A man drove a truck into three Ketchikan businesses early this morning, causing over $90,000 dollars of damage. 48-year-old Dale Withem of Ketchikan is being charged with five felonies as the driver.

Ketchikan Police Department responded to a report of a man driving intentionally through the glass front doors of McDonald’s just after midnight, according to initial charging documents. Police say that at the scene, Withem admitted to an officer that he crashed the vehicle into the front doors of the McDonald’s as well as nearby Madison Lumber and Hardware. 

The officer then drove to Madison and found the business’ front door, door frame and structural walls pushed in from the crash. 

A video obtained by police also showed the defendant driving into the front glass doors of Tongass Marine Store. 

Further investigation found the pickup truck Withem was driving was stolen.

Withem’s arraignment hearing was this morning at the Ketchikan Courthouse. He is being charged with five Class C felonies — four counts of criminal mischief in the third degree and one count of vehicle theft in the first degree. 

The investigation is ongoing.

The post Man charged with five felonies after allegedly crashing truck into Ketchikan businesses appeared first on KRBD.

On a recent sunny morning, natural light flooded the housing complex’s first floor. To the right was a large community room, equipped with a kitchen and dotted with cedar art. 

Melissa O’Bryan, the Ketchikan Indian Community’s housing project development coordinator, exited the large space and walked down the hall to a studio apartment. 

“Each unit comes furnished with a full-size bed, an armoire for their clothes, a table and two chairs,” she said. “We have TVs going up.” 

It’s one of 28 living spaces inside the tribe’s new, three-story permanent supportive housing complex. Each single-occupancy apartment is also equipped with a full kitchen, bathroom, shower and other household staples.  

And the housing complex isn’t just for tribal members. It will serve everyone 55 and older experiencing chronic homelessness. The tribe is working with other local groups to identify and bring in the community’s most vulnerable.

The facility, located across the street from the Plaza Mall, is not just designed to house people who are struggling. It’s laid out to feel welcoming, like a home. Throughout each apartment are flares of Native culture, from formline bed comforters to Indigenous art coloring books. There are also visiting areas, a community room with crafting supplies, a laundry room and more. 

“We often find that our unhoused population are told to leave, told to go away, and we needed to have a beautiful place where we’re saying ‘We’re inviting you in, and we built this for you,” said Myrna Chaney, the tribe’s housing director. She said the new complex creates a sense of belonging in part because it’s reminiscent of Southeast Alaska. 

“And that was thought of when we were building the space, that it wasn’t going to be something that was not beautiful,” Chaney said.  

Homeless facilities in Ketchikan are few and far between. The city’s main shelter closed in 2024. 

But the tribe’s been developing long-term housing solutions for the community’s unhoused for nearly five years. Tribal leaders wanted permanent supportive housing – a leasing model with in-house case management and living assistance. That includes help with day-to-day tasks and offering basic classes. It will be staffed 24/7. 

Tenants will be under six-month leases, although they’ll be able to extend if needed. Rent will also be subsidized. O’Bryan said tenants will have the same rights and responsibilities as a renter. 

“We want people to feel like this is home,” O’Bryan said. “This is welcoming, and it’s down to the staff that we put in the building. It’s down to the spaces that are designed. It’s down to the touches in the room.”

“It was designed with the intention of dignity and respect and hope,” O’Bryan added.  

That frame of mind even goes down to the facility’s name – Yee gu.aa yax xˈwán. That’s a Lingit phrase meaning “be strong and have courage.” Tribal leaders say that name conveys the importance of having people behind you, supporting you and holding you up. 

The tribe is working through the housing application process with half a dozen people who will likely move in by the end of the month. Chaney, the tribe’s housing director, said she’s excited to see what the community’s unhoused will be able to do now that they have a place to live. 

“I’m looking forward to knowing that if they are outside, they just had a warm shower at home, and they had something warm to eat in their room, in their unit,” Chaney said. “But mostly, just looking forward to not seeing them over there across the street at the bus stop, but actually inside sleeping and feeling safe.”

The facility was funded with the help of federal, state and borough dollars. 

