Articles from the August 31, 2023 edition


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  • Volunteer fire department calls for more help

    Orin Pierson|Aug 31, 2023

    Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department is dangerously understaffed. Last week the department pushed to get the word out about how and why to join the volunteers. They screened a film at the movie theater titled "Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat" and hosted an open house at the fire hall, where veteran volunteers and newcomers spoke about what motivates them to volunteer. The recent fire disaster at the Catholic Church highlighted staffing issues. The firefighters who were on hand valiantly battled the...

  • South Harbor dredge project set to resume in October

    Olivia Rose|Aug 31, 2023

    Dredging is expected to resume at South Harbor this October to finish the maintenance project that was suspended earlier this year. Harbormaster Glo Wollen says Western Marine, who has undertaken the South Harbor dredge project, is "here, poised, ready to go" but must wait to resume in-water work due to environmental regulations. "Because of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we can't do any in-water work until October 1," she said. "We'll see them start to fire up and get things ready, and then...

  • Yesterday's News News from 25-50-75-100 years ago

    Aug 31, 2023

    August 31, 1923 – The cannery of the Petersburg Packing Company, this year will set a new high mark for number of cases of salmon packed, having already exceeded their previous high mark set in 1918 and with still a week to run. This concern also has the honor of having the largest pack put up by any single cannery in Alaska this year. Although the salmon run is properly over there are still enough fish being caught to keep the plant going for another week on part time, which will add several thousand cases to their season total. At the c...

  • HIP talks food stamp backlogs and food insecurity in Petersburg

    Olivia Rose|Aug 31, 2023

    At the office of Petersburg nonprofit Humanity In Progress, anyone experiencing food insecurity can pick up a grab-and-go bag from the storage container just outside the door. Inside, a thoughtful collection of products to meet a person's basic needs are stacked against the walls. Humanity in Progress, also called HIP, is a small local nonprofit organization that aims to address the present humanitarian needs for shelter and sustenance in Petersburg. There is currently a housing shortage in...

  • To the Editor

    Aug 31, 2023

    Thanks for the ice To the Editor: Not that I am a spokesperson, but on behalf of the sports and subsistence fishing fleet I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Coastal Cold Storage and Trident Seafoods for generously providing ice to the town to keep our bounty iced and as fresh as possible and keep our food and beverages cold. I would also like to thank the workers that come from far and wide for their hard work that keeps our industries and businesses running. As long as I’m getting mushy, I would also like to express my a...

  • Guest Editorial: Governor should help get the work done

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel Publisher|Aug 31, 2023

    Employers everywhere are finding it hard to recruit and retain employees. But it sure seems that the state of Alaska, under the disengaged leadership of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, is sinking to new lows of high vacancies. The empty desks and undone work are degrading public services and hurting Alaskans. The administration’s reactions have been to express concern, provide excuses, talk about doing better and, in some offices, shuffle around available personnel to plug the biggest holes. And the governor proclaimed May 10 as State Employee A...

  • Police report

    Aug 31, 2023

    August 23 – An officer responding to a report of suspicious activity on Fram Street determined it was non-criminal. An officer responded to a 911 hang-up call from Hungerford Hill Road. An officer conducted a welfare check on North 4th Street. The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of fraudulent activity. An officer conducted a welfare check in South Boat Harbor. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with a person who fell at the Crane Dock. An officer responding to a report of theft on Lumber Street d...

  • New beginnings for PHS Cross Country team

    Liam Demko|Aug 31, 2023

    It's the start of a fresh season for Petersburg High School's Cross Country team, marking the beginning of a new era under the team's incoming head coach, Casey Gates. With a community race under their belts and a first meet in Klawock coming up this weekend, Gates and this year's PHS team are ready and excited to put themselves to the test. "Looking at [our race] times, I really think that we've just scratched the surface of what we're capable of," said Gates. "I think that we're going to...

  • Kake public safety officer charged with assault, possessing a weapon while intoxicated

    Clarise Larson, Juneau Empire|Aug 31, 2023

    A village public safety officer in Kake was arrested Tuesday on three separate charges after he reportedly assaulted a woman and possessed a weapon while intoxicated, according to Alaska State Troopers. He was off-duty when the alleged crimes occurred. Austin Brady, 28, of Kake was arrested on second-degree assault (class B felony), fourth-degree criminal mischief (class A misdemeanor) and fourth-degree misconduct involving a weapon (class A misdemeanor), according to an AST daily dispatch. Information about his charges have not yet appeared...

  • Roof replacement tops school district's priorities in six-year plan

    Olivia Rose|Aug 31, 2023

    The Petersburg School District approved the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) six-year plan at the first meeting of the academic year August 15. It is a long term plan that is vital to secure state funding for major maintenance and building capital projects. The facility committee met with Borough Building Official and Code Enforcement Officer Ray Wesebaum, Southeast Regional Resource Center representative David Landis, and school board member Jay Lister to review and discern priorities for a six-year plan. So far, there are five projects on the...

  • Petersburg Medical Center board meets at Borough Assembly Chambers

    Aug 31, 2023

  • Here's what to know about new federal policies for repaying student loans

    Ariana Figueroa, Alaska Beacon|Aug 31, 2023

    WASHINGTON — Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments. The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month. Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled a new repayment plan for those with federal student loans, known as Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE. The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a bor...

  • Call for musicians to fill out the Alaska Music Census by September 2

    Aug 31, 2023

    The first Alaska Music Census, a project by Alaskan musicians for Alaskan musicians, is underway until September 2 at AlaskaMusicCensus.com. The Alaska Independent Musicians Initiative (AKIMI) is taking a head count of Alaskans who engage with music in any way: Amateurs; pros; music techs, teachers, retailers, and librarians; players of any instrument, from banjos to bagpipes, playing any genre, from heavy metal to soundscapes; singers, from rappers to choir members; instrument makers; and fans. All are encouraged to participate in this...

  • Obituary: Gary Stevens, 53

    Aug 31, 2023

    Gary Albert Stevens, 53, passed away in June in his Las Vegas home of natural causes. His memorial service will be at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August. 31, at Chief Shakes House on Shakes Island in Wrangell, Alaska, followed by a reception and potluck at the American Legion Hall. Gary was born to Gary James and Susan Georgina Stevens on March 28, 1970, the first grandchild born to the Feller and Stevens family in Wrangell, Alaska. He was Tlingit and Haida of the Naanyaa.iee clan. His Tlingit names... Full story