Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 6663
To free up preschool classroom space, Petersburg Children's Center (PCC) hopes to build a parking lot and a new building to house the Eagle's Nest after-school program. The Petersburg Borough Assembly is considering a rezoning ordinance proposed by PCC, passing it in the first of three readings April 15. If approved by the assembly two more times, the ordinance will rezone four lots that are currently leased by PCC, changing the zoning for the areas from residential to public use. PCC wants to b...
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...
Last weekend art students and teachers from nine Southeast Alaska high schools arrived in Petersburg by floatplane, Alaska Airlines, and jet boat to participate in the 28th Annual Region V Art Fest. This is the third time Petersburg High School has hosted the event. PHS art teacher Lisa Shramek, an Art Fest alumna, spearheaded the three-day event that brought sixty-eight students and sixteen instructors together for thirty hours of intensive art instruction and a lot of creative fun. The first...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved the sale of a property on borough-owned tidelands to Island Refrigeration, LLC. at the price of $360,000, plus $5,171.76 in procedurally incurred expenses. Island Refrigeration, owned by Brock Snider, is a young business that does marine refrigeration and electrical services for the Petersburg fleet. The parcel is just under 30 thousand square-feet of vacant waterfront property located off Dock Street, behind Wikan Enterprises and the U.S. Coast Guard....
An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Friday struck down an Alaska law that allows the state to distribute cash payments to the parents of homeschooled students on the grounds that it violates constitutional prohibitions against spending state money on private education. “This court finds that there is no workable way to construe the statutes to allow only constitutional spending,” wrote Judge Adolf Zeman, concluding that the relevant laws “must be struck down in their entirety.” The decisio... Full story
The Petersburg School District Board unanimously agreed to join the Coalition for Education Equity of Alaska (CEE) at the board meeting Tuesday night. One reason the district board is joining the coalition is because of its "unique" ability to "use legal avenues to ensure the state and legislature carry out constitutional responsibilities regarding education." Founded in 1996, CEE is a statewide member-based nonprofit that champions access to quality, equitable and adequate public education in...
Last July, Petersburg was covered in smoke when the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church caught fire. "This fire can consume our building, but not our hearts," parish priest Fr. Jose Thomas had said at the time. The flames ultimately destroyed the building, which was demolished later that fall. While the lot remains empty, the parish of St. Catherine of Siena has continued its church services, which are currently held at First Presbyterian Church. Fr. Jose said losing the former building was "...
Petersburg High School's musical ensembles traveled to Stika last weekend for 2024's Southeast Alaska Music Fest where their hard work was commended by audiences and judges alike. Over the course of the three-day event, PHS's choir, concert band, and jazz band performed in solo and group ensembles, viewed performances from schools across Southeast, and attended music clinics with other students, soaking in as much of the experience as possible after preparing their setlists for months. "Last yea...
WRANGELL — The Wrangell Borough Assembly approved the sale of the former medical center and six adjacent lots to property developer Wayne Johnson on April 9. Johnson is a Georgia-based real estate developer hoping to build a 48-unit condo-style housing development with covered parking on the property. The borough sold the 2 acres of the former hospital property to Johnson for $200,000, which required approval from the economic development board and the planning and zoning commission as it was below the property’s appraised value of $830,00. Mun...
Children and staff lined the halls of Stedman Elementary School Friday morning to celebrate Principal Heather Conn's recent recognition as "Alaska Elementary Principal of the Year." The Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals (AAESP) selected Principal Conn as National Distinguished Principal for 2024 for her exemplary educational and community leadership. "I feel very honored, humbled, excited, and emotional all at the same time," Conn told the Pilot in an email. A life-long...
The Petersburg Fish and Game Advisory Committee(AC) met on April 8 to generate proposals to the state Board of Fish to change the Blind Slough King Salmon management plan. The need for proposals was driven by public outcry following the announced closure of sport fishing this summer in the freshwater of Blind Slough. The AC agreed on and submitted a proposal that attempts to balance the need to protect the return of broodstock king salmon for the Crystal Lake Hatchery, while also providing...
The Mental Health Trust Land Office (TLO) informed the Petersburg Borough that it will look into a feasibility study for constructing a road in the Trust’s proposed South Mitkof Subdivision on the condition that the plat is approved. If a plat is not approved, the Trust confirmed for the Pilot that work on the South Mitkof Subdivision project “will be put on hold for the foreseeable future” and TLO staff “will need to focus work on advancing subdivision efforts in other areas of the state that will generate revenues for the Trust and its ben...
Last month, a new 3D mammography machine —expected to be up to 60% more effective at detecting tumors— began serving patients in the radiology department at Petersburg Medical Center. Mammography uses x-rays to locate and help diagnose tumors in the breast. The newly installed machine can capture a clear, more in-depth image of a malignancy that may otherwise be missed in a conventional 2D mammogram. “This is a project we’ve been working on for a long time as a department,” said PMC radiology manager Sonja Paul. “We knew the machine we had was...