And the housing complex isn’t the only tribal facility that will be on site. Nearby will be a four-story navigation center that will provide additional resources, like a year-round warming shelter and classes, for the community’s unhoused. That’s set to open next year.  

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post KIC opens supportive housing for elders appeared first on KRBD.

A Ketchikan man was sentenced to ten years in prison, with three suspended, for stabbing his landlord last October. Justin Carpenter, age 46, was sentenced by Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand yesterday.

Carpenter was found guilty of assault in the first degree after a weeklong trial in April. The jury found him not guilty of an attempted murder charge. 

The sentence is the legal minimum for Carpenter’s charges. During the hearing, Judge Lybrand said that while it is a serious offense, she believes Carpenter is capable of rehabilitation. 

“I do think that Mr. Carpenter doesn’t need to otherwise be confined to prevent further harm to the public beyond the active minimum,” Lybrand said. “That’s somewhat based in terms of the history of violence or lack thereof.”

A psychologist who evaluated Carpenter in the Ketchikan Correctional Center said that while in jail he’s shown promise for rehabilitation and low risk for violence in the future. 

In October, Carpenter stabbed his landlord three times in the chest and once in the neck after he grabbed Carpenter by the wrist during a dispute over laundry. Carpenter’s attorney said it was a case of self defense, which the judge denied. 

The state asked for 20 years with eight suspended, which is the maximum legal sentence. State prosecutor Jackson Willard argued that the seriousness of the multiple stab wounds and Carpenter’s involvement with alcohol warranted a sentence that focuses on isolation and deterrence. 

Ariel Toft, the public defender representing Carpenter, argued that his lack of violent history made this case an isolated incident.  

“This is a serious offense, but it’s also a highly situational offense,” Toft said. “I don’t think that there’s any need to confine Mr. Carpenter beyond the time that he’s already served, other than the fact that the law in this circumstance requires it.”

Carpenter will face five years of supervised probation on release.

The post Ketchikan man sentenced to 7 years for Oct. stabbing appeared first on KRBD.

Two environmental conservation groups and a Southeast Alaska tribe have filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service, challenging a logging project just east of Ketchikan. 

The Forest Service announced in July that it would move forward with the South Revilla Integrated Resource Project, a plan that includes harvesting over 5,000 acres of trees, mostly old growth, in the Tongass National Forest. It also includes construction of new trails, cabins, boat launches and roads. 

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court last week by the Ketchikan Indian Community, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, and the Center for Biological Diversity, alleges the project violates federal law because “the Forest Service failed to rationally balance the Tongass’s multiple uses.” 

The complaint alleges that the project’s logging of old-growth trees will harm subsistence and recreation resources. It also highlights potential impacts to wildlife, the ecosystem and the economy. 

The suit lists several defendants, including the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also lists Forest Service Region 10 Acting Regional Forester Jeremiah Ingersoll and the Tongass National Forest Acting Forest Service Supervisor Janelle Crocker. The Forest Service could not immediately be reached for comment. 

The South Revilla plans were first introduced in 2018 but were paused in 2020. Last year, the Trump administration issued an executive order to expand timber production. 

Following an environmental review, the Forest Service decided that work on the South Revilla project can begin immediately. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Lawsuit challenges South Revilla timber project appeared first on KRBD.

Marissa Medford has filed to run for a three-year term on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board. There are two seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election and four candidates are running. 

School board members are responsible for overseeing the district’s budget and adopting policies. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with Medford about her goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Marissa Medford: Hi, my name is Marissa Medford.

Hunter Morrison: Why are you running? And what are you running for? 

Medford: Oh, so I am running for the school district, and I am running because I am a lifelong Southeast resident. Born in Sitka, moved to Ketchikan when I was a toddler, and this community has invested a lot in me. So, I would like to return the favor, which I’ve done in some other ways thus far in my life. But this seems like there’s a need for people, and I thought I’d throw my name in the ring and invest back into the community.

Morrison: And tell me about your priorities?

