Unalaska, AK – City Council member Joanna Aldridge is giving up her seat on the council. In a letter sent to Mayor Shirley Marquardt on Sunday, Aldridge said she's taking a six-month leave from her job in Unalaska to spend time with her parents in Washington state.

The council accepted Aldridge's resignation, which is effective March 1, at last night's council meeting. Her seat is up for election in October, and the council will make a decision on who to appoint as an interim member at its February 27 meeting. Interested applicants have until then to submit letters of interest to the council.