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An enhanced Clausen Museum will reopen to the public March 3 after being closed since mid-January for staff to work on projects. Director Brittany Zenge has been taking inventory of the museum's collection and building new displays, along with making preparations for a new discovery center that will allows kids of all ages to learn more about the natural world of Mitkof Island. Zenge took the director position last October and said the revamp is a response to feedback she's heard about the...
Petersburg High School sophomore Brandy Mulbury will be traveling to Washington D.C. this summer to participate in the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). The NSLC invites a select group of high schoolers from across the U.S. and around the world to participate in summer programs that develop leadership skills and allow students to further explore their interests while giving them an experience of college life. Mulbury will stay on the campus of American University as a participant of...
JUNEAU (AP) — Alaska’s minimum wage will rise to $8.75 an hour Tuesday, giving a pay increase to thousands of workers. Voters in November overwhelmingly approved raising the minimum wage from $7.75 per hour to $8.75 per hour, effective Jan. 1. Because the state constitution calls for ballot measures to take effect 90 days after election results are certified, the raise doesn’t take effect until Tuesday. A second increase, to $9.75 per hour, is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 under the initiative. The minimum wage is to be adjusted for infla...
JUNEAU (AP) — A review of the commission that regulates commercial fisheries participation in Alaska details inefficiencies, a backlog of permit applications and options for restructuring. The report requested by former Gov. Sean Parnell reviewed operations of the three-member Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. That board decides how many fishermen can participate in a limited fishery and who receives the permits. Parnell requested the review in August after the Legislature sought its own audit. It was written by Tom Lawson, former d...
Erika Kludt-Painter will be offered a one-year contract to serve as superintendent for the Petersburg School District in the 2015-16 school year. After meeting in executive session, the school board voted to suspend the superintendent search and instead proceed with contract negotiations with Kludt-Painter at the March 17 meeting of the board. "I appreciate the confidence and the support of the board and of the staff and community," she said. "I feel like I've had a lot of support and... Full story
Petersburg WAVE (Working Against Violence for Everyone) will be holding a creative fundraiser this Saturday at the Sons of Norway hall. “We have a lot of local artists that are doing pieces on watercolor paper and some of them will be on canvas. The way that they’ll be priced is $1 per square inch,” explained Carey Case, board president for WAVE. The event–appropriately dubbed Art by the Inch—is very interactive, allowing attendees to size up large works of art and select a portion to be framed. Mats with typical framing sizes from 5x7 to 16... Full story
Findings from the Alaska Snow Survey Report released February 2015 show that snowpack across the state of Alaska is below normal, and snowpack in Southeast is less than half the normal rate. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) releases the report quarterly. Locally, data is collected by U.S. Forest Service hydrologist Heath Whitacre who surveys two sites on Mitkof Island: a 1650-foot high site on Raven's Ridge and a 550-foot high site near the old water reservoir. Whitacre's... Full story
For most of us accessing clean water is as simple as turning on the faucet, but this isn't so in every community around the world. It wasn't until last month that the school children in Phu Kradueng in the Loei Province of Thailand got access to a reliable source of clean water, which came at the hand of a group of Petersburg residents. Despite the nearly 6,500 miles separating Phu Kardueng and Petersburg, the two places are more connected than one might think. Wear Eide-a native of the Thai...
Activities Director Jaime Cabral gave a report to the board on how school districts around the state handle drug testing for students involved in sports and other activities. Around Southeast, Sitka, Juneau-Douglas, Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan High Schools all have a random drug testing programs in place for students participating in activities sanctioned by the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA). Cabral said during his tenure in Sitka about five percent of students who were actively participating in activities were randomly...
Petersburg Public School officials are looking at ways to move forward with an interim plan to address issues with the kitchen facility including the need for a new ventilation system to bring the facility into compliance with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Though the district-wide food service renovations for the school landed in the top ten list of capital improvement projects for the state Department of Education, that funding source remains uncertain. The project was also listed on last year’s capital improvements l...
Petersburg Public Library is in the middle of Words for Whiskers, a fundraising partnership program with the Petersburg Humane Association (PHA) and the Friends of Petersburg Libraries. For each book, movie or audio review entered by library users, the Friends will give a $1 donation to the Humane Association. The Friends will donate up to $500, which will be used toward building a new cat shelter for PHA, a nonprofit that cares for sheltered animals while trying to find them permanent homes. “We encourage classrooms, families and workplaces t...
Two teams represented Petersburg at the 19th annual Tsunami Bowl competition Feb. 6-8 in Seward, both placing in the top ten. The regional competition, comprised of three rounds, determines which Alaskan team will go on to the National Ocean Science Bowl competition. Team Eider Do or Don’t—comprised of Summer Morton, Kyle Hagerman, Tucker Hagerman and Chauncy Sandhofer—took first place in the projects portion of the competition for the presentation of their research on how decreasing Arctic sea ice affects the Spectacled Eider, a seabi...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A subcommittee hearing on Gov. Bill Walker's proposal to expand Medicaid coverage revealed few new details Monday, with several members expressing concern about the cost and the federal government not honoring its commitment. In states opting for expansion, the federal government is expected to fund 100 percent of coverage costs for newly eligible individuals through 2016, with the level stepping down to 90 percent by 2020. The federal match for existing Medicaid is 50 percent. Rep. Dan Saddler, who chairs the s...
