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The borough assembly approved Ordinance #2020-19, which amends borough code chapter 3.72 to provide for civil emergency provisions, in its third reading on Monday after postponing the final vote by two months. The emergency ordinance transfers civil emergency provisions from the City of Petersburg Code to Petersburg Borough Code while adding language to guide local officials through an emergency. The additional language caused a division in the community and led the Borough Assembly to delay...
Although this year's Southeast Alaska salmon season produced a record low run, crabbers enjoyed the second highest summer harvest on record, according to Joe Stratman, lead crab biologist for region one with Petersburg Fish and Game. In Registration Area A, which includes all the inside waters of Southeast Alaska, 5.81 million pounds of Dungeness crab were harvested by 192 permit holders in the 2020 summer season. This year's summer season alone exceeded full season harvests for every previous...
Petersburg has gone 34 days since a case of COVID-19 was confirmed to be in the community. The last confirmed case of the virus was a non-resident who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 14 and later recovered on Aug. 21. As of Wednesday, Sept. 23, Petersburg Medical Center reported 3,887 test samples have been collected to be tested for COVID-19 on site or at outside laboratories. Of those test samples collected, about 3,829 have returned negative and 45 are still pending. According to PMC, Ne...
For Kaleb Baird, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to hunt a billy from a secluded rocky mountain goat herd on the Cleveland Peninsula earlier this month. The hunt had been closed for about 16 years and only two tags were given out through a lottery system. About 150 people put their name in the hat for a chance to hunt the covenant herd and Baird's name was drawn. Now he is looking at a chance to set the record for the largest mountain goat taken down by a bow and arrow. "I'm...
The Petersburg High School boys cross country team took third place in a virtual meet on Saturday as the team ran alongside participants in this year's Rainforest Run. While both the boys and girls team ran the 10k course on Cabin Creek Rd., just their time for the first 5k was recorded and shared with other schools across the region. Haines took first place in the boys virtual meet, followed by Craig, Petersburg, Metlakatla, Klawock and Hydaburg, according to Head Coach Tom Thompson. However,...
The Borough Assembly approved 20 members of the public to serve as election officials during the municipal election on Oct. 6. at their assembly meeting on Monday. The names of 19 election officials went before the assembly, but a 20th name, Stephanie Payne, was added to the list. Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson said with the addition of Payne, she had enough election officials to serve on Election Day. Assembly Member Jeff Meucci requested Thompson explain the process for someone to run in the...
Petersburg Medical Center's sixth annual Rainforest Run raised $225 for the Petersburg High School cross country team on Saturday, according to PMC Public Relations Coordinator Kelsey Lambe. The course began at Sandy Beach and continued down Cabin Creek Rd. Runners and walkers continued on to their turnaround point and then headed back to Sandy Beach. Participants had the choice of running or walking a 10k or half marathon. While the race was free to participants, donations were accepted on beha...
Name: Brandi Thynes Age: 38 Experience: 3 yr term borough assembly 1 yr appointed school board Why do you seek public office? I enjoyed being on the assembly this last term and would like to continue to be an advocate for our community, especially in these odd and trying times. I understand the importance and privilege that comes with being a voice for my fellow constituents. Would you support a borough-wide face masking mandate? No. This has been strongly opposed by the community. The c...
Name: Craig Anderson Age: 49 Experience: I have a bachelor's degree from the University of Idaho, and I worked on a master's degree in forestry at Umea University in north central Sweden. I have experience managing meetings, working on budgets and responding to public comments. I have been a federal employee for about 18 years. Why do you seek public office? My family and I moved to Petersburg almost 9 1/2 years ago. My two sons started elementary school at Stedman in Kindergarten and 1st...
The Petersburg Borough held a virtual town hall on Sept. 10 to inform the public on the civil emergency provisions ordinance, which is set to go before the assembly in its third and final reading on Monday. The meeting was split into two parts and moderated by attorney Sarah F. Fine. Borough officials gave presentations on the Incident Command System (ICS), the reason for a more expansive emergency ordinance and the need for an emergency ordinance. The second half of the meeting was dedicated...
This year's pink salmon harvest came in at around 7 million, which is considerably down from the 35 million ten year average. Troy Thynes, regional management coordinator for commercial fisheries with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the pink salmon run in Southeast Alaska hasn't been this low since 1976. There are several causes for this year's poor salmon run. In 2018, the parent year for this year's pink salmon, escapement was poor in Northern Southeast Alaska, said Thynes. In...
On Friday, Sept. 11, Incident Commander Karl Hagerman said his voluntary community plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19 will be released soon after weeks of drafting and editing. "Thankfully the virus situation in Petersburg has been well under control, but as we enter into flu season, we just don't know what's going to happen," said Hagerman at the COVID-19 community update last week. The document, which includes recommendations and best practices to limit the spread of the virus, was rev...
