Sorted by date Results 876 - 900 of 5549
In the story about PMC’s discussion of the rise of COVID-19 cases in July from the July 29 edition of the Pilot, it was stated that positive COVID-19 cases from the American Cruise Lines vessel Constellation were linked to positive cases among Petersburg residents. Though there were cases among Petersburg residents and there were cases among people from the Constellation in July, a link between the two groups has not been established....
The Borough Assembly unanimously voted to approve Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht's contract extension request during Monday's meeting. The vote, which was 7-0, came after the assembly entered into an executive session to discuss the new contract. Assembly Members Taylor Norheim and Jeigh Stanton Gregor joining the meeting over the phone and Zoom respectively for that portion of the meeting to cast their votes. Giesbrecht wrote a letter to the Borough Assembly, dated July 7, proposing a new fiv...
The details from the International Bureau of Electrical Workers collective bargaining agreement with the Petersburg Borough were released Tuesday. The IBEW contract was approved by the assembly during their July 19 meeting and will run from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024. Though much of the deal remains the same, some changes have been made including to wages and paid time off. In the new agreement, eight additional days of accrued paid time off have been added and are spread out over the PTO...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter gave a report to the Borough Assembly during Monday's meeting. The discussion focused on PMC's communication with the community about releasing COVID information and the construction of a new hospital. Hofstetter said that the Emergency Operations Center is missed because there is no longer a structure in place for communication about COVID. He would also like to see information again be made available on the borough's website to help inform the...
Eight non-residents on a private boat tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after arriving in Petersburg according to the Petersburg Medical Center. The non-residents notified PMC of their symptoms upon arrival and all passengers tested positive. Those onboard the boat have begun isolating and are not at risk of spreading COVID to the community. According to the PMC COVID-19 Dashboard, there are nine active cases in Petersburg and a third death has been reported although details about it have...
The Borough Assembly unanimously voted to relinquish a parcel of land containing a Federal Aviation Administration site at Frederick Point during Monday's meeting. The FAA site, which measures 3.5 acres, is included in the list of municipal land selections according to Community and Economic Development Director Liz Cabrera who recommended that the borough relinquish the property due to contamination at the site. "It's on the DEC Contaminated Sites List and it has high levels of arsenic which...
The Borough Assembly discussed an engineering services proposal for projects at Papke's Landing and Banana Point during Monday's meeting. The proposal, submitted by Harai & Associates, Inc. would determine cost estimates to make repairs and upgrades to the floating breakwater at Banana Point and the new trestle, improved launch ramp, and other amenities at Papke's Landing. According to the proposal, both sites are in need of repair and would be considered as two separate engineering projects....
The Petersburg School Board held discussions about what protocols should be enacted for the upcoming school year during Tuesday's meeting. The talks were a continuation of those held during a work session on July 30 where the board tried to determine what guidelines best fit the Petersburg School District while weighing potential risks such as the spread of the delta variant. Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter said that two of the main points of the discussion would be masking and travel...
The 2021 Rotary Rubber Duck Race was held on Saturday underneath the Hammer Slough Bridge. 742 ducks were purchased by members of the community, which helped raise $5,500 according to Dave Berg. It was the most ever sold by the Petersburg club, last year the club sold about 550 rubber ducks. Berg said the funds raised will go towards local, state, and international projects including Youth Exchange. The festivities started around 1:00 p.m. with hotdogs, beer, and wine being sold next to the...
Community and Economic Development Director Liz Cabrera discussed the status of the development code update during Monday's Borough Assembly meeting. According to Cabrera, the process of updating the development code would probably not be able to be restarted for at least six to eight months. This is due to the backlog of work that was caused by the pandemic and changes in staffing in borough departments Cabrera said. "I don't really want to bring it forward until we can roll it out in an...
Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter and Hospital Board Chair Jerod Cook met with SEARHC leadership to discuss the future of healthcare in Petersburg. With the rise of discussions within the community about the future of healthcare, these two organizations met to talk about collaborative opportunities. According to Hofstetter, the meeting covered a number of topics, but the focus was on community healthcare. "It's a starting point," Hofstetter said. "I think one of the things we'll...
The marine work is done and all that remains are the final shoreside connections and testing, and a new undersea power cable between Woronkofski and Vank islands will be ready to carry electricity. The cable repair barge that pulled up the broken line and laid down 3.5 miles of new cable has left, with the onshore work expected to take until about mid-August, Trey Acteson, chief executive officer of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, said July 29. At its deepest, the crossing is about 700 feet,...
The Petersburg COVID-19 dashboard is reporting one new case in the past week for a total of four active cases. According to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services' vaccine monitoring dashboard, 65% of Petersburg Borough residents ages 12 and up have received one or more doses. Chief Nursing Officer at PMC Jennifer Bryner said that though there was much interest when the vaccine was first released, the number of people signing up for the vaccine waiting list at the hospital has...