During their regular meeting held on Feb. 4 and 5, members of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency board approved taking the next steps toward diversifying the power provider’s energy portfolio. In particular, SEAPA could begin looking into the possibility of geothermal development at Bell Island, which has a former resort sporting a hot spring. The site has had the attention of the Unites States Geological Survey as a potential power source for well over half a century, but has yet to be fully assessed. “We’re just scratching the surfa...
Petersburg resident Mark Weaver, 59, has pled guilty to one of two felony charges brought against him following an explosion last July in the rock quarry behind the airport. Weaver faced two counts of Possession of Unregistered Destructive Devices, which included Tovex, the commercial-grade explosive used at the scene in an improvised explosive device (IED), and seven hand grenades recovered in a subsequent search of Weaver's property. The second charge, related to the grenades, will be dropped... Full story
The Petersburg offices of Alaska Longline Company will be moved to Seattle by April 1. The three employees at the office have opted not to take their equivalent positions at the Seattle offices, ending their time with the company that’s been based out of Petersburg since the mid-80s. Larry Cotter—CEO of APICDA, of which Alaska Longline is a subsidiary—said that juggling two offices along with high health insurance costs are the driving forces behind the consolidation of offices in Seattle. “It’s increasingly difficult to maintain two offices,... Full story
Bobbi Scherrer began her work as the Petersburg Indian Association's (PIA) tribal administrator late last month. Scherrer is returning home to Petersburg after working for Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in Juneau for the last three years. Her background is in healthcare where she's worked for 16 years managing revenue cycles for hospitals. In addition to her financial background, Scherrer said she also has experience in human resources. She said the transition from SEARHC... Full story
After being named the U.S. Chocolate Master, Dan Forgey, a 1996 Petersburg High School graduate, will represent the U.S. in the 2015 World Chocolate Masters Competition in Paris this October. The contest includes the top 20 chocolatiers from around the world. Forgey won the national title last fall, after ten years of honing his skills in regional chocolate competitions. To earn the U.S. title, Forgey was assessed on a portfolio of his work, including past showpieces, as well as samples of...
The first-ever Southeast Commercial Growers Conference will be held in Petersburg Feb. 27 - March 1. The event will bring together commercial food and flower growers from across the region to swap ideas and information about how to run a successful venture in a tricky microclimate. Marja Smets and Bo Varsano, owners of Farragut Farm, are organizing the event. Smets said one of the reasons she wanted to put on a conference was to spread local farming knowledge that's not available in other forms....
Members of the Tongass Advisory Committee (TAC) met Jan. 20-23 in Juneau to continue discussions on their recommendations to be considered as part of a new Secretary of Agriculture forest plan that focuses on transitioning timber harvest in the Tongass National Forest from old growth to young growth. The themes emerging from public comments submitted to the group were discussed as part of the meeting. According to the executive summary prepared on the comments, “The majority of public comments received to date revolve around requests that t...
JUNEAU (AP) — The state transportation department is proposing reductions in ferry service as part of an effort to cut costs. The changes proposed for the next fiscal year include pushing back the start of service by the Taku between Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and Juneau; and reducing service to Prince Rupert in the summer. Mainliner service to Sitka and southeast Alaska communities also would be reduced, the department said. The Malaspina would not run as a day boat in north Lynn Canal between July and September under the proposal. I...
After no assembly members made a motion to change the funds appropriated in the community services portion of the Borough's draft budget for 2015-16, Friday's special meeting turned into a series of presentations by stakeholders primarily representing Petersburg Public Schools. Assembly member John Havrilek made a motion at last Monday's regular assembly meeting to hold a discussion about the proposed funding for the schools and for Petersburg Mental Health, both part of the community services budget. He said he hoped to reduce the amount...
JUNEAU (AP) — Alaska lawmakers are expected to discuss a new draft of a bill to decriminalize marijuana that mirrors state alcohol regulations. As of Feb. 24, adults 21 years and older can possess up to an ounce of marijuana under a ballot issue passed in November. Lawmakers have been working on a bill that accomplishes that, and also clarifies other related state laws. The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to review the 91-page draft during a Monday hearing. Republican Sen. John Coghill of North Pole says the draft is based on the state's a...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ A state Senate committee has advanced a bill that would exempt Alaska from daylight saving time, a measure that its sponsor said would be good for the health of state residents. The bill, from Sen. Anna MacKinnon, R-Eagle River, would exempt Alaska from the annual time change beginning in 2017. That means Alaska would be five hours behind the East Coast, instead of four hours behind, from about March to November. The delay in implementation is meant to give certain industries, like the cruise industry, time to prepare for...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ Alaska's health department says the state would see savings by expanding Medicaid coverage to more Alaskans. The department, in a report released Friday, says the state will be able to offset new costs associated with expansion by reducing or eliminating contributions to programs that provide health care to those who would be eligible for Medicaid. It cites as possible $6.1 million in savings next year, should the state opt for expansion. The issue is expected to be debated by lawmakers. Gov. Bill Walker campaign on the...
