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It's flu season, and the Petersburg Medical Center is reporting several cases -- more than usual, including some who were immunized -- but all signs are pointing toward a vaccination that works. "We have seen more cases than we normally see around this time of year," said Liz Bacom, the infection control manager with the medical center. "But it's not like this is an atypical year versus another. Every flu season is different. "We are getting cases but they aren't super serious," Bacom said....
A crowd gathered outside the municipal building to watch the annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday evening, where onlookers listened and cheered for Jean Ellis, the honored guest and storied Petersburg native. Ellis, a 71-year-old with a background in the local newspaper, state legislature, education advocacy, the church and cancer, was chosen to light the community tree on Friday. Tom Abbott introduced Ellis, where he listed her varied career paths and history of community engagement. Ellis w...
November 30, 1917 — The local lodge of Moose, after a somewhat prolonged vacation, has again become active, and gives promise of holding its place in the future as one of Petersburg’s wide-awake social and beneficial orders. The wake up is largely due to the efforts of Dr. Pigg. The doctor is dictator of the lodge in Wrangell, and has also been active in organizing lodges of Moose in other places. November 27, 1942 — A special meeting of the Town Council was called on Wednesday evening to make arrangements for immediate storage and care of emer...
Gary Morgan, an electrician operator with Power & Light in Petersburg, recently decided to resign so he could focus more on his marijuana business. Morgan, after three years in the position, is scheduled to leave the department on December 8, after helping Power & Light with a project he had started earlier this fall. For about a year, Morgan has juggled a licensed weed growing facility and a full-time job. His daily workload usually starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at midnight, he said. "It got to...
Despite the clearly decisive results of the October election, the borough assembly appears to let politics decide their votes on important electrical issues. The vote to confirm the mayor’s selection to the Southeast Alaska Power Agency seats should have been voice votes, not secret ballots. The public is entitled to know how the assembly voted. It’s all about transparency. To select an inexperienced person to the voting seat for Petersburg, undermines Petersburg’s standing in the organization. John Jensen has served for years on the SEAPA...
to the Editor: I live in the trailer park on Lumber St. I am writing this letter to let everyone in on what all the good neighbors have had to put up with because of certain neighbors being on really bad drugs. We have had our places ripped off, some broken into and gas stolen, and people speeding up here. At my place they have been stealing outboard parts. Two of them have been completely stripped and we’ve had gas stolen from our skiffs in Hammer Slough. Anyone who lives near there, if you see anyone that isn’t Byron Lyons, Gordy Lyons or...
Two Petersburg police officers who returned from training in Fairbanks recently finished first and second in their graduating class. Officers Louis Waechter and Carl Tate were first and second, respectively, at the training academy graduation ceremony in November. "We just said we were going to take over the academy," Tate said. "We didn't want any other PD to have that spot." Waechter said there were about six other police departments there, amounting to about 18 officers. There was a...
Police reports over the past year show a significant number of thefts and burglaries each week. Police Chief Kelly Swihart told the Pilot this week that there are numerous reasons for the thefts. It’s not all related to drugs. “There could be a drug nexus in a lot of these things. If we really look at this, we’re dealing with the same population. Some struggle with their addictions. Some struggle for survival. “We’re dealing with the same population of violators, but they’re stealing for different reasons,” Swihart noted. According to...
Nov. 22 — Suspicious activity was reported on Lumber St. A deer was hit by a vehicle and injured at Haugen and 7th St. A subpoena was served at the Police Dept. Suspicious activity was reported at Lumber and S. Nordic. A traffic stop was made at 4th St. and Fram. A hit and run was reported in the vicinity of St. Andrew’s Church. A disturbance was reported at a 2nd St. location. Nov. 23 — An impaired driver was reported at Lumber St. and S. Nordic. A disturbance was reported at a S. Third St. location. Nov. 24 — A parking complaint was reporte...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) _ Several Kodiak residents have reported seeing bears in town throughout the past few weeks, and at least one area expert believes that’s because of a lackluster berry crop this year. Although the state Department of Fish and Game hasn’t received a higher-than-normal number of reported bear sightings, area wildlife biologist Nathan Svoboda believes a berry crop failure might have something to do with the encounters, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Wednesday. In years when the berry crop fails, bears become nut...
