. We come from Hawaii, we come to your land,” a crewmember responded. “We ask for permission to enter your waterways, to spend time on your lands, to share and learn from your culture, as well as to share and learn from us, our culture and our way of life. We respectfully ask for permission to enter your beautiful lands and your waterways.”  

The voyagers were granted permission to dock. Richard Jackson, a leader from the Brown Bear Clan (Teikweidee) of the Taanta Kwaan, gave them a warm welcome.

“We’re happy to see you. We know your voyage here is about ecology, it’s about worlds,” Richard Jackson said. “It’s about learning about the Earth. It’s about navigation, which I commend you upon doing this, because we are navigators.”

Jackson told the visitors about the recent launch of a canoe by Ketchikan’s federally recognized tribe. He spoke about how the two cultures are united by the ocean. He also shared memories of Judson Brown, a Lingít man who helped the voyaging society find trees for a canoe. Judson Brown is also the grandfather of Richard Jackson’s wife, Janice. 

“Lingít means the tideland people. So we live off the sea,” Jackson said. “And we know, and I know having been in the service and served on Alaska state ferries, that you have to be a team to go. You have to go with the captain, but you all together, you hold each other’s backs. During the good times. During the hard times, and during sometimes the mournful times, you do it together. That’s how you’re trained and I’m really glad that you made it here safe.”

Before the crew came ashore, tribe members sang a special song. It’s called “The Bear Rises Up,” and it was written by Lingít elder Esther Shea — Richard Jackson’s mother. 

The song is about celebrating culture, even after colonization — like a bear coming out of hibernation. 

“So you have to come back later on and look at it and say, ‘Well, we have a culture – our  box of knowledge is still there and never went anywhere. So we need to use it,'” Jackson said.

It’s also about coming together. Jackson emphasized how happy he was that the canoe made it safely to Ketchikan, and that it would continue on to Metlakatla and Prince of Wales Island. 

Chuck Denny, the vice president of the Organized Village of Saxman, also gave brief remarks to welcome the crew.

Mark Ellis is the captain of the Hōkūle’a. 

“We are very grateful for this warm welcome, very grateful for the opportunity that we have to come here,” he said. “We’re grateful that Hōkūle’a could travel most recently from Wrangell (to) here in safety.”

There was more dancing and singing as the crew and tribe leaders made their way up from the dock at the end of the ceremony. Later in the evening, at a celebration in Saxman, the crew was laden with gifts. There were blankets, painted dance paddles, hand-beaded octopus bags, woven wristbands and beaded necklaces, and more.

Before she was whisked away to Saxman for dinner — and gifts and dancing — Lehua Kamalu shared a little bit about her journey.

She remarked on how it’s different to sail in Alaska.

“It’s been an experience as we learn that it’s sunny in the morning, it can still be cold, freezing rain in the afternoon,” Kamalu said.

She said life on the canoe is simple, and full of teamwork.

“There’s not a lot of enclosed space, there’s no heaters, or anything,” she said. ” So everything’s, you know, everyone puts in a lot of work to sail the canoe. And they come here as a labor of love. They’re all volunteers with big hearts. And so we just have a wonderful time trying to survive the elements of Alaska and get to where we’re going without hitting anything.”

Lucy Lee, another crew member, had a personal connection to Ketchikan already.

“My dad actually comes up to Ketchikan every now and then to go fishing so I’m just looking forward to you know, thinking about stories he’s told me and seeing what feels and looks familiar,” Lee said.

This actually isn’t the first time the Polynesian Voyaging Society tied up in Ketchikan. Gloria Burns is Ketchikan Indian Community’s vice president. She remembers when Polynesian Voyaging Society first visited, which was more than 20 years ago. She said this time was different. 

“We’re excited to welcome those people back to our area and the last time they were here and they landed in Saxman, we were just small,” Burns said.

And at the end of the day, Burns said it’s all about welcoming another Indigenous culture to the island.

“We just acknowledge that everything is in the creator’s time,” Burns said. “And so we’re just, you know, enjoying the tide and the waves and, you know, and all of the energy and, and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

The Hōkūle’a left Saxman for Metlakatla on Monday afternoon. After spending some time in Metlakatla, they’ll sail into Hydaburg and visit communities all over Prince of Wales Island. 

Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at KRBD.org/donate.

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Communities throughout Southeast Alaska have been waiting and watching for the Hōkūle’a to arrive in their town. The double-hulled traditional voyaging canoe is on a years-long global journey with roots in Indigenous knowledge. But, how is the 62-foot canoe getting around? Once the canoe hits deeper waters, the crew will use traditional navigation techniques. 

The Polynesian Voyaging Society’s Moananuiākea is all about a return to tradition — spreading care for the ocean, teaching and cultivating Indigenous knowledge, connecting with other cultures, and using traditional methods. 

Planetary navigation is a part of that. Lucy Lee is a Hōkūle’a crew member and a self-described “student of the canoe.” Lee is from Papa’ikou, Hawaii, and has experience as an apprentice navigator on a different Hōkūle’a journey in 2021. She’s onboard now  for the Juneau-to-Ketchikan leg of the Moananuiākea. 

“To me, voyaging in general, but also the navigation is just a testament to how ingenious our ancestors were,” Lee said.

Part of what “non-instrument navigation” means is using something called a star compass. Lee said the head of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Nainoa Thompson, created the version that’s used on the Hōkūle’a after learning from a navigator from Micronesia named Mau Piailug. The navigator who taught Thompson had a version of the compass that was passed down through generations and from teacher to teacher. 

“So, the star compass represents a lot of things, but its main use is as a navigational tool to figure out where celestial bodies are setting and rising to determine where the canoe is heading, where the wind is coming from, where the tide is coming from, where the swell is coming from,” she explained. “So it really is just like any other compass, it helps to align all of the things that we’re observing so that you have a sense of direction.”

Information from the Polynesian Voyaging Society describes the star compass as a “mental construct.” Lee said it’s something that exists within a navigator, but it can be used in a physical form to help teach people, too.

“So we do have, like, physical manifestations of that that we use to help explain to people,” she said. “But for the navigator, they really do have so much information and knowledge within their own head. And so one of those things is just like being able to mentally picture and use the star compass.”

There’s a compass on the canoe, too, but it’s not what most people would expect. 

“The one on the canoe doesn’t have any labels because depending on which direction the canoe’s pointed, which direction the navigator’s placed in, the orientation of the compass changes with the orientation of the canoe and the orientation of whoever’s navigating,” Lee explained. “But it allows you to see those distinct houses we call them, which are the eight sections within the four houses. Well, there’s the four cardinal points and then seven sections within each quadrant.”

She said the crew hasn’t started to use those methods yet, but they will in time. After all, the journey lasts through late 2026, and Alaska is just the tip of the iceberg, with stops in Central and South America, Polynesia and Micronesia and the West Pacific before ending in Tahiti.

“As we’ve been beginning the voyage, there hasn’t been a lot of what people probably think of non-instrumental navigation as, because of the safety of the canoe and  our crew,” Lee said. “But when we get into some of the later legs of the voyage, there will be a lot of focus on the teaching of that, and the use of that as we navigate deeper waters.”

Right now, the crew is relying on technology, along with locals and other helpful people on the water. They’ll turn to traditional wayfinding in deeper waters.

For Lee, gearing up to use these traditional methods is just another way to feel closer to her ancestors. It’s a special experience that reminds her of the resilience and wisdom of the Indigenous navigators who came before her.

“You know, I think voyaging is one of the traditional practices or traditional things that we do that we feel like we’re doing exactly what our ancestors did,” she said. “I think there’s been a lot of growth and a lot of change to the past, like the original practices that our ancestors did, especially with, you know, cultural loss and colonization and just the struggle of trying to keep these things relevant and alive.”

And when she’s on the canoe, Lee said that a breeze or a drop of rain can remind her that one of her ancestors was in the exact same spot, years ago.

The canoe just made it through the Wrangell Narrows on Thursday. They’re set to leave Wrangell Friday morning and make it to Ketchikan later in the afternoon. Then, they’ll touch Metlakatla before making it to Hydaburg — the last stop in Alaska.

Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at KRBD.org/donate.

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Alaska’s annual no-engines-allowed boat race wrapped up this week. The Race to Alaska started in Washington at the beginning of the month, and 18 teams crossed the finish line in Ketchikan. KRBD caught up with the “race boss” for final impressions of the 2023 fleet. 

