Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
Since the mid-80s, Pacific Wings has been offering air taxi service for tourists and locals alike throughout Southeast Alaska, but economic hardships that the company has been facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the business to shut its doors. "This COVID thing hit us pretty hard," said owner Tyler Robinson. "Between the COVID thing and all the travel mandates, we pretty much lost all our springtime visits." Pacific Wings had been anticipating a busy spring and summer this yea...
For 33 years, Cole Rhoden has been flying for Pacific Wings, but due to a loss in business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is shutting down. After his last flight on Friday, Rhoden said he was forced into retirement. About 30 people gathered at the Petersburg Airport Friday afternoon to greet Rhoden as he completed his last flight with Pacific Wings. While those in attendance cheered as Rhoden got off the Cessna 185 aircraft, for Rhoden, the moment was a bittersweet end to his...
Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC and Icicle Seafoods, Inc. will be merging their wild salmon and Gulf of Alaska groundfish operations effective June 1, the two companies announced in a joint-statement on Friday, May 29. Both companies will each own a 50 percent stake in the new company, which will be called OBI Seafoods LLC. The company looks to modernize processing facilities and combine marketing product expertise. The merger has been in the works since the fall of 2018, said Mark Palmer, president a...
The borough assembly approved the Emergency Operations Center to answer a survey from the Alaska Municipal League regarding the presence of cruise ships in Alaska and also heard concerns over cruise ships arriving in port. The assembly had the option to hold a special meeting to provide input on the survey, but the assembly members felt comfortable with the EOC answering the questions. Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said the communities at a recent AML meeting were cautious and showed...
With the upcoming expiration of the state's health mandate that requires anyone arriving in the state to quarantine for 14 days, Borough Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said at the COVID-19 community update Wednesday that the borough hasn't received much information from the state on what will happen next. Last Friday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced plans to change state health mandate #10 in a press conference. He mentioned that the Petersburg and Wrangell airports would be supported by state...
WRANGELL — The local Resource Advisory Committee, which covers the areas of Wrangell, Petersburg, and Kake, held a series of meetings last week. The RAC, for those who are unaware, is a committee of residents of these three areas that advise the Forest Service on what projects to pursue. There were a variety of interesting and pertinent projects covered in the recent RAC meetings. In their meeting on May 27, the RAC elected committee co-chairs Kim Powell and Patrick Fowler. They also approved of a proposal to spend $40,000 on dock repairs in t...
Nels Nielsen spent last Friday at the Petersburg Post Office like it was any other day. He helped customers retrieve long awaited packages and mail letters. The only thing that was different were the balloons hanging throughout the lobby congratulating him on his retirement after 28 years with the United States Postal Service. Originally from northern California, Nielsen arrived in Petersburg in 1978 to work at Petersburg Fisheries. After 14 years working at the cannery, he began working at the...
The borough assembly passed the borough's fiscal year 2021 operating budget in its third reading on Monday, which has $9,702,871 in both total revenues and total expenditures. The first draft of the budget showed expenditures for the general fund totaling $9,838,846, but was balanced out equally by $9,838,846 in revenues. The total amount of revenues and expenditures change throughout the three readings of the budget as a result of the seven amendments made to it. The most recent amendment was...
Petersburg Medical Center has spent about $430,000 in costs related to COVID-19, as of Friday's Board of Directors' meeting, according to PMC Controller Rocio Tejera. Tejera said much of April was spent dealing with COVID-19 related activities and searching for financial aid. In April alone, PMC spent $321,000 in COVID-19 related expenses, such as overtime, supplies and equipment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to cover 75 percent of the hospital's COVID-19 related costs,...
A lack of skilled trade workers has caused both the borough and businesses in town to struggle to fill open positions, which can result in a loss of income and an increase in the time it takes to get a project done. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said when the borough advertises a job it first looks in-house for anyone who wants to move up to another position. After several weeks, the borough will advertise city wide, before advertising the position throughout the state. Despite the borough...
Petersburg Medical Center has begun operating under a red, yellow and green format that correlates to the risk of COVID-19 in the community and state which guides the hospital in its operations, according to PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter in his report to the PMC Board of Directors at their meeting last Thursday. "It does allow us to be more dynamic and flexible based on what we see in the community," said Jennifer Hyer, chief of staff at PMC. On Thursday, May 28, PMC was operating under a green state...
The Reduce Plastic Use Petersburg Group got together last week to talk about what its members have done to promote awareness of the problems of plastic usage. "Our goal has been to increase the awareness of the problems of plastic and the marine plastic in particular and try to influence behavior, which is a challenge," said Sunny Rice at the virtual meeting last week. Gina Esposito began the presentation with a talk on plastic items that have escaped the waste stream and made its way into the e...
