Sorted by date Results 3929 - 3953 of 5673
The Petersburg Borough Assembly is a short step closer to drafting a complete marijuana ordinance. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht discussed the draft with the Borough Assembly at its February 1 meeting. “In a sense what you’ve got in front of you is a framework,” Giesbrecht said. “I hate to call it anything other than that because it’s still definitely a work in progress.” Borough Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor and Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson are assisting in writing a skeleton of the ordinance that so far defines public spaces— whe...
The state’s case against Lars Christensen, who was facing charges of two counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 2nd and 3rd degrees, was dismissed yesterday, Feb. 3. Federal and local authorities arrested Lars and his brother Lawrence Christensen last month for receiving and handling a package containing 25 grams of heroin and 36 grams of methamphetamine from the post office. According to the criminal complaint, Lars told police he didn’t know what was in the package but “…knew it was probably illegal. Lars admitte...
After watching a U.S. Coast Guard video clip of their rescue, skipper Steve Berry recounted his experience last summer when the Kupreanof sank off Cape Fairweather. "I wake up every morning and I have to realize the boat went down but my crew didn't," Berry said. Berry noticed a slight list and thought he should change the fuel tanks to counter balance the vessel but it didn't help. He soon called a nearby Icicle vessel, the Gordon Jensen and the U.S. Coast Guard. Berry said it was around 3:30 a...
The Petersburg Land Selection Committee reviewed their preliminary land selections this week and added rationale to justify borough ownership of the land. The committee has identified over 1,300 acres available to the borough through the general land grant entitlement. The addition of rationale for selecting acres will greatly help the process and comply with the intent of the land entitlement program, according to Liz Cabrera, Borough Planning Director. "I think it's hard to say 'we want land...
Last week's story regarding the local budget and revenue sources, reported that seniors don't have to pay sales or property taxes. It should be noted that seniors are exempt from paying up to $150,000 in property taxes but pay taxes on home valuations in excess of that amount....
Alaska Power and Telephone (AP&T) began serving Southeast customers in 1957 with the purchase of the telephone company in Skagway. Today, AP&T serves 40 communities spanning from the Arctic Circle to Metlakatla. The company recently released their 2016 telephone directory, but AP&T director of marketing Mark McCready says the days for the phonebook might be numbered due to a decline in landline users. One of the main reasons for the decline is a younger, more technology driven customer base....
Almost 30 people showed up to the library for a book signing and reading event on Monday night, and those in attendance had the pleasure of experiencing two thought-provoking writing styles from very talented authors who are also friends. Ernestine Hayes is the award wining author of "Blonde Indian," a memoir about life struggles and overcoming obstacles like discrimination, poverty and alcoholism. Hayes has a way with words worthy of making the most respected poets envious. Hayes read about a...
State Rep. Jonathan Kreiss Tomkins and Alaska Department of Revenue Director Ken Alper gave a state budget crisis presentation for community members two weeks ago. They used colored blocks of wood representing different revenues and expenditures balanced on a large scale to provide a visual representation of the state's budget deficit and the continued gutting of our state's savings should the legislature not create a more sustainable budget for the state. On the revenue side of the scale sat a... Full story
High winds caused havoc early Tuesday morning in Petersburg and many other Southeast communities, resulting in power outages, damaged homes and blocked highways. A strong low pressure system hit Southeast with winds gusting from 60 to over 70 mph throughout the Alaska Panhandle, according to NOAA meteorologist Tim Steffen. "Petersburg itself, the airport is kind of sheltered so we usually don't get good readings," Steffen said. "But it recorded 40 knots, which is actually really impressive for... Full story
Petersburg High School sophomore Helen Martin, 15, will take a trip to the state capitol in early March and spend four days sitting in on the legislative session. Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins selected Martin to participate in his Legislative Externship Program after her world history teacher talked to her class about the program. Martin, who is the vice president of her sophomore class, talked it over with her mom and they both thought it would be a good idea. "I'm pretty excited to sit in and... Full story
The Sons of Norway Hall will hold a Coast Guard Appreciation Reception on Friday night hosted by the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce. The event is open to the public and the goal is simple: thank Coast Guard crews and families for their service and many contributions to Petersburg. David Byrne spearheaded the effort to create the event, but he admits it was not an original idea. He got the idea from a Coast Guard appreciation dinner in Kodiak sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. “I didn’t really think of it, I just stole the idea,” Byrne says.... Full story
A Local Marijuana Regulation Advisory subcommittee met and discussed issues related to the permitting and taxation of marijuana in the borough. The permitting and taxation subcommittee discussed a variety of problems associated with what it considered too restrictive state regulations regarding the testing of marijuana and how the multiple permits required would impede a successful marijuana industry in a rural island community. According to the Marijuana Control Board’s adopted regulations, separate permits are needed for the industry i...
Joan Sebastian launched her latest effort to get people in Petersburg a little healthier last Saturday with her inaugural “On Track with Joan Sebastian” workshop. The weekly event will run until March 12, it is free and open to the public, and takes place at Parks and Rec. Sebastian's goal with the workshop is to stress the importance of an individual's lifestyle when it comes to weight management. “It's part an informational group and part support group, and it's going to be driven by the people that are in it,” she says. “I will be covering...
