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Police say a Petersburg woman was arrested on Saturday for fleeing a scene under the influence after driving a vehicle into two pedestrians in the 1100 block of South Nordic Drive. Shirlene Olson, 54, was arrested on two counts of assault in the third degree, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influence. Olson appeared in District Court before Magistrate Judge Desiree Burrell on Tuesday afternoon. Olson did not enter a plea and was released under conditions with $1,000 bail....
The Petersburg Police Department recently purchased a pick-up truck for about $47,000, the chief said. The borough used $47,311 of its motor pool fund in early December 2017 to purchase an officer patrol truck. The truck will be used to haul the department's portable dispatch center, along with getting access to areas outside of service area one, especially in poor weather conditions, said Police Chief Kelly Swihart. "It is capable of pulling the communications trailer in various conditions if...
After deliberation on Saturday the Alaska Board of Fisheries rejected a proposal to scrap the Southeast Alaska management plan for Dungeness crab fisheries. The BoF is currently convened in Sitka for its meeting on the region’s shellfish and finfish regulation change proposals. It meets every three years, the last one being held in Wrangell in January 2015. Starting its shellfish meeting on January 11, members took testimony for 155 different proposals related to crab, shrimp and other miscellaneous shellfish. A late comer to this year’s sla...
DOUGLAS, Alaska (AP) – An Alaska man says his dog came nose-to-nose with a wolf while they were walking at a Douglas park. The incident happened last Saturday while Peter Fellman and his wife, Jane Pierson, were walking their two dogs in Savikko Park, also referred to as Sandy Beach. Neither Fellman, his wife nor their dogs were harmed in the encounter, the Juneau Empire reported . Fellman said his dog Bingo’s benign nature allowed the group to remain unharmed. The couple was on their way to a dinner at a friend’s house when they decided to st...
WRANGELL – Radio station KSTK is now awaiting decision by the Federal Communications Commission on whether to approve a proposed acquisition by CoastAlaska, a regional service headquartered in Juneau. Applications to transfer the station's four licenses were filed with the FCC in early December, with a public comment period ending last week. If approved, Wrangell Radio Group, whose board administers the local station, would transfer KSTK's physical assets along with its licensed channels to C...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska's population declined for the first time in 29 years as the state's oil-driven recession continued through 2017. State figures released on Wednesday listed the state's population at 737,080, the Juneau Empire reported . That's down 2,629 from 2016 and is the first decrease since 1988. The number of people moving out was only partially balanced by the number of new births. The state also had a record high in number of deaths this past year, at 4,530. ``The r...
WRANGELL- A sizable rock slide along Zimovia Highway Thursday evening temporarily blocked off access to traffic. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities was notified of the slide at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning, and arranged with local contractors to remove the debris. One lane was opened to traffic by 9 a.m., with workers on the scene coordinating with traffic to allow movement through the area. Drivers passing through the temporary chokepoint should be prepared for a slight...
A recently proposed revision to the borough's zoning code is slated to introduce a new form of affordable housing, an expansion of the historic and industrial district, and the end of a requirement on businesses to include parking downtown, officials say. The Petersburg Borough is rolling out a fresh development code that it hopes will streamline zoning approval processes and sure-up any vague and "blurry" language that exists now. There are significant changes that, if approved, could be in...
A coffee shop fundraiser in Petersburg last week in memory of an 18-year-old girl who died in 2016 raised thousands of dollars and sparked an outpouring of online support from across the country. Guylynn Etcher, owner of Glacier Express Cafe, and Britni Birchell, owner of Common Grounds & Alaska Island Coffee, organized a fundraiser last Thursday on behalf of Molly Parks, who wanted to be a special education teacher. She was an athlete, a daughter and a sucker for the underdog. She loved...
The borough assembly held a work session on Monday to discuss a plan to impose restrictions on who's eligible for senior sales tax exemption, along with a shorter talk on a passenger fee for cruise ships. In a public discussion, hosted by the assembly to hear community member input, an agreement was made that an annual fee ought to be charged to those who'd like a sales tax exemption card. The goal would be to offset costs that go into processing exemption cards for those 65 or older. The...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska state Sen. Mike Dunleavy plans to resign his seat to focus on running for governor. In a statement released Monday, the Wasilla Republican said the best way for him to advocate for his constituents’ values is to devote his full time and attention to ensuring that a new governor is elected this year. A Dunleavy campaign spokeswoman, Amanda Price, said the resignation will be effective Jan. 15 — the day before the new legislative session begins. State Republican party Chairman Tuckerman Babcock said he expects local...
WRANGELL - A Wrangell store owner was surprised to discover her shop had been entered during the night last week, with some items stolen. Located on the back side of the Churchill Building, Silver Liningz Boutique had apparently been broken into sometime during the evening of January 3. One of the town's newer businesses, the shop deals mainly in women's apparel, decorative coffee mugs and exotic scents. Store owner Terie Loomis had recently been working through her year-end inventory, so had a...
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska lawmaker is seeking to change the state law that allows a person as young as 14 to marry. State Sen. Berta Gardner is planning to introduce legislation to increase the legal age of marriage to 18 in Alaska, the Ketchikan Daily News reported. The Democratic senator’s legislation would also allow emancipated minors above the age of 16 to marry. Under current state law, a person between the age of 14 and 18 can marry with permission from a superior court judge. After a hearing with the parents and the minor, the...
