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June 29, 1923 – Leonard Martins suffered a cracked bone in one of his legs and Leif Mathieson suffered a severely bruised foot last Thursday night, week, when a large wheel of an engine being installed at the West Lumber Company mill was tipped over and caught the boys as it fell. The two boys, with several others, were playing around the mill site and in some manner the wheel, which had been removed from the engine and set to one side, was pushed over and caught the two boys. Young Martins was removed to the hospital where his leg was d...
A Kake resident was reported missing Friday night after failing to return from a fishing trip, prompting a search over the weekend, according to Petersburg Fire/EMS/SAR Director Aaron Hankins. A U.S. Coast Guard press release identified the missing man as Timothy Wilson Jr., 70, last seen Friday morning departing aboard a 15-foot Lund near Pup Island. Coast Guard Sector Juneau received a relayed report from the Alaska State Troopers at 8:30 p.m., Friday, of an overdue boater. Using a cell phone...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved a fuel adjustment charge for the annual Southeast Alaska Power Agency shutdown during its meeting last week. SEAPA is scheduled to shut down its hydroelectric power supply to perform maintenance to Tyee and Swan Lakes from May 31 to June 9. During those 10 days, the borough will run its diesel plant, which the fuel adjustment charge looks to offset the high cost of doing. According to Utility Director Karl Hagerman, the adjustment will take...
April 26 – An officer spoke with an individual on South Nordic Drive. An officer responded to a report of dogs at large on Lumber Street, but could not locate them. The owner of a vehicle blocking access on North Nordic Drive was contacted and moved their vehicle. Hunt Parr Sr. was remanded for alleged parole violation. A driver on Scow Bay Loop Road was issued a warning for speed. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a propane odor on North Nordic Drive. An on-call officer and the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted on Monday to hold a work session to discuss the borough's FY24 draft budget and reschedule its first meeting in May. The work session will give the assembly and the public their first opportunity to review next year's borough budget ahead of its first reading. The work session will be held on Monday, April 24 at 6 p.m. in the assembly chambers. The assembly also voted to move its meeting scheduled for May 1 to Tuesday, May 2 at noon. The rescheduling was...
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department is welcoming a new batch of ETT certified volunteer responders who recently completed an ETT certification course and can now provide more assistance on calls and help respond better to emergencies. EMS Coordinator Josh Rathmann said the newly certified responders will be a huge help to the department as they continue bouncing back from a drop off in participation during the pandemic. The ETT course was developed for smaller communities that are not able...
March 1 – An officer and an Alaska State Trooper assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an individual experiencing a breathing problem at Papke’s Landing. An officer assisted a citizen on Chief John Lott Street. An officer responded to a report of a parking accident on Howkan Street. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a vehicle damaged on South 3rd Street. March 2 – An officer assisted the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) at a structure fire on Mitkof Highway. Breiland Willis was issued a summons for a...
A car crashed off an embankment near 210 Mitkof Highway at around 5:50 p.m. on Monday, according to Assistant Fire Chief Dave Berg. The lone occupant in the vehicle, a woman in her 70s, was uninjured in the crash but was taken to the Petersburg Medical Center for observation. According to Berg, the woman lost control on a straight stretch of road while driving her SUV northbound on Mitkof Highway. The car went off the road onto a snow-covered embankment, which gradually sloped down about 15...
February 8 – An officer responded to and resolved a noise complaint on Haugen Drive. Officers spoke with the owner of a dog at large on Lumber Street. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a telephone scam from a citizen at Papke’s Landing. The caller said they owed Amazon money and threatened arrest for money laundering. February 9 – An individual was trespassed from a property on South Nordic Drive. Officers investigated a call for criminal trespass but determined it was unfounded. Officers spoke with an individual alleg...
Thank you, thank you, thank you To the Editor: Mike and I are so incredibly humbled by and grateful for the outpouring of support, generosity, thoughts, and prayers after our house fire. It has been said many times that this community rises to the occasion to help each other, but to be the recipient of such support and generosity—there are not enough words to express how much we appreciate everyone and everything that has been done for us. Although our home and possessions are a total loss, we are extremely lucky to live in such an amazing c...
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department released its year end report last week, which shed light on the true value of community volunteers. According to the report submitted by Fire/EMS/SAR Director Aaron Hankins, having a volunteer-based fire department saves the borough between an estimated $759,200 and $1,138,800 in personnel costs per year when compared to a full-time career fire department. The estimation is based on having 8-12 employees staffing the local fire department-enough to...
January 11 – A subpoena was served. An officer conducted a welfare check on South Nordic Drive. Officers assisted the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) with a structure fire on Mitkof Highway. January 12 – An officer responded to a report of gunfire on Mitkof Highway and found a citizen was training their retriever to be a hunting dog. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of trespassing. An officer assisted a citizen on South Nordic Drive. An officer responded to a noise complaint on Gjoa Street, the individual had...
