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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ Alaska environmental managers have issued notices to eight cruise ships for violating air quality standards during the summer cruise season. The state Department of Environmental Conservation found nine violations this year, the highest number since 2014, the Juneau Empire reported this week. Four violations were found on Holland America Line ships, Princess Cruises had two, Royal Caribbean had two, and the Norwegian Cruise Line had one, according to the department. The department will forward the violation notices and its...
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Alaska and Canada would reduce their catch of endangered Chinook salmon in years with poor fishery returns under an agreement that spells out the next decade of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada to keep various salmon species afloat in Pacific waters. Members of the Pacific Salmon Commission recommended a new 10-year conservation plan to the U.S. and Canadian governments Monday that would run through 2028 and involve Canada, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and a number of tribal nations in both countries. The c...
The Petersburg Post Office reopened today at 11 A.M. after closing its facility last week because of a mercury spill, according to a press release from the United States Postal Service. Environmental contractors and regulators have evaluated the facility after cleaning it and have deemed it safe to reopen. "The Postal Service apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates its customers' patience," said the release.... Full story
Petersburg School District has received its scores for the Performance Evaluation For Alaska's Schools, which shows students have improved in English language arts and math in the two year period the test has been given. "It is one test, one time a year," said Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter at a school board meeting on Tuesday. "It provides a piece of information about a child, but it is a piece." The PEAKS assessment is given to students between 3rd and 9th grade. In the two years that it has been given to PSD students, they have had a...
The large amount of jellyfish that have been seen in the waters this summer in Southeast Alaska could be caused by warmer temperatures, according to research scientist Mary Beth Decker. Decker, who has worked with Alaska Fisheries Science Center in the Bering Sea, said the warmer temperatures could be causing the jellyfish to reproduce more rapidly or be increasing its prey. There typically is an increase in jellyfish in the summer months, but sometimes the number of jellyfish is greater than...
In October, the Petersburg School District will receive its first assessment from the Every Student Succeeds Act, according to Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter at a school board meeting on Tuesday. Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2015, ESSA seeks to provide all children with significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable and high-quality education and close achievement gaps, according to the act’s statement of purpose. The assessment focused on two groups in the 2017-2018 school year, kindergarten through 6th grade and 7th...
Petersburg Medical Center laid forth its high priority goals at a strategic planning board retreat on Friday. One priority was the construction of a new facility. “It’s really important to set goals and priorities,” said PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter. “There’s long term goals and there’s short term goals.” At the meeting, Hofstetter, the hospital board and department heads began discussion on what early steps need to be taken to begin planning a new facility. Community input and the location of the new facility were two beginning steps that everyone...
The Nolan Center was littered with maps of the Tongass National Forest Sept. 5. Members of the Wrangell and Petersburg Ranger districts came by to hold a public meeting on the Central Tongass Project, a series of proposed long-term renovations in the area. Dave Zimmerman, with the Petersburg Ranger District, explained that the Central Tongass Project covers both the Petersburg and Wrangell districts, an area that stretches across the Wrangell, Mitkof, Kupreanof, Kuiu, Zarembo, and Etolin islands, as well as a section of the mainland. According...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Interior Department land managers have been ordered to review hunting and fishing regulations on department lands to determine how they conflict with state regulations. In a memo Monday, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered the review with an eye toward deferring to state management unless it conflicts with federal law. “The Department recognizes States as the first-line authorities for fish and wildlife management and hereby expresses its commitment to defer to the States in this regard except as otherwise req...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A second major oil company has agreed to key terms for the sale of Alaska North Slope natural gas to a state-sanctioned corporation that seeks to build a $34 billion liquefied natural gas project, including an 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) pipeline to move gas to an ocean port. The Alaska Gasline Development Corp. announced Monday that ExxonMobil has committed to a price and volume basis for the sale of natural gas from fields at Prudhoe Bay and Point Thompson along the state’s north coast. The development corporation rea...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Some of the sharpest jabs during a relatively tame debate Thursday featuring the major candidates for governor in Alaska were aimed at Republican nominee Mike Dunleavy. The conservative former state senator said later that his rivals, independent Gov. Bill Walker and Democrat Mark Begich, could see him as the one to beat and the one who concerns them the most. “They should. I think I’ve got some great ideas to get us out of this,” he said. Alaska fell into a recession after a crash in oil prices that also exploded the siz...
As part of the Rainforest Festival, Megan McPhee, with the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, gave a lecture that explained causes of the shrinking size of salmon. In her presentation, McPhee gave historical trends of salmon sizes, explained some reasons why salmon are getting smaller over the years and consequences of smaller salmon. In 1981, W.E. Ricker noted that the average weight of pink salmon in British Columbia seine fisheries between 1951 and 1974 decreased by about one pound in that 23 year...
