Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
A Petersburg man pleaded guilty last Tuesday of interfering with crab pots belonging to four other fishermen in town, coming after a hearing with testimony from a remorseful defendant and community members questioning whether the punishment was harsh enough. In a change of plea hearing on December 19, James Andrew Knight, 54 of Petersburg, told Judge William B Carey he was guilty of three misdemeanors, including interfering with commercial fishing gear, unlawful use of pot tags and operating more than 300 Dungeness crab pots. Knight was fined...
WRANGELL — The board of Wrangell’s public radio station last month approved a deal which would transfer its ownership to a regional corporation. Following a decision by its governing board to do so in November, Wrangell Radio Group (WRG) on December 11 filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer its four channels to CoastAlaska in Juneau. Among the four would be KSTK, a source for news and entertainment on the island since the noncommercial station was first built in 1977. CoastAlaska is a nonprofit cor...
December 28, 1917 Mr. Anderson reports that the company’s manager, M.B. Dahl, who is now in Tacoma, plans to return north in February, when it is probable he will start the building of a one-line cannery at Saginaw Bay. The company is also considering the matter of building a cold-storage plant, for the handling of halibut, salmon, and other varieties of fresh fish. December 25, 1942 Santa Claus appeared as scheduled at the Emblem Club pot-luck supper and party last Tuesday evening. Children of Elks and Emblem Club members were especially f...
The search to find an electrical superintendent in Petersburg has narrowed to three applicants, coming after a borough screening committee started with 10, a number the manager called low last week. There were two internal applicants and eight external who sent resumes to the borough with interest in Petersburg’s Power & Light superintendent job. Since December 20, four withdrew their applications for unknown reasons, and then three are “moving forward in the process,” Deputy Clerk Mindy Swihart said in an email. The internal applicants are S...
With the next edition, the Wrangell Sentinel and the Petersburg Pilot will discontinue the Posted Fuel Notice that has been published in both papers since October 2015. Fuel prices were more volatile then and the price fluctuation was of more interest to the public. The retail price is clearly market driven and both Wrangell and Petersburg have competing vendors in each community. It’s obvious that the size of the market and the distance from the refinery will continue to influence the prices consumers pay at the pump in both towns. Absent n...
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Salvation Army in Petersburg distributed about $8,000 worth of food and gifts to about 85 families. Last week, a day before Major Loni Upshaw with the Salvation Army would lead food distribution to mostly low-income families; five Coast Guard members were stuffing boxes with dinner rolls and soup; green beans and eggs. Most of the food and gifts were donated from the community, along with purchases from the Salvation Army and the Women's Group at the...
Lack of support from KSTK public radio listeners and businesses in Wrangell may bring ownership changes to the station. A public notice published in last week’s Wrangell Sentinel foreshadows the transfer of radio station assets to CoastAlaska in Juneau. CoastAlaska provides administrative support and other services for seven Southeast public radio stations including KSTK. Reductions in grant revenue and local donations, has made the station’s financial situation untenable. We’re not convinced that moving the station’s operations to CoastAl...
On December 15, Alaska State Troopers on Prince of Wales were advised of a domestic violence assault in Coffman Cove. Investigation revealed Walter Brian Carter, 38, of Coffman Cove, assaulted a family member causing injury. An arrest warrant was issued for Carter for one (1) count Assault 4th Degree Domestic Violence. On December 16, 2017 at approximately 12:44 PM, Carter was located in South Thorne Bay and was arrested on the warrant. Carter was remanded to the Craig jail. Bail was set at $10,000....
Firefighters responded to a blaze at 7.6 mile Mitkof Highway at 2 a.m. Wednesday and found a 20x20 chicken coop fully involved upon their arrival. Fire Chief Doug Welde reported that many of the chickens and rabbits inside the structure were saved with the assistance of neighbor Larry Maine. Maine said the department did a great job fighting the fire and estimated that 6-7 animals may have perished in the fire. Assistant Chief Dave Berg said it was too early to determine precisely how many animals died. Maine said Raleigh Cook owned the...
Dec. 20 — Christopher J. Miller, Jr., 27, was cited for liability insurance required. Stephen L. Waddle, 41 was arrested on 3 counts of violating conditions of release and one count of stalking. A burglar alarm was activated on Nordic Drive. A disturbance was reported at the S. Boat Harbor Parking Lot. Extra patrols were requested on Lumber St. Dec. 21 — Police investigated a burglary at an undisclosed location. A motor vehicle accident was reported at a N. Nordic Dr. location. Two traffic stops were made resulting in a juvenile arrest. Sus...
