Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 121
Owner Paine & Partners, LLC of San Francisco has entered into agreements with two different groups to sell Icicle Seafoods. According to the press release issued, Convergence Holdings, Inc. will acquire Icicle's land-based wild seafood processing and farmed salmon activities while Dominion Catchers, LLC will acquire the company’s harvesting and processing vessels, as well as associated fishing rights. Dominion Catchers is a limited liability company licensed by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. C... Full story
In the works for awhile, Rainforest Islands Ferry Service has been delayed yet again. The ferry was set to sail June 14, then postponed to June 28. “We were so close” to that start, spokeswoman Heather Hedges said, but work at the shipyard was delayed. The 65-foot landing craft made its way up to Ketchikan from Anacortes, Wash. on Monday and sea trials have just begun with another U.S. Coast Guard inspection scheduled. The first delay was due to a wait on USCG certification. “As long as everything goes smoothly,” Hedges said, service is expe... Full story
The Petersburg Public Library just got a whole lot bigger. Not physically, but it has extended its electronic catalogue through the Joint Library Catalogue (JLC). “It’s a consortium of libraries across the state, so we actually have over 1.7 million titles Petersburg patrons can choose from,” said Chris Weiss, library technician. Residents with library cards can use them to reserve an item in any library that’s a part of the consortium, including those in cities such as Sitka, Juneau and Anchorage. Items include books, DVDs and music. “Everyt... Full story
Working to preserve its history, the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department has restored one fire engine and is wrapping up restoration of another. "We're trying to create some interest with the younger people," Fire Chief Doug Welde said. "It's history and kind of neat." Jack Slaght, a chief engineer on the M/V Malaspina, has experience working on a variety of engines. "Some mechanics like to get away from work and not pick up a wrench after hours," he said. That's not Slaght's thing. Engine and...
Preliminary prices for Dungeness crab are in and a bit higher than last year’s. The average price for the first week was “a solid” $3 per pound throughout Southeast Alaska, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game Petersburg Assistant Shellfish Biologist Kellii Wood. Last year’s average price was $2.99, according to Petersburg Shellfish Biologist Joe Stratman. Wood noted that 838,156 pounds were caught in the first seven days of the fishery by 169 permit holders. “That is the fourth highest amount the fleet has caught in the first sev...
Lower prices in the market are souring what’s predicted to be another large salmon run. “In general, a lot of prices for species are down,” said Andy Wink, Senior Seafood Analyst with the Juneau-based McDowell Group, “especially sockeye and chum.” Prices have dropped $0.05, $0.10 and more than $0.50 in some cases. Wink and local processors pointed to two big factors: currency and supply. The pink salmon market, for example, is “gearing up for a huge harvest,” Wink noted, and the wholesale will be dictated by how big the run is. There’s still...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced late last week its revised 2015 sport fishing regulations for king salmon in Southeast and Yakutat. Starting yesterday and in effect through May 2, 2016, Alaskan resident permit-holders’ bag and possession limit is two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. From October 1 through March 31, resident sport anglers may use two rods while fishing for king salmon. Nonresidential permit holders’ bag and possession limit is still one king salmon 28 inches or greater in length, with an annual limit...
A "time honored tradition," U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Peter Vermeer took command of the USCGC Anacapa on Tuesday afternoon. Vermeer relieved Lt. Kathryn Cyr of her duty during the Change of Command Ceremony at Petersburg's Community Center in front of a crowd of about 60. Cyr, who had served as the cutter's commanding officer since 2013, will be moving to North Carolina with her husband, Lee Coyle, and their 5-year-old son, Gilbert, to attend graduate school. "Lt. Cyr, you have done a fantastic...
The Petersburg Ranger District is looking for anyone with information regarding a possible arson at Man Made Hole Recreation Area. On June 16, the district's "recreation technician visited the site and found it had been vandalized," said Brad Hunter, recreation and wilderness manager. He added that it had occurred sometime between June 12, the technician's last visit, and June 16. "Somebody torched it," Hunter said. The perpetrator threw fuel down into the vault toilet and left a trail of... Full story
Justices with the Alaska Supreme Court are now mulling over the boundary dispute case between Petersburg and Juneau. If Juneau prevails, Petersburg could be forced to revert back to city status. The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) filed an appeal with the Supreme Court over a Superior Court Judge’s ruling in favor of the newly formed Petersburg Borough’s northern boundary line, which Juneau had earlier sought to annex, in March 2014. The Alaska Supreme Court heard both sides’ arguments on June 17 in Anchorage. Juneau attorney Amy Mead said... Full story
Traveling across Alaska to address the problem of domestic violence, Roberta James, domestic abuse specialist with Tribal Family and Youth Services, stopped by Petersburg on Monday. Provided by the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Tribal Family and Youth Services uses a grant to travel to communities and work primarily with natives. “We all know there’s a high rate of domestic violence in Alaska,” James said. “Everyone is trying to do something.” A 2010 University of Alaska Anchorage survey showed that out of every... Full story
With recent state budget cuts, the 1st Judicial District in Juneau now has more courts in its district than lawyers to cover them. Juneau District Attorney James Scott will be covering Petersburg’s criminal cases until a long-term plan is ironed out. The office had to cut Assistant District Attorney Nick Polasky loose and lost half its staff. “That was unfortunate, and we’re sorry to lose him,” Scott said. Statewide, the Department of Law lost 15 positions, three of which were attorneys, according to spokeswoman Cori Mills. The positio...