Coho Salmon Coho salmon continue to be intercepted in the marine sport fishery although anglers can expect marine catch rates to decline as coho salmon move toward their natal streams. Freshwater fishing for coho salmon is picking up as anglers encounter increasing numbers of coho salmon in local streams and lakes. Freshwater fishing opportunity typically peaks in the month of September for most systems in the area. Anglers are reminded that the use of bait is allowed in many freshwater systems between September 15 and November 15, but be sure...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Monthly marijuana tax revenues have topped $1 million for the fifth straight month and for the sixth time this year. The state said Wednesday that it had collected nearly $1.4 million in marijuana taxes in July, a new monthly record. That compares to about $1.3 million in June, the previous high. Cultivation facilities pay the tax, which is imposed when marijuana is sold or transferred from a licensed grow facility to a retail marijuana shop or product manufacturing facility. The Department of Revenue reported that 107 c...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The operator of the trans-Alaska pipeline says it plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce. KTUU-TV reports Wednesday that Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. announced the layoffs in a letter sent to the governor and state lawmakers. Alyeska President Tom Barrett says the workforce will shrink, affecting jobs in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez and in the field. The company plans to realign into three divisions, operations and maintenance, engineering and risk, and chief financial officers. The company says employees a...
United States Postal Service officials now estimate the Petersburg Post Office will reopen on Friday, after a package leaked mercury inside of the facility last week, according to a statement issued by the USPS. Officials had previously expected the post office to resume normal retail and PO box operations by this past weekend. “The Postal Service apologizes for the inconvenience and appreciates its customers’ patience,” according to the statement. Petersburg residents can continue to pick... Full story
Despite the departure of processing workers, Patrick Wilson, Icicle Seafoods manager said they will be able to handle the chums coming in from Crawfish Inlet. “We can still do chums, Wilson commented. “We just wish the run came in two weeks earlier,” before workers were being sent home, he said. Wilson said his staff can still take care of the catch. “Anything to keep the fleet fishing,” he added. September 1 is the release date for the summer workers, but 100 production workers remain and will be able to handle the fish, according to Wilson...
The purse seine fleet set a single day chum salmon catch record for the entire state with a haul of over 980,000 chum salmon taken at Crawfish Inlet south of Sitka on Thursday, Aug. 30 according to Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA) manager Steve Reifenstuhl. Seiners took 1.13 million fish in two openings. In a year where the pink salmon catch has been said to be the worst since 1976, Reifenstuhl said Tuesday many boats doubled their season income in one day. The...
The United States Department of Commerce has allocated $56 million for the 2016 pink salmon disaster, according to borough D.C. lobbyist Sebastian O’Kelly. Congress appropriated $200 million for 12 fishery disasters. $56 million of that money, the largest amount set aside for a fishery disaster, will go to those affected by the pink salmon disaster. The funds will be split up between fishermen, processors and municipalities affected by the disaster, as well as research to determine the pink salmon decline. $32 million will go to fishermen; h...
High school students in the certified nursing assistant program through Petersburg Medical Center began their training last week. CNAs work directly under a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse and provide the more hands on care to patients and residents, such as help them get up in the morning, brush their teeth, eat meals and do exercises. They also take measurements and monitor vital signs. Since CNAs spend so much time with patients and residents, they are able to identify when something is wrong with them and can alert the nurse. ...
In a story on page 8 of the Aug. 30 issue of the Petersburg Pilot, Adam Axmaker was referred to as Adam Morton.... Full story
Public Works employees have been working to repair a leak in a water main in the 1000 block of Sandy Beach Road since Sunday. Public Works Director Karl Hagerman said employees began looking for leaks in their service lines since water treatment plant production remained at high levels even after cannery water consumption declined as the summer season wound down. The plant was still processing higher volumes of water than normal at the close of the season, Hagerman told the Pilot. During the sum...
Few things define Alaskans more than our love of salmon. Not surprisingly, salmon allocation decisions and fluctuations in resource abundance often spur bitter political battles between user groups. A robust public process rooted in best available science has long been the arbiter of such disputes. As an Alaskan born and raised on the Kenai, and in my current role as Mayor of Cordova, it is with deep consternation that I followed a recent Board of Fisheries evaluation of an emergency petition seeking to restrict hatchery salmon releases in...
On Aug. 20, around 3 A.M., 21-year-old David Churchill of Wrangell broke into Harbor Bar with the intention of burglary, according to authorities. He broke a window, entered the liquor store and attempted to steal bottles of liquor, said Police Chief Jim Kerr. A Good Samaritan who was a patron at the bar attempted to stop Churchill, but Churchill hit him over the head a few times with a bottle of alcohol, said Kerr. Churchill fled the scene, but was apprehended within minutes and arrested on charges of assault in the 2nd degree and 1st degree...
Petersburg won two department grand champion ribbons and 18 blue ribbons at the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines. Thirty-nine residents submitted art projects, crafts and photography with nearly every entry winning a ribbon. "That's the big thing," said Josef Quitslund, Petersburg's representative at the fair. "Sharing what people create." Mandy Kivisto and Marsha Fernandez both won department grand champion ribbons. Kivisto submitted a photo titled, 'Lilly pad,' which won her the...
