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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...
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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...
To the Editor: This past weekend over 125 people gathered at Sandy Beach as part of the largest national day of demonstrations in American history (per analyst G Elliot Morris) to say ‘No Kings.’ To everyone who came, contributed a dish and helped it be an event full of neighborly civic engagement, we say thank you! For anyone who missed out but wants to learn more about how to stay connected with others concerned about the state of our democracy, email us at petersburg.neighbors.ak@proton.me or join us at our next meeting on Wednesday, Jun...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy used his veto powers last week to take away $50 million in state funding approved by the Legislature for local school districts across Alaska. He said low oil prices had cut into revenues, and the state could not afford to spend the money. He used the same oily excuse for his other budget vetoes, including cutting two-thirds of the money legislators had appropriated for major maintenance work at nine schools in Alaska, leaving behind $13 million in funding for just three projects from a list that exceeds $300 million....
Teri Toland was preparing breakfast one morning when she heard a loud crash. When she walked out of her kitchen, she found a full-grown eagle in her living room. The eagle had crashed through a nearby double-paned window, shattering the glass. Toland was used to seeing eagles fly around her house; she even enjoyed watching them race through the nearby trees, but they'd never come inside before. This eagle had also brought something extra: an orange rockfish that it left on the carpet alongside...
June 10 - An officer conducted a welfare check on Skylark Way. A found backpack was turned into the Police Department (PD). It was returned to its owner. Subpoena papers were served. A dog was reported being left in a car. The owner was contacted and confirmed that the dog was okay and not overheating. Suspicious behavior was reported on Fram St. A speeding vehicle was reported on S 7th & Kiseno St. An officer responded to a disturbance on Wrangell Avenue. A disorderly conduct warning was issued. An officer responded to a report of a speeding...
Construction will be happening all summer long at the Petersburg School District. Two major projects are underway to increase safety at the schools, inside and out. The first project is a complete remodel of the high school office. The office has been entirely gutted, and will be rebuilt for visibility and safety. "The office area was such that the folks working in the office really didn't have a good, clear view of who was coming to the door," said Superintendent Robyn Taylor. In 2023, threats...
Scammers posing as Petersburg Borough Planning and Zoning Director Liz Cabrera sent official-looking emails soliciting payment of nearly $5,000 to at least two individuals with pending applications before the planning commission this month, prompting borough staff to change how they handle applicant information. The fraudulent emails, which included detailed invoices, were sophisticated enough to alarm local officials despite both targeted applicants recognizing the scam before losing money....
Visitors to the U.S. Forest Service Anan Wildlife Observatory are limited July 5 to Aug. 25, with 60 permits each day set aside for guided tours, while four other slots each day are designated for last-minute, independent visitors. "These permits are for people with their own means of transportation (without a hired service) and must be requested in person at the Wrangell Ranger District, up to one week in advance," the Forest Service reminded the public in an announcement on June 13....
For the first time in their program history, the Mitkof Middle School Robotics team qualified and competed in the national competition on June 13 – 15 in Boston. Forty-eight states and 28 countries across the world such as Japan, China, Korea and more were represented at this meet. In the weeks leading up to the meet the robotics team worked with researchers from Oregon State University to refine their ROVs. "We added a motor that releases our little arms that grab onto the glacier surfaces a...
This past weekend, now Petersburg senior Gabriele Whitacre competed in the Alaska State Powerlifting Championship, in Eagle River, Alaska. Whitacre took a similar approach to her training routine as she did when she competed in the St. Patty's competition. "Just trying to maximize my deadlift, bench and squat. The goal going into this competition was to beat the deadlift record and my own bench record which didn't happen but I did see some improvements," Whitacre said. Whitacre's powerlifting...
King Salmon: The Blind Slough/Wrangell Narrows Terminal Hatchery Fishery has been ongoing since May 15th with catches improving each day and peaking in a couple weeks. The majority of marine waters in the Petersburg / Wrangell area are open to king salmon retention by June 15. The exception to that are waters adjacent to the Stikine River which will not open until July 15. King salmon regulations have changed since last year. We have a separate set of regulations for the Blind Slough / Wrangell Narrows Terminal Harvest Area, Anita Bay, Gunnuk...
Catherine Rhea Mattson was born on September 1, 1942 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, to Granville and Rhea Morris. In 1949, when Cathy was in second grade, the family moved to Skagway, Alaska. She graduated from the Skagway School, where she was a cheerleader and a can-can dancer. After attending college, she moved to Juneau to work for the State of Alaska and met her beloved husband Morris. They married on December 21, 1964. In 1973, Cathy and Morris purchased the Harbor Bar and Liquor Store in... Full story
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