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Alaska residents can expect to receive their 2025 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend of $1,000 beginning in early October, according the Alaska Department of Revenue. The 2025 dividend amount of $1,000 per recipient was set by the Alaska Legislature in House Bill 53, and is a sharp decrease from the 2024 PFD amount of $1,702 allotted to each eligible resident. More than 600,000 Alaskans, according to the Department of Revenue, will begin receiving their dividends early next next month. Depending on how applications were filed, the DOR states,... Full story
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Another field season of whale research has concluded at Five Finger Lighthouse, and Dr. Fred Sharpe will hold an open forum on Thursday at the Petersburg Public Library to discuss their latest efforts. Five Finger Lighthouse provides an extraordinary whale research venue because of its isolated location – miles from the nearest shore in the rich waters of Frederick Sound, buffered from the open ocean by miles of mountainous islands. "We're shielded from the global rise of ship noise in the Pacif...
The first week of moose season has been relentlessly windy and rainy across Southeast Alaska, but there was a break in the weather on Tuesday, September 16 so Joe Willis pounced on the opportunity and harvested the first moose of the season on Mitkof Island. "When I left in the morning, I told my wife, 'don't expect me back till after dark,'" Willis said. "It was still really wet at daybreak... my enthusiasm level was not what you would call epic," Willis recalled. "The phone says it's going to...
More than 25,000 Alaskans who buy health insurance through the federal marketplace will face massive and possibly unaffordable cost increases if federal subsidies expire at the end of the year. “I do think it’s important to recognize that we should be seeing thousands of people likely lose coverage from this,” said Jared Kosin, president and CEO of the Alaska Hospital and Healthcare Association. In a panel discussion last month, local experts in Juneau laid out the stark reality for Alaska, which has the highest health care costs in the natio... Full story
September 25, 1925 – “While many herring are running in the vicinity of Latouche this season, it is said that quantities of them are too small to pack, and many are being used for fertilizer and oil. It is said about 250 pounds of fish will produce five gallons of oil. The outlook for herring is said to be better this year than last.” The foregoing paragraph, clipped from a paper to the westward, suggests to us whether herring is more valuable for oil and fertilizer than for human consumption. September 29, 1950 – Warren Averill, assista...
To the Editor: I would be in favor of the ballot proposition to limit the current sales tax exemption to those who meet a qualification standard. Being a third-generation resident of Petersburg, with family members occupying both the 4th and 5th generation positions, I am committed to seeing Petersburg prosper. I remember discussions, now 40 years back, of trying to find ways to keep our senior citizens living in Petersburg as they aged. This exemption was one, and the exemption regarding personal property taxes another. It is time for these...
I’ve been thinking, maybe I am wrong — about a lot of things. I’ve certainly been wrong about many things in life, so perhaps I should broaden my outlook and accept that I don’t have to be so well informed about everything. Maybe knowing less would lead to a happier life. Maybe many people, myself included, would have fewer things to worry about the less we know. I always thought that having more information was a good thing. Knowing the data helped figure out whether there was a problem and how bad it was. Knowing the facts made for better...
To the Editor: I urge you to vote no on Proposition 1. A yes vote on Proposition 1 will eliminate the senior sales tax exemption for all but the lowest income seniors, currently 61 people. If approved, Proposition 1 will provide the borough with an additional $350,000 to $400,000 in revenue per year. This money will come out of the pockets of the town’s senior citizens who are currently exempt from the sales tax. They can expect to pay, on average, $70 more per month for life’s basic needs (this figure was presented in a recent borough dis...
To the Editor: The mayor is the outward-facing role for our community and Bob Lynn’s 34-years of government experience, from the local to the national level, is exactly what we need to work with the state, federal government and other outside organizations to maximize opportunities for Petersburg. Our community faces a variety of challenges: funding the much-needed new facility for the hospital and long-term care, affordable housing, fisheries issues, economic development and tourism – just to name a few. Bob Lynn has a proven track record of...
