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Six Petersburg High School students made the trip to the LeConte Glacier on May 10 for the annual survey of the glacier's face. According to the coordinator of the program, Victor Trautman, one side of the glacier is in about the same location as it was in 2018, but the other side came out about 60 to 80 feet. Trautman said the fast moving glacier can easily shift 100 feet in a day. For the students, preparations for the trip began a few years prior. Trautman said the students have to be a part...
When Victor Trautman graduated from Dickinson State University in North Dakota in the early 1970s, the biology major received some wise advice from his brother-in-law: people are always going to have kids, and people are always going to need schools. As a result, Trautman made the decision to become a teacher. Forty-five years later, Trautman is retiring from Petersburg High School where he spent 29 years teaching science. "I chose well," said Trautman. "I have never regretted being a science...
At a special meeting on Thursday, the Petersburg Medical Center's board of directors approved an agreement with NAC Architecture for the phase one master plan proposal for the construction of a new facility or remodel of the current building not to exceed $220,000. The PMC board discussed the awarding of the RFP to NAC Architecture at their regular board meeting on May 23, but the board requested more time to look over the proposal, which was received earlier in the day. A special meeting was...
In last week’s issue of the Petersburg Pilot a story on the Petersburg High School track and field team on page six incorrectly stated that Tolin Eddy broke the school record for the 1600 meter run. Eddy set a school record in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:17.29, which was originally held by Raleigh Cook. Brian Anderson still holds the school record for the 1600 meter run with a time of 4:39.97, which was set in 1984.... Full story
Helen Olson was found guilty, and Carlos Sandoval was found not guilty on single counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 2nd degree. The jury delivered their verdict following a 4-day trial on May 24. Charges against Sandoval were dismissed and Judge Carey set August 27 as the sentencing date for Olson. Olson was released on bail. The prosecution alleged that Olson received a package containing 51 grams of methamphetamine that had a street value of $200/gram in Petersburg,...
June 6, 1919 That the Masters and Pilots Association has unanimously endorsed the project to dredge Wrangell Narrows is the word brought to Petersburg by Captain Charles Glascock and Pilot Howard Bulenne, of the steamer Admiral Watson. June 2, 1944 Earl Watterworth has been in town for a few days inspecting the local Coast Guard Auxiliary unit. He has just returned from establishing a similar unit in Sitka and says the Juneau unit and the local one are doing very well. The Petersburg unit had pictures taken yesterday by a C.G. photographer. Jun...
Doug Welde joined the Petersburg Fire Department in 1969 as a fire fighter and over the years he rose through the ranks and became fire chief in 2013. In February, Welde retired from the department at the age of 75 after 50 years of service, and was replaced by Jim Stolpe. When he got out of the United States Air Force in 1969, he joined the department at their next meeting. His father, Ken Welde, was chief at the time, and back then, Welde said that everyone volunteered at the fire department....
Construction on the Raven Trail has begun and residents may have noticed the sound of a helicopter flying near the Reid Brothers Construction rock pit. Throughout the day, a helicopter flies back and forth from the Raven Trail and the rock pit with a hopper that holds about three-fourths of a cubic yard of gravel. The helicopter then uses the hopper to spread gravel over a prepared surface of the trail, according to Paul Olson with the United States Forest Service. Oregon Woods Inc., a construct...
In her 100 years on the water, the Charles T has only had three owners: Earl Ohmer with Alaskan Glacier Seafoods, Chuck Harris and James Eastwood. The Charles T was built in Bellingham, Washington in 1919 and was purchased by Earl Ohmer as a shrimper and a tender for his Alaskan Glacier Seafoods fleet. He purchased the Charles T in the early 1920s and brought her to Petersburg. He named her Charles T after his father Charles Thomas Ohmer. She stayed with Alaskan Glacier Seafoods until the 1980s...
WRANGELL - The City and Borough of Wrangell went on a water watch for a few weeks back in March. Due to a forecast of insufficient rainfall, and ongoing drought conditions across Southeast Alaska, a water watch has been declared once again. As part of the water watch, there will be a town hall meeting to discuss conservation efforts at the Nolan Center on June 12, at 6 p.m. This is a Stage I water watch, the lowest that city officials can declare. In a statement on the borough's website, city...
WRANGELL - A brown bear has been killed by Wildlife Troopers and Forest Service personnel after a run-in with a group of Alaska Crossings campers just north of Berg Bay, across the narrows on the mainland near Wrangell. According to information provided by Public Information Officer Ken Marsh, with the Alaska State Troopers, the encounter occurred on Sunday, May 26, around 3 a.m. A brown bear wandered into the Crossings camp and began rummaging through the group's food. The group had a bear...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska senator has written to the U.S. trade representative asking for Alaska fish species to be removed from a list of goods facing tariffs, a report said. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last week, The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday. As part of an ongoing trade dispute with China, earlier this month the Trump Administration announced an increase in tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of products and tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth o...
