Sorted by date Results 4268 - 4292 of 5587
Last week was National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, recognizing the work of the dispatchers behind the scenes. "They really are kind of the heart of the department," Petersburg Police Chief Kelly Swihart said. "We could not function without them." Dispatchers prepare emergency responders for the situations they're about to head into, and do what they can over the phone to keep callers calm. Sometimes they have to provide instructions like how to do CPR. Working with such sensitive...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors is looking for a new member after Steven Samuelson tendered his resignation via email last week. The board accepted that resignation during a special meeting Saturday morning before a board training session. Samuelson, who had served on the board since February 2014, was not at the meeting. Reading from his letter, President Tim Koeneman said Samuelson would be in Juneau for many months, unable to serve. His term would’ve expired in October. “We regret that we lost him but” the board has to mo...
Already facing funding challenges from this year’s legislative session, schools were hit with another potential blow when the Senate Finance Committee proposed a 4.1 percent base student allocation cut. It was done “literally under the cover of darkness” Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said during a school board meeting Tuesday evening. The cut would result in an approximate loss of $235,000 for the Petersburg School District, Finance Director Karen Quitslund said. It’d add onto the $150,000 loss the district is already facing because... Full story
Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson said she will be certifying the most recent application for petition submitted by Angela Davis and Wes Davis, which includes a resolution to continue the blue bag recycling program. The application was submitted in response to the Assembly’s March 16 vote to move to the recycling collection in house and replace the blue bags with carts. The Davis’ submitted the application last Wednesday after a previous application was found to be insufficient due to unenforceability. The resolution included with the most rec... Full story
Last week’s article about the Petersburg Borough Assembly passing an amended resolution allowing for the Southeast Alaska Power Agency’s (SEAPA) bond refinancing and new bond sale incorrectly stated that all member utilities, including Wrangell and Ketchikan, will have to vote on the revised resolution for the bond sale to proceed. The Pilot regrets the error.... Full story
It’s winding down, but it’s not over yet. “A big upswing” in type B influenza cases has served as a reminder that “the flu never truly goes away,” Public Health Nurse Erin Michael said. During the week of April 6, there were three type B cases and one type A reported in Petersburg. It drove Michael to send Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tips to the school district for parents. It’s not just here in Petersburg, the upswing in type B cases has been a national trend, according to the CDC. Michael said Petersburg’s... Full story
The 2015 spring troll fishery got its early start this week. The fishery opened in select locations at 12:01 a.m. today, Thursday. Last year, the first spring troll fishery opened on May 1. Frederick Sound, Ernest Sound, the Neets Bay Terminal Harvest Area and the Hidden Falls Terminal Harvest Area opened and will remain so through April 30, according to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game press release. “Frederick Sound has always been a good area,” Sitka Troll Fishery Biologist Pattie Skannes said during a public meeting in Petersburg las...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly sat as the Board of Equalization (BOE) for 2015 property assessment appeals on April 6. There were 66 appeals this year, most of which were settled privately with the Borough’s assessors Mike Renfro and Arne Erickson from the Appraisal Company of Alaska out of Anchorage. Renfro said the appeals process was straightforward this year. “Most of the appeals were people that had legitimate issues and we addressed all of those concerns,” said Renfro. Five appeals went before the BOE for consideration. The BOE denie...
A statewide fundraiser, Pick.Click.Give. saw a 25 percent increase in donors and a 20 percent increase in dollars raised this year, benefitting six of Petersburg’s own organizations. Pick.Click.Give. gives Alaskan residents the chance to make a donation to an organization of their choice when they file their Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) online. The $3.3 million pledged statewide this year was a record amount for the seven year program, according to Interim Program Manager Kathy Day. The Petersburg Humane Association (PHA) was one that b...
The Petersburg Police Department is investigating a string of burglaries—the latest reported just a week ago. Beach Bum Tanning reported a break-in to the police department at 10 a.m. on April 9. Chief Kelly Swihart said the burglar took products and cash. The Beach Bum burglary, along with about five others that have occurred since January, are still being actively investigated, he said. “There’s not a lot of property crime here, but we do go through spurts,” Swihart added. He noted that the Piston and Rudder ship store has been burglar...
Next week is National Infant Immunization Week, and the Petersburg Public Health Center will be waiving administrative fees for those who stop in. “It’s just kind of a reminder to people how important it is to get infants vaccinated,” Public Health Nurse Erin Michael said. Held each year, the week highlights the need to protect infants from vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though those of all ages are welcome to get vaccinated in Petersburg. Michael said it’s a great week for those w...
Petersburg High School senior Shalie Dahl will swap her Vikings jersey for a Gators uniform as she takes to the basketball court this fall for Green River College in Auburn, Wash. "I've always wanted to play college basketball. It's always been my dream since elementary school," Dah said. That's when she first took to the court through the local parks and rec program. She continued to develop as a player in the middle school program, and she started playing club basketball during those years as...
Six Petersburg High School students travelled to Wrangell to participate in Artfest last week, and three students earned "Best of Workshop" awards. Julia Murph took home the honor for jewelry making, Tayla Wilson for copper etching and David Galaktionoff for spoon carving. Sydney Guthrie earned an honorable mention for her pottery work and Murph earned the same title for leather mask making. Joec Randoph and Gus Petersen also attended. Over the four-day event, a combination of visiting and...
