Sorted by date Results 1523 - 1547 of 5553
The local Alaska Wildlife Trooper post held an open house on Saturday to welcome the community to their new location on Haugen Dr. and to introduce Petersburg's new wildlife trooper. Curtis Vik transferred to Petersburg from Eagle Rover, following Cody Litster's promotion to sergeant. Vik first joined the state troopers in 2002. Since then, he has worked with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Palmer tackling property crimes and major crimes. Then from 2010 to recently, he worked with a...
Christopher Manske was arrested on Feb. 26, and is now being held in federal custody in Juneau facing charges of burglary of a post office and mail theft. According to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, paperwork regarding his indictment has not been submitted as of Tuesday afternoon. Sometime between the late evening of Feb. 21 and the following morning, an individual broke into the Petersburg Post Office and stole about 16 parcels, according to the complaint. Postal...
A phase two environmental study revealed the presence of some contaminants in at least two locations on the Petro 49, Inc. property that the borough would gain in a possible land swap with the oil company. An area just behind the building and an area to the south of the building have contaminants present, according to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. He said next week he is going to meet with the company that conducted the testing, Shannon & Wilson, Inc. based in Anchorage, and ask more...
The borough assembly unanimously passed an ordinance in its first reading on Monday that would establish a new Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. If ordinance #2020-05 passes in all three readings, the assembly would appoint all five members of the board who will serve until the borough election in October wherein duly elected members will serve on the board. Assembly Member Chelsea Tremblay anticipates the appointed members being a part of the hiring process for a new Parks and Rec....
Heath Whitacre, of the Petersburg Forest Service, went into detail on the Forest Service's efforts to maintain and restore watershed conditions in the Tongass National Forest late last month as part of a series of science talks featuring local professionals. A properly functioning watershed can create and sustain habitats that can support a diverse population of aquatic wildlife, including salmon. According to Whitacre, 80 percent of the Southeast Alaska commercial salmon harvest comes from...
Christopher Manske is accused of breaking into the Petersburg Post Office sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning and stealing about 15 parcels, according to Postal Inspector John Wiegand. Postal inspectors and local law enforcement were notified of the break in Saturday morning, but by that time, Manske was no longer on the scene; however, he attempted another break in the following night and was detained by responding officers, according to Wiegand. Manske was soon released...
Both Petersburg Rexall Drug and Lee's Clothing were honored as businesses of the year at Saturday's Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Additionally, the two businesses were awarded a plaque commemorating their 50th year in business. "You cannot think of downtown Petersburg without thinking of either of these two icons," said Chamber Manager Mara Lutomski. Petersburg Rexall Drug was purchased by Max Worhatch III in the summer of 1969 and is now run by two of his daughters, Erica Worhatch...
The shutdown of ferry service in Southeast Alaska has impacted many aspects of day-to-day life in communities across the region. In previous reporting by the Wrangell Sentinel and Petersburg Pilot, peoples' travel plans have been disrupted, businesses have been impacted, and cultural events like Celebration 2020 could potentially see decreased turnout. Another aspect of Southeast communities that is facing disruption from the lack of ferries are school districts. The schools of Wrangell and...
Sen. Bert Stedman told the community while attending the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce banquet on Saturday that the future of the Alaska Marine Highway System depends on how negotiations go with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Stedman said that legislators will discuss the AMHS and present possible scenarios to the governor when Dunleavy releases his operating budget; however, without enough votes to override the governor's anticipated vetoes, negotiations won't be too aggressive. "If you don't have the...
Steve Reifenstuhl, manager of the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, spoke at the annual Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet on Saturday on the organization's presence and activities in the Northern Panhandle. NSRAA is a non-profit organization that was established by commercial fishermen in 1978 to restore and rehabilitate Alaska's salmon stocks. Salmon produced by NSRAA's enhancement programs are a public resource and have contributed millions of dollars to the commercial...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that the season for the commercial Dungeness crab fishery in Registration Area A (Southeast) will close in Districts 1 and 2, and Section 13-B outside of the Sitka Sound Special Use Area [5 AAC 32.150(10)], by regulation at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 28 consistent with 5 AAC 32.110(3). All Dungeness crab must be landed within 24 hours of a closure [5 AAC 32.031(d)]. Vessel operators unable to meet this deadline must contact department...
Second-graders at Rae C Stedman Elementary School heard a story on the Greensboro sit-ins and were given a dictionary on Friday as part of two programs through Wells Fargo and the Petersburg Elks Lodge. For ten weeks this school year, Shannon Howard will be reading a book each Friday to Mary Midkiff's second grade class as a part of a nationwide Wells Fargo program that promotes literacy. After Howard finishes reading the book, it is donated to the class. "I read the book, the book stays in the...
