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The Petersburg Borough held a virtual town hall on Sept. 10 to inform the public on the civil emergency provisions ordinance, which is set to go before the assembly in its third and final reading on Monday. The meeting was split into two parts and moderated by attorney Sarah F. Fine. Borough officials gave presentations on the Incident Command System (ICS), the reason for a more expansive emergency ordinance and the need for an emergency ordinance. The second half of the meeting was dedicated...
This year's pink salmon harvest came in at around 7 million, which is considerably down from the 35 million ten year average. Troy Thynes, regional management coordinator for commercial fisheries with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the pink salmon run in Southeast Alaska hasn't been this low since 1976. There are several causes for this year's poor salmon run. In 2018, the parent year for this year's pink salmon, escapement was poor in Northern Southeast Alaska, said Thynes. In...
The first stop along the Ephemeral Art Show route during the Rainforest Festival was Heidi Lee's "Flora." She got the inspiration for the piece from her grandmother who would wait at that spot for her husband and sons to return from the fishing grounds. See more photos on page 6....
On Friday, Sept. 11, Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said his voluntary community plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be released soon after weeks of drafting and editing. "Thankfully the virus situation in Petersburg has been well under control, but as we enter into flu season, we just don't know what's going to happen," said Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update last week. The document, which includes recommendations and best practices to limit the spread of the virus, was rev...
September 17, 1920 Last Friday evening about 6 o’clock was a red letter day for many Petersburg residents both young and old. At that time they caught their first glimpse of an airplane flying when Plane No. 4 of the New York Nome air squadron flew over the town. Heralded by a loud humming which brought many people to the streets, the plane flew down Wrangell Narrows from the north made a large circle over the waters in front of the town and then returned over the same course as it followed coming in. The four planes in company left W...
The community had the opportunity to speak out in support or against a permanent civil emergency provisions ordinance at a virtual town hall on Sept. 10, though the feedback the Borough Assembly received was mostly negative. The Petersburg Borough requested those who wanted to ask questions during the town hall to submit them about a week in advance to allow borough staff time to answer the questions. The public could still ask questions at the end of the town hall, which began with... Full story
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Alaska has faced its share of monumental challenges. The testing of all incoming travelers, providing relief for devastated tourism businesses, creating a new unemployment program from scratch. Yet none compared to the challenge of protecting our critical seafood industry and the communities that rely on their economic production. We commend Alaska's seafood industry for successfully navigating the most difficult season Alaska has ever experienced. Captains,...
Borough staff presented appropriate justification for the borough assembly to approve an ordinance that will update and expand how officials respond to local emergencies at last Thursday's public forum on the topic. In a nutshell, Ordinance #2020-19 will transfer civil emergency provisions from the City of Petersburg code to Petersburg Borough code while adding language to help local officials respond to an emergency. Karl Hagerman explained, "...the responsibility to keep the population safe...
Voting information To the Editor: It is simple to get an absentee, or mail-in, ballot for the general election on 3 November. By email, go to absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov. From there, click on "Apply Online With DMV Validation". Use your driver's license to establish your identity. Alternatively, you can contact the Division of Elections at 907-465-4611 or 1-866-952-8683 to request a paper application. The Division of Elections intends to mail the ballots to voters on October 9. If you...
Following the announcement last week that the Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be shutting down its Southeast Alaska enhancement program due to an absence of funding, F&G Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said the state and federal government is committed to provide Crystal Lake Hatchery (CLH) with $317,300 annually. Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association operates CLH under a contract with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fishing for an annual total of...
September 9— Authorities responded to a report of a person yelling at a location on N. Nordic Dr. Authorities were made aware of a bear on S. 3rd St. A disturbance was reported at a location on Lumber St. Drug paraphernalia at a business located on N. Nordic Dr. was turned over to authorities. A reckless driver on N. Nordic Dr. was reported to authorities. Authorities responded to a report of theft at a location on Odin St. Authorities issued a trespassing warning to an individual at a location on S. Nordic Dr. Multiple individuals were w...
