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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced this week that the lingcod sport fishing seasons, bag and possession limits, annual limits, and size limits have been established for the Northern Southeast Area (see attached map). In this area the following regulations apply: Northern Southeast Area Season: May 16 – November 30. Limits: o Residents – 1 daily, 2 in possession, no size limit. o Nonresidents – 1 daily, 1 in possession, size limit: 30 inches or greater in length and less than 35 in...
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Alaska District will be available to discuss and answer questions about the regulatory program at an informational open house in Petersburg on Tuesday, May 22, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Petersburg Municipal Building Assembly Chambers, 12 S. Nordic Drive. Representatives from the Corps’ Regulatory Division will be available to answer permitting questions regarding requirements for placing fill and structures in waters of the United States and provide assistance with p...
WRANGELL — The city is inching toward a planned purge of the island’s abandoned vehicles and assorted clutter. The unsightly problem has been a longstanding issue in public parking spaces such as at Shoemaker Bay Harbor, with unroadworthy vehicles left there to the elements. But under municipal code junk vehicles on private property are also not allowed, and the rule extends to other collections on display deemed to be a “nuisance” by authorities. This means disused vehicles like cars and boats, rusting piles of scrap or broken equipme...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A ballot initiative that aims to strengthen a state law that protects salmon habitat has made its way before the Alaska Supreme Court. The court heard arguments Thursday on whether the initiative dubbed Yes for Salmon can appear on the November ballot, the Alaska Journal of Commerce reported. State attorney Joanne Grace argued that the ballot initiative would ban large development projects like mines, which cannot avoid disturbing salmon habitat. By the initiative enacting such a ban, the state claimed the L...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature has passed a resolution urging the federal government to reconsider its listing of marijuana as a controlled substance. The resolution also asks the federal government to respect the state’s authority to regulate the use, production and distribution of marijuana in Alaska. The House voted 37-0 Monday to accept changes made by the Senate. The Senate passed the resolution unanimously earlier in April. Alaska voters in 2014 approved legalizing recreational use of marijuana by those 21 and older. Mar...
KENAI, Alaska (AP) —Alaska’s SeaLife Center is getting its third shot at raising thousands of octopus hatchlings, hoping at least one of the translucent mollusks will grow into its 50-pound (23-kilogram), color-changing form. Such a task has been completed just once before — by the Seattle Aquarium in the 1980s, the Peninsula Clarion reported . The aquarium won an award in 1982 for successfully raising the giant pacific octopus. The SeaLife Center had hatchlings twice before, in 2005 and 2013. This time, the center’s octopus named Gilligan, nam...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service has unveiled a draft plan to deal with an increase in visitors at Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier. The Forest Service last week released the plan calling for a new 7,000-square-foot (650-square-meter) visitor facility, a boat and dock system to ferry visitors across Mendenhall Lake, new trails and a mobile visitor center near the glacier, the Juneau Empire reported . The Forest Service has yet to release the full plan, but said the objectives are to decrease crowding, enhance opportunities for locals, a...
The essence of Theresa and Dan Vick's new house is its inside diversity, between her culture with Native figurines, a totem pole, and his, with an electric guitar shaped like an assault rifle, and Norwegian memorabilia. The almost 30-year-old family pole dominates the living room of the Vicks' new 1,100-square-foot home. Carved into red cedar is a king crab and halibut, with a worm hanging from its mouth. "It hasn't been retouched," she said. "And we've had it since 1989." Mrs. Vick said the...
Petersburg is set to receive an 87-foot Marine Protector Class coastal patrol vessel that will serve the Inside Passage with search and rescue patrols, fisheries enforcement, drug smuggling interception and other missions. The vessel will be home ported in Petersburg after the 110-ft. Anacapa is removed from service in 2021. Mayor Mark Jensen told the Pilot Wednesday, "It's a done deal." This was discussed in D.C. this winter when he made a personal visit with the Alaska Congressional...
The Borough Assembly deliberated over the first draft of the fiscal year 2019 budget presented Friday afternoon by Finance Director Jody Tow. Tow told the assembly the property tax mill rate decreases this year from 11.6 mills to 11.38 mills. The millage rate is the amount per $1,000 used to calculate taxes on property. Absent voter approved levies for the school, aquatic center, assisted living and library debt, the mill rate is below the required cap (10 mills) at 9.2 mills. Tow said the mill...
Michael P. Heiser, attorney for the Hanson Class, plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Kake Tribal Corporation, is seeking a court order forcing Attorney Fred Triem to render a full accounting of the Hanson Class funds being held in his trust account. In the early 1990s, Triem represented the "Hanson Class" of shareholders who were plaintiffs, bringing suit against Kake Tribal Corporation. The court awarded judgment to the plaintiffs in the amount of $2.7 million, plus costs, attorney fees and...
The Borough’s Enterprise Funds are all solvent and to keep it that way, some rate increases will go into effect this fiscal year. Enterprise operations are carried out by the harbor, water, wastewater, sanitation, elderly housing and assisted living departments, which largely pay their own way from revenue they generate from people using their services. Finance Director Jody Tow noted that the Assisted Living fund is being subsidized by the General Fund for both Bond Debt ($179,606) and Operating Fund transfer ($150,000) this year. That a...
