Sorted by date Results 5544 - 5568 of 5574
Governor Sean Parnell announced this month that Alaska has topped the $5 billion mark in exports for the first time. The news reflects goods exported from January through November 2011, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Alaska’s total exports were $4.2 billion for all of 2010. “Alaskans are working daily to bring ever-growing value to our exports,” said Governor Parnell. “I salute the hard work and also the knowledge that makes Alaska products attractive and desirable worldwide. Alaska’s constitutional commitment to sustainability and being...
JUNEAU (AP) — Alaska is similar to a person approaching retirement age, Legislative Finance Division Director David Teal said Tuesday, noting that as income falls, there's a greater reliance on savings. Teal told the Senate Finance Committee the state faces tough budget decisions as oil production — the lifeblood of the state's economy — continues to decline. Among the challenges: an estimated $11 billion unfunded pension liability and finding ways to limit growth in state government. If government continues to expand as it has, even with relat...
The cities of Wrangell and Petersburg maxed out the available power from the Tyee Hydroelectric Project on Tuesday, as temperatures in Petersburg dipped to zero during the evening. “This morning we set a new all time peak for Wrangell and Petersburg right at 20 megawatts. Tomorrow morning it will be even higher,” said Joe Nelson, Petersburg Municipal Power and Light Superintendent. Tyee is basically a 20-megawatt plant, Nelson explained. The re-built, re-wound plant is capable of delivering as much as 24 megawatts, according to Nelson who sai...
Petersburg Power and Light Superintendent Joe Nelson reminded the city council Tuesday night of the department’s efforts to relocate their downtown plant to Scow Bay. Nelson said in 1983 the city-owned utility provided 60% of the town’s power with diesel generation and 40% came from the Blind Slough hydro facility. In 1984 the city went to 100% hydropower generation when the Tyee Lake project came on-line, providing power to both Wrangell and Petersburg. Despite a rate decrease the utility con...
On Tuesday night the city council revised its current fiscal year budget by reallocating funds to cover unanticipated expenditures during the current year. With the completion of the Kings Row road project, remaining construction funds in the amount of $185,834 were returned to the city’s property development fund. Additional attorney fees of $125,000 were added from the city general fund reserve account to cover Redistricting ($30,000); City Attorney ($10,000); Labor Attorney ($10,000) and Borough Formation ($75,000). Damage to the harbor c...
Two single-family residential lots measuring 100 ft. by 50 ft. were auctioned at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Two adjacent property owners each bid the minimum price on the parcels. Lot 14 of Block 234 was sold to Jim Martinsen for $6,000. Lot 15 in the same block was sold to Michael Etcher for $7,000. Both lots border the Valkyrie Street right of way with Lot 15 having access via the unimproved Middleton Street right of way. Each party paid a deposit towards the purchase price prior to the auction and will have until April 23 to t...
Kaitlyn McAvoy has been hired as the Wrangell Sentinel’s new reporter. Her work will also appear in the Petersburg Pilot on occasion. Coming from her hometown just outside Chicago, she brings both experience and a B. A. degree in Journalism, from Columbia College in the Windy City. McAvoy spent the last two years in Western Wyoming writing for a small town newspaper, the Pinedale Roundup. Prior to that, she was an intern for the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board and wrote a blog about the c...
The city council approved the expenditure of $237,945 for the purchase of 30 new air packs, 70 new 45-minute composite air cylinders and a team pack with two 70-minute cylinders. The purchase was made to supplier Municipal Emergency Services, Inc. who provides a pre-negotiated price to government agencies. The city’s current packs are reaching the end of their useful life and making the old packs meet required code changes could cost as much as purchasing new equipment. State grant funds provided for the construction of the new fire station w...
Sea otter population in Southeast Alaska is increasing, and consequently, the animals are depleting marine life, causing an adverse economic impact to local fisheries, according to a presentation given by fisheries experts at the Sons of Norway in Petersburg Sunday night. The presentation was a part of the weeklong Alaska Board of Fisheries meetings being held in Petersburg. The Board’s main role is to “conserve and develop the fishery resources of the state,” according to its website. Howev...
After hearing initial news reports from the redistricting lawsuit brought by Fairbanks, some of the Petersburg city council expressed regret Tuesday night, at not approving additional funds to stay in the legal fight with Fairbanks. Councilor John Jensen commented that after hearing some of the points that were made by different attorneys, he was disappointed about not going ahead with the other $10,000 (in legal fees to continue the lawsuit). “The dialog is still open. If there is any possibility that it would benefit us, I think the c...
On Friday, Jan. 6, law enforcement officials seized $62,000 in drugs destined for sale and distribution in Petersburg. According to a news release, Petersburg Police Department and Southeast Alaska Cities Against Drugs (SEACAD) drug task force seized 4 ounces of brown heroin and 2 ounces of methamphetamine. On Tuesday, January 10, officials arrested Juan Carlos Murillo-Garcia, 37, on charges of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the 4th Degree. According to police he is being held in the Petersburg jail on $50,000 bail and a...
Despite suggestions to the contrary, no changes were proposed to the library site plans following a council work session on Monday. Councilor Don Koenigs questioned access problems since the library parking lot extended into the city street rights-of-way. Koenigs asked if the city needed to vacate the streets and if snow removal was going to be an issue. The driveway entry to the library will be on Second Street and the exit will extend into the Ira II right of way. Public Works Superintendent...
