Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 323
Police this week seized items from a residence in Petersburg that are consistent with the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine, according to a release from the department. On Thursday and Friday, Petersburg officers served multiple search warrants at a residence on Cornelius Road, and “another location,” according to the release. Officers seized glassware, listed chemicals, materials used to package controlled substances for distribution and other suspicious substances, which will be submitted for official identification. The sus... Full story
The Petersburg assembly gave its final approval of a reorganization of borough departments on Monday, coming after a petition to reject it was signed about 270 times by 270 residents. In a 4-2 vote, the assembly finalized the borough manager’s revise leadership of the electric utility. Those against the reorganization circulated a petition over the weekend that received 272 signatures in support of appealing the decision. “That’s a pretty good percentage of the 1,110 people that voted in the last election,” said Mayor Mark Jensen, who has opp...
Petersburg Medical Center board of directors recognized the long term care department for its recent five-star rating on a Medicare network, along with a quality of excellence award from 2017. The Petersburg Medical Center Long Term Care department was given a five-star overall rating from Nursing Home Compare, a branch of The U.S. Government Site for Medicare. Long term care also received the “Recognition of Quality Achievement Award” in September 2017, presented by Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, a Medicare quality organization for Ala...
Mike Bangs, who helped pioneer commercial diving in Alaska and was chair of a regional advisory council and Petersburg harbor board, died last week at 62. About 250 people filled the Sons of Norway Hall for the Celebration of Life program on Sunday. Nearly 20 friends and family members told stories about their time with Mr. Bangs. "For many of us here today, the world is already a different place without our friend Mike Bangs," said Glo Wollen, giving remarks at the program. "He passed far too y...
A Petersburg man in his second round of proceedings with the borough assembly has been approved to build a Scow Bay boat ramp that he will pay for. John Murgas, a boat hauler and owner of Island Ventures LLC, was green-lit by the assembly on Monday to lease tidelands and construct a temporary boat ramp at the Scow Bay Turnaround. The Petersburg Harbor Board, Planning Commission and Economic Development Council all recommended the assembly approve a lease for Murgas. The purpose of the ramp is...
Two Petersburg teens last week pleaded not guilty to charges of harassment in connection to chasing and hitting multiple deer with a pickup truck in early February. Jasmine Ohmer, 17, and Sebastian Davis, 17, appeared before Judge William Carey in the Petersburg District Court for an arraignment hearing last week. Ohmer pleaded not guilty to harassing game. Davis pleaded not guilty to harassing game, as well as reckless driving. According to court documents, on Feb. 5, Davis allegedly used a...
The first thing Charlotte Hoiosen did when she moved to Alaska in 1960 was have dinner with the governor. Hoiosen was 38 and married with two kids. The family loaded a van and started a one-way trip from Southern Minnesota to Petersburg. Her husband, Roscoe, would be a teacher there. The family camped along the way. Not for leisure. Money was tight back then. "I remember waking up one morning and finding a nice little nest of baby rattlesnakes not far from our tent," said Hoiosen, who turned 95...
The PHS boys basketball team was at full health for the first time this year last weekend in Wrangell, where it split its series and ended its regular season with a 5-13 record. "Friday was the first game all season that we had our whole roster together," said Rick Brock, coach of the Vikings. Petersburg beat Wrangell on Friday, 46-27. Early on it was shaping up to be a one possession contest throughout. Wrangell jumped ahead to just a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. "But then that...
PHS girls basketball lost two games to Wrangell over the weekend but later won its first round matchup of the region tournament on Wednesday. Petersburg traveled to Wrangell to play the Wolves during their homecoming weekend. The Vikings lost 73-66 in overtime on Friday. "Both teams just shot lights out," said Dino Brock, the Vikings head coach. Petersburg senior Rikki Lewis finished with a season high 23 points on Friday. Senior Maddy Parker had 15 and seniors Courtney Fredricksen and Katie...
A petition that circulated in Petersburg last week is catching some fallout after three borough employees reportedly used city equipment to seek signatures during work hours. In an assembly meeting on Monday, member Jeff Meucci read from an email written on Friday by the borough manager, which addressed a public appeal petition of the electrical reorganization. “This is clearly the right of persons involved,” reads the email from Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. “However, it has been reported t...
The Petersburg assembly again approved restructuring leadership of two departments in the borough, introducing the ending to a contentious debate since last spring on who should head the electric utility. The assembly chambers in Petersburg on Monday was full, mostly with people in the electrical field waiting to testify against a plan to have the public works director assume leadership of the power and light department. The plan was approved 4-3 in its second reading after eight audience...
The keynote speaker at the chamber of commerce dinner last weekend is the owner of a cruise line that specializes in exclusive trips, and he announced that one of his ships based in Sitka is moving its homeport to Petersburg. Dan Blanchard, owner of UnCruise Adventures, operates a fleet of nine ships, seven of which are in Alaska. Blanchard announced at the Sons of Norway hall on Saturday that the Safari Quest would be homeporting in Petersburg starting this year, and the captain is his...
Three police officers and two citizens in Petersburg were honored at a borough assembly meeting on Monday for their rescue efforts during an apartment fire last year. On May 5, 2017 an apartment fire was reported at the Narrows Inn in Petersburg. Before responders arrived, Petersburg citizens Mandy Smida and Cecilio Escatell entered the burning apartment in search of an injured person inside. "Using brute strength," said Capt. John Hamilton, who presented the awards, "[Escatell] forced the door...