Automated External Defibrillators will be added and old units replaced as a part of the 2018/19 Borough budget. The line item will cost $30,200 for 16 units and 5 training devises used to train EMS providers and lifeguards. The defibrillators cost $1,700 each and are placed in Borough vehicles and public buildings. According to a budget proposal the units will be placed in two ambulances, the PVFD administration vehicle, four in public access buildings, the pool, gym, the PMP&L offices and line truck, in four police patrol vehicles and in the...
The Petersburg Pilot and Wrangell Sentinel each received two awards from the Alaska Press Club for work completed in 2017. Pilot publisher Ron Loesch received two awards. Second place was for a story about local attorney Fred Triem representing his client for months following her demise. The story was published Sept. 7. Judges noted in part: “A grim tale from which the reader reaps great benefit. A fascinating case well worth the front page for complexity and original subject matter…” Placing third was an editorial appearing in the July 6 edi...
SITKA, Alaska (AP) — A Sitka bear sanctuary is getting ready to unveil its new black bear enclosure when it opens for the tourist season. Fortress of the Bear Manager Claire Turner said during a presentation at the Sitka Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that the new enclosure will add about 10 times the space of its previous habitat, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported. It expects to open by early May, Turner said. Les and Evy Kinnear opened the fortress in 2002. At the time, they only worked with brown bears. They later added a separate 4...
WRANGELL - Wrangell was last week granted a special economic designation by the state along with 24 other Alaskan communities. The Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development named the community as one of its new "opportunity zones," part of a federal program designed to drive long-term capital investment to economically distressed communities. According to the federal Treasury Department, Alaska has 60 low-income communities eligible for the designation. With the creation of the...
WRANGELL — Wrangell Public School District learned last week its secondary school principal, Bill Schwan, will be departing after the current academic year ends. His departure is the latest among the district’s top administrators. At Evergreen Elementary, school principal Gail Taylor tendered notice in January. She took off for Oklahoma earlier than expected, departing this week on Tuesday. Faculty member Therese Pempek will helm the school through the year’s end. After a search for Taylor’s replacement, the district announced it will be hiri...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Legislature on Monday revised its sexual harassment policy to allow for the use of outside investigators in cases involving legislators under certain circumstances. The Legislature’s human resources manager would have the discretion to decide whether to hire an independent investigator, but the presiding officer or minority leader could also make a request for an outside investigator. The policy, adopted by the Legislative Council, also includes an appeals process and formal and informal reporting pro...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Airlines has updated its policy on emotional support animals following an increase in incidents involving them on planes and in airports, including some customers and employees suffering bites. Starting May 1, customers flying with psychiatric service animals must provide animal health and behavioral documents and a signed document from a medical professional at least 48 hours prior to departure. The airline also will stop allowing amphibians, goats and animals with hooves, tusks or horns. Alaska Airlines s...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The University of Alaska Center for Economic Development has designed a competition to come up with renewable energy business ideas. The competition’s organizers assigned a different challenge related to renewable energy in Alaska to four teams across the state. They have had five weeks to solve it, Alaska’s Energy Desk reported Wednesday. Organizer Julia Casey said the competition was born from an exercise called a “design sprint,” common in Silicon Valley. Casey said by forcing teams to develop a renewable energy to...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The process of laying off teachers in what’s known as “pink slip season” — May 15 to the last day of school — attracts most of the attention when education loyalists argue for funding. But there’s another category known as “displaced” or involuntarily transferred teachers that also stems from budget cuts. It involves keeping a teacher in the district but putting him or her up for bid to a different school. Teachers selected to be laid off or displaced are identified by school principals and generally are the latest hi...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Senate has narrowly approved a formal statement supporting a “free and open” internet that’s equally accessible to all consumers. The so-called Sense of the Senate also calls on Congress to overturn a Federal Communications Commission decision to end net-neutrality protections. It passed 11-7. The FCC in December voted to gut U.S. rules meant to prevent broadband companies from exercising more control over what people watch and see online. Sen. Bill Wielechowski (wil-a-KOW-skee), an Anchorage Democrat who spo...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska state Rep. Justin Parish says he will not seek re-election this year. That means none of the three members of the Legislature representing Juneau plan to run in this year’s elections. Sen. Dennis Egan and Rep. Sam Kito III announced previously that they do not intend to seek re-election. All three are Democrats. Parish announced his intentions in a video posted to his Facebook page, and confirmed them in a phone interview with The Associated Press. The first-term lawmaker said he had maintained that he would see...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) —The penalty is going up for hanging out in a car and not actively loading passengers outside the Juneau International Airport terminal. Juneau radio station KTOO reports the Juneau Assembly voted Monday to quadruple the fine from $25 to $100 for drivers clogging up the loading zone in front of the terminal. Airport Board Chairman David Epstein says too many people idle in the active loading area while waiting for passengers. He says there’s a free cellphone lot where people cars can wait until passengers emerge. Mun...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A small cruise ship company is already offering trips to Alaska as part of an effort to persuade the industry to set sail for the state earlier in the year. UnCruise Adventures has launched cruises in southeast Alaska a few weeks before the first large passenger vessel is due in Juneau at the end of the month, the Juneau Empire reported Friday. “It’s the whole idea of making May the new June and April the new May,” said Dan Blanchard, the company’s CEO. “We can do that in southeast and even a little bit in south centr...
