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State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss Tomkins and Alaska Department of Revenue Director Ken Alper gave a state budget crisis presentation for community members two weeks ago. They used colored blocks of wood representing different revenues and expenditures balanced on a large scale to provide a visual representation of the state's budget deficit and the continued gutting of our state's savings should the legislature not create a more sustainable budget for the state. On the revenue side of the scale sat a... Full story
High winds caused havoc early Tuesday morning in Petersburg and many other Southeast communities, resulting in power outages, damaged homes and blocked highways. A strong low pressure system hit Southeast with winds gusting from 60 to over 70 mph throughout the Alaska Panhandle, according to NOAA meteorologist Tim Steffen. "Petersburg itself, the airport is kind of sheltered so we usually don't get good readings," Steffen said. "But it recorded 40 knots, which is actually really impressive for... Full story
January 29, 1916 – Sergeant Wardell received word yesterday morning that his successor, Sergeant Michael McLaughlin, from Fort Worden, Wash, will arrive here on the next steamer from Seattle. Mr. Wardell will probably leave for the south next week. He is to go on duty in the cable office at Seattle. Fourteen degrees below zero, at an early hour last Saturday morning was the lowest temperature noted by Sergeant Wardell at the radio station during the prevailing cold snap. At six o' clock yesterday morning the mercury stood at zero. The t...
Petersburg High School sophomore Helen Martin, 15, will take a trip to the state capitol in early March and spend four days sitting in on the legislative session. Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins selected Martin to participate in his Legislative Externship Program after her world history teacher talked to her class about the program. Martin, who is the vice president of her sophomore class, talked it over with her mom and they both thought it would be a good idea. "I'm pretty excited to sit in and... Full story
The Sons of Norway Hall will hold a Coast Guard Appreciation Reception on Friday night hosted by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The event is open to the public and the goal is simple: thank Coast Guard crews and families for their service and many contributions to Petersburg. David Byrne spearheaded the effort to create the event, but he admits it was not an original idea. He got the idea from a Coast Guard appreciation dinner in Kodiak sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. “I didn’t really think of it, I just stole the idea,” Byrne says.... Full story
Since the Department of Transportation continues to push ahead on the Kake-Petersburg Road, it’s appropriate that the Borough Assembly takes action to divert funds from the project. Nothing kills a road project quicker than taking the money off the table. Repeatedly, citizens from Kupreanof, Kake and Petersburg have told Transportation officials the road is a bad idea. It’s not needed, it’s not cost effective and it needs to go away. Kake needs lower cost electricity and a road is not needed to address their power needs. Since as early as Ja...
Shame on you To the Editor: I don't understand why environmentalists get so excited about the timber sales the Forest Service is kind enough to make available for logging companies. Why protest? Everybody knows trees are a “renewable resource.” Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka, and Petersburg were all built on fishing, and logging mills – both lumber and pulp and some mining. Those towns didn't have to depend on tourism and chartering. If you look back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's these towns were booming, our economy was thriving. We had a lot o...
January 20 A caller reported their neighbors causing a disturbance. January 21 A caller reported loud music at a Mitkof Highway residence. An officer responded. A caller reported an individual pacing aggressively outside of a building on school property. An officer made contact with the individual and determined no crime was being committed. Kory Birchell, 24, received five citations for littering. Jarred Olson, 26, received a citation for speeding on Sandy Beach Road. Olson was reportedly going 39 mph in a 25 mph zone. An officer gave a...
January 21 Taylor Homer appeared before Superior Court Judge Carey for a bail review. The court denied Homer’s request to reduce bail to $2,500 from $5,000. Zachary Bray appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell for a bail review. The court changed its no contact order to allow contact via email, text or by phone but no physical contact. January 25 Brittany Martin appeared before Superior Court Judge Carey for a change of plea hearing for violating conditions of release associated with a felony burglary charge. The court entered a not guilty p...
A Local Marijuana Regulation Advisory subcommittee met and discussed issues related to the permitting and taxation of marijuana in the borough. The permitting and taxation subcommittee discussed a variety of problems associated with what it considered too restrictive state regulations regarding the testing of marijuana and how the multiple permits required would impede a successful marijuana industry in a rural island community. According to the Marijuana Control Board’s adopted regulations, separate permits are needed for the industry i...
