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U.S. Sen. Mike Lee says he will revamp his controversial proposal to require the sales of vast acres of federal lands in the West so it can be included in Senate Republicans' sweeping tax and spending cut package. Lee will be seeking approval for his revised plan from the Senate parliamentarian, who will decide if the provision complies with the chamber's strict rules for the fast-track procedure Republicans are using to pass their bill. An earlier version of Lee's plan was dropped from the... Full story
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The U.S. Forest Service will seek to repeal a rule that has effectively blocked the logging of almost a third of America's national forests, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told a meeting of Western governors on Monday in New Mexico. The "Roadless Rule" has blocked the construction of new roads in wild areas of most states' national forests since 2001, when it was imposed in the closing days of President Bill Clinton's presidency. "In this administration, we are taking a look under the... Full story
Last month, after nearly 25 years of running Glacier Laundry, Carrie Peterson handed the laundromat keys to new owner Laura "Lu" Holder – who has renamed the business Viking Laundry. Holder realizes that she is taking on more than just a place to do laundry – Peterson is passing along relationships, routines, and a community institution that has served Petersburg well. "Today I helped somebody, and I was telling her like, where to put the soap," said Holder, "she turned to me and said, 'I'...
June 1, 1925 – First the water was off. Then the lights were off. And, of course, the power went off with the lights. In the first instance the pipe at the intake of the dam had filled up. Under the capable direction of Hans Wick and Chief of Police George Nicholson, a crew of men had the intake cleaned out and the water running in a short time. In trying to get men to go out, it was demonstrated that idle men in Petersburg are as scarce as hen’s teeth. Thursday afternoon and Thursday night the lights and power were off most of the time. The co...
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on June 18 to resume the federal Secure Rural Schools program, which sent millions of dollars to small Alaska schools each year until Congress failed to reauthorize it in 2023. Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act in 2000, which launched the program as a way to help logging towns cope with the loss of revenue caused by a slowdown in logging on nearby federal land. In 2023, it directed more than $250 million to... Full story
Alaska’s Most Valuable Resource To the Editor: Politicians like to talk about Alaska’s vast and valuable resources, but they seem to forget that our most precious resource is our children. Children’s opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive are short-lived, and every single day matters. Year after year, we watch Governor Dunleavy veto funding for Alaska’s students. I keep thinking about the damage that’s happening to our children every minute that our Governor continues to kick this can down the road. Our children and our schools cannot af...
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has opened public comment on a proposal that would reduce municipal governments' ability to assist local public schools. The draft regulation, published Friday, would state that services - such as parking-lot plowing, or the use of public pools or libraries for school functions - would count toward the maximum limit of local aid that school districts may receive from the local government. The education department said it proposed the... Full story
This Saturday marks a historic milestone for Petersburg as the community celebrates the first-ever Amy Hallingstad Day, honoring the Tlingit civil rights pioneer who transformed education and social justice for Alaska Natives. "This is the first year we are having Amy Hallingstad Day. We had it formally proclaimed by the borough as an annual holiday now, and it's to commemorate Amy Hallingstad, who lived in Petersburg most of her life and was a huge proponent in a lot of civil rights matters,...
June 18 – A caller on Ira II Street reported having an argument with a neighbor over a dog to the Petersburg Police Department (PPD). The PPD received a report of dogs wandering on the Hungry Point Trail. A driver on South Nordic Drive was issued a warning for failure to carry proof of registration. PPD received a report of a lost cell phone. An officer assisted another agency with impounding a vehicle at the Crane Dock. A caller on Ira II Street reported being harassed by her neighbor. PPD received a report of children out past curfew and f...
Petersburg’s school district approved a budget last week that will draw down nearly $700,000 dollars from its reserves to make up for school funding vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy reduced education funding for school districts statewide with a line-item veto on June 12, just weeks before districts start their next fiscal years. The Legislature originally approved a $700 increase in per-student funding, known as the base student allocation (BSA). It was the first substantial increase since 2017. Dunleavy didn’t approve enough money to fu...
