Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 323
The Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions issued a press release on Tuesday addressing the murder and manslaughter charges against 24-year-old William Christopher Allen, the driver of a vehicle that landed upside down after running off a Petersburg road on July 4, 2016, killing two and injuring one. The state alleges that Allen was driving a Borough-owned van moments before the crash, despite warnings from doctors to not because of a seizure disorder that was “well-known” and “well-documented,” according to Assistant Attorney General Andrew Pet... Full story
The Petersburg Assembly is being accused of violating the Alaska Open Meetings Act in a recall application that is sponsored by 12 community members, including city employees and two former mayors. The petition seeks to oust three members from office, including Nancy Strand, Jeigh Stanton Gregor and Kurt Wohlhueter. Member Jeff Meucci is immune to recall because of his recent appointment, according to Alaska Statute 29.26.240. And member Bob Lynn's term is over in October. Mayor Cindy...
A paving project was struck down after failing to reach a majority vote. Petersburg residents with property on Unimak and Vesta Streets couldn’t reach a majority vote to approve a project which they would have paid for to pave their gravel roads, said Chris Cotta, the assistant Public Works director. Thirteen owners on Unimak were in favor, while one opposed --- there had to be 16 for it to pass, a two-thirds majority, Cotta said. Vesta property owners sent seven approvals and five disapprovals. Cotta said it appeared Unimak property owners w...
Marissa Nilsen learned that 11 months in Europe is beyond a study abroad, not a vacation, rather a huge undertaking with hoops to jump through and language barriers to overcome, making for a Rotary exchange program that thickened her skin, expanded her linguistic skills and furthered her appreciation for home. The 17-year-old high school student wouldn't rewind and change any experiences from her time in Belgium. She found an untapped love for trains, along with Belgian fries that are...
A 73-year-old woman from England who sailed the Northwest Passage was at the Petersburg Library Wednesday evening to present on a novel she wrote during the voyage. Jane Maufe started the presentation by praising her sailing mate, David Cowper. Cowper, 75, has conducted seven round trips from England - through the Northwest Passage - to Alaska and back, a 22,000 mile voyage. Maufe joined Cowper in 2012 when he invited her on his seventh bout through the Northwest Passage. It was the first consid...
A shed fire in Petersburg Tuesday was extinguished within 10 minutes after the Volunteer Fire Department's arrival. The department responded with one fire engine at about 11:15 p.m. to a fully engulfed shed on Lake Street, said David Berg, a department spokesman. No one was injured and there was little damage to surrounding trees due to ongoing rain and neighbors who used hoses to trap the flames, volunteer firemen said. "There were some small propane bottles that exploded that caused a lot of...
A Petersburg family recently bought a full-size flat yellow school bus to travel in. The bus, however, has been gutted and the inside replaced with a plush oak interior, bamboo flooring, a sink, refrigerator, a master bedroom and bunk bed along with a dinner table, scattered cabinets, cupboards and a countertop. Tanelle Olson and her partner, Kory Versteeg two weeks ago bought a school bus turned travel mobile home that they intend to take along the west coast and maybe further. The couple will...
City officials and employees held a dedication ceremony last week to unveil the $9.3-million-dollar upgrade to the Borough Municipal Building, which includes a Police Department that more than doubled in size, Chief Kelly Swihart said. The building houses the Administration offices, Community Development, Finance and the Police Department. The Police Department now occupies the whole bottom floor of the building, with new offices, an updated dispatch control center, evidence rooms and six...
Public Works Director Karl Hagerman was recently promoted to a position with no official title, yet his salary increased by more than $12,000 - a raise that resulted from the Borough manager deploying him to give managerial guidance to the interim Power & Light superintendent. "I'm kind of like back up support," Hagerman said. "It's a similar situation as the utility position." Manager Steve Giesbrecht promoted Scott Newman, who is the line foreman with Power & Light, to interim superintendent....
A Borough Assembly meeting was canceled Monday after not enough members were present, causing a setback to the scheduled discussion on whether to renovate the more than 50-year-old Power & Light building, said Steve Giesbrecht, the Borough manager. On the agenda was a recommendation from former Superintendent Joe Nelson, who retired June 30, to accept a bid from Rainforest Contracting Inc. of $538,600 to renovate the building that houses the Power & Light department. The bid was proposed at the last meeting, but the Assembly voted to postpone...
Chris Miller last week reportedly towed a junk car with its tires locked through Petersburg, burning rubber to its rims and leaving black marks visible from Haugen Drive to the Petersburg Baler Facility, where he dumped the vehicle without processing it, causing a disturbance with on-site employees. Brian Richards was on break when he heard Miller barrel-up to the Baler Facility and through the weigh station before unhooking a vehicle. Richards witnessed the vehicle’s worn-away rubber tires and a trail of fluid it left behind, which appeared to...
About 100 people filtered in-and-out of the Petersburg Clausen Memorial Museum on Saturday to celebrate its 50th anniversary and commemorate those who led the effort to start it. Elsie Clausen was responsible for leading the creation of the museum in 1962. Her grandson, Mike Schwartz, was at the celebration mingling through the packed hallways, talking about his grandmother's legacy and praising those who have preserved the long-lasting museum. "Kathi Riemer has done a phenomenal job," Schwartz...
