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The borough assembly passed an ordinance adopting the borough's fiscal year 2021 operating budget in its first reading on Monday. Expenditures for the general fund in the proposed budget total $9,838,846, but it's balanced out equally by $9,838,846 in revenues. The current 2020 fiscal year budget has a total of $9,533,511 in revenues and $9,467,855 in expenditures. There were several challenges facing department heads in creating the upcoming fiscal year's budget. Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed 100...
The borough assembly on Monday failed to make a motion to extend public health mandate #4, the local face covering mandate, past its May 5 expiration date. The face covering mandate first went into effect on April 21 and was set to last until May 5 at 11:59 P.M. The local face covering mandate requires all persons to wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth in certain social situations to help prevent the spread of droplets that could infect others with COVID-19. As of Monday, May...
In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared May 10 Mother's Day as a national holiday. Hannah Balcom never planned to marry, let alone have children and celebrate Mother's Day as a Mom. This May 20 however, she is scheduled to have a C-section in Ketchikan to bring her third child, a little girl, into the world. Hannah and her husband Brad Balcom met and fell in love on Princes of Wales Island (POW) seven years ago and moved their young family, Seth now four and Arianne now two, to Petersburg...
In the event that the Petersburg Borough can't hold an in-person municipal election this fall due to state health mandate limitations, the borough assembly passed an ordinance in its first reading on Monday that would allow the municipal election to be held remotely. If passed in three readings, ordinance #2020-16 would allow the borough assembly to direct borough staff to conduct an election by mail with no precinct polling place open for regular in-person voting on election day, according to...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht told the borough assembly on Monday that the borough has been working with Icicle Seafoods and Trident Seafoods on their plans for bringing cannery workers into town during the upcoming fishing season. Giesbrecht said the two canneries' plans are being reviewed by medical professionals at Petersburg Medical Center. Both canneries are making modifications to their plans and submitting them to the state for approval, said Giesbrecht. The borough is having a...
One of the things Petersburg residents look forward to with the change of the season and the weather is The Market, which in the past has been held in the John Hanson Sr. Hall and included homemade baked goods, fresh vegetables and flowers, local jewelry and art and more for purchase. This year The Market is going to have a different look, because like a lot of other things in the world right now, COVID-19 is bringing about a change. Chelsea Tremblay, chair of The Market board says this year...
Borough officials will be having a work session with state medical professionals next Wednesday to talk about the state's current and future approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said on Wednesday that the information gained from the work session can be used by community leaders to prevent a widespread COVID-19 outbreak as Petersburg begins to reopen parts of its economy. "I think it's very important to understand where the state is going with testing, and...
Southeast Alaska Power Agency is still in the process of trying to replace a damaged submarine cable that provides Petersburg with power, as complications increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bob Lynn, chairman of the SEAPA board, told the Petersburg Borough Assembly at their meeting on Monday that there are concerns over whether the project can be completed this year. The damaged cable is one of four submarine cables that connects the terminals between Woronofski and Vank islands to provide...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Organizers of the Southeast Alaska State Fair said Friday that the summer event in Haines has been canceled this year due to COVID-19. In a statement, fair officials said it was a difficult decision but the right one to make. “For us and many across Southeast Alaska and the Yukon, the Fair is something to look forward to at the end of the summer, a moment of congregation and fun separate from the rest of the year,” the statement reads. “2020 has instead united us with the common goal of preserving the health and safety...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Federal lawmakers have been urged by tribes and local conservation groups to address transboundary mining, which some consider a threat to southeast Alaska. Transboundary mining is when run-off from a mine in one country pollutes water that eventually flows into another country. The dams in Canada holding back toxic wastewater from the mining process have failed before in 2014 when the Mount Polly Mine in British Columbia spilled millions of gallons of industrial waste into nearby waterways in southern British Columbia, t...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Alaska's largest newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in public service Monday for its work examining law enforcement in rural communities, a feat coming less than three years after the outlet was rescued from the brink of financial collapse. This is the third such award won by the Anchorage Daily News. The award announced Monday was won in collaboration with ProPublica for "a riveting series that revealed a third of Alaska's villages had no police protection, took authorities...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Nearly 70% of this summer’s Alaska cruise ship voyages have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of expected passengers staying away from the staple of the state’s tourism industry. Alaska cruise industry representatives delivered the disheartening update to the state’s Board of Marine Pilots, CoastAlaska reported Wednesday. Mike Tibbles of Cruise Lines International Association Alaska told board members that 408 voyages have been canceled so far. “It’s a little over 800,000 pas...
The value of Alaska salmon permits is another casualty of the coronavirus with prices dropping for all fisheries across the state. There are a lot of permits for sale - and the most offers ever to lease permits, especially at Bristol Bay. The virus has changed everything, said Doug Bowen of Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer. “There’s so much uncertainty about if there will even be a salmon season here and there, and if so, what kind of a price can be expected and so on. I can’t think of one salmon permit that is going up in value. And if there...
April 29 — Authorities responded to a wildlife complaint on Hungry Point Trail near Sandy Beach Rd. A welfare check was conducted at a location on Haugen Dr. Authorities responded to a report of suspicious activity. Tanelle Olson was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. A dangerous driver was reported at a location on Sandy Beach Rd. April 30 — A city recycling bin was reported stolen from a location on Odin St. April 1 — Authorities responded to criminal mischief near the Petersburg Police Depar...
May 7, 1920 Fish handling facilities are to be installed on the Trading Union dock by that concern at once, according to the announcement of manager Carl E. Swanson to the Report editor. A housing engine and ice crusher will be installed and the coolers already on the dock will be put in shape for the use of the fishermen who wish to ship their fish independently or for independent fish buyers. The engine has been ordered and it is expected to have things ready for work within the next three weeks. May 14, 1945 Six girls, five of whom have been...
Early Tuesday morning, Officer Andrew Ayriss was confronted by a beaver in the middle of the road on S. Nordic Dr. near the Community Cold Storage. Not wanting the beaver to get injured on the road, Ayriss used a board to try and herd it down the nearby bank and back into the water. But instead of following Ayriss' orders, the beaver attacked the board and bit into it. The officer and the beaver went back and forth for several minutes before the beaver finally relented and got off the road,...
A skunk cabbage was seen in full bloom in the muskeg near the Nature Boardwalk Trail....
Friday & Saturday May 2nd & 3rd...
A salty-backed gull takes a rest in town Friday morning. The gulls are usually found farther north in the interior around Nome....
On Sunday, a porcupine climbed to the top of a tree near Cabin Creek reservoir to nibble on tree bark....
Raiden Luis Hendrikus Wagemaker was born to Brandon and Maria Wagemaker on April 1, 2020. He weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long....
Sandhill cranes fly over Bear Claw Mountain on April 30....
Ferry situation a disgrace To the Editor: The article on the AMHS receiving $10M in U.S. Virus recovery funds is a cover-up. You cannot blame the problems of the ferry system on the virus. The blame lies with the incompetence of the governor, the legislature, and the DOT. When was the last time that Petersburg and Wrangell had ferry service? When the M/V Matanuska broke down, common sense would tell you that you can't operate a ferry 24 hours a day, seven days a week, month after month without...
Before residents cheer the expiration of Petersburg's face masking mandate, they need to remember that the reopening of many local businesses rely on the use of face masks by both employees and patrons according to state health mandate #16. According to the Borough's Incident Commander Karl Hagerman, "There is very, very strong language in the state's reopening plan regarding face coverings. The Emergency Operations Center will continue to emphasize face coverings as being an important factor...
