Articles from the February 12, 2026 edition


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  • Record-Setting Performance earns Gabriele Whitacre Nationals Qualification

    Aiden Luhr|Feb 12, 2026

    Roughly a year ago, Petersburg senior Gabriele Whitacre began her powerlifting journey in Anchorage, where she set the USA Powerlifting State record at 165 pounds for bench in the age 16-17 group. About a year later, Whitacre continues to break records and ascend to new heights this past weekend at the USA Powerlifting State Championship, in Anchorage. With her trainer Chris Peterson, Whitacre has been on the grind since June with an emphasis on benching and back strength. "Squat, bench and...

  • Petersburg mill provides lumber for Sitka pavilion

    Orin Pierson|Feb 12, 2026

    Young growth Sitka spruce from Mitkof Island, milled at Alaska Timber and Truss and shipped via the Alaska Marine Highway, now forms the timber-frame structure of an outdoor learning shelter at Pacific High School in Sitka. The impressive posts and beams of the pavilion showcase what Southeast Alaska's 50 to 60-year-old second-growth trees can produce. The structure will serve as an outdoor classroom for the alternative high school's garden-based education program. Andrew Thoms, executive...

  • Assembly approves first reading of ordinance rezoning proposed lease parcel for American Cruise Lines project at Dock Street

    Orin Pierson|Feb 12, 2026

    American Cruise Line's long-discussed cruise ship dock project in Petersburg took another step forward last week when the borough assembly approved the first reading of an ordinance rezoning a 22,500-square-foot parcel at the end of Dock Street to accommodate ACL's proposed facility. The ordinance, which must pass two additional readings before final adoption, changes the parcel from un-zoned to Industrial with Marine Industrial Overlay. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the...

  • Yesterday's News

    Feb 12, 2026

    February 12, 1926 – The largest school of herring found in any one locality in Southeastern Alaska in years, and the only school yet found in the district this season, fills the channel at Tee Harbor, according to local fishermen. Following the herring is a large run of King salmon, which is unusual for this time of year, and appearing in Southeastern Alaska waters for the first time, as far as is known, are blue shark, said to be man-eating, following the herring and salmon. The amount of herring can not be estimated so great are their n...

  • Learning enamel art

    Feb 12, 2026

    Art teacher Ashley Lohr leans in for a moment of instruction during last week's enamel earing art workshop she led in the Helmi Jensen Community Room at Petersburg Public Library. 19 participants learned from Lohr the art of blending colors and melting glass as she shared insights into her distinctive style of enamel earing creation. Heather Conn melts colorful powdered glass onto her soon-to-be earrings using a handheld butane torch provided by Lohr....

  • Petersburg 12s

    Feb 12, 2026

    Approximately 60 devoted local fans of the Seattle Seahawks gathered at the Petersburg Crane Dock in the rain on Saturday to take a group photo and cheer for the Seahawks on the eve of the Super Bowl. The 12s, or 12th Man, are the passionate fans collectively considered the twelfth player on the Seahawks team for their tradition of powerfully loud support. 12s in Seattle have set two Guinness World Records for loudest crowd noise at a sporting event. The day after the photo in Petersburg, which...

  • Guest Editorial: Ferry system swims or sinks with federal aid

    Larry Persily|Feb 12, 2026

    The Alaska Marine Highway System has never fully paid its own way with ticket revenues; it’s always needed state money to cover the gap between what it costs to operate the fleet and what it can collect from travelers. It’s just like asphalt and concrete highways, which need funding in the state budget to cover expenses. The dilemma is that the gap between ferry system revenues and expenses has widened over the years as service has been cut back — fewer tickets sold for fewer sailings means less revenue. The other dilemma is political. More...

  • Police report

    Feb 12, 2026

    February 4 – An officer conducted extra patrols. Suspicious activity was reported. A protective order was served. Suspicious behavior was reported on S 2nd St. February 5 – An officer responded to a parking complaint on Charles W St. February 6 – An officer assisted a citizen who felt threatened by a neighbor on S Nordic Dr. A false fire alarm was reported. A welfare check was conducted in South Harbor. February 7 – Suspicious activity was reported on Mitkof Highway. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) with an assault victim....

  • Wearable Art 2026

    Feb 12, 2026

  • PHS Drama bring romantic farce to the stage this month with "The Matchmaker"

    Orin Pierson|Feb 12, 2026

    After their acclaimed but ominous rendition of "Dracula" last fall, Petersburg High School's drama program is ready to brighten up the vibe with a Victorian-era romantic farce, "The Matchmaker," opening Feb. 19 at Wright Auditorium. The Thornton Wilder comedy - best known as the basis for the Broadway musical "Hello Dolly" - features a large ensemble cast navigating love, loss and the search for joy in 1880s New York. Director Elsa Wintersteen said she deliberately chose the play to give...

  • Several Mitkof Middle School wrestlers secure invitational bids

    Aiden Luhr|Feb 12, 2026

    Four Mitkof Middle School wrestlers will be representing Petersburg at the Tanana Invitational for its 50th anniversary. The kids representing will be Thomas Slaven, Freya Fenner, Ethan Edward and Declan Olsen. Slaven went 2-0 in the 161 weight bracket this past weekend. "[I] worked my breakdowns [and] got my points circling," Slaven said regarding what the catalyst was of his two wins. Slaven finished top first in his weight bracket, something he always expects of himself. "My own rule is, if...

  • Obituary: Peter Schultz March 22, 1939 - January 30, 2026

    Feb 12, 2026

    Peter Schultz was born in Lübeck, Germany, on March 22, 1939, the youngest child of Willi and Else Schultz. His oldest brother Jürgen is still living. His brother Klaus, sisters Erika and Almi, and his parents have died. His father was a master blacksmith on a big farm, maintaining the farm machinery and shoeing the huge Hanover work horses. Peter's boyhood was an apprenticeship in smithing and farm work. He learned mechanical skills and how to fix almost anything – skills he used all his lif... Full story

  • Obituary: LeeRoy Newton, 87

    Feb 12, 2026

    LeeRoy "Lee" Newton lived a life marked by resilience, work and a connection to the natural world. Born on June 17, 1938, at home near Bend, Oregon, Lee was the fifth of Barney Derice and Dovie Bell (Summers) Newton's nine children. Lee's youth was defined by the rugged landscapes of Deschutes County, Oregon. His passion for the outdoors remained strong despite the enduring effects of battling polio when he was nine. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and a natural operator of heavy machinery...

  • Obituary: Samuella (Sammy) Mae Parker

    Feb 12, 2026

    Samuella Mae Grimmesey was born to Walter and Gladys Grimmesey on August 25, 1931, in Oakland, California. Growing up, her sister Patty would play the piano and Sammy would sing. She had a beautiful voice and was encouraged by her teachers to keep singing. After graduating high school she attended college until she married and started her family in Southern California. After a brief move to West Texas, she moved back to California until the mid-1960s when she settled in the Pacific Northwest....

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