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As bears continue to search for food in town, Petersburg Area Biologist Frank Robbins, with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said he doesn't know at what point the bears will accumulate enough calories to hibernate. "We may have some hungry bears for a long while," said Robbins. Bears are currently experiencing a biological process called hyperplasia. It kicks in just before winter and tells the bears it's time to fatten up for hibernation, said Robbins. But the lack of natural foods,...
In the form of utility credit and business grants, the borough assembly approved $600,000 in community aid from the borough's Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act special revenue fund at their meeting on Monday. If a local resident could prove they suffered financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic they could be eligible for a $500 one-time credit to their borough utility account. If more than a thousand individuals apply for the credit, the borough will adjust the credit...
The Petersburg School Board issued an administrative directive on Monday requesting school officials extend Alaska's state travel mandate to students and staff traveling throughout the state. State health mandate #10 requires incoming travelers to test for COVID-19 prior or upon entering Alaska and strictly social distance themselves for five days; however, the health mandate doesn't address Alaska residents who are traveling in the state. Students and staff at Petersburg School District will...
In his report to the Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors last week, PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter said a nationwide shortage of Cepheid cartridges has caused the hospital to closely monitor its own supply of cartridges and enacted guidelines for rapid testing. The hospital's testing capacity is currently exceeding its par level, or the number of cartridges needed to react to a local outbreak, Hofstetter said. "We cannot get the supplies needed to test," said Hofstetter to the borough...
From the Daily Dozen Newsroom comes a monthly student-run newspaper dedicated to news Rae C. Stedman Elementary School cares about the most. Students in Vanessa Miller's fifth grade class delivered the first edition of their newspaper, What's up Stedman? on Oct. 7. Each paper was rolled up, wrapped in a rubber band and flung through the door of each of the classrooms in the elementary school. In the weeks leading up to deadline day, the fifth graders contacted sources and compiled information....
Petersburg Medical Center reported a total operating revenue for the month of September that balanced off the expenses and led to a positive bottom line to the Board of Directors at their meeting on Oct. 29, according to PMC financial statements. Continuing its rise in revenue into the third month of the fiscal year, PMC reported $1,931,329 in total operating revenue, according to the financial statements. That number was 20 percent higher than what the hospital originally budgeted for September. The return of inpatient and outpatient services...
Arlington, VA - Fifty-two museum publications have gained accolades in the 29th annual Museum Publications Design Competition, presented by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). This competition recognizes and encourages superior execution and ingenuity in the graphic design of museum publications and is the only national, juried competition of its kind. Tin Can Country: Southeast Alaska's Historic Salmon Canneries was given an Honorable Mention in the Book Design category. Published with the...
A staff member at Petersburg Medical Center has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total local case count of the virus up to five, according to a joint press release between the Petersburg Borough and PMC. The positive test result was identified through the hospital's routine asymptomatic testing protocols, according to the release. The individual is in isolation and is not experiencing any symptoms. PMC has switched over to a red level of mitigation protocols and has cancelled all... Full story
Petersburg School District is expected to reopen their doors today, Oct. 29, after a positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School on Tuesday that resulted in a district-wide school closure, according to Petersburg School District Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter. Petersburg public health officials completed their contract tracing related to the school district on Wednesday, said Kludt-Painter. Students and staff who have been instructed to quarantine were asked...
The Petersburg Borough awarded a total of about $440,000 in grants last week to 50 business owners who experienced a loss in gross revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Community & Economic Development Director Liz Cabrera. Five applications are still pending but are expected to be awarded as well. The borough's economic grant program set aside $500,000 from its Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security funds for businesses that experienced a loss in gross revenue of 20...
The Petersburg School Board held a work session on Tuesday to address some students' concerns over Petersburg High School's block classes, but ultimately, the board decided not to take any action due to the level of support of the current schedule. High school students filled out a survey put together by teachers and staff to gauge the students' thoughts and opinions on this year's schedule. The school days are split into four periods, but two of the classes are block classes, which are about...
The Borough Assembly extended a contract between the borough and the state for COVID-19 related services offered at the Petersburg Airport through Dec. 31 at their meeting on Oct. 20. Under the extension, the borough will receive $423,725 for the greeting, screening and testing services of incoming passengers from June 8 through Dec. 31, according to a memo to the Borough Assembly from Incident Commander Karl Hagerman. The extension also amended the memorandum of agreement between the borough...
