Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
The borough"s blue cart recycling program began at the beginning of the year and seems to be running smoothly, according to Public Works Director Karl Hagerman. "Overall the community has really accepted the new system," he says. "Customer satisfaction, I think, is pretty good and we"ve received very little negative feedback over the program." After the start of the program, Public Works distributed a handful of smaller 64-gallon blue carts to low volume households who requested them. The... Full story
WRANGELL - Emergency assistance was dispatched from Wrangell early Sunday evening, after a private boat struck a log near Farm Island. Fire Department Chief Tim Buness said emergency dispatch received a 911 call from one of the boat”s passengers at 5:23 p.m. Responders were notified and an initial unit was ready to depart within minutes. “We sent a float plane up with three medics on board,” Buness said. He estimated it took about twenty minutes to arrive at the scene. “We also sent one of the bigger boats with Alaska Vistas with more EMTs (E... Full story
September 16, 1916 – Two bids were submitted to the council for the south end bridge and street improvement work, the lowest being that of A. W. Willard. He offers to furnish the labor and piling for the job for $1,125. The bid will be accepted. The town is to furnish the necessary lumber – 75,000 feet. The second bid was considerably higher than Mr. Willard”s. September 12, 1941 – With dramatic suddenness, the fishing season, which was scheduled to run until September 15, ended when the order went out that Wrangell Narrows was to be closed...
WRANGELL – Costs for the transition of operations at the Tyee Lake hydroelectric facility may be higher than first expected. Board members for Southeast Alaska Power Agency learned at their September 8 meeting that the unfunded pensions liability for Wrangell employees at the plant were more than double what was estimated when it assumed operations. SEAPA CEO Trey Acteson explained consultants had put the city"s liabilities to the state Public Employees" Retirement System at $648,206, which i... Full story
To the Editor: As there have been a few letters against the cultivation and sales of marijuana in our town I would like to share my personal opinions from the other side. I am in favor for the cultivation and retail sale of Marijuana in the Borough of Petersburg for many reasons. First is that it is much less detrimental to society than alcohol. I have served as an EMT for almost 25 years and have never once had a call where marijuana was the issue. That cannot be said for alcohol and hard drugs which I have been on numerous calls for. In my yo...
Petersburg is hosting two conferences this week and next. On Thursday and Friday the Alaska Recreation and Park Association meets. On their schedule are topics entitled: “Love Your Job…Love Your Life; Managing for Millenials; Laughter Yoga in Your Parks and Do You have a Dog Park? Or Has Your Whole Community Accidentally Become a Dog Park?” Who says Parks and Recreation Dept. directors don”t have a sense of humor? Next week the Southeast Conference meets on Monday through Thursday. President Garry White points out in his conference welcome...
September 7 There was a report involving theft on Lumber Street. A call concerning assault on 4th Street was received. Suspicious activity was reported on N. Nordic Drive. There was a call concerning a missing person. September 8 Two separate incidents of suspicious activity were reported on N. Nordic Drive. September 9 There was a parking issue on Harbor Way. Suspicious activity was reported on Tower Hill at airport. A call concerning assault on Lumber Street was received. Darian W. Bliss was arrested on charges of assault in the fourth...
Aug. 24 Pamela Stewart appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell for arraignment on a DUI. Stewart entered a not guilty plea, and a trial call is set for Nov. 8. Aug. 25 Magistrate Judge Burrell issued a bench warrant for Charles Sterling. Sterling was charged with multiple crimes in July, including domestic violence, and violating the conditions of release. Patrick O”Brien appeared before Magistrate Judge Burrell for a representation hearing. O”Brien is charged with two counts of assault with a weapon in the third degree, and one count of mis...
State representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will be in Petersburg Mon., Sept. 19 to hold public office hours from 3-4 pm at Glacier Express and 4-5 pm at Java Hus. No appointment necessary, just drop in. Email rep.jonathan.kreiss-tomkins@akleg.gov or call the Representative”s office at 747.4665 to contact him....
The school year is well underway and Jasmine Ieremia is back in class at PHS after spending a year studying abroad with the Rotary Exchange Program. She"s been back in town for four months, and the time has allowed her to reflect on living in Thailand. Ieremia says she missed American culture, and the tonal language of Thailand was difficult. She knew enough to get around and do regular everyday things, but conversation was limited. Another hurdle was the steep learning curve of driver and...
JUNEAU – The final step is expected this week for a nonprofit organization to take over a Juneau health center serving homeless and uninsured residents that it started managing last year. Wrangell-based Alaska Island Community Services began managing Front Street Community Health Center in May 2015 at the request of the center's board. Board member Mariya Lovishchuk said a final vote on the transfer will take place this week, The Juneau Empire reported. AICS offers medical, dental and behavioral health services in Wrangell, Gustavus and N...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A Juneau-based organization has received nearly $930,000 in federal funds to help revitalize Alaska Native languages. The Sealaska Heritage Institute will use the grant from the Administration for Native Americans to support a program dedicated to teaching the languages of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. The project will serve participants in Juneau, Sitka, Metlakatla and Hydaburg over a three-year period. The institute is looking for eight participants to become proficient in one of the three languages. Four mentors w...
