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  • Alaska Crossings gearing up for new season in Wrangell

    Caleb Vierkant|Mar 14, 2019

    WRANGELL - Alaska Crossings has been a part of the Wrangell community since its inception in the early 2000s. The behavioral health program is designed to help troubled teens from all over the state. From April to December, according to Program Manager Jerrie Dee Harvey, Crossings attempts to help rehabilitate the teens via outdoor expeditions. By taking them on camping expeditions in the great outdoors, she said, they are attempting to teach them confidence, social skills, teamwork, stress mana...

  • Triem falls short in supplying full accounting to court

    Ron Loesch Publisher|Mar 14, 2019

    Petersburg Attorney Fred Triem appeared before Juneau Superior Court Judge Daniel Schally on Feb. 12 to answer to an Order to Show Cause why he should not be held in contempt of court for his failure to render a full accounting of Hanson Class Funds being held in his trust account. Triem formerly represented a group of Kake Tribal shareholders in a lawsuit against Kake Tribal Corporation that was granted a $2.8 million judgment in 1998. In a hearing scheduled to last only an hour, Triem told...

  • Rep. Ortiz provides background on State Budget

    Brian Varela|Mar 14, 2019

    WRANGELL — State Representative Dan Ortiz was present at Wrangell’s town hall meeting on March 6 and gave the audience some context on Alaska’s financial situation, and to go into some detail on what the proposed budget means for several state services. Adjusted for inflation and population growth, he said, Alaska’s budget is the smallest it has been in almost 40 years. Despite this, the state government has been operating with a deficit for several years. As many people are aware, Alaska’s economic fortunes are heavily tied to the oil indus...

  • Borough to send out RFP for new baler

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    The Petersburg Borough will send out a request for proposals for a new baler, after the assembly approved the decision on Monday. In January, the borough assembly passed Ordinance 2018-21, which allocates $600,000 towards the replacement of the borough’s baler. The request for proposals, or RFP, has a deadline of April 4, and gives a description of what is needed from the baler and the bidder. At Monday’s assembly meeting, assembly member Bob Lynn was concerned with how similar in scope the potential new baler, as laid out in the RFP, is to...

  • USCG running active shooter drills

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    United States Coast Guard members throughout Southeast Alaska will be in Petersburg this week performing active shooter drills led by Officer Louis Waechter of the Petersburg Police Department. The curriculum will follow Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, or FLETC, guidelines for active shooter and threat responses. The drills began yesterday and will continue through Friday. At the end of the three days, the 15 or so Coast Guard members will be certified FLETC active shooter responders....

  • Decision to designate assembly seats could go to voters

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    The borough assembly amended ordinance #2019-01 on Monday in its second reading, which would put the decision to designate assembly seats on the ballot in October’s municipal elections. If the voters were to pass the ordinance, borough election ballots would no longer allow voters to choose which candidates they want to fill the open assembly seats, but instead, the candidates would choose a specific seat to run for. Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor, who made the motion to amend the ordinance, said that although he is in favor of designating t...

  • Correction:

    Mar 7, 2019

    In last week’s issue of the Petersburg Pilot, the front page story reporting on the borough’s 24-hour diesel campaign used the term megawatts when describing the amount of electricity produced each day by the diesel generators while running for different amounts of time and capacities. The term should have been megawatt-hours. A megawatt is a unit of power that is created by the borough’s diesel generators. A megawatt-hour is the total amount of power that is consumed by the borough. For example, last week’s story about the 24-hour diesel...

  • SEAPA to reimburse the borough for running diesel generators

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    The Southeast Alaska Power Agency board passed a motion at their regular board meeting on Thursday that would reimburse the Petersburg and Wrangell communities for most of the associated costs for burning diesel generators beginning on Feb. 15 through March 15, 2019. “This is really significant for us,” said assembly member and SEAPA vice chairman Bob Lynn at an assembly meeting on Monday. “This means Petersburg will not have to put a supplemental surcharge for diesel fuel to our rate payers.” According to utility director Karl Hagerma...