Twelve Petersburg community members were heard at an assembly meeting on Monday opposing the borough's plan to reorganize leadership of the electric utility. The plan, introduced by the borough manager in May 2017, is not to hire an electrical superintendent with experience in the field. Instead, to cut costs and focus on managing a team, the assembly voted Monday to reorganize departments. The public works director, Karl Hagerman, with 25 years as a municipal employee, would assume the role of...
The borough assembly on Monday finalized two ordinances that plan to generate revenue by charging fees on tax exemption cards and cruise ship passengers who come to Petersburg. Assembly members approved an ordinance to impose a $100 annual fee on senior citizens who qualify and apply for a tax exemption card. The fee is waived to qualified applicants who sign an affidavit claiming they have a combined household income that doesn’t exceed $20,000. Household was defined at the meeting as a tax filer, plus a spouse, plus dependents. The senior s...
The Petersburg Vikings won two games last weekend in Craig, where the Vikings got its first sweep of the year coming ahead of its rival matchup against Wrangell this week. The first half of Friday’s Craig-Petersburg matchup looked promising, said Rick Brock, the head coach. Petersburg was scoring well and holding a steady lead. The halftime score was 26-23. But Craig ran a full court press defense to start the third. “I figured they would make an adjustment,” Brock said. “And their press bothered us, the physicality of it.” Petersbur...
The Petersburg Lady Vikings split its series with Craig last weekend. On Friday, Petersburg held Craig under 25 in its 33-24 defensive effort, picking up its first win against Craig this year. Senior Courtney Fredricksen led the team in scoring with seven. Freshman Allie Davis and senior Katie Brock both had six. “We did a nice job protecting the paint,” said Dino Brock, Petersburg’s head coach. “We just stayed solid defensively.” Petersburg started off slow offensively, only scoring four in the first quarter. “Then Nina [McCay] hit a coupl...
The newest eatery in Petersburg was honored with the 2018 Business of the Year Award on Saturday at the annual chamber of commerce dinner. The Salty Pantry opened for business in early April 2017. Its owner, Mindy Anderson, spent a year on the business plan. She attended a baking institute in San Francisco in 2016 where she learned the science of yeasted breads, croissants and pastry doughs and desserts, Angela Christensen said as she introduced Anderson on Saturday. "The place might be small...
In the months before Kelly Swihart announced he would retire as police chief in mid-2018, the department he leads was besieged by three separate internal investigations. Two looked into possible policy breaches and crimes by current and former employees, and the third scoured bullying allegations against him. Two of the investigations have closed since he announced his retirement in early January: a more than three-month administrative investigation into who leaked confidential information from the police department, and the bullying investigat...
The Mitkof Middle School wrestling team traveled to a regional tournament last weekend in Juneau, a trip coming after the team raised nearly $3,000 to help make travel costs more affordable for parents. Petersburg 6th, 7th and 8th graders wrestled in the Southeast Alaska Middle School Regional Tournament in Juneau last weekend, placing fourth overall. But the price tag for travel expenses was more than planned. Petersburg had to cancel its trip to Ketchikan in January after the local ferry was...
School administrators in Petersburg are using recent student incidents to spark conversations and learn, while confronting the conversations with young students about active shooter scenarios. There were two students charged in early February with fish and game violations after one 17 year old allegedly hit two deer consecutavly with a truck and the other filmed it from its passenger seat. There appears to be laughter as the deer were hit. One of those teens, Jasmine Ohmer, 17, issued a statement on Monday, in which she sought forgiveness and...
It took police officers less than 10 minutes to locate two vehicles that were allegedly stolen on consecutive days by the same Petersburg man. Ron Wallen Sr., 59, allegedly stole a vehicle on Feb. 9 from 14 Harbor Way. Police received a report at 5:01 a.m. that morning, saying a green pickup truck had been stolen. Derek Thorsen, police officer on the case, located the vehicle by 5:03 a.m., said Kelly Swihart, the police chief. The investigation was over in about 55 minutes, and Wallen was arrested and charged with vehicle theft in the first...
The PHS Lady Vikings won two games this weekend in Haines, increasing its record to 6-8 ahead of a tough road trip in Craig. Led by Petersburg senior Rikki Lewis' 15 points, the Vikings beat Haines on Friday, 41-34. Petersburg coach Dino Brock said his team made Haines uneasy with its full court press. "But I thought Haines did play better than the last game," Brock said. "Which you kind of expect at this point in the year." The Vikings beat Haines in early February in Petersburg, 50-28, and...
In its second series of the year, the Haines Glacier Bears won two more games against the Petersburg Vikings. The Vikings hosted the Glacier Bears two weeks ago, which included a four-overtime Haines win. Last weekend, this time in Haines, the Vikings lost in regulation on Friday, 55-54. Rick Brock, Petersburg's coach, said his team was ahead one point with about five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Before looking for the game's last shot, Haines called a timeout, during which...
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day was on Friday, February 16, and to honor the civil rights activist a local artist unveiled a portrait of the Petersburg-born Tlingit woman, who was a significant actor in passing the first anti-discrimination law in the country. The artist, Janine Gibbons, unveiled the portrait of Peratrovich at the ANB-ANS Hall Friday afternoon in Petersburg. "I see Elizabeth Peratrovich as just this role model that brought a lot of people from the whole entire state of Alaska...
