Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
Governor Mike Dunleavy's planned visits to two Southeast Alaska communities, Petersburg and Wrangell, have been cancelled due to bad weather. Cold temperatures plus snow and rain have made travel around the region difficult. The planned meetings, for Feb. 3 and 4 in Petersburg and Wrangell respectively, were to be part of a town hall series where the governor could receive input on the PFD, services valued, and other topics. "I want to hear your thoughts, understand your concerns, and see your...
Park and Recreation's aquatic center has reopened to the Petersburg School District, Viking Swim Club and the public this week, but repairs are still being made to the heating system. On Monday morning, the temperature in the lap pool was 81 degrees and the temperature in the leisure pool was 91.5 degrees, said Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht at an assembly meeting Monday. While the water temperature was warm enough to swim in, the air in the aquatic center is only 79 degrees. "Seventy-nine sou...
Two entrepreneurs from Anchorage have begun the process to build 15 low-income housing units on Excel St. using federal tax credits. Glenn Gellert and John McGrew expect to build the apartment building over three parcels on Excel St., which are owned by Lyle and Carol Bennett. The couple has been trying to sell the lots for the last three years. Lyle said the houses have been falling apart, and they have been looking to downsize. The three parcels contain the addresses 103, 105, 107 and 109 Exce...
February 13, 1920 A Firemen’s Relief Fund has been started by Petersburg Fire Department for the purpose of caring for those injured while fighting fire and provide clothing to firemen to replace any that might be spoiled while engaged in their active duties. The money for the fund will be derived from donations, social activities, or from any other source to which the firemen might have access. The fund will be dispensed by a committee of five members who were elected at the meeting to hold office for a term of one year. February 9, 1945 C...
A letter to Sen. Bert Stedman and Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins requesting information on the proposed Kake Access Road project was approved by the borough assembly at their meeting Monday after amending the letter to remove a paragraph suggesting the road was a waste of funding. The letter follows a similar correspondence between the borough and the Department of Transportation's project manager, Greg Lockwood. In a letter to Lockwood, the assembly requested a public meeting with DOT officials...
The M/V Matanuska will be out of service through March 1 to address issues with the reduction gear system, according to a prepared statement released late Feb. 5 by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The ferry will travel to the Ketchikan shipyard where it can be inspected in a dry dock to determine if further repairs are needed. The Alaska Marine Highway System has refunded fares for passengers that have already booked travel onboard the M/V Matanuska and has assisted with...
No ferry coverage To the Editor: I am surprised the paper did not have any news of the only mainline ferry in service being cancelled for two weeks. I am certain if the Seward Highway was closed for two weeks it would be in the news everyday. You did have plenty of coverage of the "road to nowhere." Dale Bosworth State income tax To the Editor: It's time for a state individual income tax. We can no longer live off the fumes of the oil industry, and we certainly can't continue to live off our sav...
During these times of limited capital project spending around the state, the proposed Kake to Petersburg road should not be a priority. Funding for the project was allocated in 2012 by Senator Bert Stedman (R-Sitka) under a "Roads to Resources" program. Ignoring the fact that the project has taken nearly 8 years to develop, much has changed since the project was funded. Biggest among them is the state's realization that they have to live within their means. Next is the fact that the...
I am almost a lifetime SE Alaskan and my wife and I are current residents of Wrangell. I moved to Ketchikan in 1943 when I was ten years old and have lived and worked in almost every major Southeast Alaska city including Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell and Sitka and played a lot of high school basketball in Petersburg. I continue to invest in institutions that provide services in each of those communities including Haines and Skagway. I cite these facts because I know how sensitive SE residents are to suggestions offered by well-meaning persons...
In coordination with Southeast Alaska Communities Against Drugs, the Petersburg Police Department conducted a controlled delivery in town that resulted in the seizure of 114 grams of methamphetamine. According to Police Chief Jim Kerr, the case is still under investigation, so details of the bust can't be released at this time. He said search warrants have been filed and charges are pending against the individuals involved. As a part of SEACAD Petersburg works with officials throughout the...
