Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
Clear skies on Monday morning showed the extent of Sunday afternoon's landslide that swept 1,100 feet down the steep, wooded hillside above a Ketchikan neighborhood, taking out a portion of the Rainbird Trail and pouring across the Third Avenue Bypass before damaging several homes in the Second Avenue area just west of Whitecliff Avenue. The landslide resulted in the death of one person, Sean Griffin, a City of Ketchikan Public Works senior maintenance technician who was on the Third Avenue...
The Southeast Alaska sport fishery is on track to exceed its king salmon allocation for the summer by 14,000 fish, prompting the state to close the region to sportfishing for kings. The closure went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Aug. 26. “King salmon may not be retained or possessed, and any king salmon caught must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed,” according to the Department of Fish and Game announcement late Friday, Aug. 23. The king salmon sport fishery will reopen on Oct. 1 for the winter season. “While the (...
August 29, 1924 – Again the sea takes a toll from Petersburg. R. Dahl, in the prime of life, falls overboard and is drowned. Last Monday he was taking up a crab net and, while hitching a line to a snatch block that was hanging a short distance off the deck, lost his balance and fell overboard. Mrs. Dahl was in the cabin and their two boys were on deck. They were so frightened and excited that they did not act immediately, but saw Mr. Dahl apparently on top of the water. By the time the nine-year old boy got the small dinghy to where his f...
Disposing of large derelict vessels abandoned in Petersburg's harbors comes at a cost - one that the borough is taking steps to mitigate. In August, the Petersburg Borough Assembly amended municipal code and approved a significant budget adjustment to address the issue of derelict vessels in local harbors. The assembly authorized the transfer of $240,000 from the harbor department reserves to a derelict boat disposal budget item, bringing the total amount allocated to $250,000 to fund the...
This brown bear was sighted in the area of Blind River Rapids last Saturday afternoon, Aug. 24. Brown bears are not often seen on Mitkof Island. Black bears are far more common near Petersburg. All of the incidents so far this year of bears foraging in garbage cans in town, Petersburg Police confirmed, have been black bears....
Sincere thanks for saving my life To the Editor: I would like to sincerely thank those involved in saving my life. I will start with my neighbor Bill Miller, owner of Calder Mountain Lodge, for running me quickly into town in his jet boat, and there, waiting at the North Harbor ramp, a big thank you to the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department EMS team – not only did they transport me up the steep ramp, keeping me as comfortable as they could, and to the hospital – they later transported me to the airport for a transfer to a Coast Guard hel...
August 21 – The Petersburg Police Department received a report of a bear accessing unsecured garbage on Skylark Way. A citation will be issued. Officers responded to a disturbance on North Nordic Drive. PPD received a report of a bear accessing unsecured garbage at an unoccupied residence on Skylark Way. A citation will be issued to a resident of Skylark Way for failure to secure a refuse container. PPD received a post-event report of shoplifting. An officer responded to a report of a strong odor on North Nordic Drive. An officer responded t...
In a strategic move to support management of critical services for the community, Petersburg Borough has made structural revisions to its utility departments, reorganizing responsibilities and reverting to a former leadership model. This change was made as Utility Director Karl Hagerman -who has overseen the borough's power, water, and sewer departments since 2018- plans to retire in 2026. In the past, the Public Works Director managed the water, sewer, roads, sanitation and motor pool...
A ballot measure that could repeal Alaska’s ranked choice election system is headed to a vote in November, the Alaska Supreme Court confirmed Thursday. In a brief order, the court’s five members upheld a lower court decision that certified Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal the laws that created the state’s ranked choice general election and open primary election. The order came shortly after justices heard oral arguments in an appeal claiming that the Alaska Division of Elections improperly certified the measure. “Today the Court quickly... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly has taken a stance against the potential listing of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Assembly members voted unanimously to send a letter of opposition to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in response to a petition from the Wild Fish Conservancy, an environmental group based in Washington state, which requested the ESA listing and designation of critical habitat of any GOA...
Petersburg's high school seniors arrived on the first day of their senior year to find their names chalked across the school's entrance by their parents....
A bill aimed at attracting and keeping quality teachers in Alaska classrooms became law on Monday without Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signature. The law’s changes to current education policy are threefold: It eliminates a state limit on experience-based compensation for teachers, allows retired teachers to serve as long-term substitutes and provides financial incentives for current teachers to seek certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka and a former teacher, sponsored the bill, whi... Full story
King Salmon: Beginning Monday, August 26, retention of king salmon is prohibited in all Southeast Alaska salt waters. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; any king salmon caught must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed. These regulations will be in effect through Monday, September 30, 2024. Advisory Announcements with additional details and specific maps are available on our website. Coho Salmon: Coho are being caught in the saltwater as well as the streams. The run should continue to build from here into Septemb...
The crew of the F/V Spicy Lady crew go through the seine before putting it away for the winter, Friday, Aug. 23....
Petersburg High School's cross country team raced out to a strong start to the 2024 season on Saturday, Aug. 24, in Petersburg. In a meet that included Sitka, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Juneau-Douglas, Skagway and Craig, the boys placed fourth out of seven teams. The girls placed second out of four teams. Head coach Casey Gates was very pleased with his team's performance during the first meet of the season. "I'm very excited and happy with how today went and also with the outlook of the season, I...
Gary Weldon Grandy, age 86, of Richmond, Utah, passed away on August 16, 2024, in North Logan, Utah from complications of a stroke. He was born on March 11, 1938, in Montpelier, Idaho, to Weldon Emil Grandy and Mary Anona Bird. Gary spent his formative years working on various ranches in Paris, Idaho, graduating from Fielding High School in 1956. That summer he worked at the Palisades Dam, Idaho site for the Bureau of Reclamation as an Engineering Aid. He attended the University of Utah for two... Full story
Shig Kaino was born on September 9, 1929, in Vista, California, joining her older brother and sister. She grew up in the San Diego area on vegetable and strawberry farms. Shig had a love affair with the open fields and with the strawberries her family grew. When she was 12 years old, American policy during World War II changed her life. She was taken from the farm and incarcerated in an internment camp, facing a new life behind barbed wire that would keep her separated from her brother for... Full story
Marcia Lynn Hanson peacefully passed away on July 12, 2024, surrounded by her family. Marcia was born on July 17, 1956, in Petersburg, Alaska, to Christopher and Lucy Hanson. She was the oldest of three. Growing up in Petersburg Marcia enjoyed adventures with her many cousins, was on the Petersburg High School Drill Team, and liked to help out where she could, always happy to take on the important behind-the-scenes jobs. She was an employee of Whitney Fidalgo Cannery, Petersburg Fisheries,... Full story
Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom is withdrawing from the race for the state's lone U.S. House seat, she announced Friday via social media. With most votes counted, Dahlstrom is expected to finish third in the state's top-four primary election, behind Democratic incumbent Mary Peltola and fellow Republican challenger Nick Begich. Her withdrawal means the expected No. 4 finisher, Republican Matt Salisbury, will likely advance to the general election alongside Begich and Peltola, as would... Full story