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Two superintendent applicants toured Mitkof Island, Petersburg and visited with various community members including district staff and administrators on Wednesday. Virginia Jewell Jewell grew up in New England and has spent more than five years of her educational career building start-up American schools in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. "Interestingly enough, overseas, you get a lot of non-Americans who want to have an American education," Jewell said. She is currently working at a start-up school... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously to increase electric rates by 4 percent over a two-year period. The rate increase comes after Petersburg Municipal Power and Light (PMPL) Superintendent Joe Nelson asked for guidance from the assembly as he moves forward in creating next year’s budget. Nelson told the assembly one of two things needed to be decided, one of which was the rate increase. “The other one would be to purposely approve a deficit budget which draws our reserves down and basically kicks the can down the road for a few... Full story
March 28, 1914 – Recently, the Postmaster General approved an amendment to the parcel post regulations under which butter, eggs, fruits, vegetables and other articles in parcels weighing from twenty to fifty pounds may be shipped in the first and second zone; in boxes or crates similar to those handled by the express companies. From Seattle, the postoffice department will have the automobile trucks recently inaugurated as the result of the investigation of the special efficiency committee which will greatly facilitate a prompt delivery. M...
Fisherman fishing the Sitka Sound Herring Sac Roe fishery harvested more than half of its guideline harvest limit this past week. As of March 23, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 9,858 tons of herring have been pulled out of the water leaving 6,475 tons remaining. There was an opening Wednesday afternoon that targeted around 3,000 tons but an exact harvest weight wasn't determined at the time this report was written. On March 25, officials observed herring spawning on...
Petersburg Search and Rescue members assisted U.S. Coast Guard personnel with the rescue of a Petersburg man after he went missing Monday evening. The man launched his 14-foot skiff Monday from Banana Point on the south end of Mitkof Island. When a family member became concerned they called emergency personnel. Petersburg SAR Director Robert Carter got the call around 8 p.m. Carter and SAR volunteer Ted Sanhofer contacted witnesses who thought they saw the lost man on a small island near Green’s Camp. The two SAR volunteers set up base camp at...
Patti Steele won this year's Petersburg Parks and Recreation's Losing BIG Petersburg competition by a public majority vote. Steele was one of ten contestants, split into two teams, led and encouraged by team captains Christin Fankhauser and Shelly Pope. Each contestant entered the competition with a set of goals to meet and guidelines to follow each week related to exercise, diet and stress relieving activities. Each week, Petersburg residents tracked how contestants performed through Facebook...
Commercial troll fishery public meeting to be held in Petersburg The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will hold commercial troll public meetings in Petersburg on Wednesday, April 2 at 12:30 pm in the Petersburg Library Conference Room. Meeting topics will include, but are not limited to, plans for the 2014 spring and summer troll fisheries, the 2014 Pacific Salmon Treaty Chinook salmon abundance index and quota, and a review of the 2013 troll season. All members of the public are welcome to attend. State seeks public input on ferry schedule...
March 20 A caller reported a possibly intoxicated driver on Sing Lee Alley A caller reported a very young child walking alone on Haugen Drive. An officer responded to a report of a vehicle blocking a drive. A caller reported a vehicle that had been left in gear and was rolling. March 21 A caller reported a reckless driver. Officers responded to a report of a domestic civil matter. A passerby reported screaming and yelling from an area. Officers located juveniles who were reported to be climbing a fence attempting to get on a roof and ran when p...
Members of Petersburg Boy Scout Troop 24 slept in snow caves and igloos last week as they participated in the annual 'Frostbite Challenge' just across the Canadian border near Skagway, Alaska. Petersburg scouts dug two snow caves out of 10-foot tall berm and constructed five igloos-two of which received honorable mentions in the judging contest. Petersburg scouts also took first place in several competitions including axe throwing, snowshoe races, snow canoeing and other snow related...
District Attorney Nick Polasky dismissed a case against Petersburg resident Martin Massin who local police charged with Theft and Criminal Trespass after he took his runaway dog from the pound. Massin said his dog Lucky jumped the fence at the local dog pound when Massin went to check on him. “When he (Lucky) saw me he jumped halfway up the fence, climbed up and bolted over,” Massin said. “I wasn’t thinking it was a big deal. It’s my dog right?” Massin paid the fines associated with having an unregistered dog and the impound fees several day...
Alaska’s salmon catch of 273 million salmon set a record last year – and so did the number of salmon returning home to state hatcheries. The 2013 Fisheries Enhancement Report by the AK Dept. of Fish and Game shows that a return of 112 million hatchery reared salmon contributed 36 percent to the state’s total salmon harvest. The breakdown by species was 63% for chum salmon, 38% for pinks, 23% for Chinook salmon, 22% for cohos and 5% of Alaska’s sockeye salmon catch can be credited to hatchery returns. Unlike farmed fish, which are crammed...
March 24 Anthony Sainz appeared before Superior Court Judge Carey for a sentencing hearing for Minor Consumption. The court sentenced the defendant to 20 days in jail with 20 days suspended, 96 hours of community work service, revocation of driver’s license among other conditions. Todd Lappatito appeared before Superior Court Judge Carey and plead guilty to Criminal Trespass, Theft in the 4th degree and two counts of Criminal Trespass. The court sentenced Lappatito to 90 days in jail with 90 days suspended and 18 months of probation among o...
Gaye was born April 26, 1951 to Millie Belshaw and Ed and Marie Reiger. She was raised in Portland, Ore. and lived for years in Hawaii and Alaska. Gaye loved horses and camping. While sitting around a campfire she often said, "smoke follows beauty and beauty was a horse." Her brothers would enjoy a laugh when the smoke followed her. She and her husband Mike Nyberg spent a lot of time with her large family. Together they enjoyed holidays and going hunting and camping. Almost annually she and... Full story
Two Petersburg students won awards in the Alaska Statewide Youth Art & Writing competition. Helen Martin, 8th grader at Mitkof Middle School, won third place for an excerpt of a mystery novel she’s writing and another third place award for a flash fiction short story. Martin’s mystery novel is set in Denmark and chronicles a girl who discovers a body in a bog on land her father owns. “I’ve been writing for a really long time,” Martin said. “My mom has documents on her computer from when I was orating stories to her when I was five.” Mart...
Local healthcare consumers face an imminent deadline. After twice extending the deadline to sign up for a healthcare plan under the Patient Affordable Care Act – known colloquially as Obamacare – the date finally stuck at March 31, with little indication that officials will change it, according to various national news outlets. Uninsured patients will thus face a penalty on their next tax return. Consumers who fail to enroll will face a penalty of $95 or one percent of their income, whichever is greater. Families must pay $47.50 per uni...
The Petersburg Medical Center submitted a balanced budget to the assembly earlier this month. The budget for fiscal year 2015 anticipates a net gain of $333,014 after covering $13.5 million in total operating expenses compared to $13.3 million last year. More than $9 million is budgeted for salaries, wages and employee benefits—an increase of around $229,000 from the year before. Net patient revenue is anticipated at around $13.7 million compared to $13.5 million last year. In creating next year’s budget, the PMC Board operated under sev...
Fifty years ago today, March 27, 1964 the largest U.S. earthquake ever recorded rocked southern Alaska. Petersburg resident and Harbor Way Parts Owner Phil Meeks was seven years old at the time. He was building a snow fort in his Anchorage front yard just before the 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck. "I remember feeling frustrated that my fort wouldn't stand up," Meeks said. "It kept caving in." Meeks said when the Great Alaskan Earthquake began he noticed the sound more than motion. "It went from...