Joan Sebastian launched her latest effort to get people in Petersburg a little healthier last Saturday with her inaugural “On Track with Joan Sebastian” workshop. The weekly event will run until March 12, it is free and open to the public, and takes place at Parks and Rec. Sebastian's goal with the workshop is to stress the importance of an individual's lifestyle when it comes to weight management. “It's part an informational group and part support group, and it's going to be driven by the people that are in it,” she says. “I will be covering...
Petersburg girls basketball went to Craig on Thursday and Friday for a two-game set against the Lady Panthers. Craig celebrated homecoming on Friday, but the Lady Vikings put a damper on the festivities by winning both nights. Head coach Dino Brock says the team played tough team defense both games and really controlled the Panthers. “We did a nice job blocking out and rebounding,” Brock says. “Everybody that played did a nice job.” Brock says the games were not high scoring, and the Lady Vikings did not shoot the ball as well as they had in...
The Petersburg High School boys basketball team took two games from Craig last Thursday and Friday, but the Panthers played tough and showed resilience on their homecoming night. Head coach Rick Brock says Friday’s game was a good learning experience for his team about how to deal with the adversity and play through the emotions of a game. On Thursday, the Vikings played very well from the start and were rolling on the offensive end of the court, quickly jumping out to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Craig had no answer for the P...
The Petersburg Science Series presented a talk on the "Steelhead of Petersburg Creek," last week at the library, drawing an audience of around 30 people to the event. Petersburg area management biologist Patrick Fowler gave a short presentation and then answered audience member questions about the unique life history and management strategies of steelhead, which includes snorkeling the creek annually to count the species. Fowler is part of the Alaska Department Fish and Game Division of Sport Fi...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — A magnitude-7.1 quake knocked items off shelves and walls in Alaska, jolting the nerves of residents in this earthquake-prone region. There were no reports of injuries, but four homes were lost to explosions or fire following the quake. Alaska's state seismologist, Michael West, called Sunday's early morning quake the strongest in the state's south-central region in decades. Alaska often has larger or more powerful earthquakes, such as a 7.9 last year in the remote Aleutian Islands. “However, last night's earthquake is sig...
JUNEAU (AP) — A bill to update Alaska's Uniform Code of Military Justice is making progress through the state House, advancing Friday from a judiciary committee review. It is expected to be scheduled for a vote by the full House. Lawmakers advanced the bill intended to strengthen the state's military code after a scathing report found that actual and perceived favoritism, ethical misconduct and fear of reprisal were eroding trust and confidence in the leadership of the Alaska National Guard. The National Guard Bureau Office of Complex Investiga...
A single Chinook salmon is worth more than a barrel of oil. The winter kings being caught by Southeast Alaska trollers are averaging 10 pounds each with a dock price of $7.34 a pound, according to state fish tickets. That adds up to $73.40 per fish, compared to less than $25 per barrel of oil. Those who depend on fishing for their livelihoods want to make sure that budget cuts combined with any new fishery taxes, don’t cut core services that result in missed fishing opportunities. “Not all cuts are equal, and if there are cuts that int...
A 2016 fiscal and legislative survey was sent to constituents across District 35 soliciting input and feedback on the fiscal crisis and other issues Alaska is facing. The only problem is – the wrong link was in the survey. The survey erroneously included a link to jkt.com/survey. The correct URL is repjkt.com/survey. Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins' office would be grateful for your feedback, either online through the corrected link (repjkt.com/survey), or the paper survey....
Ned Pence, 78, passed away January 15, 2016 peacefully at home. Ned was born on July 21, 1937. He grew up in Mackay, Idaho, with his parents and four brothers. In 1955 he left Mackay to attend the College of Forestry at the University of Idaho to study Forest Management. He received his B.S. degree in Forest Management in 1959 and married Arleen Westfall, the love of his life in Salmon, Idaho. After graduation he worked at many jobs as a professional forester in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and... Full story