The Petersburg Science Series presented a talk on the "Steelhead of Petersburg Creek," last week at the library, drawing an audience of around 30 people to the event. Petersburg area management biologist Patrick Fowler gave a short presentation and then answered audience member questions about the unique life history and management strategies of steelhead, which includes snorkeling the creek annually to count the species. Fowler is part of the Alaska Department Fish and Game Division of Sport Fi...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — A magnitude-7.1 quake knocked items off shelves and walls in Alaska, jolting the nerves of residents in this earthquake-prone region. There were no reports of injuries, but four homes were lost to explosions or fire following the quake. Alaska's state seismologist, Michael West, called Sunday's early morning quake the strongest in the state's south-central region in decades. Alaska often has larger or more powerful earthquakes, such as a 7.9 last year in the remote Aleutian Islands. “However, last night's earthquake is sig...
JUNEAU (AP) — A bill to update Alaska's Uniform Code of Military Justice is making progress through the state House, advancing Friday from a judiciary committee review. It is expected to be scheduled for a vote by the full House. Lawmakers advanced the bill intended to strengthen the state's military code after a scathing report found that actual and perceived favoritism, ethical misconduct and fear of reprisal were eroding trust and confidence in the leadership of the Alaska National Guard. The National Guard Bureau Office of Complex Investiga...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly will discuss at its next meeting in February a request to the state asking the legislature to reallocate funding from the $40 million Kake Access Road project. Many Petersburg residents have expressed criticism and concerns regarding the road that would connect Kake to northwest Kupreanof Island, where a proposed ferry would increase traffic in between the two communities, and think the project isn’t sustainable and won’t serve its expressed need. The assembly discussed the idea of reallocating the funds dur... Full story
In less than a week authorities arrested three individuals on drug distribution charges. On Monday, January 18, after obtaining a search warrant, officers seized Marvin Jackson, 27, and his belongings after arriving in town on an Alaska Airlines flight. "After a search of his belongings a black/brown substance was found wrapped with tape inside a shampoo bottle," the probable cause statement states. "A field test of the substance resulted in a positive reading for heroin." The heroin weighed 22... Full story
A handful of citizens applied for a referendum earlier this week that would have allowed voters to choose whether or not the $9.9 million police and municipal building remodel project should move forward. Gerry Whitethorn and Don Koenigs spearheaded the effort and turned in the referendum for certification on January 19, which included 16 of the required 10 signatures needed in order to apply. It would require 125 total signatures if the referendum was approved. The application, in part, states, “information regarding the long-term operation an... Full story
Permits will soon become available for those wanting an opportunity to visit Anan Wildlife Observatory this summer. Known primarily for its abundance of bears, the observatory was identified as Wrangell’s top attraction by a survey conducted by the city last summer. According to Forest Service records, Anan draws between 2,400 and 2,800 visitors each summer. These travelers contributed around $1.5 million to the local economy in 2014, making up more than a third of all tourism-related spending. Starting Feb. 1 at 8 a.m. the public will be a...
Various streets and road patches will soon be paved after the Petersburg Borough Assembly approved a resolution providing $532,085 in funding for and approval of a sole source contract for paving services to Southeast Alaska Construction SECON at its January 19 meeting. The bulk of the funding comes from National Forest Receipts, federal dollars to the municipality, along with some from the Rasmus Enge Bridge Reconstruction Fund. This is the last year the borough will receive National Forest Receipts unless congress reauthorizes the funding...
WRANGELL - Members of the community were invited to the Wrangell Ranger District Office on Jan. 13, to meet and greet with some of the minds behind the latest proposals for the future Tongass management plan. The United States Forest Service is amending the current Land and Resource Management Plan for the Tongass National Forest, which is the largest in the country. Covering 16.7 million acres in Southeast Alaska, 3.4 million acres of that has been set aside for resource development. The...
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) will offer a 10-hour Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor workshop in Petersburg at the Tides Inn on February 4 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm and on February 5 from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm. Instructor Dug Jensen will cover cold-water survival skills; EPIRBs, flares, and maydays; man-overboard recovery and firefighting; immersion suits and PFDs, helicopter rescue, life rafts, abandon ship procedures, and emergency drills. There will be and in-the-water practice session, giving participants practical exp...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced Wednesday that the District 8 commercial beam trawl shrimp fishery will be closed effective 11:59 p.m., Saturday, January 23, 2016. Effort levels and harvest data obtained from fish tickets and call in information indicate that the upper bound of the 25,000 - 250,000 pound guideline harvest range for the fourth fishing period in District 8 will be reached at the time of the closure. Shrimp tickets must be submitted to an ADF&G office within seven days of the closure. The District 8...
JUNEAU (AP) — A government watchdog found no evidence of bias in how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted a study on the potential effects of large-scale mining on a world-class salmon fishery in Alaska's Bristol Bay region. The inspector general for the EPA also concluded in a report released Wednesday that the agency did not predetermine the study's outcome. The state of Alaska and the owner of the proposed Pebble Mine, Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., were among those who asked for an investigation. The EPA, petitioned by A...
