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A borough committee may organize to further investigate the merits of instituting an excise tax on tobacco after it was brought up for discussion during several sales tax ordinance committee meetings. While an excise tax on tobacco doesn’t fall under the purview of the sales tax committee’s mission—which is to review and recommend changes to the sales tax code so the borough can generate an equal or greater amount of revenue—it did unofficially make a recommendation to the borough assembly that it consider a tax on tobacco. Committee member... Full story
Petersburg Mayor Mark Jensen and Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht spent time in Juneau with legislators last week lobbying for state funding for the municipal building remodel. “We got a pretty unified message,” Giesbrecht said. “There’s just not a lot of money this year.” The borough has around $4 million of the $9.7 million required to renovate the municipal building comprised of the police station and municipal offices. Borough staff and officials will find out in April if the legislature includes the remodel in its capital project l... Full story
JUNEAU (AP) — State officials say Alaska's record pink salmon harvest in 2013 could create a market glut that will drive prices down for several years. The state Division of Economic Development sees a glut in supply after the 2013 harvest, bringing downward pressure on prices, KFSK-radio reported. “The 2013 pink harvest was the largest on record,” said division director Joe Jacobson before the House Fisheries Committee this month. “It's led to a glut of supply and it will probably, there will be downward pressure on prices because of it. And...
February 24, 1914 – The Bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Hon. McKellar, which provides that fish kept in cold storage for more than two months cannot be shipped in interstate commerce is so worded that it would cover frozen and preserved as well as fresh fish. If this cold storage bill should go in its original form, it would be a great calamity to two of the largest industries on the North Pacific Coast-- that of mild-cured and frozen salmon. These products are packed in the main for export to Europe and unless a r...
The Petersburg School District brought home major accolades from Anchorage last weekend after it swept student, teacher and administrator awards at the Alaska Society for Technology in Education (ASTE)-an organization dedicated to promoting access to technology and connectivity to information resources. Petersburg Senior PK Bunyi won Alaska Technology Student of the Year. Teacher and Technology Coordinator Jon Kludt-Painter won Alaska Technology Support Teacher of the Year and PSD... Full story
Stedman Elementary school students are participating in a statewide program aimed at increasing physical activity. The Healthy Futures Challenge encourages students to engage in 30 minutes of physical activity three times a week for four consecutive weeks outside of gym classes. The three-month contest is part of a larger program called the Healthy Living Grant or the Obesity Control and Prevention Grant from Alaska Department of Health and Human Services—a $600,000 grant program that provides funding in installments for four years. A...
The sales tax ordinance committee will recommend to the borough assembly an increase of the sales tax cap from $1200 to $1500 and to limit senior exemptions to full-time Petersburg residents. The mission of the committee is to simplify the sales tax code and collection procedures and to generate an equal or greater amount of revenue so the borough doesn’t have to decrease services or increase property taxes. It’s been meeting since last year and its members have discussed many of the exemptions outlined in the code—including the change or el...
Superior Court Judge William Carey last Monday sentenced Joshua Franklin, 26, and Brandon Estes, 20, to four years in jail with two and a half years to serve after the pair plead guilty in December to five counts of felony burglaries and several other misdemeanor charges. Estes and Franklin broke into five local businesses around Petersburg last August including Petersburg Motors, Wikan Enterprises, the Petersburg Parks and Recreation building and the Hammer and Wikan grocery store. During his sentencing hearing, Franklin took responsibility...
February 19 A caller reported a vehicle blocking the street. February 20 A caller reported a dog without a leash. A caller reported vehicles blocking the roadway. February 21 An officer responded to a report of a vehicle damaged while parked. February 22 Police charged Marsha Fernandez, 63, with Violating Conditions of Release. A caller reported a dog walking without a leash. Police issued a citation to Brandon Thomassen, 24, for Failure to Provide Insurance. A caller reported an intoxicated male punched a hole in the wall at the Narrows Inn....
February 20 Patrick Mooney appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell on charges of Driving Under the Influence, Refusal to Take a Breath Test and Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 6th degree. The defendant entered a not-guilty plea. The court set conditions of release. February 21 Jefferey Jackson and Sandra Jackson appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell for a dissolution hearing. The court recommended dissolution to superior court. February 24 Palmer Thomassen Jr entered a guilty plea to Domestic Violence Assault in the 4th...
The Lady Vikings brought home three wins after last week's grueling four games in four days against Sitka and Mt. Edgecumbe. The Lady Vikings defeated Mt. Edgecumbe last Wednesday in overtime 50-49. "It was a great game," Head Coach Dino Brock said. "The score went back and forth." The Petersburg squad jumped out to a 16-5 lead at the end of the first quarter but the Mt. Edgecumbe squad fought back and were only down six at the half. The back and forth battle continued during the third quarter b...
The Petersburg Vikings lost two tough games against Sitka despite taking early leads in both Friday and Saturday's contests. The squad took control of Friday's game early in the first quarter with a 16-5 lead against the Wolves. "We were being quick but not in a hurry," Head Coach Rick Brock said. "We were flashing into their openings." The Vikings kept the momentum going halfway through the second quarter until the Wolves turned the tide with several big runs and outscored the Petersburg...
Petersburg School District Superintendent Robert Thomason released additional information regarding former school Maintenance Director Tye Petersen’s possession of non-pornographic images of local children. Petersen was arrested last fall and local police and the FBI searched school facilities for signs he had taken images of students. At that time, no evidence of access points had been found. But since then, the FBI has confirmed images of local and visiting students among photos confiscated from Petersen. “Some photos were of visiting stu...
JUNEAU (AP) — House Democrats have confirmed Sam Kito III as the newest member of the state Legislature. He was sworn into office on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Gov. Sean Parnell last week chose Kito from among three candidates forwarded by the Tongass Democrats to fill the House seat vacated when Juneau Democrat Beth Kerttula resigned for a fellowship at Stanford University. Kerttula resigned Jan. 24. Under the law, the appointment must be confirmed by members in the same chamber and of the same political party as the person who previously held the s...
Petersburg Economic Development Director Liz Cabrera presented a brief overview of the Petersburg economy to the borough assembly. Cabrera used data from a bi-annual economic trench report to provide statistics on economic indicators such as median wages, jobs, food costs and sales trends. According to December 2012 data, Petersburg’s food costs are 20-30 percent above Anchorage. The data comes from a one-time snap shot of prices for one weeks worth of food for a family of four. There are 948 private sector jobs, a 2.4 percent increase over the...
