Articles written by brian varela


Sorted by date  Results 601 - 625 of 1172

Page Up

  • Lady Vikings win two against Miss Chiefs

    Brian Varela|Jan 23, 2020

    In a strong showing of their defense, the Lady Vikings won both their home games this weekend against Metlakatla's Miss Chiefs. Petersburg took an early lead in Friday's game, ending the first quarter up, 12-5. Head Coach Dino Brock said the team did a good job of pushing the basketball and had a solid defense at the start of the game. In the second quarter, both teams went back and forth with their scoring and the Miss Chiefs ended up outscoring the Lady Vikings by one point. In the third...

  • Early snow stops hiker from completing PCT

    Brian Varela|Jan 23, 2020

    It wasn't her bad knees, a fear of heights, a limp or hundreds of miles of hiking that prevented Hillary Hunter from completing the last 295.5 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. It was the earliest snowfall in Washington in over 100 years that forced her off the trail. On April 17, 2019, Hunter first started her expedition on the 2,226 trail that begins at the border of California and Mexico and runs north just over the Canadian border. While teaching English in Madagascar with the Peace Corps...

  • Wrangell and Petersburg lose power Friday

    Brian Varela and Caleb Vierkant|Jan 16, 2020

    The cities of Wrangell and Petersburg both briefly lost power on Friday morning, Jan. 10. The power outage occurred a little before 11 a.m. and lasted about an hour. Both cities typically receive their electricity from a hydro plant at Tyee Lake, near Bradfield Canal. Rod Rhoades, light and power director for Wrangell, said that there was a "phase to phase fault" in the power line between the lake and the two cities. He speculated that this could mean something like a tree branch fell on the...

  • Cold temperatures, but no record lows

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    Beginning last weekend, Petersburg has been experiencing a cold front with temperatures hovering just above zero degrees, but Wes Adkins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, said there hasn't been any record breaking low temperatures so far this month. "We got close, but records are there for a reason," said Adkins. At the beginning of January, temperatures were falling within the average temperature range of 37 and 27 degrees for the month, according to data from the...

  • Tribal voters elect incumbents in PIA elections

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    Twenty-one tribal voters elected four incumbents in the Petersburg Indian Association Tribal Council election on Jan. 6, but one 1-year term remains vacant. Incumbent Cristina Morrison was reelected as council president for another 1-year term. Heather Conn, Kayla Perry and Mary Ann Rainey were reelected to serve 2-year terms on the tribal council. All four incumbents ran unopposed. According to Tribal Administrator Tracy Welch, Morrison took over as council president last year after she had...

  • School board approves new elementary math curriculum

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    The Petersburg School Board approved an updated math curriculum for the district and the purchase of related materials totaling approximately $42,000 at the board's meeting on Tuesday. A whole new math curriculum is being adopted at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School that was constructed last year by second grade teachers Becky Martin and Mary Midkiff, according to Elementary Principal Heather Conn. The curriculum teaches math to students in a spiral manner. "We will see the same information...

  • Fire department finds its EMS coordinator

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    The Petersburg Fire Department has filled its vacant EMS coordinator position about two months after the borough assembly authorized the department to hire a third staff member following uncertainty in the borough's budget. Josh Rathmann began his first day with the department on Thursday, Jan. 16. He was stationed in Petersburg for just under three years when serving in the United States Coast Guard. During that time, he was a volunteer firefighter with the Petersburg Fire Department, but his...

  • Community pool closed all week

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    The community lap pool is closed this week due to an above average amount of water being pumped into the pool to maintain regular water levels. Parks and Recreation Facilities Supervisor Stephanie Payne said the cause of the phenomenon is unknown at this time. A pool dye kit has been ordered that may help staff determine what has been causing the pool to need extra water to keep it at capacity. Payne said she first noticed the problem late last week. Parks and Recreation made the decision to...