Using items found in nature, over 15 local artists from a range of age groups constructed pieces of ephemeral art that were spread throughout the community to celebrate last month's Rainforest Festival. Kelly Bakos' film "Ephemeral" documents the creation and lifespan of some of those creations. Ephemeral art is a natural form of art that lasts a short period of time. The art pieces are constructed outdoors and as time progresses, they slowly become something else. Leaves change colors. Birds...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted against terminating the borough's declaration of disaster emergency, which was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, at their meeting on Tuesday. Assembly Member Taylor Norheim requested the action item be on the meeting's agenda to address the borough's declaration of disaster emergency and determine if the new assembly agreed with the declaration. Assembly Member Dave Kensinger was voted on to the assembly after the municipal election earlier this...
Petersburg High School students are struggling to keep up with their semester long block classes, and to address their difficulties, the Petersburg School Board will be holding a work session next week. Under this year's new class schedule, high school students have four periods a day, two of which are 50 and 55 minutes long and the remaining two periods are 90 minute and 85 minute-long block classes. The hour long classes span both semesters of the school year, but the block classes cover a...
The Emergency Operations Center is asking anyone who visited or worked in any of the local bars on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 to call Petersburg Medical Center's COVID-19 hotline, after an individual infected with the virus was determined to have visited a local bar last weekend, according to Incident Commander Karl Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update on Oct. 16. In prerecorded calls, text messages and emails, the EOC informed the public on Oct. 15 that one of the three residents that had...
Moose season came to a close on Oct. 15. Final harvest numbers came in on Oct. 20, according to Hilary Wood with the ADF&G Petersburg office. The communities of Wrangell and Petersburg are located within Hunt RM038. This is an area that stretches from Coronation Island in the west, to the mainland in the east, and from Meyers Chuck in the south up to Point Hobart in the north. This season saw 115 moose harvested in total. There were two bagged on Wrangell Island, and nine on Mitkof Island. Only...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly heard an appeal for an order of abatement at 410 Mitkof Highway, before their regular meeting on Tuesday, and upheld the order that was issued on Aug. 3 to Courtney Johnson for a raw sewage leak. The borough first became aware of the sewage discharge coming from Johnson's residence on July 24 when officers from the Petersburg Police Department arrived at 410 Mitkof Highway in search of an individual with a felony warrant, according to Utility Director Karl...
The Petersburg Parks and Recreation Aquatic Center suffered a catastrophic failure to its boiler breakers on Oct. 16 at approximately 8:30 P.M. that resulted in a fire and a city-wide brownout, according to a press release from borough officials. Parks and Rec. is working with Petersburg Municipal Power & Light and Mattingly Electric to determine the cause of the failure and restore power to other mechanical and lighting systems in the facility, according to the release. The borough consulted...
Dan Cardenas addressed the Harbors and Port Advisory Board at their Oct. 15 meeting to request he be allowed to dock his float house in Petersburg Harbor should he meet certain requirements. While some were against the decision, citing possible damage to the float system and municipal code, others were open to the idea of an exception. Municipal code 14.20.250 B states tying or mooring pile drivers, scows, barges, boat houses, or other similar vessels is prohibited in Petersburg Harbor....
The Harbors and Port Advisory Board discussed whether to advise the Petersburg Borough Assembly to purchase the Ocean Beauty production facility, tidelands, bunk house and warehouse at their meeting on Oct. 15, but the advisory board decided against the recommendation. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht requested the harbor board consider the properties because Ocean Beauty Seafoods announced their warehouse, bunk house and plant facility were for sale. Giesbrecht said the prices seemed...
Enrollment in the Petersburg School District was at 429 students as of last week, but Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said at a Petersburg School Board meeting on Oct. 13 that the district had originally budgeted for about 471 students this year. The lower than anticipated enrollment is a result of students opting for homeschool programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some students moving out of town, said Kludt-Painter. She said 39 students are currently enrolled in homeschool programs,...
Two cases of COVID-19 have been identified within the same household Tuesday evening, according to a joint press release from the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. One of the two individuals was showing symptoms of the virus and called PMC's COVID-19 hotline, according to the press release. The individual that was asymptomatic has underlying health issues and was also tested for COVID-19 out of caution, according to the press release. Both individuals tested positive on Oct. 27... Full story
A positive case of COVID-19 was identified this morning in Mrs. Potrzuski's fifth grade classroom at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, resulting in a district-wide school closure, according to a statement on Petersburg School District's Facebook page. Both the student and their parent tested positive for the virus, according to a joint-statement between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The student recently traveled to Juneau on a non-school related trip and is symptomatic,... Full story
The Muskeg Maleriers are pressing forward with the 44th annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 24, though this year's event will look a little bit different because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents will still be able to browse from over 30 different vendors, but they will have to wear a face covering, said Sally Dwyer, secretary of the Muskeg Maleriers. Because the group is renting the space from the borough, they can require attendants to wear masks. Dwyer said face coverings are required to enter the...