SITKA - Aaron Phillips of Petersburg was the $1,000 Sablefish tag recovery drawing winner. Other drawing winners of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 2019 annual tag recovery incentive drawing for stable fish tag returns are: 1. Dick Curran, Sitka, $500 2. Stephen Rhoads, Sitka, $500 3. Jason Hammer, Port Townsend, WA, $250 4. James Hubbard, Seward, $250 5. Frank Balovich, Sitka, $250 6. Michael Erb, Anchorage, $250 All persons who return an ADF&G sablefish tag receive a tag reward (i.e....
Outliers feel like second class citizens To the Editor: The Pilot must have misquoted the Honorable Councilmember Jeff Meucci. "I just don't think community members should be paying for roads that aren't part of the borough". I cannot think of a more divisive, condescending or astonishingly uninformed comment by a community official. Just extrapolating from that comment; all of us outside service area one are not community members even though we pay taxes to the borough? The roads outside...
This past May was not my first visit to Petersburg as a Senator, but it was my first time attending the Little Norway Festival. And what a weekend it was! Little Norway is giving "Big" Norway a run for its money. I felt right at home from the moment I got off the plane. The Vikings and Valkyries were quick to whisk me away in the Grog Van and get the festivities and fun underway. I was sure to grab a Dale sweater at Lee's before the parade to fit right in (and avoid a second visit to Viking jail...
Maybe the answer is fish. No, not the answer to what’s for dinner tonight. The answer to solving the increasingly acrimonious debate over the amount of this year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. Figuring out how to share the investment earnings of the Permanent Fund between community services, such as schools and the university system and state troopers, and with individual Alaskans through the fall dividend payment is a lot like sharing salmon between multiple competing interests. The commercial fishing industry, sportfishing ent...
May 29 — Authorities responded to a report of an intoxicated male at a location on N. Nordic Dr., but they were unable to locate the individual. Authorities responded to a couple arguing in the South Boat Harbor. May 30 — Jason Ratliff, 41, was arrested on outstanding warrants. Kids playing in the Middle Boat Harbor were reported to the authorities. May 31 — A drunk driver was reported, but authorities were unable to locate the vehicle. Disturbances were reported at the 100 block of Fram St. and at a location on S. 3rd St. Matthew Davis, 22, w...
May 8 — Kory Howard Versteeg pleaded not guilty to a charge of display of registration plates. He entered a guilty plea to charges of hunt permit conditions. He was fined $100 with a $20 surcharge. Ryan Daniel Dawson entered a not guilty plea for violating conditions of release. The court released the defendant O.R. with conditions. May 9 — Sandi K. Medina was arraigned on two counts of violating conditions of release. The defendant entered not guilty pleas and was released O.R. with conditions. May 13 — William L. Smith was arraigned on a cha...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) —The Alaska Senate on Tuesday narrowly voted down a full dividend payout from the state’s oil-wealth fund this year, with a prominent supporter of the proposal absent. The 10-8 vote came after the Senate, by the same tally, adopted an amendment calling for a full payout with checks to qualified residents estimated to be around $3,000. The initial bill proposed $1,600 checks. At least 11 votes were needed for the bill to pass. Sen. Mike Shower, a Wasilla Republican who has supported a full payout, posted on Facebook Sat...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled against a military couple seeking permanent fund dividends because they were out of state during required periods, a report said. The court denied an appeal by Donald Jones and Annette Gwalthney-Jones, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Monday. The couple sought permanent fund dividends for 2014 and 2015 even though they were not physically present in Alaska for several years prior due to Donald Jones’ Air Force assignment. In the ruling released Friday, the court upheld an adm...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature, locked in a fight with Gov. Mike Dunleavy over education funding, moved one step closer Tuesday to a lawsuit over the issue. The House and Senate voted to give the committee that handles legislative business, the Legislative Council, authority to sue. Sen. Gary Stevens, the Legislative Council chair, told reporters a lawsuit could be filed if the money for K-12 schools is not released. Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said the council composed of House and Senate members would have to vote to move f...
Shrimp shines in the Panhandle - Southeast Alaska is the state’s biggest producer of America’s #1 seafood favorite: shrimp. And much of it is enjoyed right where it’s landed. Four varieties of shrimp are taken at various times throughout the year by permit holders, with recent catches topping 1.5 million pounds, worth $3 million at the docks. “We have 19 different areas around Southeast and each has its own appropriate harvest level for sustainability,” said Dave Harris, area manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Juneau. C...
