Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 323
The assembly on Monday held discussion on a tax break for people over 65 in Petersburg, and possibly amending it to help the borough save thousands of dollars in revenue. In January 1980, a senior sales tax exemption was approved by the city council without a vote from the people. The city charter didn’t require it at the time, according to Jody Tow, the borough finance director. “It was described as kind of a reward for people who lived here and worked all their lives … this gave them a little money back,” Assembly member Nancy Strand said at...
The Petersburg Medical Center is in its early stages of hiring a new CEO while deciding whether to build a new hospital, two major decisions that will have to work congruently in the approaching months. In a hospital board meeting two weeks ago, a financial feasibility study was approved to examine the cost of building a new facility versus remodeling. Days later, the hospital board held a work session that was led by a CEO hiring committee. “Yeah, I think that’s a factor,” said Marlene Cushing, hospital board member and chairperson of the C...
The Petersburg Borough recently applied for a federal grant worth about $6.6 million to develop a boat haul out near town, and a man who does business there is retracting his support for the project after reading the application. John Murgas publicly endorsed the Borough’s application for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant, before reading it. If Petersburg was selected, it would fund nearly all of the project costs around a plan to build a haul out and boat yard at the Scow Bay Turnaround. T...
The Petersburg School District updated its strategic plan for the next four years, with a focus on health, diversity in the classroom, future readiness and co-curricular activities. A Planning Team with 16 people, including school staff, board members, students, and other community members took two days in mid-November to finish the strategic plan that will run through 2021. “[We talked] about what a school district will look like for the next four years,” said Mara Lutomski, “what our high aspirations are even though we may not end up there...
The Southeast Regional Wrestling Championship was last weekend in Ketchikan, where Petersburg was at full health and controlled most top spots across their weight classes, but the team is still beset by its roster size. Ten Petersburg wrestlers traveled to Ketchikan, and six of them finished in the top two in their weight class. The Viking girls, with two wrestlers, finished second, and the boys, with eight, finished fourth. Jolyn Toyomura, a Petersburg sophomore, finished first, but only one other wrestler matched-up in her weight class....
Petersburg School's food service program gained about $3,300 in last year's fiscal year, a striking result that is mostly accredited to the nutrition director cutting costs and the district cracking down on unpaid bills. The Petersburg food service program, a department the school usually has to add about $25,000 into every year, actually saw its revenues outweigh its expenditures in fiscal year 2017, said Karen Quitslund, the district finance director. "This is not a money making venture,"...
Hunters around Mitkof Island who shot a moose illegally this year have helped provide more than 1,400 pounds of meat - doubling last year -- to 10 service organizations and the school district in Petersburg. The five moose that were shot and then surrendered to state troopers this season were processed last week. Major Lonnie Upshaw with the Salvation Army, and Cody Litster, an Alaska Wildlife Trooper, recently were at the Petersburg Community Cold Storage with a small group, loading more than...
The 2017 Vikings basketball season will begin Friday night in Petersburg, and the coaches say the matchup will likely be the toughest of the year, along with a state championship rematch in the boys game. "It's an interesting team for us to match up with first," said Richard Brock, the boys head coach, offering a preview into Petersburg's state championship rematch from March 2017 with Metlakatla. "I am sure they will be ready to come back in here and try to set the tempo for how the league is...
The furbearer trapping season is open in Petersburg and the Alaska Department Fish and Game is asking pet owners to control their animals to avoid legally set traps. “Leash laws, where applicable, should be followed,” said Richard Lowell, an area management biologist with the department, who issued a press release on Wednesday. “A person may not obstruct, hinder, or disturb a lawful trapping effort.” The department is asking hunters to use discretion when setting traps near trails, recreational or residential areas where there are people...
The Petersburg Vikings were crowned 2A Volleyball State Champions on Saturday, coming after an early loss to Wrangell and injury to one of its all-conference seniors, leaving the team shaken and its coach unsure if it'd regroup. Petersburg began the state championship on Thursday with two sweeping wins against Unalaska and then Kenny Lake. Wrangell was up next for Petersburg on Friday. In the first game, Petersburg was leading two to zero when senior Elisa Larson went up to swing and her knee...
The borough assembly on Monday appointed two members to the board of an agency that provides about 60 percent of the power used in Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan. The vote on Monday was a redo after the first try in a previous meeting was deemed improper. The assembly had voted with closed ballots, which is only allowed when appointing a vice mayor, said Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson on Monday. In the do over, former Assembly Member Bob Lynn was selected as the voting member to represent Pet...
The Petersburg assembly on Monday continued its discussion on the possibility of charging a marine passenger fee to all vessels that enter borough waters. “Currently we aren’t charging cruise ships that come to Petersburg, though most of the communities around Southeast are,” said Jeff Meucci, an assembly member. “And I’m just trying to sort out how we would be a part of that process.” At first the assembly proposed a committee but members later voted to have a work session instead, a decision that could streamline the approach. The Harbor...