The general manager of Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association will be speaking about the hatchery programs throughout Southeast Alaska this Saturday at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Banquet at the Sons of Norway Hall. As general manager, Steve Reifenstuhl leads NSRAA in its mission to restore and rehabilitate Alaska's salmon stocks. The non-profit organization also has a program that enhances commercial fisheries. "It's very vital to Southeast to have those programs for...
Police Chief Jim Kerr suggested at Tuesday's borough assembly meeting that the assembly discuss and adopt an ordinance that would put rules in place for parades or events that take place in roadways and impact the flow of traffic. On Sunday, several organizations in town hosted an Elizabeth Peratrovich Day celebration that began with a parade downtown. Kerr said that he spoke to a Petersburg Indian Association tribal leader and was supposed to be informed if the parade grew in size, so that...
The Petersburg Indian Association, Petersburg Arts Council and Petersburg ANB/ANS hosted the first annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Day celebration on Sunday to honor the woman who spearheaded Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. The ceremony began with a march down Nordic Dr. that began at the Trading Union and ended at the John Hanson Sr. Hall where the celebration continued. Master of Ceremonies Nathan Lopez acknowledged the work that Peratrovich and her husband Roy did for civil rights in...
Discussed by the Petersburg School Board at their meeting last week was a senate bill being put forth by Alaska legislators that would mandate school districts offer a preschool program and ensure students are reading proficiently by third grade. "We have heard that this is a fast moving bill," said School Board President Mara Lutomski. "Both sides, the House and the Senate, expect that it will probably most likely make it through and arrive at the governors' desk in some form. It doesn't mean...
With the M/V Matanuska going out of service last week, ferry service via the Alaska Marine Highway has completely shut down. According to a press release from the Alaska Department of Transportation, new issues have been found with the ferry's reduction gear system. The Matanuska, at the time of writing, is being towed to Ketchikan for repairs. "AMHS is aware of travel needs for upcoming school and community tournaments in March and is exploring options for alternative service in the event...
Eight children, 29 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and 57 years later, Otis and Diane Marsh are still very much in love. While Otis credits luck for their long and happy marriage, Diane said it's love and determination that has kept them together for so long. "You keep on keeping on, and do what you can," said Diane. A 19-year-old Otis first met Diane at a house party in Cass Lake, Minnesota in 1960. Diane was about 16 years old at the time and was dating somebody else. When they broke...
Taylen Reed has been making jewelry out of copper and sterling silver for the past two years, but it wasn't until she bought a heart-shaped disc cutter that she finally decided to host her first art show at FireLight Gallery & Framing on Friday. Armed with her disc cutter, Reed set out to hand make an extensive Valentine's Day collection that focused on necklaces and earrings. Reed had over 220 pieces on display and for sale. The pieces are also meticulously wrapped in wire. "It's nice with wire...
The Petersburg School Board voted in favor of adopting a board policy in its first reading on Tuesday that addresses pandemic and epidemic emergency readiness. The policy was recommended to the board by the Association of Alaska School Boards. School Board Vice President Sarah Holmgrain said the recommendation probably came about as a response to what is happening on the international level, but assured residents that there isn't an imminent threat to the community from a virus. "Like a lot of t...
During last Wednesday's Petersburg Live talent show, Wright Auditorium showed off its new lights, which are capable of showering performers on stage in a multitude of lights. "We can literally make the stage dance with color now," said Dave Berg, one of the volunteer light operators. In the past, if a performance required a certain color of light on stage, a filter would have to be placed over one of the lights; as a result, that light would have to be dedicated to that color for the entire...
Over the past several months Cody Litster, Petersburg's Alaska Wildlife Trooper, has been busy settling into his new role as a sergeant for the Central Southeast Alaska's wildlife troopers, making preparations for a second wildlife trooper and moving into a spacious new facility by the airport. Litster was promoted in September of last year when the state decided to move the Central Southeast Alaska sergeant position, which was originally stationed in Juneau, closer to the area it supervises. Li...
The Juneau Lighthouse Association, which operates and maintains the Five Finger Lighthouse, has changed its name to the Five Finger Lighthouse Society and is currently revamping the organization and the lighthouse. FFLS is now based out of Petersburg and is recruiting members to join the organization and volunteers to help work on the lighthouse. Jeff Erickson, secretary of FFLS, said the infrastructure of the lighthouse needs to be rebuilt. Additionally, he said he would like to improve the liv...
A story on page one of last week’s issue of the Petersburg Pilot incorrectly spelled Glenn Gellert’s name as Glenn Bellert....
The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribe of Alaska has promoted Will Ware to chief of project development in Juneau, according to a prepared statement by Communications Coordinator Raeanne Holmes. In his new role, he will oversee Tlingit & Haida's land developments and provide broad oversight of the Tribal Transportation and Business and Economic Development departments. He previously served for over six years as Tribal Transportation Manager. Ware is of the Raven moiety and Ta'k...