Even in a race — even on paddle boards and kayaks, or piloting pedal-powered boats in gusts and waves — the teams all forged a bond with each other. That’s what “race boss” Jesse Wiegel said really stuck out to him this year.

“It’s a funny thing,” Wiegel said. “They’re all generally  individual competitors on their own teams, but because they’re sharing this experience, they’re teammates now, and it’s a wonderful thing to see.”

Teams pushed through some harsh weather. Many vessels had to hunker down and wait it out. Wiegel said it’s a big part of what bonded the teams.

“There was a three-day weather window where everyone had to hunker down in Johnstone Strait,” he said. “And yet, they all got right back on the horse and just steamed their way up here as fast as they could.”

29 teams set out from Victoria, British Columbia — the start of the main part of the Race to Alaska — and 18 made it to Ketchikan. The initial 40-mile leg from Port Townsend, Washington  serves as a “proving ground.” It’s the 710 miles to Ketchikan that really test those who remain. Last year, 41 teams were accepted into the race and 19 crossed the finish line.

“They pretty much all came out because of boat damage or, the fear of boat damage,” Wiegel said. “A couple of them had some light injuries that forced them out.”

Team Zen Again Dog, a one-person team homeported in the United Kingdom, was the first to tap out of the race. A wave washed over the kayak, and racer Robert McCall hurt his arm. 

Another one-man team, Peter Allen of Sup N Irish, aggravated a shoulder injury. 

But there’s just something about the race that keeps adrenaline-seekers coming back for another shot — at $10,000 if they’re first, and even better, steak knives if they’re second.

“Team Mojo, they told me that they just didn’t have quite the right mentality going into it,” he said. “And they’re going to return with a better idea of what they’re getting themselves into.”

Team Dogsmile Adventure, a four-person crew on a trimaran, told Weigel they pushed their boat too hard and had to bow out. 

“For instance, Team Dogsmile Adventures — who unfortunately told me they pushed the boat too hard, started breaking stuff, they had to bow out — but they are already planning for the 2025 run. Gonna take one year off next year,” Wiegel said.

The race organization’s Grim Sweeper boat set out on June 22, tracing the race course and “tapping out” any boats that were still on the water. But Wiegel said the teams that crossed the finish line never lost their race mentality, even when they knew they weren’t going to be first to the dock.

“They keep gunning for it, they know that they’re in a race,” he explained. “They don’t lose that race mentality, just because the race has already been won. Because they’re racing for who knows what reason, but they hold on to that to the very end here. And even the last, the last three or four teams that came in, you know, they told me as they stood there on the dock that they were motivating each other to keep pushing, because they knew they were still in this thing called Race to Alaska, and not just paddling on their own.”

The first place finisher was We Brake for Whales, an eight-person sailing team on a Lyman Morse 40. Second place went to team Budgie Smugglers, five people in a catamaran. 

Raegan Miller is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at KRBD.org/donate.

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The traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a is making its way through Southeast Alaska as the first part of its years-long global journey called Moananuiākea. It’s an adventure all about spreading a sense of care for the ocean and Indigenous knowledge.

The last Alaska stop of the journey will be in Hydaburg, on Prince of Wales Island. And Hydaburg’s mayor, Tony Christianson, said the community has a special connection to the Polynesian Voyaging Society, the group behind the journey. One of the society’s vessels was built with trees that grew on Shelikof Island in Soda Bay, around six miles from town.

A Polynesian Voyaging Society archive says it could be the Hawai’iloa.

It’s a special connection that will be recognized when the crew arrives.

“One of the things we’ll do is bring the paddlers and the team that comes back out to the place where the trees were originated from,” he said. 

The Hōkūle’a crew will visit communities all over Prince of Wales. There are events planned in Kasaan, Craig and Klawock. Then, residents from all over the island will be invited to a send-off event for them. 

“I mean, just as being a community leader for years, to have a cultural exchange with the Hawaiians is real important,” he said. “You know, we have historical ties, going back to, you know, with the Hōkūle’a, the trees come right out of our local area there.”

Christianson said that the canoe is supposed to arrive in Hydaburg sometime around July 6th. Then, they’ll head to British Columbia. 