Three Petersburg students were selected to attend the All-State Music Festival about two weeks ago, a three-day trip to Anchorage that ends with some of the best young musicians in Alaska coming together for a concert. Students started auditioning in September, and then had a month to study the material before the festival. From Petersburg, two students were selected to the all-state choir, including seniors Jessica Ieremia, mixed choir, and Julia Murph, treble. They were two of 727 auditions for the all-state choir, and two of 175 musicians...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Bill Walker on Tuesday touted the benefits a major liquefied natural gas project would bring to Alaska, though the project, which the state is pursuing with Chinese partners, is far from assured. Walker, speaking in Anchorage, told reporters the project could provide affordable natural gas to communities, create thousands of jobs and generate up to $2 billion a year in revenue for the state. Walker’s office released the agreement that Walker and Keith Meyer, president of the state-sponsored Alaska Gasline Development...
Sports fans and other television viewers subscribing to General Communication Inc. have likely noticed that its FOX programming has been absent for most of the month. Since November 8 the telecommunications provider has been unable to show FOX in Southeast Alaska due to a contract row with television station KJUD. Based in Juneau, the television station is an ABC affiliate owned by Vision Alaska LLC, and in addition to FOX, carries programming for the CW network. In a media release GCI...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — New screening procedures have been put in place for carry-on baggage at Alaska’s largest airports. The Transportation Security Administration announced Tuesday that passengers will be required to place all electronics larger than a cellphone in X-ray bins, KTUU-TV reported . Previous procedures only required laptops to be placed in the bins. “The electronics should be placed in a bin with nothing on top or below, similar to how laptops have been screened for several years,” a security administration statement said. I...
Legislators wrapped up their fourth special session called for the year last week, passing a crime reform bill but failing to take up any new revenue measures. Passing both chambers, Senate Bill 54 revises the criminal justice reform package passed under SB 91 in 2016. The latest bill is based on recommendations by the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, including tightening up penalties for Class C felonies and repeat thefts, violations of release and sex trafficking offenses. "There was...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _ Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has signed a crime bill passed this month during a special legislative session. Lawmakers acted in response to a public outcry over crime and concerns that arose from a criminal justice overhaul approved last year. Walker, an independent, says the new measure is a first step in returning important tools to law enforcement. The bill changes presumptive sentencing ranges for Class C felonies. First offenses change from a probationary sentence to a jail term of zero to 2 years. The law creates a...
Recurring news headlines that have widely circulated about alarming declines of Pacific salmon have spawned a savvy new marketing strategy that tells consumers they can help save wild fish by eating farmed. Earlier this year actor Leonardo DiCaprio invested in a company called LoveTheWild (“a champion of sustainable, delicious fish”) which is promoting its oven-ready farmed fish dishes to U.S. supermarkets. “With LoveTheWild, we sought to create healthy and easy-to-prepare meals that people can feel good about – both in terms of how the fis...
One of Southeast's primary ferries will be out of service longer than expected as it undergoes annual maintenance, affecting the winter schedule. The Alaska Marine Highway System announced last week the M/V Malaspina will be out of commission several months longer than expected. The vessel went in for its annual overhaul and certification on October 1, with the intention of returning it to service on December 22. During the overhaul engineers determined an extensive replacement of the craft's...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska couple is looking to change a law that requires people to pay taxes on damaged property. Ron and Jane Hunt lost a house in a fire Jan. 8. Ron Hunt says he went to the Fairbanks North Star Borough to report the fire. “I was expecting to get a property tax adjustment,” he said. Ron Hunt learned he would be required to pay his full tax bill $6,977.92 on the North Pole property, even though the house, a rental, and an attached shop were reduced to rubble. The Hunts live next door to the rental property but conti...
WRANGELL — The learning experience for Wrangell students continues to get more technological, with new devices and programs hitting local schools this year. Technology director Matt Gore gave the Sentinel a run-through of some of these developments Tuesday. It started with “tech time in the morning,” an informal zero-hour period where students are encouraged to undertake various technological projects. For instance, that morning found senior JD Barratt soldering together components for a lighting setup, while Kellan Eagle put together the fra...