The Petersburg High School Track and Field team is in full swing practicing for their season that starts May 1. Head Coach Brad Taylor said this year’s team is comprised of about 40 runners, jumpers and throwers. A group of about 25 traveled to Ketchikan last weekend for a scrimmage, giving Taylor a chance to assess his team before the regular season begins. Taylor said several from the team set personal records and the boys team finished first in every event except for three. “They just did really well…I can’t believe we’re actually further a...
JUNEAU (AP) – Heading into the legislative session in January, two of the big issues were Gov. Bill Walker's desire to expand Medicaid and the suddenly more urgent need to confront Alaska's budget deficit amid a crash in oil prices. Here is a rundown of some of the unresolved issues as the Legislature's nears its scheduled adjournment this coming Sunday: THE BUDGET It's been said repeatedly this session that no one could have predicted the free-fall in oil prices that exacerbated Alaska's deficit, leaving projected multibillion-dollar holes thi...
KETCHIKAN (AP) – Alaska Marine Highway System officials say more than 9,200 travelers have bought tickets for some ferry sailings this summer that might have to be canceled if funding is not restored to the proposed budget for fiscal year 2016. The Ketchikan Daily News newspaper reports the Marine Highway System could face about $11 million in cuts to its budget. Officials say that if that happens, the Taku, Chenega and Malaspina ferries would have to be sidelined from July through September of this year. Deputy Alaska Transportation C...
ANCHORAGE (AP) – An iconic Alaska tree may warrant protection as a threatened or endangered species due to climate warming, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday. The agency will begin a status review of yellow cedar, a tree revered and used by Native Alaska cultures and valued as of high value to the timber industry. The decision is great news for the Tongass National Forest and for yellow cedar, said Rebecca Noblin, an attorney in Anchorage for the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that petitioned to list the...
The Petersburg School Board is still seeking a new member after the deadline to turn in letters of interest passed without anyone turning one in. Mara Lutomski announced at Tuesday evening’s meeting she’d like to submit a letter if the board decides to continue its search. “Yay,” was Vice President Sarah Holmgrain’s response. Former board president Jean Ellis’ resignation was effective on March 18 and the board set a deadline of 5 p.m. on April 9 for letters of interest. It was set to discuss whether or not to continue seeking that new member,...
The Borough Assembly voted 5-2 in favor of delaying the purchase of a new sanitation truck for the recycling program. Though the Assembly approved the transition to a cart-based system on March 16, an as-yet unresolved citizen initiative to retain the blue bag system for two more years gave several assembly members pause on moving forward with the truck’s purchase. Angela Davis and Wes Davis filed an application for initiative petition with Borough Clerk Debbie Thompson on March 31, which outlined a two-year, blue bag program with a c... Full story
The first phase of the $8.6 million Nordic-Haugen road project is expected to kick off soon with utility work. Originally slated to begin in the summer of 2014, the project was pushed back to this spring with the construction bid recently awarded to Secon, of Juneau, according to Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities spokesman Jeremy Woodrow. “We’ve actually combined four projects into one,” he noted. It’s to be a two season project, with an expected completion date of fall 2016. Phase one will see utility work, consist... Full story
Though the Borough has a balanced budget for the upcoming fiscal year (beginning July 1, 2015), they have begun preparing for leaner times ahead. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht has tasked the Parks and Recreation department to cut $100,000 from their budget over the coming two fiscal years (FY), compared with the $887,334 budget for 2014-15. “It’s never pleasant,” said Giesbrecht. “With the combination of state and federal cuts, we’ve got to start working on this.” Parks and Rec Director Donnie Hayes said they’ve already eliminated on... Full story
It used to be difficult for some, so they just wouldn't get out and about. But now that Mountain View Manor has a new set of wheels for its residents to spin around in, ridership has doubled. "We do get a lot more people going than would've gone," Activities Director Jordan Stafford said. The new van has an 800 pound capacity wheelchair lift that makes it easier for those in chairs and with walkers to get on. The van can fit about 15 people, including two wheelchairs, while the old one couldn't...
The Juneau-based troupe Theatre in the Rough will bring Shakespeare’s The Life of King Henry V to a Petersburg audience this weekend. Director Aaron Elmore said the production is brought to life by a troupe of eight actors who collectively fill 40 roles. To keep the action moving along, characters transform on stage before the audience. In addition to quick wardrobe changes, another key costume element aids in distinguishing the characters. “All of these characters are pretty comic. They tend to be laggards or cowards or drunks,” Elmore said....
Police arrested Lars D. Christensen, 56, on a charge of felony assault following two motor vehicle accidents on N. Nordic on April 1. According to the criminal complaint filed by police, witnesses saw Christensen driving a Ford Ranger on N. Nordic, which veered close to parked vehicles on the street before hitting a car parked in front of Petersburg Rexall Drug. Christensen allegedly continued driving after this incident and veered to the right again, hitting the back of a full-size pickup parke...
Petersburg shoppers will enjoy two Sales Tax Free Days this year: May 2 and October 3. The Assembly unanimously approved a resolution providing for the two days. Last year’s tax free days resulted in just over $19,000 in uncollected sales tax revenue for the Borough. Assembly member Jeigh Stanton Gregor said the days keep money circulating locally, which he said was a benefit for the community. “I think it makes lot of financial sense because people are spending discretionary money locally, which then gets reinvested in the community, whi...