Editor’s note: this story has been updated to reflect new information that makes it unclear which Polynesian Voyaging Society canoe might have logs from the area, although the crew will still make a visit to Soda Bay in honor of the contribution.

The post Hydaburg has a special connection to the Hōkūle’a, due to visit Prince of Wales in early July appeared first on KRBD.

Ketchikan’s only 24/7 homeless shelter is in the center of downtown, surrounded by popular tourist spots, homes and businesses. During recent City Council meetings, several people who live and work in the area have turned up to speak about how they feel affected by the shelter’s users — who they say participate in dangerous or illegal behavior on a main walkway.

This is the second of two stories KRBD produced on the First City Haven shelter issue. Listen to KRBD’s past evening newscasts wherever you get your podcasts, or find the first story here. 

Mike Weston works at Bawden Street Brewing, just down the block from   First City Haven. He spoke at a recent council meeting. He also is involved with the American Legion, which is right across the street from the shelter. 

“I can count on one hand how many times I don’t have somebody coming into the window staring at me, trying to talk to me, obviously high as a kite,” Weston said.

The shelter’s lease with the city expired in May, but it’s complaints like Weston’s that are driving the discussion around what renewing the agreement should look like. There are a lot of allegations and concerns: people being chased on streets, or yelling and making passerby feel unsafe. There’s been public testimony on the topic at both council meetings this month.

Ketchikan’s council members all had different ideas for how to tackle the topic. Some, like Abby Bradberry, wanted to see operational changes inside the shelter. 

At an earlier meeting, she shared allegations of drug use inside the shelter by staff, and said she’s in favor of closing it immediately to do an audit.

She suggested reducing the facility’s hours — and potentially, its capacity. 

“Capacity for me is a big one,” she explained. “I understand we have a lot of people who are needing services right now. But there is a limit to what, you know, a shelter that square footage should be housing in there. There is a limit, there is an appropriate humanitarian number or you know, square foot,  for people.”

Deborah Asper, the chief executive officer of First City Homeless Services, which runs First City Haven, says the shelter is cleared for 54 beds overnight. She said that having to reduce capacity would be a major issue for the shelter, and would likely lead to more aggressive behavior.

Council member Lalette Kistler said allowing fewer people in would only fuel what others are complaining about: unwanted behavior on the streets. 

“And it’s the same thing that’s happening with the people that are being pushed out of shelter, because they’re causing problems, is that they’re going and they’re sleeping on people’s doorways,” Kistler said. “I mean, where are these people going to sleep?”

Other ideas that were tossed around dealt with making changes outside of the building: putting up a barricade around the sidewalk, or organizing a neighborhood watch in the area. The shelter does have a security officer, but his authority extends only to the shelter itself, and not up and down the street.

Councilmember Riley Gass said he was happy with the services provided inside the shelter. But outside is different.

“I think one small solid step in the right direction would be to really put an emphasis on that small area between the building and the sidewalk,” he said.

Gass also acknowledged people on both sides of the issue.

“It was very humbling during this meeting, and the last one, to hear such passion,” he said. “I guess as people say, from both sides, or last meeting, from folks who don’t feel safe at their homes and businesses. And then to hear the other side of it to hear the the real passion of the folks working in this environment in the shelter. So it’s it’s good to hear that.”

Jai Mahtani emphasized that he didn’t fault anyone in particular, and homelessness isn’t something that just exists in Ketchikan. It’s everywhere, and it will take everyone to come up with a solution.

“I’m sure reaching out to people in different communities, within our community,  who have experiences and who have the expertise,” he said. “And at the work session, bring something to the table, that we can discuss it and start arresting this problem.”

But it will take time before any changes in or outside of the shelter will happen. A Ketchikan city clerk said a work session could be set in August for more discussions. 

Until then, the shelter is on a month-to-month lease, and would need 30 days notice if that changed. 

Disclosure: Jai Mahtani is a member of KRBD’s volunteer board of directors. He is not involved in the newsroom.

The post Ketchikan’s council mulls changes to downtown shelter at the end of its lease appeared first on KRBD.

Ketchikan’s City Council will soon consider whether to renew its lease with the only 24/7 emergency shelter in town — or possibly, to change the terms. The conversation comes amid recent public testimony about illegal or inappropriate activity in and around the shelter.