King Salmon King salmon regulations for areas where Alaska hatchery produced king salmon will be returning have now been announced. Starting June 1, king salmon will be open to retention inside the Wrangell narrows terminal harvest area and within the Anita Bay terminal harvest area. The City Creek release site will open to king salmon retention on June 15. Please see the link to emergency orders at the bottom of this page for boundary lines along with bag and possession limits. This information is also posted at boat harbors and launches....
Several Coast Guard Personnel are in Petersburg until noon on Fri., June 5 to conduct dockside safety exams on commercial fishing vessels. If interested, sign up at the harbormaster’s office. The exams are free, take about an hour and help ensure vessels are being operated safely and legally. Vessels passing their exam will be issued a decal good for two years. Prior to the exam, go to www.fishsafewest.info, to create a customized checklist of federal requirements for their vessel. Prior to each dockside exam, a COVID19 Risk Assessment form w...
The grass fields at Point Agassiz are green, lush and ready for summer....
June 4, 1920 The Point Agassiz Dairy is now in a position to supply milk, eggs, homemade butter, cream, cottage cheese and other dairy products to the public of Petersburg According to Carl Swanson, the proprietor. Mr. Swanson is advertising all of these products and asking those who desire any of them to the leave orders at the Sanitary Market. He makes delivery three times each week. June 1, 1945 Approval has been received for the issuance of 10 priorities for private new construction in Petersburg, under the new H-2 housing program. This...
On page 8 of last week’s edition of the Pilot, a photo of Adam Ware in the graduation parade was incorrectly identified as being Tani Hansen....
A bald eagle caught a Dolly Varden trout near Tonka Seafoods early Tuesday morning....
May 27 — A theft was reported at a location on S. Nordic Dr. Search warrants were conducted at locations on S. 2nd St. and N. Nordic Dr. Authorities responded to a disturbance at a location on S. 2nd St. May 28 — Suspicious activity was reported at locations on N. Nordic Dr., N. 2nd St. and near Sandy Beach Park. Extra patrols were requested at Petersburg Harbor. A disturbance was reported at a location on S. Nordic Dr. A dangerous driver was seen on Excel St. May 29 — A theft was reported at a location on N. Nordic Dr. Extra foot patro...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A judge has vacated a proposed land exchange aimed at building a road through a national wildlife refuge in Alaska, finding procedural violations. U.S. District Court Senior Judge John Sedwick in a ruling Monday said Interior Secretary David Bernhardt failed to provide adequate reasoning to support a change in policy in entering into a land exchange agreement with King Cove Corp. The Interior Department, under the Obama administration, declined a proposed land swap to build a road through Izembek National Wildlife R...
Noah Pawuk,12, wrote an essay in Mr. Shumway's 6th grade class that was submitted for a contest through the Elks Lodge. He wrote about 'What does freedom of speech mean to me?' Pawuk's essay won first place in the state of Alaska and will now be submitted to compete nationally....
Recycled fishing nets from Cordova will soon help launch a new clothing line by Grundens, the maker of the iconic foul weather gear “built by fishermen for fishermen for over a century.” The Copper River Watershed Project is “refreshing” its net recycling program underway for a decade that’s been backed by the Pacific Marine States Commission. Now, the program wants to broaden its base and stand on its own, said Shae Bowman, Watershed operations manager. “The vision with a new program is to create a self-sustaining recycling program tha...
Ronald Berl Lindsey, 75 died on March 2, 2020 in Anchorage, Alaska. He was born on March 9, 1946 to Alpha Dee Garrett in Weatherford, Texas. His mother later moved to Oklahoma where she married Norman Lindsey and raised Ron and his three younger brothers Norman Ray, Joe and Danny. Ron joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1964 and served until 1968. He did two tours in Vietnam. He was very proud that he was one of the "few." Ron moved to Alaska in the early 70s and worked at Icicle Seafoods first as... Full story
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state plans to use one of its ferries to provide service between two southeast Alaska communities while repairs are done on an Inter-Island Ferry Authority vessel. The authority halted service between Ketchikan and Hollis on Prince of Wales Island on Friday after what it described as a “catastrophic propulsion system failure” affecting its vessel, the Prince of Wales, CoastAlaska reported. The ferry will be repaired when parts and technicians are available, authority General Manager Ronald Curtis said in the state...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An annual extreme mountain race in Alaska has been postponed until next year over coronavirus concerns, organizers said. The committee that oversees the Mount Marathon Race in Seward announced Sunday that the 93rd running of the Fourth of July event would be postponed until July 2021 after failing to find another appropriate date this year. The race of about 3 miles (5 kilometers) up and back down Mount Marathon to the finish line in Seward began in 1915 and was last canceled in 1942 because of World War II. No races w...
