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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska Native tribe and three environmental groups sued the U.S. government, claiming an agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect a major salmon river and bald eagle preserve. The lawsuit filed Monday by the Chilkat Indian village of Klukwan calls for revocation of the permits granted to Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. upstream of the Chilkat River near the port of Haines in southeast Alaska. Tlingit Indians thrived because of the abundance of salmon in the watershed, K...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Backers of a hydroelectric dam proposed for a lake southeast of Juneau say construction could start as soon as summer 2018 following the U.S. Forest Service’s latest action. The Juneau Empire reports that the Forest Service approved on Friday a special land-use agreement for Juneau Hydropower Inc., which is planning to build a 111-foot-tall (34-meter) concrete dam at the outlet of Lower Sweetheart Lake. The dam would be built above a series of waterfalls that block natural salmon passage into the lake. The project has alr...
WRANGELL — At its regular meeting Tuesday, the Borough Assembly approved moving ahead with seeking a consultant on the hospital’s future, while members also learned city computers had been targeted by a hacking attack. A letter recommending hiring a consultant had been submitted to the city by the Wrangell Medical Center governing board last month. Currently the hospital is a municipal service, but recent cash flow troubles and sizable costs for a replacement facility have had administrators and elected officials alike considering other alter...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska program is in its final year of an experiment to determine whether hatchery-raised red king crab can increase wild stock. The Alaska King Crab Research, Rehabilitation and Biology Program started its work in 2009 with a goal of enhancing depressed king crab populations throughout Alaska, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday. So far, the program has achieved efficient production of juvenile crab, conducted research on their behavior and completed a number of small out-planting releases. Dr. Robert Foy, d...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The bidder who planned to purchase Alaska’s ferry Taku and turn it into a waterfront hotel and restaurant in Oregon has backed out of the deal. The sale of the 352-foot surplus vessel was expected to close in early December. But the winning bidder withdrew, citing factors such as regulatory problems in Portland, said Aurah Landau, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Facilities. Portland resident Jonathan Cohen offered $300,000 for the ferry on behalf of KeyMar LLC in September, the Juneau Emp...
SITKA, Alaska (AP) _ Bird watchers have spotted a rare thrush in Alaska. The dusky thrush, which is commonly found in Asia, has only been spotted a few times in Alaska, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported . Bird enthusiast Matt Goff reported seeing one Friday in Sitka. “I don’t think it’s an uncommon bird in Asia,” Goff said. “But in North America — it’s very unusual.” The dusky thrush’s appearance differs slightly from that of its North American counterparts. It lacks the bright red or orange breast of a varied thrush, or robin, and has “p...
WRANGELL — A final decision on the Wrangell Island timber sale is expected out next week, wrapping up years of deliberation and planning. Citing objections to the economics and ecological impacts of its preferred plan, the United States Forest Service has indicated it will be reducing total harvest for the proposed sale on Wrangell Island to around 428 acres, or 5- to 7-million board feet (mmbf) of timber. These would be sold piecemeal over the course of several years. Of five alternatives put forward, Alternative 2 had proposed around 55....
A phone scam is circulating in Sitka where callers use a spoof number to make it appear as if the police department is calling, after which they demand money or promise jail time. According to Sitka police, a woman recently took a call that appeared to be the police department’s main line, and the scammer claimed she missed jury duty and had a warrant out for her arrest. “The citizen was then instructed to gather money in the form of gift cards,” the press release reads. “To pay a ‘retainer’ so as not to be arrested and mail the gift cards to a...
It's flu season, and the Petersburg Medical Center is reporting several cases -- more than usual, including some who were immunized -- but all signs are pointing toward a vaccination that works. "We have seen more cases than we normally see around this time of year," said Liz Bacom, the infection control manager with the medical center. "But it's not like this is an atypical year versus another. Every flu season is different. "We are getting cases but they aren't super serious," Bacom said....
A crowd gathered outside the municipal building to watch the annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday evening, where onlookers listened and cheered for Jean Ellis, the honored guest and storied Petersburg native. Ellis, a 71-year-old with a background in the local newspaper, state legislature, education advocacy, the church and cancer, was chosen to light the community tree on Friday. Tom Abbott introduced Ellis, where he listed her varied career paths and history of community engagement. Ellis w...
Gary Morgan, an electrician operator with Power & Light in Petersburg, recently decided to resign so he could focus more on his marijuana business. Morgan, after three years in the position, is scheduled to leave the department on December 8, after helping Power & Light with a project he had started earlier this fall. For about a year, Morgan has juggled a licensed weed growing facility and a full-time job. His daily workload usually starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at midnight, he said. "It got to...
Two Petersburg police officers who returned from training in Fairbanks recently finished first and second in their graduating class. Officers Louis Waechter and Carl Tate were first and second, respectively, at the training academy graduation ceremony in November. "We just said we were going to take over the academy," Tate said. "We didn't want any other PD to have that spot." Waechter said there were about six other police departments there, amounting to about 18 officers. There was a...
