Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 259
October 23 – An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Haugen Drive and provided a courtesy transport to an individual in need. A deer was struck by a motor vehicle on Mitkof Highway. Its meat was not salvageable. Additional patrols were requested on South 3rd Street. An officer responded to a noise complaint on North 1st Street and determined it was unfounded. October 24 – An officer responded to a reported disturbance on Ira II Street and determined it was unfounded. The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a pos...
A century-old technology has been added to Petersburg's fire hall for emergency communication when all else fails. Amateur radio —or ham radio— is a form of two-way radio communication that allows specially licensed operators to communicate over long distances using radio frequencies reserved for non-commercial use. Think walkie-talkie, but much more powerful. Depending on the equipment and frequency range, ham radio operators can communicate with neighboring communities, countries on the oth... Full story
Weeks after returning from her home state of North Carolina, aiding communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, Petersburg nurse Laura Holder still feels a tightness in her chest — not only from processing the experience, but from the week of breathing toxic dust and mold at the scene. Based out of West Yancey County Fire Department, an ad hoc hub for rescue operations in the region, she spent the week working alongside hundreds of emergency responders, volunteers, and good Samaritans from near a... Full story
Starting next month, Coby Holder, 22, will be the new Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Coordinator for the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, a position that has been vacant since late May when Joshua Rathmann moved away. Holder, a Petersburg resident, has volunteered at fire departments for the past three years — one in Petersburg, and the two prior in Wrangell. During his time volunteering for the department in Wrangell, Holder "fell in love" with EMS responding — even though he admittedly...
The EMS branch of Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department is trying out a new response system that no longer holds EMS responders to a fixed schedule. Emergency Services Director Aaron Hankins told the Pilot that it was difficult to get volunteers to commit and sign up for consistent 12-hour shifts; he said there was conversation about changing the shift schedule to more than two shifts in a day, but there was not a consensus among the group to agree on a change. Ultimately, Hankins said EMS...
September 18 – An officer responded to a report of a bear accessing a property on Scow Bay Loop Road. An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on North Harbor Way and determined it was unfounded. A deer was struck by a vehicle on Mitkof Highway and its meat was salvaged. An officer responded to a welfare check request on South 3rd Street but the individual of concern had left the area. The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of lost property. PPD received a report of theft on South Nordic Drive. PPD notified P...
In response to low bike helmet use in the community and close-call accidents involving children, an up-and-coming incentive project is bringing more helmets to the streets of Petersburg. In the works since spring, the Helmets Are Sweet project is a joint effort through Petersburg's SHARE Coalition to encourage the use of helmets by promoting and providing access to high-quality helmets, educating the community on proper wear, and rewarding individuals for wearing appropriate helmets. The goal...
September 11 – The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a bear getting into trash on Skylark Way. An officer conducted extra patrols. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an unconscious individual on Wrangell Avenue. An officer assisted individuals with a civil matter. Officers served a trespass notice on Skylark Way. A dog that was reported missing was later found by its owner. Erica Barragan was arrested on a failure to appear warrant. An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Ira II S...
Sincere thanks for saving my life To the Editor: I would like to sincerely thank those involved in saving my life. I will start with my neighbor Bill Miller, owner of Calder Mountain Lodge, for running me quickly into town in his jet boat, and there, waiting at the North Harbor ramp, a big thank you to the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department EMS team – not only did they transport me up the steep ramp, keeping me as comfortable as they could, and to the hospital – they later transported me to the airport for a transfer to a Coast Guard hel...
It is time for the Petersburg community to seriously consider the future of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) branch of Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD). Volunteer numbers have reached a crisis level. EMS response capability is in jeopardy and burnout is becoming inevitable. It's tempting to imagine that when you or a loved one experience a medical emergency in Petersburg and you dial 911 a paramedic is ready and waiting to be dispatched. Just like in the movies, they'll sprint...
Smokey Bear turned 80 years old on August 9, 2024. Community members joined the U.S. Forest Service and Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department to celebrate Smokey Bear's birthday with cake, crafts, and photos with the longtime icon of wildfire prevention at a birthday party held behind the Forest Service building on Friday. From left to right: Carin Christensen, Smokey Bear, Tiare Simbahon, Caroline Dowd, Alex Rodriguez-Smith....
They may be out of sight to the general public but they are never out of mind for the U.S. Forest Service. The agency maintains 35 mountaintop repeater towers within the Tongass National Forest to provide radio coverage for their field crews and first responders. A contractor is installing new repeater stations at five sites this summer in the Wrangell and Petersburg ranger districts, part of an ongoing effort to switch out older units with newer models. Of particular importance to Wrangell, a...
July 10 – An officer assisted a citizen with concerns. A cell phone was found on Sing Lee Alley and turned in to the Petersburg Police Department (PPD). An officer removed debris from the roadway on Mitkof Highway. Andrew Bergen, 33, was cited for driving without a valid driver’s license. July 11 – An officer helped a porcupine out of the roadway near Libby Straits. An officer observed music and lights on, as well as an open door, at a business on Mitkof Highway and notified an employee. An officer responded to a parking complaint. PPD recei...
