Articles from the November 21, 2024 edition


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  • Stringing the lights

    Nov 21, 2024

    Power and Light crew members David Mazzella, Casey Bell, August Jewell, Sam Caulum, and Kevin Hess, join forces with community member and Christmas light mastermind Matt Bryner to prepare the Petersburg Christmas tree for the town's tree lighting ceremony coming up on Friday, Nov. 29th....

  • Alaska chooses to keep ranked choice voting, Begich defeats Peltola, unofficial results show

    Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Beacon|Nov 21, 2024

    Alaska’s open primary and ranked choice voting system survived, while Republican U.S. House candidate Nick Begich defeated Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, according to the unofficial results released on Wednesday. The Alaska Division of Elections completed the ranked choice tabulations for all nine races in which no candidate received more than 50% of first-preference ballots. The division is targeting Nov. 30 as the date by which it will certify the results. There will be another tabulation completed then. Until that is completed, the results ar... Full story

  • Volunteer fire department elects new chief

    Orin Pierson|Nov 21, 2024

    The members of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department elected Dan Bird this month to replace Jim Stolpe as fire chief. Stolpe served two three-year terms as chief, and he intends to continue his volunteering career with PVFD for as long as he is able - though he plans to let his EMT certification expire in the coming year and will slow down a little when it comes to rushing into burning buildings. "After 45 years of doing it, I figure it's time for that younger generation to pick that ball up...

  • Yesterday's News

    Nov 21, 2024

    November 21, 1924 – Monday evening at the Sons of Norway Hall will be held the first basketball game of the year. The Town Team, sponsored by Sol Freyd, will take on the fast coming school team, and try to teach them a few lessons of the fine points of the game they have learned through the school of hardknocks. Both teams have been practicing regularly and are fast approaching their standard. While the School Team will be somewhat lighter than their older opponents, they plan to run rings around the Town Team. It is expected that the superior...

  • Sales Tax ordinance clarifies language for better transparency

    Olivia Rose|Nov 21, 2024

    Earlier this month, the Petersburg Borough Assembly passed an ordinance updating the sales tax chapter of municipal code to clarify exemptions and rules for businesses, modernize definitions and organize information for better transparency - borough officials emphasized that the ordinance does not introduce new taxes or exemptions, nor does it change how sales tax is applied locally. The amendment highlights existing information about sales tax into clear new sections and adds definitions that w...

  • Editorial: Election results are in. How did Petersburg's results turn out? Who knows.

    Orin Pierson, Publisher|Nov 21, 2024

    Alaska voters have had to wait until November 20 to see the final results of the 2024 General Election. Now we know that the winner of the U.S. House race is Nick Begich and we know that ranked choice voting and open primaries survived the repeal effort. But because of how early voting gets tallied in Alaska we will never know exactly how the Petersburg precinct, or any individual precinct in the state actually voted. The Division of Election’s published results show that Petersburg cast 843 votes in the 2024 General Election, but that n...

  • To the Editor

    Nov 21, 2024

    Just asking questions To the Editor: Alaska representative Jamie Allard (R-Eagle River) asked via social media this week how many non-citizens voted in Alaska’s 2024 election, implying that thousands of “illegal” votes could sway our ballot measures. Simple answer to Allard’s question is, most likely, none. Non-citizen voting is illegal by state and federal law. Alaska’s Division of Elections and Department of Motor Vehicles rigorously enforce those laws by confirming citizenship before they process registrations. Provisional ballots are likewi...

  • Police report

    Nov 21, 2024

    November 13 – Officers responded to a disturbance on South 3rd Street. Officers responded to a disturbance on Haugen Drive and determined it was non-criminal. Officers responded to a report of suspicious activity on North 1st Street and determined it was unfounded. Officers assisted the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) with a boat fire at the Crane Dock. November 14 – The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a fuel smell on North Nordic Drive. The Fire Marshall was notified and responded. Property found on Hau...

