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Posted by Molly Lubbers | Jul 15, 2021
Paula Weisel points to a bidder at a live auction supporting Libby Oaksmith, a cafe manager who was recently diagnosed with cancer. The auction was part of a larger event to raise money for Oaksmith and her family. (Molly Lubbers/KRBD)
Community members are rallying to support beloved Ketchikan cafe manager Libby Oaksmith, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. They’ve brought meals for her family, hung signs in shop windows offering support and opened their wallets. Friends of Oaksmith held a well-attended carnival and auction to raise money and show just how much Ketchikan loves Libby.
Posted by Eric Stone | Dec 31, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic shaped a strange year in the far southeast reaches of the state. On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, officials in Ketchikan reported the first positive coronavirus test in Southeast Alaska.
That was before masks, travel restrictions and lockdowns and the virus spread quickly at first. After the governor ordered some businesses to close and local officials encouraged folks to hunker down, the immediate threat passed.
But the threat of the pandemic was two-pronged not just a public health crisis, but an economic catastrophe for Ketchikan and much of Southeast Alaska after health officials banned cruising in U.S. waters.