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Petersburg Presbyterian Church welcomed their summer pastor intern Daniel Van Beek on June 26. Van Beek is currently one year into his three-year seminary program at Louisville Seminary in Kentucky. "I'm just honored to able to be a part of this community and this church right now," said Van Beek. He is taking over for the previous pastor, Bob Carter, who retired in June. Van Beek said that Carter reached out to Louisville Seminary asking for a summer intern to take over for him. Van Beek...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — Kodiak health professionals say there is an uptick in the number of children being accidently exposed to bear spray. The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports officials from Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center have recorded four cases of children under the age of 10 being exposed this summer to the pepper spray-like substance used to deter bear threats. Emergency room nurse Lydia Cullum says each case occurred at home or in a car when a bear threat was not present. She says there have likely been more cases in the area from p...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A pilot flying in rapidly deteriorating weather in Alaska confused snow on a mountain with a body of water before crashing a floatplane with 10 passengers onto the rocky mountainside, a preliminary report released Wednesday says. All 11 people on board the morning flight survived the July 10 crash of a Taquan Air charter flight on Prince of Wales Island near the southern tip of the Alaska Panhandle. Six people suffered serious injuries. The pilot told an investigator that visibility decreased rapidly from about 3 to 5...
To help improve the children's section, the Petersburg library applied for a summer intern through the Alaska State Library Internship Project. Veronica Bilenkin arrived July 10 and has been hard at work ever since. "She's been doing great," said Tara Alcock, borough librarian. "We're really enjoying having her around staff, and she's getting a lot done for us, which is also wonderful." Bilenkin comes to Petersburg from New York, where she is pursuing a master's degree in librarian and...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The federal government has officially killed a project to improve access to Alaska’s capital nearly two years after Gov. Bill Walker halted the road extension. In a document published Thursday, the Federal Highway Administration said it has decided to take no action on the proposed 50-mile (80-kilometer) road extension north from Juneau, the Juneau Empire reported . The document by Alaska Division Administrator Sandra Garcia-Aline cited the state’s shrinking budget and “a high level of controversy” over construction as pri...
WRANGELL - "For us, this journey is called 'In the footsteps of Ferdinand von Wrangel,' and you are a big footstep," said Carola von Wrangel to the gathered crowd at the Nolan Center. Ferdinand von Wrangel was governor of the Russian Empire's holdings in Alaska in the early 1800s, as well as an avid explorer and scientist. The city of Wrangell is named after Baron von Wrangel. He also oversaw the construction of the first fortification on Wrangell Island in 1834. He would go on to be a part of...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Water levels have receded on Mendenhall Lake in Alaska’s capital city following a glacial dam outburst. National Weather Service Meteorologist Jessica Voveris in Juneau says water levels crested at 10.92 feet late Thursday afternoon. As of 5:15 a.m. Friday, they had dropped to about 7.5 feet. The release of water from a glacially dammed lake this week created flooding concerns for some residents along the Mendenhall River. The lake feeds into the river. Forecasters had thought the crest could end up just below 12 feet but...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Recent figures indicate Alaska’s unemployment rate improved slightly last month. The Juneau Empire reports numbers from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development say the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell from 7.2 percent to 7.1 percent in June. The slight improvement comes as Alaska reports the fewest number of June jobs since 2010. The department’s figures say the state had 347,400 nonfarm jobs in June. That’s down 1,700 from June 2017 and down 11,400 from June 2015, the start of a statewi...
Michael Boseman is wanted by the Petersburg Police Department for a felony assault warrant and several misdemeanor warrants, according to authorities. Boseman is also a suspect in the theft of an 18' Crestliner open skiff. It was reported stolen on Tuesday, according to authorities. The skiff has two red fuel tanks in the front. There is a front bench, split middle seats and back seats. It is powered by a Yamaha 40 HP main with a Yamaha 4 HP kicker. The stolen skiff number is #AK 9266 AG.... Full story
A feasibility study is currently underway to determine if the United States Army Corps of Engineers will dredge South Harbor and allow smoother access. Some vessels are scraping and hitting the bottom of the harbor, especially during low tides, when they enter South Harbor, said harbormaster Glorianne Wollen; as a result, vessels are having trouble entering the harbor. The USACE was contacted and agreed to conduct a feasibility study, which will determine the problem in the harbor and possible s...
William Christopher Allen’s attorney and the State Prosecutor have reached a negotiated agreement where the defendant will face a sentence of 16-years in jail with nine suspended, leaving seven years to serve. Allen was facing multiple felony counts following a vehicle crash on July 4, 2016 that killed Molly Parks and Marie Giesbrcht while Allen was driving the Parks and Rec. van and is believed to have suffered a seizure that caused the accident. Other terms of the change of plea agreement and final sentencing have to be approved by the c...
On Tuesday, new reporter Caleb Vierkant arrived on the afternoon jet from his hometown of Bullard, Texas. Home-schooled until college, he attended Texas A&M in College Station. He earned two bachelor's degrees there, double-majoring in history and journalism with minors in English and military studies. After graduating in May 2017, he went to work for his hometown paper, the Jacksonville Progress. He worked there until July 6, when he accepted a job with the Wrangell Sentinel. Vierkant had...