Police reports over the past year show a significant number of thefts and burglaries each week. Police Chief Kelly Swihart told the Pilot this week that there are numerous reasons for the thefts. It’s not all related to drugs. “There could be a drug nexus in a lot of these things. If we really look at this, we’re dealing with the same population. Some struggle with their addictions. Some struggle for survival. “We’re dealing with the same population of violators, but they’re stealing for different reasons,” Swihart noted. According to...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) _ Several Kodiak residents have reported seeing bears in town throughout the past few weeks, and at least one area expert believes that’s because of a lackluster berry crop this year. Although the state Department of Fish and Game hasn’t received a higher-than-normal number of reported bear sightings, area wildlife biologist Nathan Svoboda believes a berry crop failure might have something to do with the encounters, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Wednesday. In years when the berry crop fails, bears become nut...
Three Petersburg students were selected to attend the All-State Music Festival about two weeks ago, a three-day trip to Anchorage that ends with some of the best young musicians in Alaska coming together for a concert. Students started auditioning in September, and then had a month to study the material before the festival. From Petersburg, two students were selected to the all-state choir, including seniors Jessica Ieremia, mixed choir, and Julia Murph, treble. They were two of 727 auditions for the all-state choir, and two of 175 musicians...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Bill Walker on Tuesday touted the benefits a major liquefied natural gas project would bring to Alaska, though the project, which the state is pursuing with Chinese partners, is far from assured. Walker, speaking in Anchorage, told reporters the project could provide affordable natural gas to communities, create thousands of jobs and generate up to $2 billion a year in revenue for the state. Walker’s office released the agreement that Walker and Keith Meyer, president of the state-sponsored Alaska Gasline Development...
Sports fans and other television viewers subscribing to General Communication Inc. have likely noticed that its FOX programming has been absent for most of the month. Since November 8 the telecommunications provider has been unable to show FOX in Southeast Alaska due to a contract row with television station KJUD. Based in Juneau, the television station is an ABC affiliate owned by Vision Alaska LLC, and in addition to FOX, carries programming for the CW network. In a media release GCI...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — New screening procedures have been put in place for carry-on baggage at Alaska’s largest airports. The Transportation Security Administration announced Tuesday that passengers will be required to place all electronics larger than a cellphone in X-ray bins, KTUU-TV reported . Previous procedures only required laptops to be placed in the bins. “The electronics should be placed in a bin with nothing on top or below, similar to how laptops have been screened for several years,” a security administration statement said. I...
Legislators wrapped up their fourth special session called for the year last week, passing a crime reform bill but failing to take up any new revenue measures. Passing both chambers, Senate Bill 54 revises the criminal justice reform package passed under SB 91 in 2016. The latest bill is based on recommendations by the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission, including tightening up penalties for Class C felonies and repeat thefts, violations of release and sex trafficking offenses. "There was...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _ Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has signed a crime bill passed this month during a special legislative session. Lawmakers acted in response to a public outcry over crime and concerns that arose from a criminal justice overhaul approved last year. Walker, an independent, says the new measure is a first step in returning important tools to law enforcement. The bill changes presumptive sentencing ranges for Class C felonies. First offenses change from a probationary sentence to a jail term of zero to 2 years. The law creates a...
One of Southeast's primary ferries will be out of service longer than expected as it undergoes annual maintenance, affecting the winter schedule. The Alaska Marine Highway System announced last week the M/V Malaspina will be out of commission several months longer than expected. The vessel went in for its annual overhaul and certification on October 1, with the intention of returning it to service on December 22. During the overhaul engineers determined an extensive replacement of the craft's...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska couple is looking to change a law that requires people to pay taxes on damaged property. Ron and Jane Hunt lost a house in a fire Jan. 8. Ron Hunt says he went to the Fairbanks North Star Borough to report the fire. “I was expecting to get a property tax adjustment,” he said. Ron Hunt learned he would be required to pay his full tax bill $6,977.92 on the North Pole property, even though the house, a rental, and an attached shop were reduced to rubble. The Hunts live next door to the rental property but conti...
WRANGELL — The learning experience for Wrangell students continues to get more technological, with new devices and programs hitting local schools this year. Technology director Matt Gore gave the Sentinel a run-through of some of these developments Tuesday. It started with “tech time in the morning,” an informal zero-hour period where students are encouraged to undertake various technological projects. For instance, that morning found senior JD Barratt soldering together components for a lighting setup, while Kellan Eagle put together the fra...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — In a story in the Wrangell Sentinel and Petersburg Pilot last week, about a group’s report about the state ferry system, The Associated Press reported erroneously the name of the organization. It is the Southeast Conference, not the Southwest Conference. In the same editions, a story about possible ticket price increases for the Alaska Marine Highway System, The Associated Press reported erroneously the projected source of a 21 percent reduction in expenses. The reduction would come from a combination of changes and som...
The elementary school in Petersburg is raising money for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, an effort that continues the school's yearly service to get students involved in the community and around the globe. Since Monday, the Stedman Elementary School has raised nearly $1,000 for hurricane relief, said Teri Toland, the principal. "We are looking for match makers," Toland said. "Businesses or community members who would like to match funds with a class." The fundraiser is called Helping Hands...
