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JUNEAU — The Alaska Legislature is set to start a special session Thursday morning after failing to reach agreement on state budget by the midnight deadline on Wednesday that marked the end of the annual regular session. The House adjourned Wednesday at 9 p.m. without taking a vote on passing a budget, three hours after the Senate sent them their take-it-or-leave it spending plan. The decision by the Republican-dominated House majority led Gov. Mike Dunleavy to call for a 30-day special session to continue budget talks. That session is set t...
The Petersburg Borough is rolling out a survey this week that asks community members what their housing needs are now and in the future. The survey was created by Agnew::Beck Consulting, which has experience administering similar surveys in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and reviewed by the Housing Task Force and the Petersburg Borough Assembly. "They're trying to find out from us what we need in housing ... one of the main sources of data they're going to have is what we tell them,"...
May 18, 1923 – Assistant Forester E.A. Sherman has presented seventy-one volumes as a nucleus for a marine library to the Forest Service boats operating in this district, according to word received by C.H. Flory. The library will be known as the Sherman Marine Library. The books are now on the way to Alaska. They include works of high class fiction, travel, exploration and history. Following the plan suggested for the library, the headquarters will be on the Ranger Tahn and from that boat will be distributed throughout the Forest Service f...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved the borough's FY24 budget in its second reading during Monday's meeting with three amendments added. The first amendment, proposed by Assembly Member Jeff Meucci, increased funding for Mountain View food service from $25,000 to $42,800 using general fund reserves. The increase was requested by the program to help meet the rising costs of food, inflation, and an increase in deliveries to five days a week, which started during the COVID-19...
Elected officials, ballot initiative supporters and opponents, campaign managers and anyone else who writes, texts or tweets outlandish claims and promises should be required to stay after the election and write on the blackboard (remember those) 100 times: “I will not make stuff up.” After they have a chance to rest their arm, they need to go back to the board — OK, a whiteboard and a Sharpie works, too — and write 100 more times: “I am sorry for promising too much.” It’s gotten way too easy for anyone trying to win over the public to pro...
May 10 – A driver at 7th Street and Haugen Drive was issued a warning for failure to stop at a stop sign. An officer conducting foot patrols downtown located an unsecured door and notified the responsible party. An officer conducted a welfare check on an unoccupied, running vehicle on South Nordic Drive. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of an attempted phone scam claiming the complainant had not paid for products. PPD received a report of trespassing on South 3rd Street. PPD received a report of theft and forwarded it to t...
Alaska legislators, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and the commissioners in charge of state agencies will see pay raises after the Legislature missed the final deadline for a bill needed to block the increases. Starting July 1, Alaska’s governor will be paid approximately $176,000 per year, the lieutenant governor about $140,000, and commissioners will receive about $168,000 per year. Legislators will be paid $84,000 per year, up from $50,400, starting next January. The increases are the result of a convoluted series of events t... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance in its second reading Monday that could allow federally recognized tribes to purchase borough-owned land for less than their assessed value. Currently, if the assembly determines it to be in the borough's best interest, borough property may be sold below assessed value to state and federal agencies, nonprofit entities, and for purposes of economic development. If the ordinance passes, it would add federally recognized tribes,...
Over 50 people and 25 more over the phone attended a hearing last week in Petersburg hosted by the National Marine Fisheries Service on a proposal to list the sunflower sea star as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The hearing allowed NMFS to share details on the proposed ruling as well as gather input from the public ahead of their final determination. Over 20 public comments were heard at the meeting, with much of the community's concern resting on how listing the species as...
The Alaska House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow the state to set up a system for using state land to sell carbon-offset credits. The House action amounted to final passage of the bill, which was approved the previous day by the state Senate. The measure, Senate Bill 48, authorizes the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to lease out state land for up to 55 years for the purpose of preserving its powers to absorb atmospheric carbon. The bill has been a high priority for Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The Republican... Full story
Seniors and people with disabilities who need extra care would be able to get help at home under a bill passed by the Alaska Legislature. The state House voted 39-1 to approve Senate Bill 57 last Monday, following 17-0 approval by the Senate on April 24. “One of the hallmarks of a society is the way that we care for those who may have a disability or who are in need of extra care,” said Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, and an advocate for the bill, which was introduced by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration. If the final bill is appro... Full story
Major education policy changes for Alaska got close to the finish line but fell short in the final hours of this legislative session. A bill to increase broadband access in rural schools and a major school funding bill were combined in the final days of the session, likely leaving neither in a position to pass. The Senate handily passed SB 140, a bill that would increase internet speeds in schools, and it went to the House Finance Committee for consideration before it could move it to the House floor. The bill would use state money and a... Full story
The Petersburg High School track and field team battled through stormy weather last weekend at the Kayhi Invite, but still managed to pick up some personal bests in their final meet before the regional championships. 17 students and Assistant Coach Rob Cross made the trip down to compete against other schools from across Southeast. Erik Thynes topped the podium in the discus with a 109-foot 9-inch throw. Rik Cumps placed fourth in the triple jump, leaping just over 35 feet, and finished fifth in the long jump. Anya Pawuk tied for fourth place...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly adopted the millage rate for the next year at its meeting on Monday. The assembly resolution, which was unanimously approved, set the millage rate for Service Area 1 at 10.84 mills-down from the last three years at 11.5 mills. Outside of Service Area 1, the millage rate will remain at 4.2 mills. According to Finance Director Jody Tow, the lower millage rate will help offset the increases to assessed residential property values, which rose by about 15% in...
A helicopter from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka rescued a 28-year-old paraglider from a high peak near Haines late Sunday after the man injured his ankle in a “hard landing.” The air station received a call at 10:10 p.m. Sunday and launched a helicopter about a half hour later. The paraglider had used his cell phone to call emergency responders in Haines, saying he had hurt his ankle in the hard landing, and was “cold, wet and dehydrated” in a large snowy area on Mt. Ripinski, the Coast Guard said. The man told the Haines EMS team that he...
Ground deformation beneath the Mt. Edgecumbe volcano continued in 2023, but no eruption is imminent, a team of experts said at a Sitka public meeting Monday night. But the experts, volcanologists from the Alaska Volcano Observatory, said they plan additional research this summer around the Kruzof Island landmark. Activity beneath the volcanic cone came to the observatory’s attention in April 2022 after an earthquake “swarm” was detected there. Follow-up analysis of satellite data showed the mountain deforming at a rate of 8.7 centimeters annua...