The Petersburg borough began holding in-person absentee voting for the Oct. 6 municipal election on Sept. 16 in the municipal building training room. In-person absentee voting will be open from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday through Friday and end at 12 P.M. on Oct. 5. Residents can also submit an absentee ballot by mail or electronically. To request an absentee ballot visit www.ci.petersburg.ak.us. The deadline to request an absentee mail in ballot is Oct. 1. Contact Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson...
At about two and a half weeks into the Petersburg High School swim season, Head Coach Andy Carlisle said the young team is showing great potential. There are 12 boys and one girl on the team, but two more girls are expected to join soon. One of the girls that is expected to join is a senior, but a good portion of the swimmers currently on the team are freshmen. Carlisle said the team is starting from a beginner level together. Even the swimmers who are in Viking Swim Club hadn't been in the...
The Petersburg High School cross country team ran a 5k course near Greens Camp after school on Friday as part of a virtual meet with high schools throughout the region. The boys team ended up taking second place among the seven teams that competed with each other remotely. The girls team still does not have enough runners to score for their team, but Head Coach Tom Thompson said the girls still had a strong showing. Each of the seven high schools, Haines, Petersburg, Craig, Wrangell, Unalaska, M...
This year's Petersburg High School volleyball team is about one week into their season, and like other sports this year, the team is playing under COVID-19 protocols; however, the girls are just glad to be back in the gym, practicing the sport, said Head Coach Jaime Cabral. A core group of seniors graduated last year, which caused positions on the team to have to be rearranged this season. There are only three seniors on the team out of the 25 players. Most of the students are young, but are a...
Moose season opened Tuesday, Sept. 15 and according to Alaska hunting regulations for the area, the season will run until Oct. 15. Wrangell, Petersburg, the surrounding islands and nearby stretch of mainland are covered under RM038. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, this hunt is available to nonresidents and residents alike, with the proper permits. Before going out hunting, those wanting to bag a moose should be aware of the regulations in place. According to the...
Pictured is a popular ridge on Petersburg Mountain where hikers like to take a break. In the background across Frederick Sound is the Alaska Coastal Range, known for fjords, ice fields and tidewater glaciers....
The Wrangell School Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to continue their discussion of a formal reprimand and improvement plan for the superintendent. Late last August, Superintendent Debbe Lancaster and several district staff members went on a trip to Juneau to purchase supplies to prepare the district for the upcoming school year. This was in violation of a district travel ban during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as done without board approval. The planned use of CARES Act funding for some of the purchases was also...
State Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will hold public office hours Fri., Sept. 18 from 1-2 p.m. and Sat., Sept. 19 from 9-10 a.m. at Salty Pantry. Both times will be outside and socially distanced. Masks are encouraged. No appointment is necessary....
Alan Mooney paints the side of Hammer & Wikan Hardware on Friday, Sept. 11....
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Two drivers are dead and four children were injured following a vehicle collision Thursday on southeast Alaska’s Prince of Wales Island, Alaska State Troopers said. The troopers in an online dispatch said a preliminary investigation indicated that one of the drivers, whom they identified as 35-year-old Jennifer Dietrick of Naukati, crossed the double-yellow line of Thorne Bay Road, causing a head-on collision. The other vehicle was driven by Kerri Hansen, 33, of Thorne Bay, troopers said. Both drivers were pronounced dea...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Most of Alaska’s wildland fire crews are helping fight fires in the continental U.S., including western blazes that have triggered evacuations of thousands of people, officials said. U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said 450 to 500 Alaska residents are currently helping fight fires outside the state, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday. Alaska fire crews have a history of assisting beyond the state’s borders. But this year is unique with the necessity of also trying to suppress the coron...
Bering Sea crabbers will soon know how much they can pull up in their pots for the upcoming season that opens October 15. This week the Crab Plan Team, advisers to state and federal fishery managers who jointly manage the fisheries, will review stock assessments and other science used to set the catches for Bristol Bay red king crab, Tanners and snow crab. Normally, the biggest driver would be data from the annual summer trawl surveys that have tracked the stocks for decades. But this year, the...