A town hall is scheduled in Petersburg on Thurs., Dec. 14 at 5:00 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Hall with Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins hosting a panel to discuss the opioid crisis and its effects on Alaska. Kreiss-Tomkins said the opioid topic has come up nearly every time he has spoken with Petersburg residents. "It's a huge issue," Kreiss-Tomkins said. "There is a lot of concern locally, and I wanted to make sure we could bring this expertise to Petersburg." The panel will include Dr. Jay...
Police have received complaints in recent months of marijuana dealers selling product outside the licensed retail shop in downtown Petersburg. “I am not aware of any thefts related to the new marijuana laws,” said Kelly Swihart, the Petersburg police chief. “But we have had complaints of non-licensees making sales in the immediate vicinity of a licensed business.” Susan Burrell, owner of The 420, a marijuana retail store located through an alley off North Nordic Drive, echoed the complaints heard by police. “Several months ago we had regular c...
The Power and Light building at the Haugen and North Nordic Drive intersection is about to be taken in about nine feet. Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said the work to remove a nine-foot corner section of the Power and Light building could be done this month. Contractors are working on a plan to cantilever the upper floor and leave an 11-foot-tall opening for drivers stopped at Haugen Drive to have a better line of sight for drivers. "I hesitate to commit to a date when this will happen as...
The top executive at the Petersburg Medical Center has announced her retirement for next June. After 44 years in the medical field, Liz Woodyard is retiring as CEO of the medical center, effective at the end of June 2018, she said. "Well, I'm 65," Woodyard said. "I'll be 66 by then, so I'll be at my full retirement age." Woodyard has been CEO of the hospital in Petersburg for seven years. Before that, she pinballed around the west coast from being chief nursing officer in Fairbanks to CEO of a m...
A phone scam is circulating in Sitka where callers use a spoof number to make it appear as if the police department is calling, after which they demand money or promise jail time. According to Sitka police, a woman recently took a call that appeared to be the police department’s main line, and the scammer claimed she missed jury duty and had a warrant out for her arrest. “The citizen was then instructed to gather money in the form of gift cards,” the press release reads. “To pay a ‘retainer’ so as not to be arrested and mail the gift cards to a...
It's flu season, and the Petersburg Medical Center is reporting several cases -- more than usual, including some who were immunized -- but all signs are pointing toward a vaccination that works. "We have seen more cases than we normally see around this time of year," said Liz Bacom, the infection control manager with the medical center. "But it's not like this is an atypical year versus another. Every flu season is different. "We are getting cases but they aren't super serious," Bacom said....
A crowd gathered outside the municipal building to watch the annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday evening, where onlookers listened and cheered for Jean Ellis, the honored guest and storied Petersburg native. Ellis, a 71-year-old with a background in the local newspaper, state legislature, education advocacy, the church and cancer, was chosen to light the community tree on Friday. Tom Abbott introduced Ellis, where he listed her varied career paths and history of community engagement. Ellis w...
Gary Morgan, an electrician operator with Power & Light in Petersburg, recently decided to resign so he could focus more on his marijuana business. Morgan, after three years in the position, is scheduled to leave the department on December 8, after helping Power & Light with a project he had started earlier this fall. For about a year, Morgan has juggled a licensed weed growing facility and a full-time job. His daily workload usually starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at midnight, he said. "It got to...
Two Petersburg police officers who returned from training in Fairbanks recently finished first and second in their graduating class. Officers Louis Waechter and Carl Tate were first and second, respectively, at the training academy graduation ceremony in November. "We just said we were going to take over the academy," Tate said. "We didn't want any other PD to have that spot." Waechter said there were about six other police departments there, amounting to about 18 officers. There was a...
Three Petersburg students were selected to attend the All-State Music Festival about two weeks ago, a three-day trip to Anchorage that ends with some of the best young musicians in Alaska coming together for a concert. Students started auditioning in September, and then had a month to study the material before the festival. From Petersburg, two students were selected to the all-state choir, including seniors Jessica Ieremia, mixed choir, and Julia Murph, treble. They were two of 727 auditions for the all-state choir, and two of 175 musicians...
The elementary school in Petersburg is raising money for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, an effort that continues the school's yearly service to get students involved in the community and around the globe. Since Monday, the Stedman Elementary School has raised nearly $1,000 for hurricane relief, said Teri Toland, the principal. "We are looking for match makers," Toland said. "Businesses or community members who would like to match funds with a class." The fundraiser is called Helping Hands...
It took three games and nine sets for the Petersburg volleyball team to inflict a sweeping championship run at the region tournament last weekend. The Vikings didn't drop a set on their home court. Petersburg rolled over Klawock on Friday, Craig on Saturday morning and then secured the region title against Wrangell that night. "The win confirms to the team that they belong in the state tournament," said Jaime Cabral, Petersburg's head coach, when asked if this was a statement weekend. "Also a tr...
At the Sons of Norway Hall on Thursday, in front of about a dozen people, Gov. Bill Walker signed a bill that gave the Petersburg Borough more than 14,000 acres of land. The borough was entitled to about 1,400 acres before Walker came to Petersburg, a number that was personal to the Alaska-born governor. "I don't know the history of what happened, but [Petersburg] didn't get all the land that it was entitled to," Walker told the Pilot. "And I have a personal issue with the federal government...
