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The Alaska Board of Fisheries has approved significant changes to the Wrangell Narrows-Blind Slough Terminal Harvest Area Salmon Management Plan, creating new king salmon sportfishing opportunities for resident anglers while working to protect crucial hatchery broodstock. Last year’s controversial closure of freshwater fishing for king salmon in Blind Slough prompted a community driven effort to change the area’s salmon management plan. Proposal 159, developed by the Petersburg Fish and Game Advisory Committee with input from community mem...
This month the Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) was honored at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet with the Community Impact Award — for transforming local transportation infrastructure through decades of partnerships, generosity, and community engagement. Glowing with pride as she presented the award, Petersburg Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne described the partnership between the borough and PIA “in creating and maintaining trails for the community, along with ro...
Six fathers of Mitkof Dance Troupe students will bravely step into the spotlight this Saturday competing to be crowned Mr. MDT in a male pageant fundraiser to raise money for updates to the dance studio’s facilities. The event, taking place at the Elks Ballroom, features dads who answered the call after some persistent recruitment tactics from the dance teachers. “We literally begged them,” said Kelsey Lambe, MDT dance teacher. “We wrote them letters,” said fellow MDT teacher Olivia Reid. A few seemed willing, but mostly the letters went unan...
Ashley Kawashima - pictured above (right) volunteering alongside Everett Bennett at Humanity in Progress a local nonprofit they both co-founded - was named Young Leader of the year at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce banquet on Feb. 15. James Valentine presented the award and said "I've known Ashley for a long time ... she has always been a person who puts others before herself and works hard to help people in need. I feel it was time she be recognized for what she has done for the community...
Petersburg Police Chief James Kerr presented the department’s annual report to the Petersburg Borough Assembly at last week’s assembly meeting, offering a summary of the department’s past year. Assembly Member Jeigh Stanton Gregor thanked Chief Kerr and Fire/EMS Director Aaron Hankins for “for taking the time to put those [reports] together for us.” And Stanton Gregor encouraged to the public to read through the reports which are included in the 2/18/25 meeting packet on the borough’s website. The Petersburg Police Department reported an increa...
Petersburg’s Emergency Services Director Aaron Hankins presented the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department’s 2024 annual report to the assembly last week. Hankins writes in the report, “2024 gave us a few hurdles to overcome with the resignation of our EMS Coordinator, changes within the officer corps, new regulations and aging equipment. Thankfully, with new leadership and staff in place, new recruits, and with help from the Title 3 USFS receipts we are looking like we are in a little better shape going into 2025.” “Response times remain on...
In a time of healthcare uncertainty and looming federal budget cuts, Petersburg Medical Center's Patient Navigator Brandy Boggs is working to empower community members to take control of what they can – their long-term care planning. This week, Boggs, who has served as PMC's Patient Navigator for four years, is offering a series of workshops focusing on Medicaid-compliant trusts, aimed at helping Petersburg residents protect their assets while planning for future care needs. These sessions are part of a longer series of workshops led by B...
Federal employees across Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest received termination notices over Presidents Day weekend, part of what union leaders are calling an "intentionally dishonest" nationwide purge of civil service workers that has hit Alaska's rural communities particularly hard. In Petersburg, as of Sunday evening, at least nine Forest Service probationary employees were terminated, with seven more terminated in Wrangell. Most of those affected were early-career professionals... Full story
Three properties on Sing Lee Alley were damaged during a series of break-in attempts late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Marina LeBlanc was home when she heard someone breaking in through the front door of Sew What, her sewing and upholstery shop on Sing Lee Alley. She turned on lights, and reportedly saw someone flee from the property. LeBlanc called police, who responded within minutes. Unable to secure her damaged door frame, she wedged it closed with a table and, understandably...
A vintage briefcase sits against a wall in the Clausen Memorial Museum, displayed alongside weathered timesheets from bridge inspections conducted decades ago. The well-worn leather case, donated by Tom Laurent, carries a family history of Forest Service dedication – passed down from his father, who himself was a second-generation Forest Service scientist, Tom continued using the leather case for bridge inspections until just last year. This simple briefcase, representing three generations of s...
Petersburg's local DMV office has moved into the historic Thompson Building on South Second Street, which is something local residents may need to know as the federal deadline to obtain a REAL ID quickly approaches. Starting on May 7, 2025, to fly within the United States every traveler 18 and older will be required to have a state-issued REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification like a U.S. Passport. But your regular state issued driver's license will no longer be enough. "It's not...
When Ravenstail and Chilkat weaving nearly disappeared, it was saved by a small handful of dedicated artisans. Now, a Petersburg weaver has won a $20,000 business grant to help revive this traditional artform. Dzijúksuk (Debra O'Gara), a raven frog from the cedar bark house of the Teeyhittaan clan, was selected as one of two winners in Spruce Root's 2024 Path to Prosperity competition. The artist's business, Raven's Nest Regalia and Arts, will focus on creating traditional regalia for sale, teac...