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire near 4.7 Mile Mitkof Highway on Wednesday, which destroyed the interior of the building. The fire was in an older two-story home constructed with logs at 471 Mitkof Highway on property owned by Michael Boggs. Though the investigation is ongoing, the fire is believed to have been caused by a wood stove according to Assistant Fire Chief Dave Berg. No persons were in the building when the fire broke out. The smoke from the building...
Community Emergency Response Team in the works To the Editor: The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) Auxiliary committee has been looking for training to further assist the PVFD in its mission of Public Safety. After some careful digging, Chief Stolpe found a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program through FEMA. Through the PVFD Auxiliary, Chief Stolpe and I hope to establish a Community Emergency Response Team. This team’s mission would be to provide lay responder support to first responders in the event of a large-scale e...
The famous Salvation Army red kettles, manned during the holiday season by volunteers armed with silver bells, raised a combined $13,206.43 in Petersburg according to Capt. KV Saengthasy. The donations will be used to fund the Salvation Army's social services budget and also went toward purchasing a couple of Christmas presents for local children. Though they finished just short of their fundraising target, both red kettles stationed outside of Hammer & Wikan stores were filled on Christmas...
January Petersburg experienced record snowfall on New Year's Day with 17.5 inches of new snow on the day, bringing the total snow depth to 40 inches according to the National Weather Service. The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed a resolution requesting a discussion with the U.S. Postal Service about providing additional services in Petersburg following continued issues with staffing, irregular hours, and long lines. All-purpose vehicles became legal to drive on roads in Alaska, including in...
December 7 – An officer conducted a welfare check on Nordic Drive. An officer responded to a report of a disturbance on Sing Lee Alley and determined it was non-criminal. An officer spoke with an individual on South Nordic Drive about a civil issue. Officers responded to a report of gunshots in Middle Boat Harbor. An individual reported losing property on Howkan Street; it was later found by the owner. An officer responded to a minor vehicle accident on Haugen Drive. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a stranded motorist a...
November 30 – An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Fram Street. An officer responded to a report of downed trees, possibly on power lines on Wrangell Avenue. Power and Light (P&L) was notified and responded. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of downed trees on power lines on Sandy Beach Road. P&L were notified and responded. An officer spoke with an individual concerning a third party complaint. An officer responded to a report of harassment and determined it was unfounded. An officer spoke with an i...
Sigrid Medalen passed away peacefully on October 12, 2022 after a short illness. Sigrid Carol Dokken was born on March 8, 1931 to Syvert and Clara (Oium) Dokken, one of 7 children. She grew up on their family farm along the Mouse River at Towner, North Dakota. She attended school through eighth grade in a one room country schoolhouse. After graduating from high school in 1949 in Towner, North Dakota Sigrid went to summer school in Minot, North Dakota and got her teaching certificate. She taught... Full story
Stedman Elementary School students got an education in fire safety last week from members of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department who visited the school to give demonstrations and show instructional videos. The Learn Not to Burn program has been on hiatus for the last couple of years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were able to visit the fire station for some instruction last year, but this was the first time since the pandemic that PVFD members have been back in the school as...
September 28 – An alarm activated at pump station #5. Water Wastewater (W/WW) was notified and responded. An officer conducted foot patrols on Dolphin Street. A citizen reported an automated fraud call to “U.S. citizen” claiming the recipient’s identification had been compromised. A run-away canine on the airport access road was returned to its owner. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an individual in need of assistance on Scow Bay Loop Road. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report that minors were throwin...
Aaron Hankins was officially hired as the new Fire/EMS/SAR director during Monday evening's Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting with unanimous approval. Hankins said he was initially hesitant to apply for the position and try to follow in the footsteps of former director Sandy Dixson, but after receiving encouragement from friends and family he decided to give it a shot. "My dad is the one who sat me down and said, 'listen the worst they can say is no, from what I've see you have what it takes...
The Petersburg Borough has offered Aaron Hankins the position of Fire/EMS/SAR Director according to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. Hankins, a Petersburg resident, has volunteered with the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department since 2016 and has earned ETT, EMT-1, and EMS LT certifications. He beat out a field of six candidates who interviewed for the position, which has been vacant since former director Sandy Dixson retired at the end of June. Though Hankins has accepted the borough's offer,...
Bob Lynn What is your age? 76 What experience do you have? I've had 8 year's experience on the Petersburg Assembly. I have been fortunate to serve as Petersburg Assembly Board representative to Southeast Alaska Power Authority (SEAPA.) In that role I have served as Board Chair and voting member to replace submarine cable serving Petersburg. I have also served 6 years as the Assembly representative to the Hospital Board. Having been an EMT years ago has provided me much needed background to serve...
Tom Laurent's EMS career began in the mid-70s when he was 16 and joined the Juneau Ski Patrol. He came from a ski-bum family and fit right in at the Eaglecrest Ski Area where his job was to take "people that injured themselves off the hill." Since then, he has spent a total of 46 years involved with EMS and 32 of those were dedicated to volunteering in Petersburg. Unfortunately, during that span volunteerism itself has been falling off, not just locally, but across the entire United States and...