Medford: My priorities are – obviously that we’re having some budget issues and the financial crisis. I know that’s been top priority and big news. So that is something that I would like to use my experience that I have with – I was a city admin, and so I’ve got budget and budget mod experience to help maintain fiscal control. I’ve got decades of HR experience developing policies and procedures and benefits, and so I think a lot of my work history and experience would be beneficial on the school board.

Morrison: Yeah. If elected to the school board, what is something that you would like to do on the board?

Medford: Yeah. One of the things that I’ve really been looking at – and thankfully, to be able to run with a close friend is really great to have that support network. And so we’ve been chatting, talking about the budget, and I saw on the school board agenda tonight [WEB: last Wednesday] they’ve got a health insurance task force update, and so I’m really interested in that as an HR person, the budget and the health insurance side of things with the benefits. And so it looks like last year with the USI insurance, it was budgeted for a little over $8.3 million, but the actual cost was over $9 million, so about an 8% increase over budget on those fixed costs that were unexpected. That’s a pretty significant amount of money, and so they’ve presented a couple options for their benefits and what those costs look like. So anyway, that’s something that I’d be interested in, have been crunching numbers. It looks like based on the information that the HR director has provided, just in this agenda statement, it kind of looks like that public educator health trust is probably a good way to go, just based on what I can see here. But would be interested in evaluating the difference between all the benefit options.

Morrison: What community leadership roles, engagement roles, make you equipped for this role?

Medford: I would say that my prior experience, as I had mentioned, as a city administrator, decades of HR, quality control. I think those would all be really helpful in collaborating with the existing school board members. And the relationship with the district personnel, other borough personnel, and figuring out how we can all work together to try to right the ship.

Morrison: Gotcha. And what is something that you would like listeners to know about you?

Medford: I would like them to know that I’m eager to learn. I don’t mind asking the hard questions and gathering as much information as possible before I make a decision. And I want the kids to know that even if you’re not of voting age yet, your voice matters. We’re listening. Keep being engaged. Speak up about these issues, because people are making decisions that impact you currently and in the future. So, really going to be interested in listening to all community members, but making sure that our kids are heard as well.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Marissa Medford talks about why she’s running for Ketchikan’s school board appeared first on KRBD.

The distant sound of crashing waves rang through the tree line of Refuge Cove State Recreation Area, north of Ketchikan. The park was a favorite of Sean Griffin, who lived just walking distance from the area. He died in the 3rd Avenue Bypass landslide.

“Before he passed away, we walked down here every night unless it was blowing sideways,” said Sarah Griffin, Sean’s wife. She said the two would often watch sunsets at the recreation area.

“And then, now, it’s a spot for the kids and I and his mom to come to, just to kind of remember,” Sarah said. “And it’s a beautiful spot.” 

On August 25, the landslide’s two year anniversary, the site’s forest-covered picnic area was dotted with dozens of Sean’s friends, family and fellow community members. They were there to honor and remember Sean at a memorial plaque dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony. 

The memorial, atop a small bluff, overlooks the Tongass Narrows, where Sean spent a lot of his free time. 

Sean was born and raised in Ketchikan, and worked for the city for 17 years. He started as a solid waste collector, then operator. He later moved to the streets department, where he was promoted to senior maintenance technician. 

His wife remembers him as a go-getter, who enjoyed working with his hands. She said his dedication to the job, and to his community, is why Sean was working on the day the landslide hit. 

“I think it speaks volumes to his character that he was on vacation, but he still went in when he was called in,” Sarah said. “And ultimately, his last call.”

Duane Galloway, who worked with Sean at the streets department, looked back at his coworker’s commitment to the community. He said Sean had a great attitude and an open heart, and was a good person to work with. 

“He was a self-teacher,” Galloway said. “He has a goal, like, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ He’s never done it before, but he’ll do it. He’s our guinea pig.”

“And then he’ll learn, and then he’ll teach someone else how to do it, which is cool,” Galloway added.

Galloway said it was an honor to help install Sean’s memorial plaque. A number of other groups, including Ketchikan High School’s National Honor Society, helped bring the memorial to Refuge Cove. Underneath the plaque are signatures of everyone Sean worked with at the streets department. 

And the plaque spells out who Sean was as a person. He was a husband. He was a brother. He was a friend. 