  • Ordinances pass to increase Assisted Living fees and clarify process of selling borough-owned tidelands

    Nov 21, 2024

    The Petersburg Borough Assembly adopted a few ordinances on Monday - one of which will increase and establish certain charges for residents of Mountain View Manor Assisted Living Facility, and another that clarifies the process of selling borough-owned tidelands. ORDINANCE #2024-20 Beginning in 2025, new residents moving into the Mountain View Manor Assisted Living Facility will pay a one-time Community Facility Fee of $2,000. Proceeds will go toward maintenance and repair of the facility. If a...

  • Gymnastics program finds new permanent home

    Olivia Rose|Nov 21, 2024

    Lifelong gymnast and founder of Fitness Fundamentals Madeleine Valentine is leaping into a new chapter for her business. After three years of operating her gymnastics and fitness school from various rented, temporary spaces around Petersburg, Valentine has secured a permit from the borough to convert a large detached garage on her recently purchased property into a permanent location for her classes. Finding a consistent space to house the program has been a challenge. Valentine explored several...

  • Viking Swim Club reigns supreme at November Rain

    Aiden Luhr|Nov 21, 2024

    The Viking Swim Club put on a swimming clinic in front of their home crowd during the annual November Rain which could not have been made possible without the help of volunteers coordinating the meet. November Rain was the second meet of the year for VSC but it was a good opportunity to see where the team stood against other schools such as Craig, Wrangell, Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. "What I want to see in the water is improvement in technique, especially for our younger swimmers," head coach...

  • Mitkof hosts middle school basketball 2024 Stikine Tournament

    Aiden Luhr|Nov 21, 2024

    Over the past weekend, Petersburg hosted the 2024 Middle School Basketball Stikine Tournament. Klawock, Craig and Wrangell participated in this tournament. There were two divisions, with Boys and Girls A and B brackets. This tournament consisted of 99 players and 23 [Viking] cheerleaders. "We ended up pulling off 25 games. We had 16 pool play games and nine championship bracket games," Petersburg Athletic Director Jaime Cabral said. The Stikine Tournament has been rotating every year between Cra...

  • Dire condition of Alaska's seafood industry has many causes and no easy fixes

    Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon|Nov 21, 2024

    State officials and industry leaders trying to rescue the ailing Alaska seafood industry are facing daunting challenges, recently released numbers show. The industry lost $1.8 billion last year, the result of low prices, closed harvests and other problems, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Direct employment of harvesters last year fell by 8% to the lowest level since 2001, when counts of harvesting jobs began, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development said. The monthly average for... Full story

  • Ashley Lohr's solo exhibition at Clausen Memorial Museum

    Nov 21, 2024

    Ashley Lohr smiles with her son Finn during last Friday's artist reception for "Color Compass" - Lohr's latest jewelry and painting solo show. The show -which is Lohr's 16th solo exhibition in Petersburg- is a celebration of the artist's dialogue with color, and how it speaks boldy in her art and leads her on her creative journey....

  • Painting & sipping at Sons of Norway Hall

    Nov 21, 2024

    Muskeg Maleriers vice president Judy Forgey instructs a table of Sip & Paint participants on how to rosemal a yellow flower. Rosemaling is the Norwegian art of painting floral motifs on wood. Over 20 people gathered upstairs in Sons of Norway Hall on Saturday, Nov. 9 to paint and partake in hors d'oeuvres like cookies, muffins and meatballs, and their drink of choice....

  • Santa's truck-driving helpers are east bound and down to Washington

    Sam Pausman, Sentinel senior reporter|Nov 21, 2024

    WRANGELL - Kids keep asking John Schank if he's Santa. "I can't lie to them," he laughed. "But I say, 'I'm just his helper.'" John Schank is 72. He has a big white beard and has been driving for Lynden Transport for 49 years. He and Fred Austin, another longtime Lynden driver, are transporting the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree and its 82-foot sled - trailer - from Seattle to Washington, D.C. This is Schank's second time driving The People's Tree from Alaska to Washington, D.C. He was selected to d...