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Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued an ultimatum to state legislators on Tuesday, saying he will veto a multipart education funding bill unless lawmakers pass separate legislation that contains his education priorities. Speaking from his office in Anchorage, the governor said lawmakers have two weeks to reconsider teacher bonuses and changes to the way charter schools are approved, two items that were voted down during the debates over Senate Bill 140, the education bill. If they don’t act, Dunleavy said he will veto SB 140, killing a permanent f... Full story
Just before the winter storm rolled into Petersburg Saturday night, business owners and members of the community gathered upstairs at Elks Lodge for the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. During the banquet, the chamber named Rocky's Marine as Petersburg's 2024 Business of the Year. Rocky's Marine is a family owned boat dealership specializing in Yamaha Outboards, serving Southeast since first opening in Petersburg in 1980. Announcing the award from the stage, chamber president Jim...
Tonight at the Sid and Vera Wright Auditorium, Petersburg High School's theater program will debut its production of "Peter and the Starcatcher," directed by Elsa Wintersteen. She described the play as "an exciting show full of heart, humor and a sprinkle of whimsy." The Tony Award winning play is based on the 2004 novel "Peter and the Starcatchers" by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Adapted for the stage by Rick Elice, the play serves as a prequel to J. M. Barrie's classic tale, "Peter and Wendy...
February 29, 1924 – Capsized twice from a row boat in the swift waters of Wrangell Narrows – the last time clinging to the bottom of the boat while it was propelled ashore by her husband swimming with heavy rubber boots on and the painter in his mouth – is the experience of Mrs. J.C. Allen who left here Monday on the McKee gas boat Jessie for the Green Rocks fox farm. Arriving near the farm, Mrs. Allen was met by her husband in a row boat. On stepping aboard the small boat it was capsized by Mrs. Allen slipping and Mr. Allen trying to catch...
When the Petersburg Borough Assembly approved the landmark property sale of borough-owned tidelands to Wikan Enterprises last year, it was said that decision opened Pandora’s box. For decades, rather than sell its tideland properties, the borough selectively leased them to businesses involved in waterfront commercial/ industrial uses, with a priority placed on supporting the commercial fishing industry. About 12 years ago, the borough started directing the revenues generated by leased tidelands to the harbor department’s enterprise fund. Wit...
Petersburg has been blessed with great Teachers To the Editor: Last Saturday, the town celebrated a prince of a man, an amazing and caring educator. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Friends lined up to speak about Paul Bowen and his love of Alaska, LeConte Glacier, geology, duck hunting, trolling for salmon – especially those summers with his family. We personally enjoyed sharing stories with Paul of our own special memories of fishing as a family. We agreed – it just does not get any better than that. Not many of us knew of...
A crowd of hundreds marched through downtown Anchorage last month calling on the governor and the legislature to increase funding for public education in Alaska. A few weeks later, protestors gathered on the steps of the capitol in Juneau with signs and songs emphasizing that same message. And a few weeks after that, Governor Dunleavy proposed a piece of legislation that would create a new crime in Alaska: “obstruction of free passage in public places.” The proposed anti-protest House bill, HB 386, makes it a class A misdemeanor –with priso...
The recent dictate that our Governor sent to our legislature as well as the residents of Southeastern Alaska was clearly the wrong message. The Governor proposed replacing the Alaska Marie Highway System (AMHS) board with members of solely his own selective choosing. His action lacks a certain sensitivity that is clearly contrary to the advantage of having local community participation in advisory groups. It has been said that true leadership is not done by the one who proposes to do great things, but rather by one who motivates the people to...
The governor’s growing obsession with charter schools is frightening for the future of public education in Alaska. He talks as if charter schools are by far the best answer to the state’s low student test scores. He has told Alaskans he would not support an increase in state funding for public schools unless the Legislature also backs his proposal to bypass local school boards when parents want to start up a new charter school. At the same time, he resists providing adequate support for public school districts that have not seen any real inc...
February 21 – An officer responded to a report of a puppy wandering on Mitkof Highway. A protective order was served on Chief John Lott Street. An officer conducted a civil standby on Chief John Lott Street. A report of theft was filed with the Petersburg Police Department (PPD). February 22 – PPD received a report of suspicious activity. PPD received a report of a blown transformer on Kiseno Street. Petersburg Power and Light (PP&L) was notified and responded. An officer provided lockout assistance on Rambler Street. An officer assisted Emerge...
Petersburg became the 19th organized borough in Alaska on Jan. 3, 2013 after the town’s borough vote was certified. In the early 2000s, the City of Petersburg tried to annex all of Mitkof Island after receiving public pushback on forming a borough. This caused an upset outside of city limits for residents who did not want to pay the same taxes as residents inside the city limits. Eventually, after years of mediation and piles of paperwork, a compromise was made and the Petersburg Borough, which encompasses 3,829 square miles of land and w...
