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The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously passed three ordinances in their final reading dealing with marijuana at its meeting Monday. One prohibited the smoking of marijuana at a properly licensed marijuana retail establishment and one added fines for violating marijuana regulations. The other ordinance added marijuana regulations to the Municipal Code, now that marijuana is legal in Alaska and the borough, even though an opt-out vote will take place this fall. “This ordinance, and I think it is a very carefully crafted and thoughtful o... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously to pass a resolution opposing a state sales tax and favor a state income tax. Governor Bill Walker proposed the idea of a 3 percent statewide sales tax on July 11, during the fifth special session of the 29th Legislature. The proposal was his alternative to an income tax he spoke of earlier this year as an option to combat the state’s severe financial crisis. According to the resolution, 110 of 164 municipalities in Alaska currently levy a sales tax. Assembly member Bob Lynn said he liked the r... Full story
July 22, 1916 – Agent Nelson reports large receipts of fish this week at the Glacier Fish Company’s cold storage ship. About half a million pounds of halibut and 150,000 pounds of salmon and black cod have so far been frozen. Hans Walderhaug’s schooner Mars, which was partially destroyed by fire while fishing near Five-Finger Island, October 5 of last year, is again ready for halibut fishing. The vessel was rebuilt by O.B. Jacobson, and is equipped with a new 25-horse-power gas engine. Herman Papke started from his place on the Narrows Thurs...
July 13 A caller reported a bike theft. A person was sleeping in a vehicle. A caller reported unwanted people at a residence. July 14 A caller reported a flat bed truck dropping debris onto the roadway. A caller reported almost being hit by a vehicle while in a crosswalk. A caller reported an individual who is blind, driving with kids in the car. A caller reported seeing a campsite off Hungry Point trail near the ball fields. July 15 A driver received a warning for expired registration and no tail lights. Matthew Boseman, was arrested on...
Friday, June 15 Mary Bottler and Charles Bottler appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell, who granted a dissolution of marriage. Gordon Lyons appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell and entered a not guilty plea to criminal trespass in the first degree. A calendar call is set for Sept. 20. Monday, June 18 Geriann Collins appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell and entered a not guilty plea to domestic violence assault in the fourth degree. Collins was released on her own recognizance. Terms of release include not violating any laws, no...
We’ll never forget To the Editor: We want to thank the Petersburg community for the kindness and support you gave to us after the tragic loss of our granddaughter and niece, Molly Parks. Molly will be forever in our memories and hearts. She was unique, a special gift, kind, amazing, and beautiful. We want to give special thanks to the emergency and medical response teams, and to all the folks who helped R.D. and Madonna through that terrible day and night. When we arrived in Petersburg on July 7, we were greeted with warm welcomes, hugs, and m...
The Petersburg Ranger District held a local celebration to recognize the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act last week and over 80 people attended the event. The celebration took place on Friday in the form of a picnic at the Three Lakes Shelter out the road. U.S. Forest Service employees treated guests to interpretive hikes and grilled hot dogs for lunch. Joni Johnson, a USFS botanist and ecologist provided plant identification walks and taught some youngsters how to age... Full story
Editor's note: Part two of a two-part series The idea of setting a tolerance when dealing with hard drugs and addiction in Petersburg might seem odd. But tackling the problems associated with drugs will take more than relying on law enforcement alone, it's a "systemic problem," according to local Police Chief Kelly Swihart. "It really is a multifaceted issue that the community is going to have to put their foot down, set their level of tolerance and then be committed and follow through," he...
If you see a group of kids walking around looking at their phones, odds are good they are chasing monsters playing Pokémon GO. The app available on iPhone and Android devices mixes the real world with the virtual world of Pokémon, and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s taken the world by storm. The game was made available earlier this month, and quickly started making headlines. It also got a lot of people like John Samuel Knight outside getting exercise. “It’s right there in the middle of the road,” he says after finding a Pokémon by Petersburg...
State House hopeful Sheila Finkenbinder visited town last weekend to meet locals and garner support for her campaign opposing House District 35, Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tompkins in the upcoming election. "I was thinking the other day of the things I did before my opponent was born," she said. "Grew up, went to college, married, had kids." Finkenbinder's main message to voters is the fact she has experience her opponent does not, including proven experience in job creation and economic...
The 41st Republican National Convention came to order on Monday and representing the largest state in regards to area, the delegation from Alaska is situated in between New Hampshire and Nebraska on the convention floor. After spending a week before the convention on the Rules Committee, Peggy Wilson, former Alaska House of Representatives member and a delegate from Alaska, is excited to show her support for Donald J. Trump, the official nominee for president representing the Republican Party after the state of New York officially put him over...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The special session called by Gov. Bill Walker has officially ended, with no final action toward addressing Alaska’s multibillion-dollar deficit. The Senate adjourned Monday, after a gridlocked House called it quits Friday. The special session began July 11. It followed a prior special session and an extended regular session in which Walker’s tax proposals failed to gain traction. The centerpiece of Walker’s fiscal plan called for using Alaska Permanent Fund earnings to help pay for state government. It passed the Senate...
SEWARD, Alaska (AP) – A mountain goat in Alaska jumped into the ocean to get away from crowds snapping its picture, and the animal drowned when it couldn’t get back to land because of the crush of people on shore. Alaska State Troopers say it’s imperative to give animals adequate space. That didn’t happen Saturday in downtown Seward, and troopers say in an online post that it “resulted in a wild animal dying for no cause.’’ It comes amid a series of incidents of people getting too close to wildlife, including tourists in Yellowstone N...
The decades-old ‘bycatch to food banks’ program has grown far beyond its original Alaska beginnings. Today, only 10 percent of the fish going to hunger relief programs is bycatch of primarily halibut and salmon taken accidentally in other fisheries. The remainder is “first-run” products donated to Sea Share, the nation’s only non-profit that donates fish through a tight network of fishermen, processors, packagers and transporters. Sea Share began in 1993 when Bering Sea fishermen pushed to be allowed to direct fish taken as bycatch to food b...
The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry MV Columbia will remain docked in Petersburg due to a mechanical issue with the vessel’s starboard engine, according to a news release. The vessel is currently docked at the Petersburg Ferry Terminal, and the delay will take a minimum of approximately 36 hours. A technician for the engine manufacturer is being flown in from Houston, Texas to diagnose the problem and assist with repairs. The technician should be in Petersburg tomorrow afternoon (Thursday), according to Jeremy Woodrow, Alaska Department o...
Wilder Clayton Banry was born to Bridey Short and Britt Banry on June 8, 2016 at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. He weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and was 20 inches long....
WRANGELL – With the supply of treated water dangerously low, the Borough Assembly officially declared the city to be in a state of disaster Tuesday evening. The decision was reached during a special session in which officials met with departmental staff and representatives of Wrangell’s two fish processing plants, Trident Seafoods and Sea Level Seafoods. With the processing season already underway and production ramping up, the two together are consuming about half of the community’s water. Alarm bells were raised by Public Works when it repor...