Southeast Alaska broke records for rainfall this spring. And for the Blind Slough hydroelectric plant near Petersburg, more rain means more power. Sometimes, however, there is such a thing as too much rain, according to Petersburg Borough Utility Director Karl Hagerman. "This year, there was just too much water to deal with," he said. The hydro plant uses water from a dam at Crystal Lake to generate power. But the record-breaking precipitation Mitkof Island got in May caused Crystal Lake to...
Nancy Claire Strand was born in Petersburg, Alaska, on June 20, 1945 to Claire and Erling Strand. As was the tradition in her youth, she worked in the canneries during the summers. She graduated from Petersburg High School in 1963 and briefly attended Oregon State University, but missed home and returned to Southeast Alaska and an internship with the Wrangell Sentinel. When she returned to Petersburg in her twenties, Nancy edited the Petersburg Press from December 9, 1966 through March 1967. It... Full story
The Coos Bay Times announced: "A serious forest fire spreads through the South Inlet section causing much damage. A daughter is born to Mr. and Mrs. L. R. McDonald and is named Colleen Mae." Colleen Mae McDonald, daughter of Lauchlin "Mac" and Anna (Aberge) McDonald, was born July 28, 1926, in North Bend, Oregon. She learned patience early-waiting while her mother had her hair done on the way to the hospital! By age two, Colleen was already accompanying her mother to Norwegian Lutheran Ladies... Full story
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Three teachers from the Petersburg School District are state finalists for awards in excellence – Hannah Smith and Alice Cumps, math and science teachers at the middle and high schools respectively, are two of the finalists for a Presidential Excellence Award, and Becky Martin, a third grade teacher, for the Alaska Teacher of the Year Award. The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest honor a K – 12 math or science teacher in the U.S. can...
A U.S. Senate committee has proposed selling more than 3 million acres of public lands in Alaska and several other Western states to support new housing development. The idea has alarmed conservation groups and others in Alaska who fear portions of, say, the Chugach or Tongass national forests, and other treasured areas would be auctioned off to developers. The proposed language in the budget reconciliation bill was released last week by the Republican leader of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. The...
In an effort to generate money for essential services, Petersburg voters will be asked this fall whether to impose income limits for the community's senior sales tax exemption. That's after the Petersburg Borough Assembly approved the proposal on Monday, June 16. The change would limit the decades-old exemption to only low-income seniors who qualify for the state's Senior Benefits Payment Program, with annual incomes below $34,213 for individuals or $46,253 for couples. Revenue from...
June 12, 1925 – Miss Mary Wolverton has returned from the Cassiar mining district and says: “Three experienced miners who went to Gold Pan Creek diverted a stream at their own expense, after two months’ labor, and took out $1.60 in gold. Very little gold has been found. Many Alaskan and Yukon sourdoughs who went in with dog teams are coming out and are on their way to other fields. The only real money made is in selling claims for hundreds of dollars. One school teacher put her savings of $600 into a claim and sent in two men with supplies. The...
The Petersburg Parks and Recreation facility reopened Monday after completing its annual two-week maintenance shutdown, with Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne describing the closure as highly successful. "We did a lot of work that we've been wanting to get done for a long time," Payne said of the annual maintenance period that began in late May. The closure began with the facility's perennially complex project: coordinating the resurfacing of the gym floors. "Gym and racquetball...
by Philip Hofstetter There is no question: the federal budget reconciliation now under Senate review would severely harm Alaskans, especially in rural communities. As CEO of one of Alaska’s last three community-owned critical access hospitals, I see the consequences firsthand when people lose healthcare coverage. This bill adds layers of bureaucracy and new Medicaid restrictions that threaten to choke off care entirely. Fortunately, our senators can choose to block it. If the Senate rushes this legislation through, an estimated 33,918 A...
