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The Petersburg borough attorney hired a consultant last year to conduct an investigation into allegations of workplace bullying within the police department. The borough attorney paid Russell Consulting LLC, a company based in Soldotna, $7,200 to conduct a four-day investigation into allegations of workplace bullying coming from the police chief. Steve Giesbrecht, the borough manager, said Police Chief Kelly Swihart would not be embarrassed by the outcome of the investigation. “Accusations were not substantiated, I can say that,” Gie...
Alaska Wildlife Troopers filed charges against two Petersburg teens who allegedly hit multiple deer with a truck last week, filmed it, and then uploaded it to social media. The teens, 17-year-old Sebastian R. Davis and 17-year-old Jasmine C. Ohmer, were charged on Monday with harassing game, a class A misdemeanor, according to court documents. Davis was charged with reckless driving as well, which is a special class misdemeanor. The charges stem from a video that emerged last week on Snapchat, a social media app. The video allegedly shows a...
The only Alaskan to compete in this year's Roller Derby World Cup is a Petersburg woman, and she joined the indigenous team to help support a mission to include native peoples globally, and advocate against upticks in violence against them. Victoria Moore, who plays derby with the Ragnarök Rollers in Petersburg, was welcomed to the indigenous global team in August 2017. She joined 20 women and two coaches, all coming from three continents and 20 tribes. It's the first time Team Indigenous has...
Vikings boys basketball logged 75 points on Friday and then 37 on Saturday, enough to split its series with Craig last weekend in Petersburg. It was senior recognition night for most winter athletes on Friday, including the Petersburg cheer team, pep band and basketball teams. "The community always goes all out in recognizing them," said Rick Brock, the Vikings basketball coach. "Kids have to feel good about all the support they get in the community from their family and friends." Boys hoops...
The PHS girls basketball team lost both games to Craig last weekend. It was homecoming weekend, and senior recognition was Friday. The Lady Vikings recognized Katie Brock, Maddie Parker, Courtney Fredricksen, Kaia Dahl and Rikki Lewis. "We started all five seniors on Friday," said Dino Brock, the Vikings coach, "And I thought they played really well together." The Vikings lost on Friday 46-20. Brock had seven points, while Lewis and Parker had six. Brock said the girls kept the game close...
The Petersburg Public Library is featuring a photo display made by a local artist who wants to represent humanity to the community. Pia Reilly, a Petersburg artist who usually paints, recently unveiled "We Are One," a photo display at the library with a whole lot of faces, but a single idea, she said. "It's not really anybody," Reilly said. "I just wanted everyone to be represented. It's a matter of all of us." Reilly took the photos from magazines and news articles, new photos and old photos....
Two high school teams from Petersburg competed in Seward last weekend in a state competition focusing on ocean sciences. This year Petersburg has nine students in the National Ocean Science Bowl. They are separated into two teams, with names created based on ocean puns. The freshman Petersburg team was called, simply, “Insert Team Tidal Here,” a boilerplate selection with a twist on the word title. The team included Jaden Perry, Liam Demko, Rose Lane and Taryn Copeland. Demko and Perry were the only members on that team who could attend the com...
The Petersburg borough assembly on Monday was nearly split when it voted in favor of a plan to reorganize the electric utility and public works department. The assembly, voting 4-3 in the first reading each time, moved forward with six ordinances needed to shake up the electric utility and public works department. The reorganization, proposed last May by the borough manager, is to make the current public works director the electric utility director, a plan chosen in favor of hiring a superintendent. The utility director would also oversee...
The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce voted Thursday to cancel this year's salmon derby, saying it would be irresponsible to compete in a time with such depleted salmon stocks. The chamber voted on Thursday to cancel the Memorial Day weekend salmon derby in Petersburg this year. The decision was made after the Alaska Department Fish and Game closed District 8 and part of District 7, a popular derby hole, for May, June and half of July, said Patrick Fowler, a local sport fish area biologist with the...
The Borough assembly at a meeting on Monday heard public comment on an ordinance that would impose a fee on senior sales tax exemption card applicants, after which the council approved it in its second reading. And the marine passenger fee has a new name. John Havrilek was the first to offer support for charging $100 annually to those who apply for a senior sales tax exemption card. Havrilek would prefer the charge be higher, and the whole sales exemption program be phased out. The fee, as...
A Petersburg boat hauler has been recommended by two borough boards for approval to self-fund a ramp at the Scow Bay Turnaround, leaving it up to the clerk and assembly to give final say once again. John Murgas, owner of Island Ventures LLC, is going to the assembly a second time with a request to build a temporary boat ramp at Scow Bay. This time he’s coming with a lease application that’s endorsed by the planning commission and harbor board. The borough clerk will review the application before it can be put before the assembly. In Jan...
The former Petersburg Municipal Power and Light superintendent addressed the assembly on Monday to offer an experienced perspective on the borough’s plan to reorganize the electric utility and public works department, and why he opposes it. Joe Nelson, who was the electrical superintendent in Petersburg for about 14 years until he retired last summer, said he wanted to clarify a few things after a special meeting on Friday. The meeting was to discuss the borough manager’s plan to reorganize the electrical departments -- a plan that has gai...
