Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
Sunday, January 14, was the warmest day on record in Petersburg for the month of January, with temperatures reaching 63 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau. What's more, the state of Alaska hit a record high on Annette Island, where it was 66 degrees, said Jake Byrd, a forecaster with the weather service. The winter heat comes after temperatures dropped well below freezing last week. "When we go from extreme cold to extreme warm like this," Byrd said, "basically what...
In April 2017, about eight months before Angel Worhatch would resign from the Petersburg Police Department, a female inmate was attempting suicide, and the nearly 20-year chief dispatcher had never stepped inside a jail cell alone. In late October, two months before she would resign, it happened again. Another apparent suicide attempt, this time by a male inmate, asking her to watch. The first attempted suicide took place on a day Worhatch was training a new dispatcher. They were going over...
Superior Court Judge William Carey said Petersburg Attorney Fred Triem, “has been repeatedly untruthful with the court and opposing counsel,” and that he, “engaged in a game of subterfuge and deceit,” in pursuing legal action over his client’s firing from Alaska Airlines. On Tuesday, Carey ruled on multiple motions in his order and ultimately dismissed the case against Alaska Airlines. Helen Lingley was terminated from her position with the airlines and in 2012 Triem filed a wrongful termination claim with the company on her behalf. Triem tol...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Legislature opens a new session Tuesday amid lingering fallout from the resignation of a House member accused of inappropriate behavior toward female aides. A new member is expected to be appointed to the House this month to replace Dean Westlake, the freshman Democrat who resigned. Lawmakers have vowed to rewrite an 18-year-old policy against sexual and other harassment that critics say leaves room for interpretation. And legislators will be required to attend harassment and discrimination prevention t...
January 18, 1918 N. Nelson reports that the work of completing the buildings for the cold-storage plant at Scow Bay will be rushed as fast as building material can be procured. Stanley Beck, who has just completed the installing of a cold-storage plant for the Glacier Fish Company at Tacoma, will come north within a few weeks with machinery for Scow Bay, and a 75 h.p. Fairbanks-Morse Semi-Deisel engine has also been ordered for this plant. January 15, 1943 To us, but not to us alone, Mrs. Sally Booth was a sincere leader, and one who will be...
The borough’s highest electrical job once again could go to Karl Hagerman, who had pulled his name from consideration in October following the election and scrutiny of his qualifications. One assembly member and an empty search for someone else made him reconsider. In a meeting on Monday, the assembly voted 5-2 in support of making Mr. Hagerman utility director of power and light, a title comparable to electrical superintendent. The move revisits Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht’s idea to reorganize power and light and public works, which he...
Superior Court Judge William Carey denied a request by Plaintiffs Danny Robert Thompson and Greg Richeson to have their case heard as a class action by stating the case does not meet the class action prerequisites required by state law. Carey heard oral arguments on the case in December of last year, and issued his order for Class Certification on Jan. 16. The order explains that two plaintiffs seek injunctive and declaratory relief, the return of property and general, special punitive and exemp...
The Peterburg assembly narrowly struck down a resolution to repeal a federal ruling that limits development on national forest land, a decision it made after hearing public testimony from seven people on Monday. The resolution Monday supported an end to the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects social and ecological value and characteristics of roadless areas from construction and reconstruction, along with certain timber harvest activities, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The borough said this resolution was brought to...
When ownership of a newspaper or broadcast outlet changes, it’s big news. It’s the lead story of the day. Everyone wants to know who the new owner is, and what changes will be made to the organization. In the case of KSTK, Wrangell’s public radio station, the proposed ownership change was advanced with barely a whisper to the public. With approximately 234 letters mailed to active supporters and bits of information shared with a few others, minimal notification was made of changes that were coming to Wrangell’s station. This newspaper stumble...
Police say a Petersburg woman was arrested on Saturday for fleeing a scene under the influence after driving a vehicle into two pedestrians in the 1100 block of South Nordic Drive. Shirlene Olson, 54, was arrested on two counts of assault in the third degree, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence. Olson appeared in District Court before Magistrate Judge Desiree Burrell on Tuesday afternoon. Olson did not enter a plea and was released under conditions with $1,000 bail....