The Petersburg School Board had a work session Friday to outline preliminary ideas for COVID-19 guidelines for when students return. The board considered an assortment of measures ranging from masking requirements and regular testing at school to travel precautions. Though some specific guidelines were discussed, Superintendent Erica Kludt-Painter stressed that these early ideas were not set in stone. "These are very rough thoughts," Kludt-Painter said. "These are very preliminary thoughts...
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation named Joyce Cummings second in mortgage originators in Southeast Alaska. Cummings was among two other First Bank mortgage originators receiving honors. Sarah Griffin from Ketchikan placed first and Rocky Elerding , also from Ketchikan, placed third in the Southeast Alaska ratings for its 2021 fiscal year. "When a homebuyer chooses AHFC for their home loan, dollars stay in Alaska to help Alaskans," AHFC's Directors of Mortgage Operations Jan Miyagishima...
The Borough Assembly meeting due to take place on Monday was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. Mayor Mark Jensen and Assembly Members Taylor Norheim, Jeigh Stanton Gregor, and Chelsea Tremblay were all out of town according to Deputy Borough Clerk Becky Regula. The agenda for the assembly meeting rescheduled for August 9 at 12:00 p.m. includes a report from PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter and a presentation by Utility Director Karl Hagerman on the Electric Utility Bond Issue. An update on the...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium announced an agreement Friday to construct a new multimillion dollar medical center in Sitka. The Mt. Edgecumbe Expansion and Construction Project will replace the Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center on Japonski Island. The Indian Health Service and SEARHC signed a joint venture agreement on July 23 that will see SEARHC design the new facility and fund its construction and IHS provide long-term funding for operations and maintenance. "To continue to meet...
David Louis Stewart, Jr., 48, was indicted on July 15 with a single count of Indecent Viewing and Photography and 13 counts of attempted Indecent Viewing and Photography of four minors. He entered not guilty pleas to each charge in arraignments held on July 17 and 20 in Petersburg Superior Court before Judge William Carey. According to the indictment Stewart, Jr. was alleged to have taken videos between Sept. 2019 and August of 2020. The defendant was released on $5,000 cash appearance bond and $5,000 performance bond with a 3rd party...
Petersburg recorded its second COVID-19 death on Friday according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service's COVID-19 Dashboard. The Alaska COVID-19 data summary reported that the death in Petersburg was a male in his 70s. The Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard has listed that there are five active cases in Petersburg as of July 28 with 55.0% of the population fully vaccinated. Alaska reported 562 new cases between July 23 and 25, which has also seen the statewide alert level remain high...
The United States Forest Service has ended its comment period for 2023 outdoor project proposals. The comment period, which closed on July 6, allowed for the USFS to receive input from members of the community on what projects they would like to see completed in the near future. There are over a dozen 2023 project proposals listed in the Petersburg District, which includes Mitkof Island, Kupreanof Island, and Thomas Bay, with suggestions for even more given by the community. "We have an...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board reviewed the recent COVID-19 outbreak during their July 22 meeting. Infection Prevention and Quality Manager Liz Bacom presented a report on the increase of COVID cases in July. According to Bacom’s report, the two contributing factors were the arrival of the American Cruise Lines vessel Constellation and the Independence Day celebrations. Four passengers and two crew members from the Constellation with positive tests isolated in Petersburg while recovering f...
The Petersburg Medical Center has begun receiving feedback from the community through the Community Needs Assessment. Conducted every three years, the Community Needs Assessment is required for non-profit healthcare organizations and serves as a way for residents to comment on how their healthcare needs are being met. The survey features questions focused on a range of topics including services the hospital offers, demographic data, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "For me it's actually very good...
A new outdoor shelter was completed at the Clausen Memorial Museum with the help of a community challenge grant from AARP. The Clausen Museum applied for the grant after AARP representatives came to the Petersburg Medical Center before the COVID-19 pandemic said Museum Director Cindi Lagoudakis. "I looked at some of the grant opportunities and I put in a request and it was not originally granted, but they contacted us and they were interested in the bench shelter idea," Lagoudakis said. The...
The window to file for candidacy opened Tuesday in preparation for the fall 2021 borough election. The election, which will be held on October 5, will see seats on the Borough Assembly among many other boards listed on the ballot. In addition to the seats that are held by elected officials, there are many seats that are currently vacant or are held by an appointed board member that will be voted on. Two seats on the Borough Assembly with three-year terms will be voted on which are those...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released an emergency order Monday to revise limits for king salmon in Southeast Alaska. The order sets the bag and possession limit for residents of Alaska as one king salmon measuring at least 28 inches in length in areas other than those where the retention of king salmon was prohibited. Once those areas are opened to retention, the resident bag and possession limit will be raised to two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. Areas where the...