On Saturday, the Petersburg Medical Center will host its fifth annual Paddle Battle in the Narrows fundraiser. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at Papke's Landing. The group will continue to Scow Bay, South Boat Harbor and end at Sandy Beach where a barbecue will be held. Participants can sign up online or in the business office at the hospital during the days leading up to the event. Sign-ups will also be held the day of the event at Papke's Landing at 9 a.m., Scow Bay at 12 p.m. and South...
Petersburg Municipal Power & Light shut down power on June 19 in order to replace a Southeast Alaska Power Agency transmission pole in Falls Creek. The power was shut off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Twin Creek road and Crystal Lake Hatchery, said Scott Newman, general foreman with Petersburg Municipal Power & Light. Since the transmission pole was owned by SEAPA and not the city, SEAPA sent out their own contractors to conduct the work, said Newman. Petersburg Municipal Power & Light assisted SEAPA with some of the work and with shutting...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A revision of a federal law sponsored by a congressman from Alaska seeks to add flexibility to fisheries management. Alaska Public Media reports the U.S. House on Wednesday passed the revision to the Magnuson Stevens Act, the 1976 law that prevents foreign fleets from fishing off U.S. shores and established regional management councils to rebuild fish stocks and ensure sustainable harvests. Republican U.S. Rep. Don Young says his latest bill builds upon the idea that fisheries management should be based on sound s...
Petersburg Mental Health Services moved into a newly remodeled facility on Fram Street across from the Petersburg Medical Center on June 25. "It's kind of nice being across from the hospital," said Kathy O'Rear, director of financial services. "We work really closely with them." The new facility is in an apartment building that is owned by the clinic. It encompasses three apartments, two of which have been remodeled into one main office. In 2013, the board of directors for the Petersburg Mental...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s senior U.S. senator says she is “stunned” that President Trump did not confront Russian President Vladimir Putin over election interference. In a statement, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says Trump “ultimately validated Putin at the expense of American intelligence by giving credence to Putin’s claim to have not interfered in our elections.” Trump met with Putin on Monday. Trump openly questioned the finding of his intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 election to his benefit and seemed to acc...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has signed a bill to ban smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and bars. Walker signed the bill on Tuesday in Anchorage, and it becomes law on Oct. 1. The Legislature passed the bill in the waning hours of the session after it lingered in the House Rules Committee for months. Committee chairwoman Gabrielle LeDoux of Anchorage refused to move the bill to the floor until the day before the Legislature adjourned. The measure bars smoking on buses and in cabs, and in places including office b...
WRANGELL — The water situation remains well in hand as the traditionally high demands of summer get underway. Public Works director Amber Al-Haddad reported both reservoirs to be in good supply, helped along by rainfall earlier this week. After a hot, dry spell at the month’s start, the upper of the city’s two reservoirs had dropped by around three feet, she said. The change in weather has since brought about a reversal of that. “We’re looking pretty good,” Al-Haddad said. Following an emergency shortage brought about by production difficultie...
WRANGELL - Magistrate Judge Desi Burrell will assume the duties fulfilled by Wrangell's Chris Ellis for the past 14 years. Chris Ellis had worked the magisterial track within the Alaska Court System for 30 years before retiring last month. Spending the first half of her service on the Seward Peninsula and Prince of Wales Island, Ellis served the court in Wrangell for 14 years. With her departure, ACS has decided to consolidate the position with surrounding courts. Magistrate Desi Burrell of the...
SITKA — Sitka’s senior citizen sales tax exemption ends at midnight Saturday, June 30, replaced by a needs-based rebate. In a cost-savings move, the Assembly at its April 24 meeting narrowly approved eliminating the long-standing exemption from sales tax for residents age 65 and up, deciding instead to offer a needs-based rebate to qualifying Sitka seniors at the end of each fiscal year. The rebate amount is $350 per senior per year, or $450 per household with two or more qualifying seniors. The figure is a broad estimate of the sales tax sen...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Authorities are investigating after hundreds of fish were left rotting on a hillside near Wasilla. The fish that appear to be salmon were discarded off a hiking trail near Knik Goose Bay Road, KTUU-TV reported Sunday. The overpowering smell suggests the fish were left there for some time. “Discarding fish waste on public or private property or along roads, pull-offs, and trails can attract bears into residential areas and result in fines ranging from $300 to $1,000,” said Ken Marsh, a public information officer with...
The Petersburg Library is submitting a collaborative art project created by children involved with its summer reading program into an art exhibit at the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines. The project is a free-standing set of multi-colored phoenix wings that members of the community can pose in front of while holding a chalk board with a power word written on it. "We have such a great art community," said program coordinator Jessica Ieremia. "I thought it was a good way to connect ourselves...
Six counterfeit $50 bills have been collected by the Petersburg police department in the last month, said authorities. Patrol officer Carl Tate said he has been investigating the counterfeit bills and has created a suspect group. It is still unclear as to whether the bills are being made in town or are being brought in. At least four of the counterfeit bills appear to be made by the same individual or from the same batch, said Tate. "I advise the general public if you get a $50 bill or a high...
Elizabeth Walsh became the new director of the Clausen Memorial Museum on June 1, after a seamless transition from the previous director Kathi Riemer. After hearing about the opening while finishing up her undergraduate degree in sociocultural anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Walsh, a resident of Petersburg, applied for the position as the new director of the museum. She was then hired by the museum's board of trustees. "Lizzie had a lot of qualifications that we needed," said...