"Show them how it's done!" roared the crowd in the direction of Sue Erickson, who was balancing on a wet, oversized log, seeking to reclaim the throne as Log Roll champion. Sue Erickson was the overwhelming favorite to win the 2017 Log Roll competition Tuesday evening, and it appeared as though she would. That is until Briana Bode beat her in the final round of the women's bracket. Skipper Erickson won in the men's bracket. Bode would later lose to Skipper Erickson, who won the competition...
A petition to ban fluoride from the Petersburg water system has nearly all the signatures required to find a spot on the ballot in October. Holly Winje, who is leading the effort, said 270 people have signed a petition that would remove the ion fluoride --- which is often used to fight tooth decay --- from the water in Petersburg. Winje needs 283 signatures to hit the mark. Winje has always been against fluoride, but she decided to spark the petition after having a child. She defended it by comparing fluoride to mercury and arsenic. “I hope I...
A petition to allow ATVs on Borough-owned roads in Petersburg has enough signatures to be considered for the ballot in October. Petersburg Deputy Clerk Mindy Swihart confirmed that Richard Burke, who is leading the effort, submitted at least 283 endorsements --- the required amount --- to the Borough Wednesday morning. "From what I can tell, the signatures look good," Swihart said. "I will officially verify them soon." This comes after Burke submitted what he thought were enough signatures last...
About 35 people gathered in the Public Library Wednesday evening to discuss potential solutions to the reportedly increasing homelessness in Petersburg. Chelsea Tremblay, a Petersburg activist who led the meeting, expected few people to attend. When the room became crowded, she knew the fibers of the meeting would be homelessness recognition, solutions and resources Petersburg has. “The first step with anything like this is awareness,” Tremblay said. “The shame component of people who find themselves on the brink of homelessness can maybe...
A former mayor of Petersburg said he picked up a petition application with criteria that would recall the Petersburg Borough Assembly, which comes after stirring controversy between the city government and some of its constituents. Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson confirmed that she gave Ted Smith an application to recall the assembly. Smith, however, said he “looked it over” and then handed it to another person to take the lead. That person remains anonymous. “I can’t give that name without his permission,” Smith said. “I am neutral on the idea...
The Petersburg Borough last week agreed with the Planning & Zoning Commission to deny an application that would have transferred two properties from rural residential to industrial, putting a halt to a couple’s development plan on Mitkof Highway. Raliegh and Marsha Cook started the application in January to rezone property lots 14 and 15 at the 7.5-mile mark on Mitkof Highway with intention to sell the sand and rock located on the lots, according to a Planning Commission report. The Planning Commission sent a recommendation to the assembly that...
The Clausen Memorial Museum will host an open house to celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, July 1 at 5:00 p.m. The open house is scheduled to last two hours said Kathi Riemer, who is the fourth museum director in its history. In 1963, Elsie Clausen, Claire Strand, and the rest of the Petersburg Pioneer Society started the idea for a museum in Petersburg. In 1965, Alaska began planning a celebration for 1967 to celebrate the purchase of Alaska from the Russians on March 30, 1867. The State provided matching funds to communities for...
Union workers in Wrangell last week staggered into a strike after failed negotiations with the city, leaving Petersburg community members questioning whether their town will experience backlash in its wake. A concern Power & Light Superintendent Joe Nelson has is with the power ties between the communities, as there is a transmission line that connects Ketchikan, Wrangell and Petersburg. If there are no linemen to fix a broken transmission line in Wrangell then Petersburg could be forced to run...
The Gatorade Company named a Petersburg High School graduate the best track and field athlete in Alaska last week; she joins an elite group of awardees including NFL Quarterback Robert Griffin III and Olympian Hurdler Lolo Jones. Izabelle Ith is the first person from Petersburg to be awarded the 2017 Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year. The award recognizes outstanding athleticism, academic achievement and character demonstrated on and off the track, according to a recent press release....
Petersburg Assembly Members expressed support for Karl Hagerman to replace Joe Nelson as the Power & Light superintendent in a meeting on Monday afternoon, further cementing division between the city and some of its residents on who is qualified to take over the position. "It is my hope that Karl Hagerman shows interest in this position," said Jeigh Stanton Gregor, an assembly member. "I think Karl is a very talented person and would be a good leader in that department. I hope he is willing to...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously voted to move forward with the Local Improvement District projects that would pave Unimak, Vesta and Pearl F Streets in the Severson Subdivision. There are two proposed LID projects, one for Unimak Street and the other for Vesta Street. Pearl F Street will be split between the two. The projects only apply to property owners on Vesta, Unimak and Pearl F Streets, and ballots will be mailed Wednesday, said Chris Cotta, who is the Public Works assistant...
The Petersburg Indian Association is more than two-thirds finished with construction of a boardwalk that starts at Sandy Beach Park stretching nearly 1,900 feet along the shoreline ending at City Creek. The trail revamp is likely to finish months ahead of schedule, said Todd Young, who is the foreman. He has six crewmembers working to wrap-up the last third section of the project. The boardwalk is equipped with a bridge at the entrance, a handicap pathway with ample room, and hundreds of feet...
The Borough Assembly chose a new member on Monday after four out of five voted to appoint Jeff Meucci to the vacancy. In his letter of interest, Meucci wrote: "In the event that a young person new to the process of Borough politics applies for the vacant seat, I will likely remove my name for consideration." Jeigh Stanton Gregor, a current assembly member, wouldn't disclose whom he voted for but did say he liked to see Meucci encourage young people to become involved. "I like that he wants...