The Sitka black-tailed deer hunting season is closed in Alaska. All hunters who obtained deer harvest tickets, even those who did not hunt or harvest a deer, must return completed hunt reports to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. If you haven’t submitted your hunt report, do so immediately. Hunt reports may be submitted by mail, in person at a Fish and Game office, or online at http://hunt.alaska.gov....
January 29 — Authorities responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a location on S. Nordic Dr. A duress alarm was accidentally activated at a location on Sing Lee Alley. Extra patrols were requested on S. 4th St. January 30 — Authorities responded to a verbal argument at a location on S. Nordic Dr. Suspicious activity was reported on S. 4th St. and N. Nordic Dr. A vehicle slid off Hungerford Hill Rd. and into a ditch due to poor weather conditions. Extra patrols were requested on N. Nordic. Dr. January 31 — Slick roads were repor...
As the Vikings reach the halfway point in their basketball season, they can add two more victories to their ever growing list of wins this season in two games against Mt. Edgecumbe, a school outside of their conference. Head Coach Rick Brock said he went into their games knowing that Mt. Edgecumbe had a good program and an even better coach. The Vikings found it difficult to gain a comfortable lead, but by the end of the first quarter Petersburg was slightly ahead 13-11. The Vikings were only able to stretch their lead by one point in the...
The borough assembly approved an ordinance in its second reading that would add a fourth level of care at Mountain View Manor and increase rental and service rates. Mountain View Manor has already been offering that fourth level of care, the facility hasn’t been charging for it, said Shelyn Bell, department head of elderly housing and assisted living, at an assembly meeting last month. The facility could bring in an additional $55,000 per year should the ordinance pass, said Bell. Rates vary according to the number of occupants in the a...
Southeast Alaska Power Agency conducted a survey on a damaged cable running between Woronofski and Vank islands, and the board looks to make a final decision on whether to repair the cable or replace it by March's board meeting. "We could have up to 20 more years," said Bob Lynn, Petersburg's voting member on the SEAPA board. "We don't know, but the risk is very high on that old cable." Lynn gave the borough assembly an update on the project at an assembly meeting Monday, but data from the surve...
Sealaska Heritage Institute's book "Raven Makes the Aleutians" was awarded a picture book honor award from the American Indian Library Association. The illustrations in the book were done by local artist Janine Gibbons. The story was adapted for children from the works of the late Nora and Dick Dauenhauer, who transcribed it from Tlingit Elders Susie James' and Robert Zuboff's oral accounts. The book was published in 2018 as part of the Baby Raven Reads series. The books promote literacy to...
Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have identified a new species of thalattosaur, a marine reptile that lived more than 200 million years ago. The new species, Gunakadeit joseeae, is the most complete thalattosaur ever found in North America and has given paleontologists new insights about the thalattosaurs' family tree, according to a paper published recently in the journal Scientific Reports. Scientists found the fossil near Keku Island near the village of Kake in 2011....
Alaska gets a good return on investment from its commercial fisheries. And surprise! Commercial fisheries expertise also sustains Alaska’s subsistence and most of the personal use fisheries. “This is probably not well-known,” said Sam Rabung, director of the commercial fisheries division for the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, at a presentation last week to the House Fisheries Committee. “Data collected by our division is shared across all divisions within the department as much as possible,” he explained to lawmakers. “We also share the cost of...
Olivia Martinsen was named to the Vanderbilt University Dean’s List. Gillian Wittstock has been named to Gonzaga University’s fall President’s list for students earning 3.85-4.0 GPA. Nels Evens has been named to Gonzaga University’s fall Dean’s list for students earning 3.5-3.84 GPA....
Larry "Irish" Solem passed away Dec. 17, 2019 in Marysville, Washington. He was born August 27, 1929 in Ballard, Washington to Oliva and Ottar Solem. Irish and his family moved to Petersburg, Alaska where he lived until their return to Ballard during the war years. Irish attended Ballard High School where he graduated in 1946. He joined the US Navy right out of high school where he served honorably until his discharge in 1948. He met his wife Peggy in Bremerton and were married on May 7, 1949... Full story
