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An Anchorage Superior Court judge on Tuesday agreed to expedite a lawsuit whose outcome will determine whether the namesake challenger of U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan will appear on the state’s Aug. 18 primary ballot. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews, in a status hearing Tuesday, said the case was moving at a “very, very fast pace.” “I can make every effort that I can to get a decision out as quickly as possible,” he said. The challenger, Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg, filed an appeal to the court Monday after Carol Beecher, head of the Alask...
The Petersburg Indian Association is celebrating the second annual Amy Hallingstad Day this week with a full slate of events, anchored by a four-day Tlingit culture class and culminating Sunday in an outdoor gathering to honor Amy Hallingstad. The week opened Tuesday evening with Elder's Night, a community dinner at which PIA welcomed Sitka elder George Bennett Sr. and his wife, Mary. Bennett's "Tlingit 101" class began Wednesday and runs through Saturday at John Hanson Sr. Hall, with Amy Hallin...
Another powerlifting competition, another record-setting performance for Petersburg local Gabriele Whitacre. This time, at the Raw Nationals in Chicago, Whitacre broke five Alaska state records – squat, deadlift, bench, total combined weight, and total push pill – for the Teen 3 division (18-19). For bench, Whitacre broke the 200 barrier, benching 204 pounds, a 16.5-pound increase from her previous lift. "That was surprising to me. I was hoping I would (break 200) but it felt very surreal whe...
June 25 , 1926 – Although not exactly tuneful in effect, the blows struck by the 6300-pound hammer of the piledriver working in Petersburg is music to the ears of local businesses and fishermen. Work on the piling of the cold storage plant is progressing at a rapid clip and Mr. Manning, who is in charge of construction, says that all the piles may be driven within the next ten days if the tides are favorable. Nine piles were driven Thursday afternoon and he estimated that now that the work is well underway, 25 pilings a day may be driven. In a...
Petersburg voters will decide this fall whether to raise the town's sales tax cap. Petersburg's sales tax is 6%. Currently, sales and services are only taxed on the first $1,200, which means tax on a single purchase is capped at $72 max. Now, the Borough wants to raise that cap to $300 by changing the taxable amount to $5,000. Borough officials say Petersburg has the lowest cap among major towns in Southeast Alaska. The cap has been adjusted only once since it was established nearly 70 years ago...
What reasons do you have to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday? What thoughts come to mind thinking about Independence Day – fireworks, hot dogs, picnics, fun gatherings, blind rowboat races, log-rolling, bubble gum contests? Imagine two hundred and fifty candles on a gigantic birthday cake that says Happy Birthday America! Pondering the semiquincentennial, the following also comes to mind for me. I think of our democratic republic, governed by the U.S. Constitution, an incredible, enduring document born out of blood, sweat, tears, har...
To the Editor: The celebration of Amy Hallingstad Day reminded me of an experience my dad told me about. Gordon Jensen was twelve years old and working in the cannery before the days of child labor laws. It was a warm summer day and there were a lot of fish in. He was pushing cans into the retort when he noticed everyone was leaving the fish house. He followed them and sat on the dock with all the workers. Amy had called a strike and he remembered that management argued with her and shouted at her for hours as the sun got hot and the fish got...
A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed near Sitka during a routine training flight on Monday morning, with the four crew members aboard rescued and brought to Mount Edgecumbe Medical Center, according to officials. In an updated press release on Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard reported that all four crew members are safe with non-serious injuries. “We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries,” said Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District. “We are grateful for the swi...
June 17 – Officers responded to a disturbance on S 3rd St. and determined it was non-criminal. There was a report of a dead crow on Unimak St. An officer responded to a report of smoke in the Borough portable bathroom on Chief John Lott St. and determined it was unfounded. There was a report of suspicious activity on Excel St. A complainant spoke with an officer concerning a civil issue. An officer responded to a report of an intoxicated person falling while walking on Mitkof Hwy and transported them to their residence. There is an on-going i...
Summer has arrived, and, these days, summer in Petersburg means electric scooters all around town used for transportation, often by youth. The 17 Levy electric scooters that showed up in town in August of 2024 are locally owned by Stikine Services, run by Wes and Angie Davis. A few years ago, the Davises, when traveling to Nashville, noticed electric scooters around the town, and thought they would be a valuable addition to the Petersburg community. "Everyone we have talked to loves them, and...
Due to construction that began on May 18, the Aquatic side of the Parks and Recreation building will remain closed, without a set reopening date. The remainder of the building is still open – just without power. Contractors have been cutting concrete to access drain lines beneath the locker rooms. The process has been lengthy and has experienced some setbacks, but safety remains the priority. "I absolutely will not compromise for my safety, for the contractors, our staff, patrons, and the f...
Karl Hagerman will retire June 30 as Petersburg's utility director, closing a 33-year career with the borough that carried him from an entry-level water and wastewater worker to the head of two municipal departments - and, during the gaps between managers, to several stints as interim city manager. "This is the last full week, two days next week, and then we'll be done after 33 years and seven or eight odd months," Hagerman told the Pilot. Born and raised in Petersburg, Hagerman started with...
Dale Frances DeArmond (1914–2006) was a prominent Alaskan printmaker, author, and public librarian whose iconic mid-century woodcuts made her one of the state's most celebrated 20th-century artists. Over a 50-year career, she hand-pulled more than 400 woodcut titles and 800 wood engravings, mostly capturing Southeast Alaskan wildlife, landscapes, and stylized interpretations of Indigenous myths. Among her most recognizable works is the 1970 print "And Then Raven Opened the Box of Daylight." W...
With heavy hearts and wonderful memories, we celebrate the life of Louise “Carroll” Nilsen, who left this world on June 20, 2026, at the age of 88. Carroll was born on December 2, 1937, in Kendrick, Idaho. Carroll grew up in a close-knit family consisting of her parents, grandparents, and numerous aunts and uncles, all of whom helped instill in her strong family values at a very young age. Those same values guided her as she raised her own family. Family meant everything to Carroll. One of the things that will always be remembered about Car... Full story
