Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
The borough assembly unanimously passed public health mandate #1 at a special meeting on Wednesday that orders residents to shelter in place amid the increasing number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state. The mandate goes into effect at 11:59 P.M. on Thursday, March 26. The health mandate comes three days after the assembly passed a public health alert at another special meeting on Sunday that urged the public to shelter in place. Following an outpour of community support for a mandate...
Longtime Petersburg resident Delbert (Pete) Erickson, 77, died on March 16 in Federal Way, Washington. His is the first recorded death caused by the COVID-19 virus in the State of Alaska. Even though he died in Washington, his death is recorded in Alaska, his place of residency. According to his family, Erickson was being treated for congestive heart failure, COPD and poor kidney function at a hospital in Everett, Washington. His son Pete wrote in an email, "If he had not contracted the virus, w...
March 26, 1920 A project is underway looking towards the establishment of a paper pulp mill at Thomas Bay, fifteen miles from Petersburg within the near future. During the coming summer there will be available in the forestry department for work in Alaska $75,000. Present plans provide that a substantial portion of this shall be used to open up trails into timber districts that may be used for paper making. This will be the first direct step toward bringing paper making to Alaska and will be followed by many others. There has been an erroneous...
As the first cruise ships are expected to arrive in town on May 12, it is still too early to tell how COVID-19 will affect the cruise ship industry in Southeast Alaska, according to Dave Berg, co-founder of Viking Travel. One issue affecting large, foreign cruise ships is the closure of the Vancouver cruise ship port, said Berg. The closure was a result of COVID-19, and the cruise ship port isn't expected to reopen until June 30. While most of the ships that port in Petersburg are small,...
If you've got to ride-out a worldwide pandemic, there's no better place than in Petersburg. We're isolated on an island along the edge of the Pacific Ocean, giving us a lot of protection from the spread of COVID-19. With appropriate precautions, followed by all of us, we can get through this. Store managers tell us that shoppers have been respectful of social distancing while in the stores. More and more shoppers are phoning in orders and having them delivered to their homes, avoiding the...
Be nice people To the Editor: I've seen a lot of bashing on social media lately... this is not a time to panic and lash out at others. I personally feel like our community is doing a great job of being proactive about this whole situation we are all in. On that note.... it's simple. Stay home, don't go outside for anything if you feel so inclined but we live in Southeast Alaska for a reason. Some of us have boats, cabins, we love beachcombing, camping, etc. That does not mean we don't take it...
Local canneries are in the beginning stages of developing a plan to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 brought into town by cannery workers that will be hired for the upcoming fishing season. “We have a tremendous responsibility to the communities that we bring workers into,” said a representative from Icicle Seafoods who asked not to be named. The representative said Icicle Seafoods has been screening workers in the past, but the company has stepped up their procedures in light of the COV...
March 18-- A report of a protection order violation brought a police response at a location on S. Nordic Dr. Authorities responded to a report of loud music at a location on Ira II St. March 19-- A noise complaint was reported at a location on Hungerford Hill Rd. March 20-- A wildlife complaint at a location on Howkan St. was reported to authorities. A motor vehicle accident occurred at a location on S. 2nd St. A deer was reportedly struck by a vehicle and killed at the 4.2 mile mark of Mitkof Highway. Suspicious activity was observed at a...
As of Wednesday afternoon, four of the 13 local test specimens that have been sent to state and commercial laboratories have returned negative for COVID-19, according to Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter. The results of the remaining nine tests are still undetermined. "You would know a lot sooner if there were any positives," said Hofstetter, at a daily COVID-19 community update on Wednesday. Statewide, 59 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday evening, with 13...
The Local Emergency Planning Committee held their second meeting in two weeks telephonically, as the borough and local businesses take further precautions to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in Petersburg. To start off the teleconference, Petersburg Public Health Nurse Erin Michael and Petersburg Medical Center's Laurie Miller gave a brief overview of the new developments being taken by local health professions in reaction to the virus. Michael said the public health office and PMC are making...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced the winners of the 2020 annual tag recovery incentive drawing for sablefish tag returns. The winners are: 1. Dale Bosworth, Petersburg, $1,000 2. Paul Sorenson, Kenai, $500 3. Bruce Bauer, Juneau, $500 4. Glenda Huff, Gig Harbor, WA, $250 5. James Phillips, Pelican, $250 6. Jim Hubbard, Seward, $250 7. William Hammer Jr., Port Townsend, WA, $250 All persons who return an ADF&G sablefish tag receive a tag reward (e.g., hat or t-shirt). Tag returns with valid recovery information...