In the first of a two-part series, KRBD visited the First City Haven to speak with staff and shelter users about their experiences.

Zach Merrick was at the shelter Wednesday morning, dressed in a brown tee shirt and jeans, watching a movie in the common area filled with recliners and couches. He lost his job in Petersburg. He couldn’t find a new one and decided to move to Ketchikan, to see if things got better for him in a bigger town. But they didn’t. 

“You find out a lot about a place by how they treat the homeless people on the streets,” he said.

Merrick said he’s used other shelters in the state, like in Anchorage, and also some down south.

“And I do believe this is the best one I’ve ever seen,” Merrick said.

He said that’s because there isn’t as much violence, and there aren’t gangs.

He said Ketchikan is doing a good job.

“Everybody should understand everybody,” he said. “And if we don’t understand everybody, then there’s a missing piece somewhere.”

But despite that sentiment, local business owners and people who live in the downtown area have come to the City Council to complain about illegal or inappropriate behavior from people in or around the shelter. A special session is in the works to give the council room to talk about next steps — whether to move forward with renewing the lease, and if they do, what to change.  City clerk Taylor Lee wrote to KRBD in an email on Wednesday that the session could be in August, and it will likely take weeks for a date to be set. One council member, Abby Bradberry, has even suggested closing the shelter immediately while an audit is performed, and said she heard allegations of staff using drugs.

Deborah Asper is the chief executive officer of First City Homeless Services, the organization that runs the shelter. 

“Our participants live in a completely different world than what we live in,” she explained. “So their survival skills don’t include paying bills, and they don’t include going grocery shopping. They include, you know, defending themselves and when somebody is living on the streets, they go into fight or flight. And that really limits the ability their brain has to function. So yes, we do see people getting upset and not knowing how to handle that situation and yelling.”

Asper said that drug or alcohol use isn’t allowed in the shelter — those who use those substances will be asked to leave. People are allowed to come into the shelter if they are intoxicated, but they can’t keep drinking inside. Asper said that staff receive training from the police department about how to handle issues. But if the issues escalate — like, into physical fights — they call the police. Asper said sometimes that results in someone being arrested, but often, the police presence diffuses the issue. 

Anthony Nunley is the security officer at the shelter. Nunley said most of what he sees come into the shelter is alcohol, not drugs.

“We run a tight ship,” Nunley explained. “If you violate any of the rules and their basic rules, you will be asked to leave. And if I believe right, we have a sign upstairs and there’s eight rules that are on it. Eight simple rules. Anybody can do it. They choose, I’m going to say 4% choose not to — those are the ones that have to keep an eye on.”

Nunley said there’s very little activity in front of the actual building. Up and down Park Avenue — where he has no authority — is different. But shelter staff can’t make anyone come inside or use their services.

Edward George was homeless before First City Haven was an option. 

“Sure nice to get out of the weather and you know, and have somewhere to shower and feel like a human being, you know?” he said.

George is a disabled veteran and said the current location is a game-changer for him. It’s downtown, and connected to the bus system. There aren’t hills around that make it difficult for him to get there, especially in the winter.

But that could change. Asper, the CEO, said there would be a big issue if the City Council wanted to change the shelter’s capacity. Right now, the fire department cleared the shelter for 54 beds, and she says they don’t fill all of them at night. 

“So if, let’s say that the population — the homeless population is — 1,000 people, how do you choose 10 people out of 1,000 or 15 people out of 1,000?” Asper said. “You know, obviously, not all those people need homes. But that also then creates a more of an aggressive, like, response from people needing the services.”

She said shrinking the services, or the capacity, will only cause more issues outside the shelter, because people won’t be able to get the help that they’re fighting for inside. 

Asper said there are at least 818 unhoused people in Ketchikan, as of last year. 

Their public services could change depending on what the City Council decides to do.

Across the past two meetings, there’s already been suggestions for changes — like reducing capacity or hours of operation.

This is the first of two stories KRBD produced on the First City Haven shelter issue. Listen to KRBD’s Monday evening newscast or look online for the second story on Monday.

The post Supporters say Ketchikan shelter is vital to hundreds without homes appeared first on KRBD.