  • Local reality show begins filming

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    Engel Entertainment, a production company filming a reality TV show focused on law enforcement in Alaska, has begun filming in Petersburg. “You guys might see them out and about around town,” said Police Chief Jim Kerr to the borough assembly on Monday. The film crew arrived last week. On Thursday and Friday, the crew, which is based in New York City, got to know the department and had a get together Monday night to meet their families. According to Kerr, the crew will be in Petersburg for about eight weeks. Petersburg is one of three com...

  • Heather Conn selected as the elementary principal

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    Heather Conn, special education teacher with the Petersburg School District, will be replacing Teri Toland as Rae C. Stedman Elementary School's principal beginning in the fall 2019 school year. "She's going to take us forward, and I'm really excited for her," said Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter. "The feedback that I'm getting from families and parents beyond our hiring committee and staff members is people feel really positive about the choice." Conn was one of many individuals who applied...

  • Senator hopes for agreement to fund ferries through mid-2020

    Mar 7, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Thursday he wants to reach a budget agreement that would fund the state’s ferry system through mid-2020. Sen. Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, said that would allow time for further discussion about management of the system going forward. Stedman said he views Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget proposal as an “elimination budget” for the Alaska Marine Highway System. A spokeswoman for the ferry system has said it hasn’t scheduled sailings past Oct. 1. Stedman said he wants to...

  • Community fills auditorium for screening of A HERD OF ORPHANS documentary

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    Petersburg residents filled about two-thirds of the Wright Auditorium on Thursday to view the screening of A HEARD OF ORPHANS, a documentary by local filmmaker Kelly Bakos about the lives of young elephants living in an orphanage. After poachers in the ivory trade killed the adult elephants in their various herds, the film follows a group of elephant calves as they go about their day-to-day lives and learn skills that would otherwise be taught by their herds, before being reintroduced to the...

  • Roadless Rule, Galore Creek Mine hot topics during SEACC visit

    Caleb Vierkant|Mar 7, 2019

    WRANGELL - The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, SEACC, was founded in 1970 to protect the land and wildlife of the Tongass National Forest. The SEACC board of directors is made up of people who have made this region their home, from Seattle to Yakutat. Current Board President Stephen Todd is a Wrangell resident. SEACC board members and staff all came to Wrangell this past week to hold meetings on topics they felt were of public interest. The main two topics that were brought up were the Ro...

  • Ballot measure seeks to move legislative sessions from Juneau

    Mar 7, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A proposed ballot measure seeks to move Alaska legislative sessions from the state capital of Juneau to the state’s biggest city, Anchorage. Supporters say they’re not trying to move the capital and see the proposal as a way to make the Legislature more accessible. Juneau isn’t on Alaska’s road system, requiring lawmakers and constituents to fly or take ferries to reach the city. Juneau also is about 600 miles (966 kilometers) from the population centers of Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. But critics o...

  • Women's health clinic

    Mar 7, 2019

    Women up to age 29, with limited or no access to health care, can get exams and reproductive health services on a sliding scale at the Public Health Center’s Women’s Health Clinic March 12- March 14. Services will be provided by a nurse practitioner with Alaska Public Health Nursing. Appointments are required. Schedule an appointment by calling 772-4611....

  • Possible debris from missing aircraft located in Frederick Sound

    Brian Varela|Mar 7, 2019

    On March 3, Guardian Flight senior vice president of operations Randy Lyman announced that a search team has located what may be an unknown part of the Guardian King Air 200 aircraft that went missing in late January. “In order to properly identify the object, our next step is to re-launch a submersible Remotely Operated Vehicle, which will take a number of days to accomplish,” said Lyman in a prepared statement. “We are hopeful that this might be a positive step in the process to recover our missing friends and return them to their famil...

  • Press repairs restore color printing

    Mar 7, 2019

    With this week’s edition, the Petersburg Pilot is once again able to print full-color images in the paper. A color unit failed while the February 21 paper was being printed. Technicians at Impressions Worldwide in Burlington, Wash. were able to troubleshoot the problem, which required a mechanic to travel to Petersburg to install new parts. Press operator Ola Richards worked with Max Talamantes from Impressions to install the required parts on Wednesday afternoon. Repairs were completed late Wednesday enabling color images to be printed once a...