WRANGELL– Despite concerns of COVID-19, construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center has continued largely unhindered. Work on the new hospital began back in April of 2019, with an official groundbreaking ceremony in June, after the City and Borough of Wrangell and SEARHC came to a mutual agreement on the project. Work is nearing the one-year mark, and so far everything is largely on track. Current activities at the construction site include sheathing the exterior of the building, roofing wo...
WRANGELL–Governor Mike Dunleavy announced two new statewide health mandates Monday, March 23, in response to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in Alaska. These are the ninth and tenth health mandates the state government has announced regarding the virus. Many local communities have been taking steps of their own to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading further. These mandates, however, are meant to help statewide efforts to combat COVID-19. The first of these two mandates, Mandate 009 took ef...
The Pacific halibut fishery opened on March 14 amid little fanfare and flattened markets. The first fish of the eight month season typically attracts the highest prices and is rushed fresh to high-end buyers, especially during the Lenten season. But that’s not the case in this time of coronavirus chaos, when air traffic is stalled and seafood of all kinds is getting backlogged in global freezers. Alaska’s share of the 2020 halibut catch is about 17 million pounds for nearly 2,000 fishermen who own shares of the popular flatfish. A week int...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Senate approved a budget provision Monday that would give residents a $1,000 payment as a way to blunt economic impacts from the coronavirus. The provision, an amendment to a larger state spending package, passed 12-7 after the Senate rejected a proposed $1,300 stimulus payment. The underlying budget passed 17-1 later in the day, with Republican Sen. Lora Reinbold voting in opposition. The House will have to decide whether to agree to what passed the Senate. If theHouse does not agree, differences typically a...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _ They're tired of the deaths and multiple rescues near a decrepit old bus whose legendary status continues to lure adventurers to one of Alaska's most unforgiving hinterlands, and now officials in the nearest town want it removed, something the state has no intention of doing. The long-abandoned vehicle was made famous in the 1996 "Into the Wild"book and later in the movie of the same name. Scores of travelers have been rescued and two have died trying to cross the...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Spread of the coronavirus, with businesses considered nonessential also ordered to close to the public. The order was to take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday and last for two weeks. It orders Juneau residents to stay at home as much as possible, except to work in critical jobs, get health care, groceries or other goods deemed critical and get fresh air without contacting others. People, when they do venture out, are to stay at least six feet from others outside their household when possible. An extensive list of businesses deemed...
Edward J. Herrman, 60, died on February 23, 2020 at his home in Petersburg, Alaska. He was born on September 30, 1959 in Manhattan, New York to Elizabeth Hunter and Bruce Edward Herrman. He first arrived in Alaska in 1989; he walked off the ferry and knew this is where he wanted to be. Here is where he met his future wife, Christina L. Sakamoto, and they started a family together. They had a son and a daughter, Nicholas and Avery, and as years passed, his two oldest children, Travis Herrman and...
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Democratic Party will hold its party-run presidential primary exclusively by mail and is moving back the deadlines for returning and tabulating ballots. The party announced Monday it is canceling in-person voting sites planned for April 4 due to concerns with the coronavirus. But it is extending the deadline to return ballots by mail. Originally, ballots were to be postmarked by Tuesday. The party now says they must be received in Anchorage no later than April 10 to be counted. Results are expected no l...
The Petersburg Borough as enacted a second public health mandate on Thursday afternoon that cancels certain borough boards and commission meetings through April 30 as COVID-19 worries continue. Public Health Mandate #02, which was signed by Incident Commander Karl Hagerman and is effective immediately, prevents the Petersburg Borough Planning Commission, Harbors and Ports Advisory Board, Library Advisory Board and the Public Safety Advisory Board from meeting until April 30, at which time... Full story