But he was also a dad of four boys. Each of his children’s names is on the post holding the plaque. 

Sarah, his wife, said Sean loved being a father. 

“He was quiet, but he was always – he was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off his back, but he wouldn’t want you to mention it,” Sarah said.

And it’s not just a plaque that was dedicated in Sean’s honor. There’s also a memorial tree, planted as a testament to his enduring memory. 

Those who knew him said Sean did not enjoy being the center of attention, and a memorial dedication like this would not have been his style. But his wife said she wants the community to remember his legacy, and the memorial is just a small way to do that.

“He was the quiet guy behind the scenes who just did it, so he would have been pissed that we’re making a big deal out of it,” Sarah said. “But we all really loved him, so we don’t want anyone to forget.”

Ketchikan’s city and borough mayors read proclamations at the ceremony remembering the 2024 landslide and Sean. A rotary phone was also set up at the memorial for people to share stories or leave messages to the family. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Memorial unveiled for victim of deadly Ketchikan landslide appeared first on KRBD.

Timothy Montgomery has filed to run for a three-year seat on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly. There are three 3-year seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election.  

The assembly serves as the legislative power of the borough, and is responsible for voting on action items and establishing policy for the borough.  

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with Montgomery about his goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Timothy Montgomery: Hello, my name is Tim Montgomery, and I’ve lived here in Ketchikan since 1967, when my family, brother and sister, mom and dad, moved from Oregon.

Hunter Morrison: What are you running for, and why are you running?

Montgomery: I’m running for borough assembly member. The reason I’m running is I feel I can help in the process that the borough’s in. The school district, their financial situation they’re in. I think I can help in that process.

Morrison: Gotcha. And can you elaborate on what some of your priorities are? 

Montgomery: The main priority would obviously be the budgetary process. I’m a fairly fiscal conservative. I believe the budget should be prepared as a zero-based budget, I’m pretty sure. I’m not sure if that’s how they’re prepared, meaning that every year you start at zero and build a budget, right? You don’t just base it on last year’s numbers. You kind of do, but you don’t just add to it because that’s the simple way to do it. And then you monitor the budget on a regular, pretty regular basis. Make adjustments if you have to, and if there’s money left over, you don’t just spend it because it’s budgeted. You put it back into the general fund or any reserve fund to use for when you really need it for when the budget falls short, those types of things. And like I said, I really haven’t dived into the borough budget yet, so I don’t know exactly how the process is, because it’s fairly complicated, I’m sure, because there’s many streams of revenue.

Morrison: If elected to the assembly, what is something that you would like to do on the assembly?

Montgomery: Well, help the school district get out of their financial hole, if possible. I don’t know what rule other than allocating money based on the cap to fund the schools, but possibly some ideas. One of the budget cuts that have been made is youth activities, and I was really involved in youth activities when my kids were growing up. I coached little league baseball and basketball, and I was involved in the high school varsity basketball program for five years with the late Ed Bolburn and coach John Brown, and so I have a passion for that. I umpire baseball, I referee high school basketball and dribblers league still. The amount of money allocated for all activities, not just sports, but you have music, and you have drama, and you have debate, and all that’s been drastically cut, which everybody understands why. But there needs to be a way to help fund that because the budget for that is quite large. I understand it’s probably around a million dollars, which shocked me. And I think it’s been budgeted somewhere in the $200,000 range.

Morrison: And you know, you mentioned your involvement with local sports. What other leadership roles, community engagement roles, makes you equipped for this role?

Montgomery: I owned and operated several businesses in the ’90s and the early 2000s. Currently, I am a member of the Elks Lodge, and I’m currently the treasurer for the last four years. So I prepared budgets there. They’re not a big organization, but it’s a nonprofit. So I guess basically based on my business background and that, I could probably help out.

Morrison: And aside from what you’ve mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you?

Montgomery: I put my mind to things. I follow through with it. I’m outspoken. I believe in transparency, not just saying that, like today in the paper, unencumbered expenses with the school district. I think you know, ‘Why don’t we tell them what it is?’ But mainly, I speak my mind. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Timothy Montgomery on why he’s running for Ketchikan’s borough assembly appeared first on KRBD.