  • Borough begins 24-hour diesel campaign

    Brian Varela|Feb 28, 2019

    The Petersburg Borough began running their diesel generators 24 hours a day on Tuesday as Southeast Alaska Power Agency lake levels drop due to dry weather conditions. As of Monday, Tyee Lake water levels were at 1261.6 feet of elevation and Swan Lake was at 280.9 feet, according to utility director Karl Hagerman. Crystal Lake was just below 10 feet . SEAPA set a draft limit of 1258 feet for Tyee Lake and 280 feet for Swan Lake. Once the two lakes reach their draft limits, Petersburg may have to separate from the inter-connect system and...

  • Assembly talks local impacts for governor's proposed budget

    Feb 28, 2019

    At the end of their meeting on Monday, the borough assembly briefly discussed Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget for Alaska’s 2020 fiscal year and how it would affect the borough. Dunleavy’s proposed budget would solve Alaska’s $1.6 billion deficit by having expenditures equal to the amount of the state’s revenue. As a result, state departments and programs face budget reductions. “It sounds like this governor is interested in one thing only, which is a balanced budget with no new sources of income what so ever,” said borough manager Steph...

  • PSD could lose $1,050 per student in Dunleavy's proposed budget

    Brian Varela|Feb 28, 2019

    After Gov. Mike Dunleavy released his proposed budget earlier this month that looks to solve a $1.6 billion deficit through cuts in statewide funding, the Petersburg School District’s base student allocation would be reduced by $1,050 per student, according to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter. On Tuesday, the Petersburg School District is going to host a community conversation in the Wright auditorium at 6 P.M. to discuss the district’s budget. Currently, the school district receives $5,930 in funding from Alaska for each of the dis...

  • Cybersafety lecturer warns parents on the negative side affects of smart devices

    Brian Varela|Feb 28, 2019

    Author and lecturer Frederick Lane spoke at the Wright Auditorium on Thursday evening to discussion cybersafety and the impact mobile devices are having on children. Approximately 92 percent of teens use a cell phone with at least 75 percent of teens using a smart phone, according to Lane. In 1995, children ages five through sixteen spent three hours in front of a screen per day. By 2015, that number doubled to 6.5 hours per day, with some studies estimating as high as nine hours per day. The am...

  • 2019 SE Alaska Eulachon Smelt fishery closure

    Feb 28, 2019

    Ketchikan — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the following closures for eulachon smelt (Thaleichthys pacificus) for the 2019 season. These closures are in effect beginning 12:01 a.m., Monday, February 25, 2019: District 1: will be closed to commercial, personal use, and subsistence eulachon smelt fishing in all waters. This includes all Revillagigedo Island and mainland drainages. District 7: will be closed to commercial, personal use, and subsistence eulachon smelt fishing in all waters. District 8: will be closed to c...

  • Designated borough assembly seats ordinance passes in first reading

    Brian Varela|Feb 28, 2019

    The borough assembly on Monday passed Ordinance #2019-01 in its first reading, which would assign designated borough assembly seats. Should the ordinance pass, borough election ballots would no longer allow voters to choose which candidates they want to fill the open assembly seats, but instead, the candidates would choose a specific seat to run for. “It’s a really good form of democracy,” said vice mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor. “If I was choosing to run for Senate, I’d either ran against Sen. Sullivan or Sen. Murkowski... It’s more in line with...

  • Borough manager to pursue issues discussed in work session

    Brian Varela|Feb 28, 2019

    As a result of its planning for the future work session, the borough assembly approved a list of issues on Monday for borough manager Stephen Giesbrecht to pursue. The work session addressed 132 suggestions for economic growth submitted during three public meetings conducted by Giesbrecht in January 2018. During the work session, Giesbrecht took note of the topics the assembly was most interested in pursuing and presented the list to the assembly, who agreed with the list. “None of what you’re voting on tonight will change anything,” said...

  • Master technician

    Feb 28, 2019

    Carson Paul, of Rocky's Marine, received his certification for Yamaha Master Technician on Feb. 8 after completing six one-week courses, in addition to his years of practical experience. Less than 20 percent of individuals who take the master technician test receive a passing score. Paul follows Logan Durst as the second Yamaha Master Technician at Rocky's Marine....

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