As the Alaska House of Representatives opened debate on the state operating budget Tuesday, financial experts away from the House floor were calculating that the draft spending plan under discussion may not be affordable. The operating budget, which will pay for state services for 12 months starting July 1, clocks in at $6 billion, excluding federally funded and fee-funded programs. The state’s capital budget, which covers construction and renovation projects, is expected to be another $550 million. Other legislation, labor contracts under n... Full story
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Petersburg Humane Association (PHA) has filled the window of Petersburg Rexall Drug with all kinds of donations for an on-line silent auction – from a full-day fishing trip for four to handmade crochet dog sweaters. The Clausen Museum, in recognition of all the wonderful things PHA has done to help Petersburg's animal population throughout the years, went through their archives and created an exhibit: Petersburg's Pets of the Past: A photographic journ...
WRANGELL - One hundred and fifty years ago, the Stikine beckoned people to its rugged landscape with the promise of wealth. This was the Cassiar gold rush of 1874, a huge moment in Wrangell history, according to Ronan Rooney, historian and creator of the podcast "Wrangell History Unlocked." Rooney's newest series "Strange Customs" tells the story of the gold rush in Wrangell in three parts. The story, however, is not just about the search for gold on the Stikine. It involves a political corrupti...
New U.S. claims to seabed territory off Alaska have run into an obstacle: an objection from the Russian government. The Russian government, which has staked territorial claims to most of the Arctic Ocean, is challenging the U.S. claims made in December to sovereignty over 520,400 square kilometers of extended outer continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean – an area bigger than California - and another 176,330 square kilometers in the Bering Sea. The U.S. does not have the right to make such claims... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly decided to move forward with Island Refrigeration's application to purchase borough-owned tidelands during the assembly meeting April 1. Details for the potential sale will be outlined in a resolution and reviewed by the assembly in an upcoming meeting. Island Refrigeration, owned by Brock Snider, is a young business that does marine refrigeration and electrical services for the Petersburg fleet. Much of the refrigeration work is done aboard vessels, but the...
The state government risks losing millions of dollars in federal funding because it did not comply with requirements for pandemic relief funds, according to a letter from the United States Department of Education. The state’s education department disputes the claim. The result is a federal “high risk” designation that could cost the state grant funding. Members of the Senate Majority caucus said the state could lose more than $400 million. “Without a plan and quick action, our local schools could be out additional federal resources, and the... Full story
Members of the Alaska House Finance Committee revised their latest budget draft Tuesday to include more money for child care and eliminate funding for an experimental reading institute operated by the state. The committee spent most of the day Tuesday debating amendments to the state’s operating budget, an $11.3 billion document that pays for state services and Permanent Fund dividends during the 12 months that begin July 1. The committee is expected to consider additional amendments through Wednesday at least, and the budget would then a...
The Petersburg Indian Association is currently exploring several opportunities to potentially grow housing in Petersburg. PIA is looking at and gathering information on potentially expanding the Airport Subdivision -also known in the community as the Tlingit and Haida subdivision- which is located past Hammer and Wikan grocery in a loop off Howkan Street. Similar to when the Airport Subdivision was first developed, PIA partnered with Tlingit-Haida Regional Housing Authority and are "in talks"...
Everett Bennett is set to serve as the new tribal administrator for the Petersburg Indian Association. PIA announced earlier this week that Bennett was officially hired for the job and will start on May 20. "The council is extremely excited to have them started as the new tribal administrator," PIA Council President Debra O'Gara told the Pilot. "They come with a lot of experience ... I could go on and on..." Born and raised in Petersburg, Bennett is a tribal citizen who has served the community...
With three months until the deadline, only 16% of Alaska high school seniors have applied for federal student aid. The funding mechanism, called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, is an indicator of college-bound students. Alaska has the lowest rate of applicants in the nation, which has been true for at least the last decade, said Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education Executive Director Sana Efrid. “The No. 1 reason we hear from students and families that they do not enroll in post-secondary programs is the c... Full story
Maximum payouts from a fund that covers medical costs of injured seafood harvesters would be boosted under a bill that won final passage in the Alaska Legislature on Thursday. The measure, Senate Bill 93, would boost allowable payouts from the Fishermen’s Fund to $15,000 per injury or disablement from the current $10,000 maximum. The Fishermen’s Fund serves as something of a stand-in for workers’ compensation. Commercial fishers in Alaska are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance. The fund, which predates statehood, is adminis... Full story
Petersburg is closer than ever to developing the infrastructure at Scow Bay. Congress passed an appropriations package on March 1 that combined six funding bills for FY2024 - including $4.1 million in Congressionally designated spending (CDS) for a vessel haul out project at Scow Bay Harbor. The money will fund roughly half of the Scow Bay boat haul out project, which is one part of a larger plan to develop the port and harbor infrastructure at Scow Bay. The plan for this project is, primarily,...