  • Capt. Holmgrain completes rigorous FBI Academy

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    After a rigorous 11-week program that pushed the limits of his physical and academic abilities, Captain Randal Holmgrain of the Petersburg Police Department graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy in Virginia on Dec. 20. Holmgrain first applied to the academy in December 2017, which is offered to law enforcement officers throughout the country and world. As part of the extensive application process, Holmgrain had to submit his resume and explain what he could contribute to...

  • Lady Vikings victorious against Haines

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    The Lady Vikings came out ahead in both their games against the Lady Glacier Bears at Haines over the weekend. Like the Petersburg High School boys basketball team, the Lady Vikings had a late start to their games against Haines as a result of weather conditions. What should have been two games over Friday and Saturday ended up being a game almost immediately after getting off the ferry on Saturday and a game at 8 A.M. Sunday morning. Despite their late arrival, Head Coach Dino Brock said the...

  • Add two to the Viking winning streak

    Brian Varela|Jan 16, 2020

    The Petersburg High School boys basketball team continued their winning streak this season with two wins against Haines last weekend. The Vikings had a rough start to the weekend when their ferry to Haines was delayed due to weather. They were supposed to play the Glacier Bears Friday and Saturday, but because they didn't arrive in Haines until Saturday afternoon, the two teams ended up playing against each other Saturday evening and Sunday morning. The Vikings had good offense and defense to...

  • 2019: Year in Review

    Brian Varela|Jan 2, 2020

    January Following the shutdown of the U.S. government on Dec. 22, 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard stated it would continue offering essential services. The borough assembly approved $600,000 for a new baler. The USCG located debris from an overdue medivac aircraft that had three people onboard that was due to land in Kake several nights before. A decrease in air cargo coming into Petersburg affected the timely arrival of residents' packages after the retirement of Alaska Airlines' combi 737-400...

  • SEAPA board postpones rate increase decision

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    The Southeast Alaska Power Agency Board voted against a half-cent rate increase at their meeting earlier this month, but will vote on a possible rate increase again in March. The Tyee Lake hydro project dedicates its power to Petersburg and Wrangell, and the Swan Lake hydro project produces power for Ketchikan. In the past, the Tyee Lake hydro project has always produced more power than the two communities could use, so the excess power was sold to Ketchikan. Low lake levels in Tyee Lake this ye...

  • Borough joins commission to collect online sales tax

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    The Petersburg Borough has teamed up with other members of the Alaska Municipal League to create the Alaska Remote Seller Sales Tax Commission which will oversee the collection of online sales tax. The borough assembly appointed Finance Director Jody Tow as the borough's representation on the commission at their meeting last week. The online sales tax would only apply to online vendors that have gross sales of over $100,000 in Alaska annually, or have over 100 transactions in the state, said Tow...

  • Artist puts wilderness of Alaska to canvas

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    Jaynee Fritzinger ventured outside of her comfort zone by capturing the natural beauty above water in her paintings that were on display in her art show "Alaskan Wilderness" on Friday at FireLight Gallery & Framing. Fritzinger said she has always been painting, but in 2017, she began to take her art more seriously. After a successful show in that same year that featured fish and underwater scenes, Fritzinger was inspired to paint more, but she wanted to appeal to a wider audience. She motivated...

  • SEAPA unsure whether to replace or repair faulty cable

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    One of four submarine cables providing Petersburg with power from the Southeast Alaska Power Agency has been damaged and needs to either be repaired or replaced, but the SEAPA board is concerned with the success of repairing the cable and the price tag of a new one. Bob Lynn, Petersburg's voting member on the SEAPA board, said the board was updated on the condition of the submarine cable, which is located between Woronkofski and Vank islands, at their meeting earlier this month. According to...

  • PMC picks up phase one master planning discussion

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors continued their talk about the upcoming completion of phase one of the master plan to build a new hospital at their board meeting last Thursday, which began at a joint work session with borough assembly earlier this month. Several analyses have been conducted by NAC Architecture in order to prepare the master planning documents. Dan Jardine, project manager with NAC Architecture, said at the joint meeting that the master planning would be...