A minor is being charged with 14 felony counts, including three attempted murder charges, and 1 misdemeanor count, after he allegedly opened fire at police officers in Klawock, on the western side of Prince of Wales Island. 

The Klawock Police Department was called to a residence on South Summit Street Monday night after a supposed disturbance involving a juvenile. Police say they were attempting to speak with family members in the living room when a 17-year-old came out of a bedroom with a rifle and fired at an officer. The officer was uninjured and evacuated the other residents of the home. 

Alaska State Troopers were called to assist as they say the teen continued shooting at officers from inside the home. Police and Troopers say they attempted to talk him into exiting the home unarmed, but he refused and continued to threaten them. 

Troopers say they deployed chemicals into the home and the teen surrendered. No injuries were reported. The teen was booked at the Craig Jail and has since been transferred to the Division of Juvenile Justice in Juneau. 

Magistrate Judge Kimberly Rice presided over the arraignment hearing Tuesday. The teen’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 4 at the Prince of Wales Courthouse. 

The public defender assigned to the case was not immediately available for inquiries.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Juvenile charged with attempted murder after police standoff in Klawock appeared first on KRBD.

Michael Fitzgerald filed to run for a three-year seat on the Ketchikan City Council. There are three 3-year seats and one 1-year seat up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election. 

The council serves as the city’s legislative power and is responsible for creating ordinances and approving the city budget. It’s made up of a mayor and seven council members.  

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with candidate Michael Fitzgerald about his goals and priorities if elected to office. 

Hunter Morrison: First things first. Why are you running, and what are you running for?

Fitzgerald: I’m running for one of the three-year seats for the city council. And I’m running because I’ve been watching the city council at work and feeling like I might be able to do a good job of helping to hold people accountable.

Morrison: Gotcha. And what will be your priorities if elected?

Fitzgerald: Well, my priorities will include trying to make tourism be something that works for the community rather than have the community work for tourism. I think that that represents the goose that laid the golden egg here in this community, and we need to be making sure that the money that is generated from that as much as possible stays in Ketchikan.

Morrison: If you’re elected, what is something you would like to do on the city council?

Fitzgerald: Well, I really would like to also be involved in the health board that overlooks the workings of the relationship between the city and the hospital. I worked at the hospital for over 30 years and feel like I have some insight in how to make that relationship be a little more accountable.

Morrison: What leadership roles or community involvement would you say makes you equipped for this role?

Fitzgerald: Well, you know, I served on the school board many years ago for three or four years. I’ve always had active leadership responsibilities in my duties at work. Like I said, I worked at the hospital and managed the long-term care unit there for quite some time, and then was a supervisor thereafter. I’ve always had responsible positions within my church community, and you know, long-term resident just to kind of learn how things work.

Morrison: And aside from what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you?

Fitzgerald: Well, I think Ketchikan is the greatest place in the world to live. I, along with many other people, like to say I got here as fast as I could. It’s where I raised my family. It’s been a wonderful community, and I think that it is capable of regaining some of the past glory that it’s had. Maybe not with having some of the same industries return, but I think it’s going to be important for us to attract and keep and make this a place to live for young families once again, with a thriving, multifaceted economy. So, I think that’s possible, and we need to do the things necessary to make that return.

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Michael Fitzgerald talks about why he’s running for Ketchikan City Council appeared first on KRBD.

Vicki O’Brien has filed to run for a three-year term on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board. There are two seats up for grabs in the upcoming municipal election. 

School board members are responsible for overseeing the district’s budget and adopting policies. 

KRBD’s Hunter Morrison spoke with O’Brien about her goals and priorities if elected to office.

Vicki O’Brien: Hi, my name is Vicky O’Brien. I am a candidate for Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District.

Hunter Morrison: And why are you running?

O’Brien: Why am I running? Well, you know, one of those things where people say ‘Somebody good ought to run, somebody needs to throw their hat in the ring, somebody oughta, somebody oughta.’ After a certain point, you start saying, ‘Well, maybe I oughta.’ You know, I’ve gotten involved in a lot of different organizations because I oughta, and that’s pretty much the reasoning behind it. This district and this community deserve to have some people who are willing and able to step up and do the job, and I think that I can do that.