Dec. 8 — Patricia McMurren was awarded judgment of $4,410 plus interest along with possession of the trailer occupied by Chris Miller Jr. Stephen Lee Waddle was arraigned before Magistrate Judge Ellis on charges of violating a protective order and two counts of violating conditions of release. The defendant entered a not guilty plea and set Jan. 2 for a hearing date. A $250 cash performance bond was ordered and conditions of release were established. Dec. 18 — Judge Carey presided over the eviction hearing involving C&C, LLC and Steve Hom...
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department responded to two more boat fires this week. Two engines responded to the South Boat Harbor last Thursday, where a fire aboard the Carolyn Ann was likely ignited by an electrical mishap. “A harbor officer saw smoke in the early stages of his rounds around the harbor,” said Ed Tagaban, administrative assistant with the harbor department, adding that it was Ben Hinde. “He extinguished the flames.” Volunteer firefighters responded at 10:00 a.m. and battled the smoke and hot spots for about 30 minutes...
The Petersburg high wrestling team placed 22nd at the division two state tournament last week, where two Viking wrestlers placed top five in their weight classes. The Viking wrestling team sent five boys and two girls to the state championship in Anchorage. The only Vikings to place were senior Taegen Schwartz, who was fifth, and sophomore Jolyn Toyomura, who finished fourth in the girls championship. "We weren't really expecting to come out like we did last year, as far as team points," said...
Red Kettle donations to the Salvation Army increased by $4,000 compared to last year's contributions. Loni Upshaw with the Salvation Army in Petersburg reported Christmas season donations totaled $17,511.29 compared to $13,643.79 in 2016. For the fourth year in a row, the Petersburg Rotary Club rang in the top prize with contributions totaling $5,060.35. The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Dept. brought in $2,272.65 for second place and the Salvation Army Advisory Board gathered $2,150 on their days...
KENAI, Alaska (AP) — Regulators are considering reducing the amount of halibut that fishermen are allowed to catch along the Pacific coast next year. The International Pacific Halibut Commission is expected to consider next month adopting a 24 percent reduction to the annual Pacific halibut quota for fisheries from Alaska to California, the Peninsula Clarion reported . The reduction was recommended due to low recruitment rates among young halibut populations over the last decade and increasing pressure on the fish stocks from commercial, subsis...
Action plans for the emergency management of Chinook salmon in Southeast Alaskan rivers have been drafted ahead of next month's Board of Fisheries meeting in Sitka. The board, which reviews regulatory oversight of fisheries across the state, planned to meet on January 11 to discuss shellfish and finfish proposals for the coming year. But added to its plate will be a trio of action plans drawn up by the Department of Fish and Game designating king salmon populations in several rivers as stocks...
Winners of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Christmas Decorating Contest were announced this week. Winners receive a $50 gift certificate. Family category winner is Andy and Katie Yeckley at 105 Philbin St. Boat category winner is Jim Roberts. The Petersburg Pilot and Lee's Clothing tied in the business category. Neighborhood winners were on Dolphin St. and honorable mentions went to Kurt Kvernvik and Mike and Cindy Moyer. The contest is sponsored by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and the...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Eleven years ago, Guy Holt was walking on Sandy Beach when something caught his eye. An intricately carved piece of wood lay on the beach, with large letters on it saying “TAKA: You saved my life. I will love you and miss you always.” It was clear to Holt that a great deal of time and effort went into this and he picked it up, hoping to find the person who made it. “Having no way to find the owner, I’ve just held onto it for the past 11 years,” Holt said, “and about twice a year, I’ll put it on Craigslist and hope that s...
The clamor of “take me fishing” is taking on new meaning in Alaska. Prospects for a deckhand apprenticeship program just got a big lift from a $142,000 national grant awarded to the Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), and the group plans to get more boots on deck statewide. Deckhand apprenticeships are recommended as one way to attract younger entrants into an industry where the average fisherman’s age in Alaska is over 50. ALFA has been crafting a local deckhand training program since 2015, and the grant from the Nation...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska political leaders on Wednesday hailed as historic the passage of federal legislation that will allow for oil and gas drilling in a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The state’s Republican congressional delegation sees it as a win decades in the making, one they say will provide a boost for this oil-reliant state. Environmental groups see it as a big mistake and say the fight isn’t over. The drilling provision was part of a larger package _ a major restructuring of U.S. tax policy _ that also repeals a...
