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After a dry summer season, Crystal Lake’s water levels are 11 feet below the crest of the dam, according to utility director Karl Hagerman. “We’re having a very, very, very dry summer,” said Hagerman. Since the water level is so low, the hydro dam is unable to produce as much power, said Hagerman. Ordinarily, the borough purchases 75 percent of its electricity from the Southeast Alaska Power Agency. The remaining 25 percent is produced by the hydro dam and diesel generators. The average electricity produced by the borough in the month of July...
On Friday, August 10 two U.S. Senators and two U.S. Coast Guard Admirals visited Petersburg to tour the local ships and to talk about the importance of the U.S. Coast Guard missions in Alaska. Mayor Mark Jensen talked with the delegation that included Senators Inslee (Wyoming) and Murkowski (Alaska), Rear Admiral Bell (17th U.S. Coast Guard District) and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Schultz. The group gathered on the airport tarmac before Jensen accompanied them on a tour of both...
August 16, 1918 A vicious lible on the good name of the town of Petersburg has been uttered and spread broadcast by Assistant District Attorney Steve Ragan, is credited by the Daily Dispatch with having made the statements against the good name of Petersburg. Petersburg has been branded as a “hotbed of pro Germanism” and the statement was published intimated that the red light district was closed as a result of pro-German activities. The red light district here was closed as the result of a petition of the citizens. August 13, 1943 Word has...
The U.S. Forest Service is rebuilding the Mitchell Creek Fish Pass on Kupreanof Island, which was originally built in 1992, to ensure that the self-sustaining coho salmon population continues. "This fish pass is the only one of nine on the Petersburg Ranger District to have been built specifically to increase local sport fishing opportunities," said Paul Robbins Jr., public affairs and partnerships officer with the United States Forest Service. Demolition of the previous fish pass began in early...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska authorities say two men skied to a remote bear den on an island, pulled out their weapons and shot a mother bear in front of her two newborns. They say one of the men then turned his weapon and killed “the shrieking newborn bear cubs.” Alaska State Troopers say the men didn’t know it but the bears were part of an observation program. The area outside the den had a motion-activated camera equipped with sound, and the slaughter was caught on camera. Authorities announced Wednesday that Andrew Renner and Owen Re...
Coho Salmon Coho salmon are now regularly being intercepted in the marine sport fishery. Catch rates have continued to increase as we are entering the time period when our highest marine catch rates historically occur during mid-August. Anglers can expect marine catch rates to continue to improve over the next few weeks. Preliminary data suggests coho catch rates remain below the 5 year average at this point in time and similar to catch rates during 2014. It is still on the early side for freshwater fishing for coho salmon but anglers may...
Public responsibility To the Editor: I wish and hope that people would be responsible but I have not found that to generally be the case. I am promoting the banning of plastic bags or at least charging people a $.25 tax for each because I know people sometimes need to be incentivized/ encouraged to be responsible. My family comes from PA/ Cleveland. Both my grandfathers, coal miners, were dead before they were 50 thanks to clean coal. Living in Cleveland I got to watch our local river catch on fire, thanks to the personal responsibility of...
WRANGELL - Rick Groshong has been a part of the Wrangell Police Department for 22 years, according to his resume, having joined the force in 1996. As senior patrol officer, Groshong has been responsible for training new officers, responding to calls, collaborating with other law enforcement and government agencies, and finding procedures to deter illegal drug use. His time in Wrangell is coming to an end, however, as he has accepted a new position as the director of public safety and chief of...
August 8 — An internet scam was reported to police. An ongoing investigation is looking into stolen items from a stored boat. Helen Olson, 49, was issued a summons for violating conditions of release. Pallets from a local business were reported stolen. An officer spoke to an individual about skateboarding in traffic. August 9 — An officer responded to a vehicle fire and assisted the fire department. A telephone scam was reported to authorities. An individual was warned to move their illegally parked vehicle on S. 2nd Street or it would be imp...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court has ruled that some sex offenders convicted outside the state are not required to register in Alaska. The court ruled Friday that a strict reading of the 1994 Alaska Sex Offender Registration Act gives the state Department of Public Safety no leeway when deciding if out-of-state sex crimes match offenses under Alaska law, the Juneau Empire reported . The public safety department would determine if the names of registered sex offenders who moved to Alaska would be entered into its sex offender d...
Aug. 13 — Judge Kevin Miller granted the eviction requested by Skylark Park, LLC against Janie and Wayne Collins. Following testimony by Sig and Ambre Burrell and the defendants, the court set the eviction date for noon Wed. Aug. 15. Aug. 9 — Judge Carey conducted the bail hearing and arraignment for Helen Ann Olson for Violating Conditions of Release. The defendant entered a Not Guilty plea and was released O.R. with conditions. The court denied the bail requested in the case of Misconduct involving a Controlled Substance. Magistrate Jud...