Petersburg Basketball fans were treated to a long, exciting weekend of games last week, with the Vikings going up against Haines and Mt. Edgecumbe back-to-back Wednesday through Saturday. The Vikings started things off strong in their conference games against Haines, taking wins in their Wednesday and Thursday matches, but Mt. Edgecumbe proved to be a greater challenge with the Vikings taking two losses. Wednesday's match proved to be a great showing for the Vikings, with the team scoring well...
Petersburg's Lady Vikings competed in some of their final conference matches of the season against Haines in Petersburg last weekend. Things fell through during Thursday's game, but Wednesday was a close battle, and head coach Matt Pawuk hopes that the team can take some lessons from the losses. "It was good to see some of the things that we worked on worked well in the games, and some of the things we worked on didn't work well in the game, especially knowing that this is a team that we're prob...
The second week of blood draw appointments for the upcoming 2024 Community Health and Safety Fair wrapped up today - with a few appointment slots remaining before blood testing draws to a close on March 7. The health fair blood draw tests are discounted tests that PMC offers the community every other year. PMC Community Wellness Manager Julie Walker said health fair blood draws are an opportunity for people to "know your numbers" and discover health risks that may otherwise go unnoticed, and to...
An Alaska House member has proposed a bill that seeks to establish definitions of “life” and “person” in criminal law, prompting dozens of Alaskans to testify against it, saying it would unconstitutionally limit abortions in the state. Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, said his bill is “simply my attempt to define life for the statute” and “ensure fair treatment and protection for all individuals including those yet to be born.” He said the bill would define a fetus as a person. Alaska is one of more than a dozen states considering wha... Full story
While Alaska’s mariculture industry is small by global standards, production of farmed shellfish and seaweed in the state has increased substantially in recent years, according to a new status report released Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Applications for Alaska mariculture permits averaged about six a year from 2014 to 2018 but increased to about 14 a year from 2019 to 2023, said the State of Alaska Aquaculture report, issued by the NOAA Fisheries. Oysters have been a pillar of Alaska mariculture for many y... Full story
Wrangell has lost three cruise ship stopovers this summer to Klawock, where a partnership of three Native corporations is developing a tourist destination with facilities, shore excursions and other activities for passengers. The 746-passenger Seven Seas Explorer has crossed Wrangell off its schedule for a May visit, with the 670-passenger Regatta canceling a stop in June and one in September but retaining a Wrangell stop earlier in September, according to the schedule posted by the Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau earlier this month. The...
WRANGELL — The borough is waiting on a federal disaster declaration to cover the expense of power line repairs and other immediate and near-term costs from the Nov. 20 landslide at 11.2-Mile Zimovia Highway. The Wrangell Cooperative Association is seeking federal funding for the longer-term expense of cleaning up the tidelands of debris and toxic material. Under federal law, only the governor can request a federal disaster declaration, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency reviews before sending it to the president for signature. The s...
Assembly members agreed that a port commission proposal to require boat owners to carry marine insurance — or pay a monthly fee in addition to their stall rental — needs a lot more work. The port commission has been discussing since 2022 the financial risk to the borough when an uninsured vessel catches fire or sinks in the harbor, requiring cleanup and removal. The commission last month voted unanimously to recommend assembly approval of an ordinance requiring boat owners show proof of insurance or pay an additional monthly fee so that the...
Barton Austin Sollars Jr. was born April 13, 1951 in Sitka, Alaska, to Barton A. Sollars Sr. and Carol A. Sollars. While his parents and grandparents were pioneers who called Alaska home, Barton was the first Sollars born in Alaska. Growing up in this raw and wild territory, before it was a state, instilled a wild and adventurous spirit in young Barton. He developed a strong work ethic – he worked hard and played hard. His childhood was spent commercial fishing with his parents and three s... Full story
Emilie Mae Sperl, 47 Emilie Mae Sperl passed peacefully from this world on January 6, 2024. Emilie was born July 1, 1976 to Dennis and Dorothy (Bentley) Sperl in Petersburg, Alaska. She was the third of six adventurous children and her early years were spent with her family at their homestead at Green Rocks "across the bay." In the house her dad built they gardened, raised animals, fished and foraged. Emilie was very excited to be able to start school at Rae C Stedman Elementary. On most days,... Full story
Tlingit and Haida's Petersburg Youth Navigator program with Brandon Ware partnered with Petersburg Indian Association to provide a dance collar workshop under the instruction of PIA tribal council president Debra O'Gara. At the end of the fourth session on Feb. 17, registered participants gathered around the group table in the PIA conference room and neared the finish mark for completing their regalia. The dance collar kits were ordered from Alberta Aspen in Washington state. Materials were...