  • PMC has operating loss in November

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    Petersburg Medical Center had an operating loss of $205,855 for the month of November, according to the hospital's financial report. PMC's net operating revenue came in above the budgeted $1,313,250, at $1,493,828. Year-to-date, PMC is above its net operating revenue by $928,060 with a budgeted $6,956,250 and a total of $7,884,310 for the first five months of the fiscal year. The year-to-date net operating revenue is just enough to make up for the year-to-date total operating expense of $7,873,6...

  • PHS wrestling ends season with four placing at State

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    Four Petersburg High School wrestlers placed in their weight classes at the state championship tournament in Anchorage last weekend. Kole Sperl came in second place, Ruby Massin placed fourth, Deirdre Toyomura came in fifth place and Merrick Nilsen finished in sixth place. Reed Anderson, Sawyer Bryner, Adam Ware and Kyle Biggers also competed at State, but according to Alaska School Activities Association state championship scores, their place in the tournament is unknown. Head Coach Tyler...

  • Lady Vikings begin the season with two loses

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    The girls varsity basketball team had a rough start to the season this weekend, losing both their games to Wrangell. The Lady Vikings gave the Lady Wolves a 17-point led early on in their first game of the season. Petersburg was able to close the gap to 10 points by halftime, but was unable to catch up to Wrangell. The Lady Vikings ended up losing the game, 37-57. Head Coach Dino Brock said the team missed some crucial shots and had some early season mistakes, but the girls still put up a fight...

  • Boys basketball win first games of the season

    Brian Varela|Dec 26, 2019

    The Petersburg High School boys basketball team kicked off the season with two wins against Wrangell during homecoming this past weekend. The Vikings had a sluggish start to the first game of the year. Head Coach Richard Brock said the team made miss-able shots and missed three free throws in a row. Instead of calling a timeout, he let the Vikings figure out their mistakes on their own. "We have a lot of returning guys that have good varsity experience, so I didn't call a timeout to see if they...

  • Assembly votes against OHVs on borough roads

    Brian Varela|Dec 19, 2019

    The borough assembly failed to pass an ordinance in its first reading that would allow off-highway vehicles on borough roads, citing a 2017 public vote against a similar ordinance and concerns of overriding the public's will. The ordinance would have allowed residents to operate their OHVs on borough owned and maintained streets under the conditions that the operator has a valid driver's license, the OHV is registered with the borough and the OHV is insured. Richard Burke spearheaded the effort...

  • MDT performs game-themed dance recital

    Brian Varela|Dec 19, 2019

    With months of preparation under their belts, the 164 student Mitkof Dance Troupe took to the stage this weekend to perform "Game Night," a variety of dance routines centered around well-known board games and activities. The performance was split over four nights. Last Thursday, tots and kinders performed six dances, including Go Fish, Mouse Trap and Twister. On Friday and Saturday, first graders and up performed a combined total of 21 dances. Their performances interpreted such classic games,...

  • Assembly strikes down letter of dissatisfaction to Forest Service

    Brian Varela|Dec 19, 2019

    The borough assembly failed to pass a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture and the United States Forest Service at an assembly meeting Monday expressing discontent with the process of reviewing the Roadless Rule in the Tongass National Forest. The letter, which was drafted by Assembly Member Chelsea Tremblay, notes that when the Forest Service presented their six alternatives to the Roadless Rule at a public meeting in November, it seemed as if the decision to go with the alternative six,...

  • School board discusses cell phone policy

    Brian Varela|Dec 19, 2019

    With the increasing presence of cell phones in the district, the Petersburg School Board held a discussion on the district's cell phone policy at a school board meeting last week. At Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, cell phones are not allowed to be seen during school hours, and must be kept in students' backpacks. Principal Heather Conn said she hasn't seen any cell phones this year so far, though she has seen them in past years. When a student is caught with their cell phone out, they must dr...

Page Down