A proposal to establish a Petersburg police K9 unit was rejected by the borough assembly Monday in a 4-2 vote, with members citing budget uncertainties despite strong support for the program's anti-drug objectives. The Petersburg Police Department had requested approval for a dual-purpose police service dog that would be trained in both patrol work and narcotics detection. The department highlighted an urgent need, pointing to "multiple search warrants for illegal narcotics" executed over the...
While many economic indicators in Alaska draw concern, outdoor recreation stands as a bright spot, generating $3.1 billion in economic output in 2023. That's according to Mariyam Medovaya, who is coming to Petersburg next week to discuss the growing potential of adventure tourism as the guest speaker at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet on Feb. 15. "Outdoor recreation is kind of an underappreciated giant of American economy," says Medovaya, noting that Alaska ranked first among...
Mitkof Middle School students put their engineering skills to the test Tuesday in an underwater robotics competition, marking the culmination of a project that brought together students, parents, and community volunteers. Science teacher Hannah Smith's sixth and seventh-grade students assembled remote operated vehicles (ROVs) nearly from scratch before competing in events including speed races, obstacle challenges, and debris cleanup at the Petersburg Community Pool. "Everyone had three class pe...
Jake Slaven, president of the Petersburg Rod and Gun Club, presented a report to the Petersburg Borough Assembly on Feb. 3 to provide updates on the activities of the club and improvements at the Petersburg Shooting range. The club has installed new security cameras at the range through $8,000 in funding contributed by club members and a matching grant from Petersburg Mental Health Services. The facility has also added a new shelter at the pistol range, funded by an NRA Foundation grant, and the...
Petersburg Planning Commission voted on Jan. 15 to recommend that the borough assembly update zoning code to establish a new Marine Industrial Overlay zone, that would restrict uses of specific borough owned tidelands property -and the two recently sold parcels - in the Port Dock and Scow Bay areas for marine-industrial uses only. The proposed overlay would create special zoning restrictions to ensure those specific tidelands remain available for commercial fishing and maritime operations. The...
Petersburg's first baby of 2025 arrived on her own schedule, surprising her parents with a slightly early appearance on January 16 at 3:07 a.m. in Anchorage. Haley June Torrez, weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 20 inches long, was born to Petersburg residents Tori Shay and Aidan Torrez, marking a joyous beginning to the new year for this hometown family. The couple are both 2014 Petersburg High School graduates. Tori, a lifelong Petersburg resident, works at SEARHC handling medical...
The Pilot has been trying to ride out the storm of production cost increases over recent years without passing higher costs on to our newspaper customers, but we've stretched our ability to do so as far as possible. Beginning next week, the cost of a single edition of the newspaper goes from $1.50 per copy to $2.00. Well, actually $1.88, as the two dollars includes local sales tax. Our subscription rates will also have to bump up commensurately. A local subscription will be $82 for the year -...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 21 to extend the borough's solid waste disposal contract with Republic Services for an additional year, as communities across the region continue to explore long-term solutions for Southeast Alaska's waste management challenges. The one-year extension will maintain waste disposal services through August 2026 at a rate of $192.40 per ton, with estimated costs between $425,000 and $475,000 for the year. The borough had until...
Carey Case first arrived in Petersburg in 1998 as a 24-year-old seasonal Forest Service employee, and now, after 25 years of service in numerous roles within the district, she has been hired as the Petersburg District Ranger. "I started working for the Forest Service in college in Washington State, and really liked working outdoors and getting to take helicopters and working in remote places," Case recalls. Her journey to Petersburg began when "RD Parks hired me and moved me up here. He asked... Full story
A unique University of Alaska Southeast program is teaching high school students how to participate in federal subsistence management decisions by bringing them directly into the public process. The dual enrollment course, which offers high school students two university biology credits, prepares participants to engage effectively with the Federal Subsistence Board - the body overseeing subsistence hunting and fishing regulations on federal public lands in Alaska. "I truly believe now, in my exp... Full story
Next week the Petersburg Medical Center is launching another round of its Lifestyle Balance Program, a wellness initiative that uses group support and individual coaching to help participants make and maintain healthy lifestyle changes. "The program is designed for people who may be at risk for developing diabetes, which can be based on family history, age, gender, activity levels, or weight," said Julie Walker, PMC's Community Wellness Manager. "We focus on prevention through sustainable...
Updated state demographic data published this month paints a picture of Petersburg's population showing relative stability in total numbers but significant shifts in age composition. Petersburg Borough's population stands at 3,379 in 2024, down slightly from 3,398 in the 2020 Census. During these past four years, the borough recorded nine more births than deaths, while experiencing a net loss of 28 residents to migration, resulting in an overall decrease of 19 residents. A further look at the...
Petersburg nonprofit Humanity In Progress (HIP) is preparing for its ninth annual Project Connect event, which will provide resources and services to community members experiencing housing insecurity. The event will take place Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 2-6 p.m. at John Hanson Sr. Hall, thanks to the space being donated by Petersburg Indian Association (PIA). Preparations for the event have been underway for several months. "Our main goal is just to make sure that we have resources available for the...
