Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
As the 29th Alaska State Legislature reached the halfway point of this year's session last week, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, House District 25 representative, stopped in Petersburg to talk about legislature issues with a local impact. By far, the budget is the largest issue facing this year's legislature, Kresis-Tomkins said. "I ran into someone yesterday and we were talking really briefly about it and I mentioned I felt like a pallbearer at a funeral because of the budget," he said. "Gloom and doom is kind of the mood." That's because the state... Full story
The Sitka sac roe herring fishery will be done cooperatively this year, with processing completed in Sitka alone, meaning no fish tax for Petersburg. "This is an industry initiated cooperative," Dave Gordon, area management biologist at the Department of Fish and Game, said of the co-op. He added that the sac roe herring market is "very poor right now," and that the decision was made to eliminate competition and risk - to lower costs to "make it worthwhile to go after the product." "The quota this year is quite small," said Patrick Wilson,... Full story
What is the need for a road between Kake and Petersburg? That's the question Petersburg residents wanted most answered during a meeting with the Federal Highway Administration and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) Tuesday evening. The two entities brought along the McDowell Group and Northern Economics, who conducted studies concerning the project. It was the 2012 Alaska Legislature that appropriated $40 million to ADOT&PF to construct about 22 miles of a new,... Full story
March 13, 1915 – The Border Line Transportation Company's steamer Despatch arrived in port at one o' clock Tuesday morning, and, after taking on 501 empty oil drums, departed south. The vessel did not carry passengers this trip, owing to her staterooms having been newly painted. She will be ready next voyage, however, with newly furnished cabins and good accommodations for twenty-four first-class and fifty-six second class passengers. The Despatch is in command of Captain Brunn, formerly of the Northland. Chief Savage, also from the N...
Share your opinions on recycling To the Editor: If you are a participant of the blue bag recycling program, then please be aware of the changes being presented. The borough assembly is very close to deciding whether or not to take over the program and turn it into a cart-based system. We signed up for the present program because it is not only a worthy program, but it is designed to be very convenient. The borough assembly proposes a system that is inconvenient and, in my opinion, will be a costly mistake. This program needs to appeal to those...
With only 90-days to conduct the public’s business, we never cease to be amazed at the bills that attract consideration by our state legislators. In the, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” category comes SB 6 and a companion bill HB 64 that proposes to eliminate daylight savings time in Alaska. Why? First, it puts Alaska out of sync with the rest of the country, particularly our neighbors in Canada and for S.E. residents, the west coast cities where we conduct much of our business. Second, public safety would be compromised. We need more dayl...
March 4 A driver received a warning for inoperable taillights at a traffic stop. A caller reported firewood had been stolen. Police received a report of a parked vehicle with a broken window and property stolen on Scow Bay Loop Rd. Disorderly conduct was reported. A caller reported an individual who did a u-turn and almost caused an accident. March 5 A driver received a warning for registration requirements. A caller reported individuals peeking at residents of a 2nd St. home through the window. March 6 An officer was notified of an individual...
February 24 Superior Court Judge William Carey presided over a sentencing hearing for Tore Lenz. He was convicted by a Petersburg jury in Feb. 2014 on one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the 2nd degree. A three-judge panel took Lenz’s case under review on Nov. 7, 2014. Lenz was sentenced to 66 months in jail with 36 months suspended and 10 years probation along with surcharges and the cost of counsel. David Estes appeared before Superior Court Judge William Carey for a Change of Plea, Sentencing and Adjudication hearing. The defendant p...
The Petersburg High School cheerleaders came away from last week's Region V tourney as the 3A champs after being judged on their performance during game time as well as in a cheer showcase. The 16-member squad was on the sidelines cheering for all six games played by the Vikings and Lady Vikings at last week's tournament in Ketchikan. They were judged throughout Wednesday's girl's game versus Mt. Edgecumbe on all aspects of cheerleading. "Before the game they get judged on their sideline...
The Petersburg Medical Center is in a good position financially right now, but it’s in the next three to five years that it may face some serious challenges. Representatives from the hospital and its board of directors met at a special meeting with the Petersburg Borough Assembly Monday evening. “Your hospital is strong, you have almost no debt,” said Interim Chief Financial Officer Doran Hammett, who brings in an outside perspective as he does financial work for hospitals around the country. He added that Petersburg has a strong balance sheet...
After winning their first two games against Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe, the Lady Vikings ultimately fell to the Sitka Lady Wolves during the last two games of the Region V basketball tournament last week in Ketchikan. Each team matched the other in scoring during the first half of Friday's game, with Petersburg ending the first quarter up 10-9 and Sitka taking a narrow lead by the end of the second, 18-19. In the second half the Lady Wolves started to pull head, ending the third quarter up 30-34. When Petersburg sent Sitka players to the line in t...
The Petersburg Vikings placed third in the 3A division of the Region V Tournament in Ketchikan last week after falling to Sitka in overtime last Thursday morning. Head coach Rick Brock said despite the loss, the team came back from a disappointing performance in their opening game on Tuesday. “The boys were pretty upset on Tuesday just in the way that we performed. They knew that they hadn’t done their best,” Brock said. “We talked with the team about coming out on Thursday and playing with some energy, some emotion and, I guess it’s a cliche...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance on first reading at last Monday's meeting that establishes fees for the new Drive Down Dock facility that is expected to be available for use later this month. The ordinance also increases the short term and transient moorage fees. Vessel owners accessing the new Commercial Drive Down Dock will pay $2.50 per linear foot for an annual permit for the facility. Those accessing the facility on a per use basis will pay $1.00 per linear foot of...
A nearly $12 million cut in state funds is on tap for the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game if state policy makers have their way. That was one early outcome of legislative House finance subcommittee meetings last week, as they wrapped up the first step in a budget process that will see cuts in agencies and programs almost across the board. According to Juneau Resources Weekly, the ADF&G budget reductions cut across all divisions with sport fishing facing the most personnel losses at 12 seasonal jobs. The Division of Habitat could lose $400,000;...
Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) CEO Trey Acteson spoke before the Petersburg Borough Assembly last week and the Wrangell Assembly this week to update the communities on the progress of the Swan Lake expansion project and apprise them of their role in upcoming refinancing efforts. The current dam at Swan Lake is 174 feet tall and 430 feet wide with a spillway slot that is 15 feet high and 100 feet wide. "Essentially the project is to fill that spillway slot, be able to raise the reservoir...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ The supervisor of the Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff, Arizona, will move north to become supervisor of the nation's largest national forest. The Juneau Empire reports Earl Stewart has been named supervisor for the Tongass National Forest, which spans more than 26,500 square miles in southeast Alaska. The U.S. Forest Service in an announcement says Stewart likely will take the new position in May but a start date hasn't been decided. Stewart says working in the Tongass is a lifelong dream. He will replace Forrest...