The community had the opportunity to speak out in support or against a permanent civil emergency provisions ordinance at a virtual town hall on Sept. 10, though the feedback the Borough Assembly received was mostly negative. The Petersburg Borough requested those who wanted to ask questions during the town hall to submit them about a week in advance to allow borough staff time to answer the questions. The public could still ask questions at the end of the town hall, which began with... Full story
Following the announcement last week that the Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be shutting down its Southeast Alaska enhancement program due to an absence of funding, F&G Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said the state and federal government is committed to provide Crystal Lake Hatchery (CLH) with $317,300 annually. Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association operates CLH under a contract with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fishing for an annual total of...
The Petersburg borough began holding in-person absentee voting for the Oct. 6 municipal election on Sept. 16 in the municipal building training room. In-person absentee voting will be open from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Monday through Friday and end at 12 P.M. on Oct. 5. Residents can also submit an absentee ballot by mail or electronically. To request an absentee ballot visit www.ci.petersburg.ak.us. The deadline to request an absentee mail in ballot is Oct. 1. Contact Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson...
At about two and a half weeks into the Petersburg High School swim season, Head Coach Andy Carlisle said the young team is showing great potential. There are 12 boys and one girl on the team, but two more girls are expected to join soon. One of the girls that is expected to join is a senior, but a good portion of the swimmers currently on the team are freshmen. Carlisle said the team is starting from a beginner level together. Even the swimmers who are in Viking Swim Club hadn't been in the...
The Petersburg High School cross country team ran a 5k course near Greens Camp after school on Friday as part of a virtual meet with high schools throughout the region. The boys team ended up taking second place among the seven teams that competed with each other remotely. The girls team still does not have enough runners to score for their team, but Head Coach Tom Thompson said the girls still had a strong showing. Each of the seven high schools, Haines, Petersburg, Craig, Wrangell, Unalaska, M...
This year's Petersburg High School volleyball team is about one week into their season, and like other sports this year, the team is playing under COVID-19 protocols; however, the girls are just glad to be back in the gym, practicing the sport, said Head Coach Jaime Cabral. A core group of seniors graduated last year, which caused positions on the team to have to be rearranged this season. There are only three seniors on the team out of the 25 players. Most of the students are young, but are a...
Moose season opened Tuesday, Sept. 15 and according to Alaska hunting regulations for the area, the season will run until Oct. 15. Wrangell, Petersburg, the surrounding islands and nearby stretch of mainland are covered under RM038. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, this hunt is available to nonresidents and residents alike, with the proper permits. Before going out hunting, those wanting to bag a moose should be aware of the regulations in place. According to the...
Instead of dodging traffic while walking to the grocery store or bus stop, residents and students will be able to walk safely on a sidewalk Petersburg Indian Association is building on N. 12th St. and Howkan St. "With no sidewalks on either side, it gets a little tight there for traffic," said PIA Tribal Administrator Tracy Welsh. "It's a safety issue for all around." The sidewalk begins at N. 12 St. and Haugen Dr., runs along the north side of N. 12th St. and continues on the north side of Howk...
The Alaska Department of Fish & Game will be shutting down its Southeast Alaska enhancement program due to an absence of funding, leaving the future of Crystal Lake Hatchery (CLH) in jeopardy, said David Landis, Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association general manager, in a prepared statement. SSRAA operates CLH under a contract with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Sport Fishing for a total of $517,300. A portion of the funding that the hatchery receives, $200,000,... Full story
Petersburg School District students are glad to be back at school, despite COVID-19 protocols in place, and have been adapting to the new split schedules, said PSD principals Heather Conn and Rick Dormer at a school board meeting on Tuesday. At Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, one group of students attends class physically in the morning while the second group attends virtually from home. Then in the afternoon, the two groups switch. The group that attended class in-person in the morning is...
Twenty days have gone by since Petersburg has had a positive case of COVID-19 in the community as of Wednesday, Sept. 9. The last confirmed case of the virus was a non-resident who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 14 and recovered on Aug. 21. Petersburg Medical Center has collected a total of 3,456 test samples to be tested for COVID-19 onsite or at outside laboratories as of Wednesday, Sept. 9. Of those test samples collected, 25 are still pending and about 3,418 have returned negative. Jus...
A letter asking state officials to declare Southeast Alaska an area impacted by an economic disaster due to fishery losses was approved by the borough assembly at their meeting on Tuesday. The letter, addressed to Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Julie Anderson, commissioner of the department of commerce, community, and economic development, requests that they take steps to secure relief funding for fishermen in Southeast Alaska. The assembly also requested Dunleavy direct the Alaska Department of Fish...
The borough assembly approved $565,000 from its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act special revenue fund at their meeting on Tuesday for businesses and families who are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was released with the approval of two resolutions by the assembly. Resolution #2020-16 allocates $500,000 in grants for local businesses that have experienced a loss in gross revenue by 20 percent or $10,000 over 2019. Resolution #2020-17 offers...