Coast Guard Sector Southeast received a call Tuesday morning, shortly before 10:00 a.m., that the Petersburg-based seiner the Pamela Rae was taking on water in Anita Bay, located on Etolin Island near Wrangell. The call came from the F/V Confidence, relaying a call from their sister fishing vessel Barbara which was on the scene and providing samaritan support, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Matt Naylor told the Pilot. The Pamela Rae was taking on water fast and was rolling over. They had...
June 27, 1924 – The cannery of P.E. Harris at Scow Bay ran through 800 salmon Monday. This was the second salmon to be canned this season around Petersburg. The Mountain Packing Company was the first, having run through 86 cases last Saturday. The trollers have been making big hauls. Otto Sutter of the Fidalgo Packing Company, who was in town recently, reported that the big run in the Copper River district near Cordova was of short duration. The Petersburg packing Company canned fish Thursday. The Kingsmill Brought the fish from Colpoys and Eag...
June 12 – An officer responded to a parking complaint on South Nordic Drive and a vehicle was moved at their direction. A complainant spoke with an officer concerning a civil matter. A quarterly sex offender registration was completed. The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a post-event report of suspicious activity. PPD received a report of a speeding vehicle at Libby Straits. An officer responded to a noise complaint on South 3rd Street. June 13 – An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Birch Street and determined...
After a six hour search, divers recovered the body of a woman who perished due to a boat collision between a 20-foot Hewescraft skiff and a 58-foot commercial fishing vessel in the Wrangell Narrows near the mouth of Blind Slough on Wednesday morning. A second individual, thrown from the skiff into the water, was rescued by a good samaritan on-scene, according to a USCG press release. "We offer our sincerest condolences to those affected by this terrible tragedy," said Coast Guard Lt. Katy...
On Saturday, the Petersburg Community Foundation (PCF) granted over $26,000 to nine Petersburg nonprofits and awarded Volunteer of the Year to Jim Stolpe. The Petersburg Community Foundation formed in 2008 as a local affiliate of the Alaska Community Foundation (ACF). PCF continues to grow its community grant-making endowment fund, thanks to the support of the Rasmuson Foundation, ACF, and generous local charitable giving. Every year, dividends from its investments are used to provide financial...
On Monday, Assistant State Fire Marshal Mark Brauneis traveled to Petersburg to announce that Captain Daniel Bird of Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department is the recipient of the 2023 Ken Akerley Fire Service Leadership Award. Recipients of this statewide award are nominated by their peers from among Alaska's 8,000 firefighters. The criteria to be deserving of this award, Brauneis said, the candidate "must exhibit an extraordinary commitment to leading in their fire department and earning the tru...
"I want to thank the crew serving today, and all who served aboard Anacapa over these many years, for their dedication and service to our country," said Rear Admiral Charles Fosse, commander of United States Coast Guard District 13, during the decommissioning ceremony for USCG cutter Anacapa on April 26 in Port Angeles, Washington. Commissioned in 1990, Anacapa spent 32 of its 34 years homeported in Petersburg, and the last two years in Port Angeles. The 110-foot Coast Guard Cutter carried a... Full story
PMEA supports the teachers union To the Editor: We, the members of the Petersburg Municipal Employees Association Union (PMEA), support the Associated Teachers of Petersburg Union (ATP). As fellow public servants and advocates for quality education, we recognize the vital role that teachers and staff play in shaping the future of our community. We stand firmly behind the ATP in their current ongoing negotiations for a fair and equitable labor agreement. We believe that investing in our teachers is an investment in the future of Petersburg....
April 24 – The 3rd Street pump station alarm activated. Water Wastewater (W/WW) was notified and responded. An officer spoke to an individual on 2nd Street concerning a civil issue. Found property was returned to its owner. An officer assisted a citizen. Concerned children called the Petersburg Police Department (PPD) to request assistance for an individual on South 2nd Street. An officer responded and spoke with the children. An officer responded to a parking complaint on Scow Bay Loop Road and found the vehicle had left the area. An o...
This Friday, the Petersburg Police Department and the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department are turning up the heat for the annual Guns and Hoses Chili Cook-off fundraiser. This will be the third year Don and Julie Spigelmyre have hosted the cook-off. The event was dreamed up by the couple on an airplane ride from Michigan to Petersburg. "We got to talking about how much we appreciate the volunteerism with the fire department," Don told the Petersburg Pilot. The Spigelmyres decided they wanted to...
"Scenario, scenario, scenario. This is only a drill. There has been an airplane crash at the end of the runway," a voice called out from the emergency fire dispatch radio on April 6. "Repeat, this is only a drill." An emergency drill that occurs once every three years took place Saturday afternoon when members of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services and Search and Rescue simulated a response to an airplane crash at the Petersburg airport runway. The first unit to...