Jan. 10 — Police responded to an alarm activation on N. Nordic Dr. Jan. 11 — A medication was reported stolen from a S. 2nd St. location. A cat was reported lost on S. 4th St. Jan. 12 — Barricades were set on Dolphin St. due to slippery conditions. A motor vehicle accident was reported at Haugen and Nordic Dr. No damage or injuries were incurred. Jan. 13 — Officers secured an open door on a S. 3rd St. residence. An officer attempted to stop a snow machine operating on the highway on Libby Straight. The operator fled the area. Suspici...
The Petersburg Police Department recently purchased a pick-up truck for about $47,000, the chief said. The borough used $47,311 of its motor pool fund in early December 2017 to purchase an officer patrol truck. The truck will be used to haul the department's portable dispatch center, along with getting access to areas outside of service area one, especially in poor weather conditions, said Police Chief Kelly Swihart. "It is capable of pulling the communications trailer in various conditions if...
After deliberation on Saturday the Alaska Board of Fisheries rejected a proposal to scrap the Southeast Alaska management plan for Dungeness crab fisheries. The BoF is currently convened in Sitka for its meeting on the region’s shellfish and finfish regulation change proposals. It meets every three years, the last one being held in Wrangell in January 2015. Starting its shellfish meeting on January 11, members took testimony for 155 different proposals related to crab, shrimp and other miscellaneous shellfish. A late comer to this year’s sla...
DOUGLAS, Alaska (AP) – An Alaska man says his dog came nose-to-nose with a wolf while they were walking at a Douglas park. The incident happened last Saturday while Peter Fellman and his wife, Jane Pierson, were walking their two dogs in Savikko Park, also referred to as Sandy Beach. Neither Fellman, his wife nor their dogs were harmed in the encounter, the Juneau Empire reported . Fellman said his dog Bingo’s benign nature allowed the group to remain unharmed. The couple was on their way to a dinner at a friend’s house when they decided to st...
For the first time in at least 28 years, the Petersburg girls basketball team played a series in Unalaska, where a defensive weekend gave the Vikings their second win and fourth loss of the season. “What a great cultural experience,” said Dino Brock, the Vikings coach, noting Unalaska’s mountainous landscape and scant forest land. “What a different part of the state -- a whole different world for us.” On Friday, the Vikings lost to Unalaska 26-24, but won on Saturday after the team went 11 for 15 from the free throw line. “We won the game fr...
Petersburg boys basketball took a team of eight to Unalaska this weekend where it struggled to shoot the ball, losing two games and dropping to a 1-5 record. The Vikings lost to Unalaska on Friday, 48-27, and Saturday 64-38. "That's a quality team we played," said Rick Brock, the Viking head coach. "Has to be one of the best teams in the state for what I've seen." With Petersburg shooting woes against Unalaska -- a team that's big, fast and can shoot, Brock said -- he was happy to see his team...
WRANGELL – Radio station KSTK is now awaiting decision by the Federal Communications Commission on whether to approve a proposed acquisition by CoastAlaska, a regional service headquartered in Juneau. Applications to transfer the station's four licenses were filed with the FCC in early December, with a public comment period ending last week. If approved, Wrangell Radio Group, whose board administers the local station, would transfer KSTK's physical assets along with its licensed channels to C...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska's population declined for the first time in 29 years as the state's oil-driven recession continued through 2017. State figures released on Wednesday listed the state's population at 737,080, the Juneau Empire reported . That's down 2,629 from 2016 and is the first decrease since 1988. The number of people moving out was only partially balanced by the number of new births. The state also had a record high in number of deaths this past year, at 4,530. ``The r...
Alma Maria (Alvarado) Greinier, 57, passed away on January 16, 2018 peacefully in her home. She was born on May 10, 1960 in Amherst, Texas. Alma grew up in Sunnyside, Washington. She met her husband Joseph and moved to his hometown of Petersburg, Alaska in 1994 where they lived for 16 years. Alma worked as an office manager for Norquest Seafoods and Trident Seafoods in Petersburg. In 2010, Alma and Joe moved back to Washington to be closer to her girls and grandchildren. She worked in the...
Brandy Mulbury has been named to Mansfield University’s Dean’s List for Fall 2017 Semester....
WRANGELL- A sizable rock slide along Zimovia Highway Thursday evening temporarily blocked off access to traffic. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities was notified of the slide at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning, and arranged with local contractors to remove the debris. One lane was opened to traffic by 9 a.m., with workers on the scene coordinating with traffic to allow movement through the area. Drivers passing through the temporary chokepoint should be prepared for a slight...