There were four overtimes of free basketball on Saturday in the PHS boys matchup against Haines, where the Viking gym was deflated by a one point loss, but it was all made possible because of a last second three in regulation by a hometown senior. Petersburg lost to Haines on Saturday, 63-64. The overtime saga began when Mark Neidiffer, a Petersburg senior, made a last second three pointer off an out-of-bounds play with about two seconds remaining, tying the game 45-45. "His will to win and...
For the first time in a decade, the PHS Jazz Band traveled out of state for a festival, where the 18-person ensemble placed second in its category. The Viking jazz group had 20 minutes to impress judges at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington last weekend. There were about 40 schools and 1,300 musicians at the festival. Petersburg was placed in the Single A category, which is designated by schools with 600 students or fewer in the 10th, 11th and 12th grade. Petersburg doesn't even have 600...
Eight current Petersburg Municipal Power and Light employees are in opposition of the borough’s plan to reorganize the public works and electric utility departments, according to a letter given to the Pilot. In a letter addressed to members of the borough assembly, dated January 27, eight power and light employees ask that the borough continues to search for an electric superintendent that has experience in the industry. Advertising for the position was canceled after the assembly recently voted in favor of the borough manager’s plan to reo...
The end of 2017 saw more confirmed flu cases in Petersburg than any year since at least 2007, according to medical center lab records. The medical center lab released statistics on the flu season in Petersburg so far. The results, mostly from those tested in the lab from November and December, showed that 62 people were positive for the flu. Liz Bacom, laboratory director and infection control manager for the Petersburg Medical Center, uses a metaphor in responding to those who ask why they...
In the search for a new CEO, the Petersburg Medical Center has received more than 70 applications from across the country, leaving it up to the hiring committee to narrow it down to less than 10. As of Tuesday, 74 people have applied to replace Liz Woodyard, the CEO of the medical center, who plans to retire at the end of June. “We have some highly qualified candidates,” said Doran Hammett, the chief financial officer with the medical center. “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble coming up with some good finalists.” The cutoff to apply was W...
In the last month, borough officials hosted three open houses for the public to offer cost saving or money making ideas, prompting a question that some folks would ask before submitting their suggestion: What’s the problem? If the borough is asking for input from the community on how to make money, in what areas is the borough in trouble financially? Finance Director Jody Tow offered some revenue areas that are in flux, starting with state funding. “In 2015 the State began to make cuts to Petersburg’s funding,” Tow said. “They started w...
A special assembly meeting is scheduled Friday at 5 p.m. in Assembly Chambers to discuss the borough manager's proposed reorganization of the electric utility and public works departments. In its last meeting, the assembly voted in favor of the proposed reorganization, which would move Karl Hagerman, public works director, to electric utility director, while promoting Chris Cotta to Hagerman's current position. Scott Newman, acting superintendent of power and light, would return as foreman. The...
Four Petersburg young men were awarded the Eagle Scout honor at a ceremony on Monday, coming after more than a decade of scouting each, about 325 requirements and at least 21 badges. The Eagle Scouts, Van Abbott, Britton Erickson, Charles Christensen and Anders Christensen were honored in front of about 100 people at the House Cross House, a ceremony that included congratulatory remarks from their dads. "It's really amazing that four people would come through the same troop and get their eagles...
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska Tuesday spurred an early morning tsunami warning in Petersburg, scrambling a borough response team and causing some residents to evacuate. A tsunami warning had been issued to the entire Gulf of Alaska at about 12:32 a.m. Tuesday after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake registered about 170 miles southeast of Kodiak. "It's unlikely that we're gonna get a large wave or something that's gonna destroy downtown," said Sandy Dixson, emergency manager for the...
The Petersburg School District is in the midst of drafting its calendar for the 2018-2019 year, and the superintendent at a recent school board meeting discussed the difficulties of settling on a resolution that a majority would support. “Twenty six years of doing calendars,” said Erica Kludt-Painter, superintendent of schools, addressing the school board at a recent meeting. “... If you put out three calendars, you’re going to get a third, third, third of the people who like them. If you put out two, you’re gonna get 50-50. I’m just saying...
The borough manager hosted a second public meeting last Thursday to hear ideas on how to decrease costs and increase revenue for Petersburg. The manager, Steve Giesbrecht, recommends the assembly take the public's suggestions, review them, and make a list of the top five or 10, he said. "The Assembly could then instruct us which ideas they want implemented," Giesbrecht said. "Using this process, the Assembly could work through the entire list." At the meeting, people filtered in for two hours...
The PHS boys basketball team lost two this weekend in Metlakatla, where scoring lulls continue to hurt the Vikings, but a full court defense kept double-digit margins into one possession fourth quarters. The Vikings lost 39-33 to Metlakatla on Friday, and 41-39 Saturday, making their record 1-7 on the season. Friday’s game started fast for Petersburg as it jumped to an 11-8 lead in the first quarter. But the team would only score five in the second quarter and four in the third, giving Metlakatla the lead 27-20 heading into the fourth. The d...
The Viking girls basketball team lost two games against Metlakatla last weekend, dropping its record to 2-6 on the season. On Friday, Metlakatla beat Petersburg 36-20, and then again on Saturday, 42-24. “To kind of summarize the game,” said Petersburg Coach Dino Brock, commenting on Saturday’s matchup. “[Metlakatla] put in their subs part way through the fourth quarter, and their subs went out and made like four out of five shots in a row.” In the first half, Metlakatla had four three-point field goals and added another in the second half. “I w...