The police chief and deputy clerk in Petersburg announced they plan to retire in July, a decision the married couple made together after a year of pondering. The police chief, Kelly Swihart, and his wife, Melinda, the deputy borough clerk, said they plan to retire after the chief’s contract expires on June 30, he said. “We have been debating for the past year on whether or not we wanted to renew my contract in Petersburg,” said Mr. Swihart, who says his leaving is not a resignation. “Or look in other law enforcement opportunities in Alaska,...
WRANGELL - Before the 30th Alaska Legislature meets for its second regular session next Tuesday, Sen. Bert Stedman (R-Sitka) stopped in Wrangell last week to meet with constituents. Visiting with the city manager and staff on January 4, Stedman's visit came on the heels of meetings with officials in Petersburg and was to be followed by a trip to Ketchikan. "Before every session I try to come down and run through the district, talking to city hall, finding out what's going on with the city...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Bills introduced ahead of the new legislative session could complicate Gov. Bill Walker’s plans to address Alaska’s budget and tackle infrastructure projects. Two new Senate proposals — one each from a Republican and Democrat — seek to enshrine a dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund into the state constitution. Similar measures were introduced last year but pushed aside as legislators delayed action on a plan that would use fund earnings to help pay for state government and change how dividends are calculate...
Petersburg’s assembly on Monday voted against issuing a permit to allow a private hauler to pay for a second boat ramp at Scow Bay, saying it would set a precedent open for too much interpretation. John Murgas, owner of Island Ventures LLC, applied for a special use permit to install a second boat ramp at Scow Bay. His proposed ramp would nudge-up against a jetty, which would, he says, create safer launching and hauling of boats. “A single mishap,” Murgas wrote in his permit application, “while loading or launching a vessel due to souther...
January The Borough assembly started approval of a program called Local Improvement Districts, which asks Petersburg residents whether they would pay for road work in their neighborhoods. The Petersburg School Board discussed the possible loss of federal funding through a program called Secure Rural Schools. The school district reported a case of a Pertussis, or whooping cough, confirmed in Petersburg. Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said it was not a public health emergency. An engineer led...
Here are website headlines of the top 10 most viewed news articles of 2017. 1. Petersburg man, 24, drowns near resort on Mitkof Highway 2. William Christopher Allen indicted in July 4th 2016 crash 3. Former Petersburg cop accused of sexual harassment 4. State prosecutors allege Allen refused treatment for a seizure disorder 5. Petersburg family joins RV trend with school bus 6. New postmaster is one of the strongest men in Alaska 7. Lost bags put former Petersburg mayor in Ft. Lauderdale airport at time of shootings 8. PPD makes arrests; seize...
A Petersburg man pleaded guilty last Tuesday of interfering with crab pots belonging to four other fishermen in town, coming after a hearing with testimony from a remorseful defendant and community members questioning whether the punishment was harsh enough. In a change of plea hearing on December 19, James Andrew Knight, 54 of Petersburg, told Judge William B Carey he was guilty of three misdemeanors, including interfering with commercial fishing gear, unlawful use of pot tags and operating more than 300 Dungeness crab pots. Knight was fined...
WRANGELL — The board of Wrangell’s public radio station last month approved a deal which would transfer its ownership to a regional corporation. Following a decision by its governing board to do so in November, Wrangell Radio Group (WRG) on December 11 filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer its four channels to CoastAlaska in Juneau. Among the four would be KSTK, a source for news and entertainment on the island since the noncommercial station was first built in 1977. CoastAlaska is a nonprofit cor...
The search to find an electrical superintendent in Petersburg has narrowed to three applicants, coming after a borough screening committee started with 10, a number the manager called low last week. There were two internal applicants and eight external who sent resumes to the borough with interest in Petersburg’s Power & Light superintendent job. Since December 20, four withdrew their applications for unknown reasons, and then three are “moving forward in the process,” Deputy Clerk Mindy Swihart said in an email. The internal applicants are S...
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Salvation Army in Petersburg distributed about $8,000 worth of food and gifts to about 85 families. Last week, a day before Major Loni Upshaw with the Salvation Army would lead food distribution to mostly low-income families; five Coast Guard members were stuffing boxes with dinner rolls and soup; green beans and eggs. Most of the food and gifts were donated from the community, along with purchases from the Salvation Army and the Women's Group at the...
On December 15, Alaska State Troopers on Prince of Wales were advised of a domestic violence assault in Coffman Cove. Investigation revealed Walter Brian Carter, 38, of Coffman Cove, assaulted a family member causing injury. An arrest warrant was issued for Carter for one (1) count Assault 4th Degree Domestic Violence. On December 16, 2017 at approximately 12:44 PM, Carter was located in South Thorne Bay and was arrested on the warrant. Carter was remanded to the Craig jail. Bail was set at $10,000....
Firefighters responded to a blaze at 7.6 mile Mitkof Highway at 2 a.m. Wednesday and found a 20x20 chicken coop fully involved upon their arrival. Fire Chief Doug Welde reported that many of the chickens and rabbits inside the structure were saved with the assistance of neighbor Larry Maine. Maine said the department did a great job fighting the fire and estimated that 6-7 animals may have perished in the fire. Assistant Chief Dave Berg said it was too early to determine precisely how many animals died. Maine said Raleigh Cook owned the...