State Senator Bert Stedman visited Petersburg on Friday and met with city leaders across the town and discussed project funding needs for the city during the next legislative session. Since Petersburg will be moved to District 32, this will be the last year Stedman will represent Petersburg in the legislature. “I’m glad the governor stepped up and provided harbor funding under the Municipal Harbor Facility Grant,” Stedman told the Pilot. Petersburg has requested $3.5 million for the North Harbo...
The city council was informed that the city can retain the excess fire station construction funds, “for a really, really long time,” according to City Manager Steve Giesbrecht. After the purchase of additional fiber optic communications cable and Scott Airpack equipment the city will still have $1.1 million in excess construction funds when the Haugen Drive Station One is completed next spring. The excess funds are a result of favorable contractor bidding when the project was put out to bid, according to Jerod Cook, fire chief. The arc...
Unofficial rainfall for Petersburg in 2011 was 166-1/6 inches of rain in 2011. Precipitation readings at the National Weather Service (NWS) office at the airport put the year’s total at 126.18 inches. Petersburg’s amateur weather data collector Doug Welde reported his year-end totals last week. Welde takes rainfall measurements at his home on Dolphin Street and said he measures to the nearest 16th of an inch. He said on a few days this year the rainfall beaker filled-up in a matter of hours and had to be measured, recorded and emptied to acc...
Councilor Don Koenigs led the charge as he questioned how the city budget was being prepared and offered some proposals of his own. Koenigs suggested that the city manager should establish his budget at only 90% of expected revenues, rather than provide a balanced budget, with expenditures no greater than revenues. “We should maybe operate at 90% of our revenue. We have pretty good reserves now, but they’re not what they should be,” Koenigs noted. City Manager Steve Giesbrecht responded that this is his first year to prepare the city’s budget...
The Bering Sea snow crab fishery is picking up steam earlier than usual as the fleet scrambles to get the catch before rapidly encroaching sea ice shuts them down. About 25 boats are out on the water so far, soon to be joined by 60 or so more as the forecast calls for continued frigid weather and high winds. Although the fishery opens by regulation October 15, most crabbers usually wait until mid-January to begin dropping pots. The snow crab catch was boosted 64% this season to nearly 80 million pounds. Boats left without settling on a price,...
When asked about the status of the LeConte RV Park code violations Tuesday night, city manager Steve Giesbrecht advised the city council the matter is in the hands of the city attorney. “It continues to be an issue. It’s in the hands of our city attorney at this point. They’re working to find out what the next steps should be, up to and including condemning the property and taking it over. The gentleman that owns the property has not been responsive,” explained Giesbrecht. In August the city is...
An elderly man was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street at Gjoa and Nordic Drive on Tuesday night at about 4:40 p.m. EMT Dave Berg responded from his office at Viking Travel and summoned police and the ambulance to the scene. The man’s name was not released, but Berg told the Pilot the man was crossing inside the crosswalk and was apparently grazed by the vehicle’s mirror as it passed. Berg added the man was thrown about 20 feet. The victim was on crutches. EMTs treated the man for suspected broken bones, internal bleeding and spinal cor...
The city council granted Rock-N-Road Construction a contract to demolish the Romiad Building at the corner of 2nd and Haugen to make room for the new library construction this summer. Rock-N-Road agreed to demolish the structure for $22,499. The company intends to salvage items from the building and will commence with demolition of the structure on March 1 and complete the work by March 25. Work includes using large excavators and 3-4 trucks to remove the debris and eventually cleaning up and grading the site. Mayor Dwyer noted, “That’s a hec...
The District Attorney’s office has failed to respond to Petersburg’s concerns about dismissed cases and has prompted the city to ask Governor Parnell for help. In just five years the city finds the dismissal rate for Petersburg cases has gone from 18% in 2005 to 30% in 2010. Mayor Dwyer noted the D.A.’s lament: “They don’t have the money, they don’t have the positions, and they have tons of cases.” Police Chief Jim Agner told the council, “We discussed that with them last year when the legislature was showing some interest in funding that po...
At the conclusion of Tuesday’s regular council meeting Councilor Don Koenigs called for a work session so the body could consider four topics including a library plan review, reviewing financial statements of the city, establishing budget guidelines and discussing the remaining funds from the fire hall construction project. Of the library plan review, Koenigs explained that the council needs to address potential future conflicts regarding the library site. Koenigs asked, “How is the council going to engage in this project?” He also asked if the...
The city council conducted business quickly Tuesday night, aided in part by the postponement of the debate on the requirement for property leaseholders of city land to provide pollution insurance. The topic has been a subject of debate for over a year. Harbormaster Glo Wolen said the harbor advisory board will meet at noon Wednesday, Jan. 11 to seek solutions on the insurance requirement. Under the city manager’s report, Steve Geisbrecht wrote: -- The Birch Street reconstruction is substantially complete. -- The Petersburg street r...
On December 30, 2011 the Petersburg based Alaska Longline Company signed a contract with the Ketchikan based shipbuilder Alaska Ship & Drydock, Inc. (ASD) to build a new 136 foot factory longliner. Alaska Longline Company operates modern fishing vessels in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. These vessels harvest Pacific cod, sablefish (Black Cod) and turbot. The new factory longliner will use the Mustad auto-line circle-hook baiting system. This is considered to be the most modern baiting...
Jan. 6: A solitary case of “whooping cough,” was reported by the Public Health Nurse. Bordetella Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory infection that is easily spread and can be treated with antibiotics. The city council asked Petersburg Municipal Power and Light superintendent to re-evaluate its request for a back-up generator after bids came in at over a million dollars beyond the budgeted $1.8 million cost. Jan. 20: The Petersburg Police Department filed a 19-page petition to forego re...