Last weekend was the annual Rally For Cancer Care golf tournament, organized by the Wrangell Medical Center Foundation. The tournament on Saturday was less of a serious competition and more for fun and socializing. Several holes on the 9-hole course had a different, fun challenge to compete in. Hole No. 2, for example, required golfers to play the entire hole with just their driver. Hole No. 5 required players to tee off with their foot in a bucket. Along with these challenges were...
With a total estimated cost of approximately $3.5 million, the Petersburg School Board approved its project priority list for the 2020 through 2025 fiscal years on Tuesday. The Department of Education requires school districts to submit a 6-year capital improvement plan before Sept. 1 of each year for statewide ranking for the distribution of possible funding. For the duration of the six fiscal years, beginning in 2020, the school board has laid out its priority projects with each year taking on a different project. Four projects will focus on...
To register a new student, stop by the office at 303 Dolphin Street by August 24. Bring current vaccination record and birth certificate (legible copy ok). Students currently enrolled do not need to register. Supply lists can be found online at www.pcsd.us. Kindergarteners attend from 8:15-11:15 until October, then the school day extends to 1:15. If you have questions, call the office at 907-302-2385. Mrs. Willis Kindergarten: Kaitlyn Aikins, Daphne Brantuas, Midori Hinde, Zayden Jackson, Gage Lewis, Carley Littrell, Laramie Luhr, Craig...
Tiny cod fish are reappearing around Kodiak. Researchers aim to find out if it is a blip, or a sign that the stock is recovering after warming waters caused the stocks to crash. Alaska's seafood industry was shocked last fall when the annual surveys showed cod stocks in the Gulf of Alaska had plummeted by 80 percent to the lowest levels ever seen. Prior surveys indicated large year classes of cod starting in 2012 were expected to produce good fishing for six or more years. But a so called "warm...
The Petersburg Marine Mammal Center is hosting a summer science camp this week to expose middle school aged kids to the scientific jobs available in the community. "We're excited," said Sunny Rice, Petersburg Marine Mammal Center board member and marine advisory agent with the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences/Alaska Sea Grant. "It'll be fun. It's always lots fun. Lots of energy. It's good to expose them to things they might want to do later on in life." Although, the summer camp is...
Trygve Thorsen, 88 passed away peacefully at his home on June 19, 2018. He was born in Petersburg on October 28, 1929 to Edward and Ingeborg Thorsen, the eldest of four children and the only boy with three sisters, Alvil, Ruth and Elsie. He attended Petersburg High School and fished with his father until March 1951 when he enlisted in the Army during the Korean War. He was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, 4th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Company K with several other young Petersburg men. He was...
John Clay Phillips, 59, unexpectedly lost his life at Clark’s Point in Nushagak Bay near Dillingham, Alaska on the morning of Wednesday, July 25, 2018. He was born to Nancy C. Phillips and Jack D. Phillips in Sitka, Alaska in August of 1958. He was a long-time resident of Juneau, Petersburg, and Pelican. He was widely known as a highliner fisherman of black cod and halibut, following in the footsteps of his parents. He spent many years on the ocean on various fishing vessels: the F/V’s Aloha, Nancy K, Shamrock, Echo Belle, and Lone Fis...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that portions of an initiative aimed at protecting salmon be stricken as unconstitutional but decided that the rest of the measure can advance to the fall ballot. In a written order, the court said the problematic parts would bar the state Fish and Game commissioner from granting a permit to a project that would cause “substantial damage” or have other impacts even if it is the judgment of the commissioner or Legislature that a project’s public benefit would outweigh its eff...
The Petersburg School Board on Tuesday approved seven changes to its policy and one change to its bylaws, which changes future board meeting times. “If we’re going to have a focus on kids and have kids at our board meetings to do presentations, I know that sometimes our board meetings can get a little late in the evening during the school year,” said school board president Mara Lutomski at a board meeting in June. “I also would prefer to be done a little bit earlier.” Board Bylaw 9320 will now have board meetings beginning at 6 P.M. on the seco...
WRANGELL - The Wrangell Cooperative Association recently received a $50,000 grant from SEARHC. According to WCA Tribal Administrator Esther Ashton, several other communities with First Nations entities also received similar grants. The "Healthy is Here" grant is meant to help promote public health within their community. "The way that it was defined was really left up to the tribal board to determine how they wanted to promote health and culture within our community," Ashton said. "So the board...