Morrison: And if elected, what are your priorities?

O’Brien: Well, first and foremost, to help get things back onto an even keel. I mean, it’s no big secret that this district has just been in a tailspin for the past couple of years, and I’m not going to pretend to know that I’ve got the magic bullet. But I have been involved in several organizations who have dealt with quite a bit of financial turmoil, and it’s really about making some tough decisions and coming up with what the group’s priorities are. You know, we’ve got things that we are mandated by the state to do as far as what a district has to accomplish. And then we’ve got all of the various needs and wants of the people who use the school system, and not everyone’s needs are being met right now. Those are hard conversations that need to be had, and they need to be balanced. And we need to think about, what can we do as far as coming to a consensus, and how can we grow again and build things to move forward to make Ketchikan a place where it’s desirable to have a family? 

Morrison: And could you elaborate a bit more? If you’re elected, what is something that you’d like to do on the school board?

O’Brien: I think that I would really like to see the roles and responsibilities of the school board and district personnel get defined, and be something that everyone can live with moving forward. I think that when you’re in a time of crisis, people in various leadership positions can sometimes take off more than they can chew, or reprioritize where maybe that wasn’t the best thing. And no shade on anybody for what they’ve done in the past, because things needed to happen in the way that they did. But I think sometimes taking a step back, assessing where you’re at and what needs to happen to move forward – I think that that is crucial when you’re at this kind of a place. And so, yeah, I mean, what would I like to accomplish on the school board? Getting to a place of being solid. I feel like this past outgoing board members and the board in general has been making a lot of progress in that, and I really like to tip my hat to them. They were given a really, really hard job to do, and in some cases, did they always make the right decisions? I mean, I don’t know. It’s hard to be in those shoes. It’s hard to sit and listen to all the things that are coming your way. So yeah, I would like to see stability happen.

Morrison: And you know, what leadership roles or community engagement roles make you equipped for this role?

O’Brien: Well, among other things. So here’s the disclaimer: I am a current board member of KRBD. I’ve been involved with the KRBD board for about 10 years, and I’ve been both the president and the vice president. Currently sitting as the vice president, and in that role, I have been here while federal, both federal and state monies have gone away, and we have gone from being relatively fiscally robust to cobbling things together in ways that we never imagined before. So being able to lean on some of that experience and thinking of ways to pull things together when we’ve had some real financial struggles, I think that’s something that I can lean on. I’m also on the board of CoastAlaska, which is an umbrella organization for public media stations in the Southeast. And so again, we’ve had some really difficult conversations that I think have equipped me to have that transferable skill set. I’m currently part of my union at work as well. I work for the state of Alaska, and I’m a supervisor, and I am the Southeast Alaska chapter vice chair. I’m also part of the Alaska Public Employees Association statewide board of directors. And again, things have been tight, and we’ve had to think of ways to do more with less, and so having all these different fingers in all these different organizations makes it so that I can come to the table with some different ideas that not everybody necessarily may have thought of.

Morrison: And aside from what you’ve already mentioned, what is something that you’d like listeners to know about you?

O’Brien: Well, though I’m not born and raised in Ketchikan, I might as well have been. I moved here right out of college. I have chosen to live here. I’ve raised three kids here. My youngest is still in Kayhi, and my other two graduated. This is my home. I’m part of the Wearable Art Show committee. I’m part of a lot of other organizations throughout the years in Ketchikan, and I just want this to be the kind of place where, when somebody says, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of moving to Alaska. What town would be a great place for me to raise my kids?’ I want Ketchikan to be that place.

Editor’s Note: Vicki O’Brien serves on KRBD’s board of directors and is a volunteer deejay, neither of which are involved in newsroom decisions. She also serves on the board of CoastAlaska, a nonprofit collaborative of Alaska public media stations, including KRBD. 

Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.

The post Vicki O’Brien on her decision to run for Ketchikan’s school board appeared first on KRBD.