September 17 - It was reported that building materials were flapping during heavy winds on N Nordic Drive. A black bear was reported on Charles W Street. It was unfounded. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on S 2nd Street. Lockout service was completed on S 2nd Street. An officer responded and assisted in securing an unmanned barge. An officer responded to a report of erratic driving on Mitkof Hwy, but was unable to locate the described vehicle. An officer issued a warning for driver’s license requirements on Lumber S...
It will be a homecoming when the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood hold their Grand Camp Oct. 1-4 in Wrangell. Wrangell’s history with the ANS goes back to the beginning. The organization was founded by Wrangell women in 1915, following on the formation of the ANB in Sitka in 1912. The 2025 Grand Camp will be held at the Nolan Center. This is the organizations’ first in-person gathering in six years, due to COVID-19 social distancing shutdowns and its aftereffects. While there have been meetings via Zoom, there is a rea...
Rounding into championship form, the Petersburg High School Cross Country team wrapped up another strong regular season at the Capital City Invitational, in Juneau. With the regular season now in the rear view, the Vikings turn their attention to defending their title – and are confident to reign supreme again. "We have a really good team. They are peaking at the right time and I think they're very fit physically and mentally," head coach Casey Gates said. Teams such as Juneau-Douglas, Sitka, Ke...
The Petersburg Swim and Dive team continued their splashy start to the season in front of the home crowd. Competition was fierce as other teams such as Juneau-Douglas, Ketchikan and Sitka were also at this meet. "I thought we did great. It was nice to have more competition. We always do better when there's somebody to race," head coach Andy Carlisle said. "I rather have competition, winning by a mile is no fun." In his final home meet, Petersburg senior Logan Tow put on a strong performance,...
Q: Ideas to increase economic opportunity? "Natural resources, timber, commercial fishing, mining. This town was built on fishing, and whereas some of the problems that the industry is facing, this town alone cannot solve them altogether. But I think we have the people, and I think we have the voice to make a call to action to change some of the legislation ... and capitalizing on the opportunity that we've got: Logging ... the thing is, with trees, they grow back, and we all live in houses...
Q: Ideas to increase economic opportunity? "As always. It's resource extraction, diversify our income base, expand our tax base, more housing. Obviously, we've got to streamline our business opportunities here. We got to streamline, just build a packet to help businesses get through the city red tape. It's really, really, really hard to start business in this town, and I don't understand that. Hopefully ... I can help with that and figure out ways to make it easier for businesses to start here....
Q: Ideas to increase economic opportunity? "The smaller cruise ship tourism ... and the Scow Bay haul-out has potential ... once that facility is created, a mobile, submersible travel lift, to haul boats out ... a new cruise ship dock that would be a partnership between borough and American Cruise Lines ... the more medical treatment we can do in town, those dollars will circulate through here before they leave, those big dollars ... and the act of building the housing will help our economy...
Q: Ideas to increase economic opportunity? "Off the top of my head, I would say, address the housing issue. I think with new construction comes more jobs and more jobs increase revenue and economy. The local economy will spend more than local stores and services and things of that nature." Q: How do you plan to prepare for meetings and make time for this responsibility? "With my extremely long commute to work - across the street - I feel like I have time. And I mean, I guess, especially during t...
Q: Ideas to increase economic opportunity? "For the business owners I've been talking to over the last month, you know that they one of their biggest concerns is there's not enough local tradesmen in town ... maybe a borough school partnership program for scholarships for kids who want to go to become electricians, refrigeration person, or welder, mechanics, and so they come back to Petersburg and work. We need to make sure that we have the basis for the local services in town covered so that...
A tug and heavily laden Alaska Marine Lines barge drew notice on Monday as it transited back and forth for hours in the waters between Mountain Point and the entrances to George and Carroll inlets. Some observers noted that stacks of containers amidship on the starboard side of the Pacific Trader barge had shifted substantially and toppled over. An Alaska Marine Line statement response to a Daily News inquiry said that "weather-related issues caused containers stacked on this barge to shift on...
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