The Petersburg Children"s Center began the school year earlier this month with a new look after recently completing a renovation. Teachers and kiddos were welcomed with a spacious expansion, but it wouldn"t have been possible without overwhelming support from the community. "This whole process has included many, many people. Jim Schwartz and Bob Lynn have been here throughout the entire project," PCC director Brandi Heppe wrote in an email to the Pilot. "Jim Roberts and Kurt Wohlhueter were...
To comply with HB156, the school board unanimously approved the sex education curriculum and the teachers of the curriculum for the school year at their board meeting Tuesday night. The board held an open work session Monday night to hear from staff that will be teaching this year”s sex education courses. The teachers gave board members a rundown of past curriculum and their approach to this school year. “It was almost two hours of information. I feel like we came away with a real clear understanding of what is being taught,” said board presi...
It surprises many people across the state that fall is one of the busiest times for Alaska”s fishing industry from the Panhandle to the Bering Sea. As salmon season gets tucked away, hundreds of boats of all gear types are still out on the water, or gearing up for even more openers in just a few weeks. Here”s a sampler: Longliners have taken 82 percent of their 17 million pound halibut catch quota with three million pounds left to go by the November 7 close of that eight month fishery. Homer, which bills itself as the nation”s top halibut port,...
PHS cross country had an exceptional met in Metlakatla last weekend, with nine runners earning personal records (PR). The girls team placed first, edging Ketchikan by one point for the victory, and the boys took second as a team. Senior Kayleigh Eddy ran a PR for the first time since her sophomore year. She was closely followed by Erin Pfundt and Meghyn Parker, who placed third and seventh. Pfundt and Parker also put up PR”s. Madisyn Parker crossed the finish line next in 14th place and seconds later Eva Lenhard earned 16th place and a PR. F...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska imports 96 percent of its food, and the governor says that should change. Gov. Bill Walker spoke during a conference for the National Association of Farmer”s Market Nutrition Programs, the Juneau Empire reported. “When we became a state, we used to raise half the food that was consumed in Alaska,” Walker said. The state now produces 4 percent of the food its residents consume. “That”s partly because we have grown since statehood in population, but also we”ve sort of lost our vision a bit,” Walker said. “We got a...
DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Alaska (AP) – A 45-year-old man from Mexico was located unharmed Monday after failing to return on time from a hiking trip to an abandoned city bus in the Alaska wilderness made famous by the popular book and movie, both titled “Into the Wild.” Denali National Park officials say the search for Carlos Castrejon was called off after he was found in good condition. He was last seen Wednesday when he set off to find the abandoned Fairbanks city bus near the national park. He intended to be back Saturday. Offic...
WRANGELL – A former Wrangell resident joined an Alaska canoe group in supporting a North Dakota tribe protesting construction of an oil pipeline across sacred lands. Earlier this month Ken Hoyt met up with members of the Juneau-based One People Canoe Society for a three-day spiritual journey on the Missouri River. For a week they joined a growing group of people protesting construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline near tribal land. The pipeline is planned to be an 1,172-mile connection be...
Ruth W. Sandvik, 100, Petersburg resident for 75 years, died on July 29, 2016 at Seattle"s Kline Galland home in the comfort of her family. Ruth fractured her hip in Petersburg, then was medevaced to Swedish Hospital in Seattle. After a successful operation she suffered a stroke and didn"t ever recover. Ruth was born in Portland, Oregon to Hermann and Vesta Wetterborg on February 8, 1916. Her parents preceded her in death as well as her sister, Betty. She and Betty attended Portland schools... Full story
Donald E. Schmit,73, passed away in Roseburg, Oregon on August 26, 2016. Don was born on March 21, 1943. Don and Betty met in Napavine, Washington and lived many years in Petersburg, Alaska before retiring to Roseburg. He is survived by his wife, Betty, his brother Ron and his five step-children, Joyce Arthurs, Ginnie Arthurs, Jerry Arthurs, Belinda Arthurs and Corky Arthurs. Also 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, a niece and two nephews and many cousins. Per Don”s request, no services are planned.... Full story
A state outreach program designed to shake some sense into Alaskans, with the help of a mobile earthquake simulator worth over $100,000, stopped by Petersburg last week. Each year the state Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) sends out a mobile trailer unit to different communities in an effort to raise awareness of earthquake risks. However, this year is the first for the simulator traveling around Southeast Alaska, according to Jeremy Zidek, public information...