The Petersburg School District doesn’t “anticipate any large fluctuations” with the budget the state passed June 11, Finance Director Karen Quitslund said. The school board passed the district’s budget just two days before, on June 9, in order to meet a state deadline. But what the legislature passed “is what the school district projected for our operating budget,” Quitslund said. As planned, the district is losing $150,000 in HB278 and $30,000 in food grants. The Healthy Living grant that was a concern is being partially funded, though the...
Known as "Alaska" on his team of nine, Stewart Conn, 16, represented Petersburg well as his 16U USA basketball team went on to win gold at the United World Games. Conn, a student and basketball player at Petersburg High School, was invited to join the team and traveled to Munich, then Klagenfurt, Austria to play in the tournament. "I was really scared," his mother, Heather, said of him traveling. "I didn't want him to go, but I also knew it was a once in lifetime opportunity so I had to let him...
Alaska State Wildlife Trooper Cody Lister is investigating a vehicle fire from the weekend, the second suspicious one in about a week's time. The first occurred sometime between June 12 and June 16 at Man Made Hole Recreation Area, where a vault toilet was torched, Recreation and Wilderness Manager Brad Hunter said. It's being investigated by the Petersburg Park Ranger District. The second fire, also "suspicious in nature," Assistant Fire Chief Dave Berg said, occurred Sunday night, around 11:30...
Their adventures were always meant to be educational in addition to fun, but two stuffed animals ended up teaching a different sort of lesson after taking an unplanned trip on a state ferry. Eight-year-old Kate Thompson was thrilled to be reunited last week with her traveling companion, Piglet, and her friend's sea turtle, Aurora, after a post her mother made about losing the stuffed animals went viral on social media. "I wanted to teach her when you make a mistake, you admit to it and do the...
The state legislature has finally reached a budget agreement, drawing a “collective sigh of relief from Alaska,” as Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka) put it. The $5 billion budget will include funds pulled from the Constitutional Budget Reserve to balance it. The state still faces a nearly $4 billion budget hole in fiscal year 2017. This year’s legislative session went over seven weeks as legislators couldn’t reach a compromise. It sparked the possibility of a partial government shutdown on July 1 that had Governor Bill Walker sending... Full story
Dungeness crab season is now open, and fishermen are flocking to the sea earlier. This time last year, there were 151 permits registered, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Petersburg Shellfish Biologist Joe Stratman said. The 2014-15 season ended with 192 permit holders. This year, there are already 193 permits registered, he added. "We have an increase in effort this year," Stratman said. And the results of last year's season may be a contributor, he added. The 2014-15 season was a good one... Full story
The Public Safety Advisory Board is forwarding a proposed increase in ambulance rates to the Borough Assembly. The proposed increases range in cost from just over $300 to $827, depending on the level of service needed. The most emergent, Advanced Life Support (ALS) Level 2, would be the highest as the most care is needed. “We currently are $300 flat rate. It doesn’t matter what type of call it is,” said Sandy Dixson, Emergency Medical Services and Fire Director, during Wednesday’s meeting. Any adjustments would reflect Medicare rates, she add... Full story
Two borough committees are searching for new members while another is welcoming one. The Borough Assembly approved Dr. Monica Gross as the Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors’ newest member during its meeting Monday evening. She’s filling a vacancy left behind by Steven Samuelson, who resigned in April. Samuelson had served on the board since February 2014 and tendered his resignation because he wouldn’t be in town for meetings. During a hospital board meeting last month, Medical Records Director Janet Kvernvik clarified that Gross...
Sentencing has been delayed for former Petersburg resident Mark Weaver, 59, who pled guilty to a felony charge regarding an incident in which he set off an explosive device in July last year. Weaver was originally supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday in Juneau, but had his court date pushed back to July 20, according to court documents. In February, Weaver pled guilty to one of two felony charges he faced following the explosion in the rock quarry behind the Petersburg James A. Johnson Airport. He had faced two counts of Possession of...
The new Rainforest Islands Ferry Service, providing travel between Petersburg, Wrangell and Coffman Cove, has been delayed again. Set to begin June 14, service is now expected to start June 28 instead. Heather Hedges, who does advertising and marketing for Rainforest Islands Ferry, said the delay is due to a wait on Coast Guard certification. The ferry, a 65-foot landing craft called the Rainforest Islander, will provide service four days a week year round: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday....
It's a frustrating plant when out fishing, but the prickly devil's club won Petersburg's Sunny Rice second in a statewide Salmon Haiku Contest. Sponsored by The Salmon Project, a group focused on exploring the deep relationship Alaskans have with wild salmon, the second annual Salmon Haiku Contest ran from May 1 to May 15 and encouraged participants to express their understanding of salmon habitat through poetry. This year, over 1,000 entries submitted across Alaska were judged, said Emily...
The Petersburg Port and Harbor is seeking improvements through a couple of different projects. The Borough Assembly approved to award the Middle Harbor repair project to local company Tamico, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $172,300 during its meeting Monday evening. Authorization was also given to amend a professional services contract with PND Engineers, Inc. out of Juneau for a Bulkhead Loading Dock design. The Middle Harbor work is the result of an accident that occurred in September 2014. “A tour ship hit the end of one of the floats a...
Owned by local fisherman Jay Thomassen, the 73-foot fishing vessel Kupreanof went down early Wednesday morning on the Fairweather Grounds. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Meredith Manning said Sector Juneau watchstanders received the mayday call from the ship's captain at 3:42 a.m. and launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Sitka. The helicopter crew located the sinking vessel between Cross Sound and Yakutat Bay. Manning said the four crew members were in their... Full story
