Articles from the December 21, 2023 edition


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  • Increased enrollment boosts school district budget

    Olivia Rose|Dec 21, 2023

    Student enrollment in Petersburg School District increased beyond initial expectations, providing a boost in revenues. Student enrollment in PSD increased by 39.1, bringing enrollment to a student count of 469.1. State funding for PSD increased by $1,162,300, arriving at a total of $7,198,073. The State of Alaska funds school districts based on the number of students enrolled, known as the Base Student Allocation (BSA). There is a state-mandated 20-day student count period in October that establishes a district’s enrollment number as something...

  • Dec 21, 2023

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  • "Landless" legislation passes Senate committee for the first time in history

    Hannah Flor, KFSK Community Radio|Dec 21, 2023

    "Landless" legislation passed a new milestone on December 14 after winning approval of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. The bill still has a long way to go to become law. But if it does, it would return land to the original occupants of five Alaska Native communities in Southeast Alaska. Those communities were left out of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. Senator Lisa Murkowski, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that the omission was "hampering their...

  • Cedar Social Club: PMC's new adult day program launches in cozy temporary space

    Olivia Rose|Dec 21, 2023

    The Cedar Social Club opened Dec. 11 as Petersburg’s first adult day program. This four-hour day program provides personal care, social activity and meal service in a homelike environment for adults who could benefit from spending time in a safe space with trained staff and licensed nurses. “Right now, we’re really at the ground zero. We are building this and creating it,” said Home Health Clinical Manager Kirsten Testoni. “We need to tailor it to everybody’s likes and wants…” While serving as an alternative to assisted living or long-term ca...

  • Guest Editorial: PFD the center of governor's budget universe

    Larry Persily|Dec 21, 2023

    Gov. Mike Dunleavy is starting his sixth year as the state’s top elected leader. Sadly, he’s not providing much fiscal leadership, other than beating the drums for his perpetual political bandwagon that trumpets the Permanent Fund dividend at the front of the parade, with public schools playing second fiddle. It’s sour music, off-key and off-base. The governor unveiled his proposed state budget last week, setting out a spending plan for the fiscal year that will start July 1 and which legislators will start working through when they recon...

  • Police report

    Dec 21, 2023

    December 13 – Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a stolen vehicle. It was recovered. An officer spoke with an individual concerning a civil issue. Kylene Hedlund was remanded for allegedly violating conditions of release. Paper service was completed. PPD received a report of a vehicle executing an illegal u-turn and speeding in a residential area of Excel Street. An officer conducted a welfare check on Unimak Street. December 14 – Officers responded to a disabled vehicle on Frederick Point Drive and provided transit. An...

  • Wrestlers grapple with difficult circumstances at state

    Liam Demko|Dec 21, 2023

    With the end of their season in sight, Petersburg High School's wrestling team sent four competitors to state last weekend in Anchorage to grapple against the best in Alaska. Despite unfortunate bouts of sickness and a field full of tough competition, the PHS wrestlers put up a strong fight, with the team's younger wrestlers showing a lot of promise heading into the new year. "It was just a tough state tournament for us, you know, only bringing four kids and trying to stay healthy," said head...

  • Lady Vikings warmup in Sitka

    Liam Demko|Dec 21, 2023

    Petersburg High School’s Lady Vikings were able to pick up some valuable experience during their first games in Sitka last weekend. Over the course of the three-day tournament, the team played against two strong Alaskan teams from Sitka and Chugiak as well as a team from Idaho’s Kendrick High School, giving them some practice against some tough squads before their league games begin. “I think the thing I’m most excited about is how up-tempo the practices have been,” said this year’s head coach Matt Pawuk. “I feel like I’ve really been able to p...

  • Vikings get the ball rolling at tournament in Sitka

    Liam Demko|Dec 21, 2023

    With only a few weeks of practice under their belts, Petersburg High School’s varsity boys basketball team started the season off with a series of games in Sitka last weekend. The PHS squad competed in a three-game round robin tournament against teams from Chugiak, Sitka, and Lumen Christi across the weekend, coming out of the tournament with one win and two losses. “The biggest thing was that I felt like they came out and played together and they played hard, which—at the beginning of the season—that’s what you’re looking for,” said assistan...

  • Alaska Gov. Dunleavy's budget has millions for education, but no increase to funding per student

    Claire Stremple|Dec 21, 2023

    Gov. Mike Dunleavy said education is among his top priorities in the coming fiscal year. He proposed spending millions on education, but did not include an increase to per student funding, known as the base student allocation, in his proposed budget. His proposed budget puts $1,267,522,300 to the education department, a 9% decrease from last year, due to shrinking enrollment. “I want the public to understand that, as a former educator, I understand that schools cost money, education costs money, there’s no doubt about it,” Dunleavy said. “The... Full story

  • No rate increase for wholesale power in Petersburg in 2024

    Dec 21, 2023

    Power rates in Petersburg will not increase next year, says SEAPA. The Southeast Alaska Power Agency (SEAPA) board voted to hold wholesale power rates steady for 2024, according to the report from the Nov. 30 SEAPA meeting. Assembly member Bob Lynn, who represents Petersburg on the SEAPA Board of Directors, presented the report during the assembly meeting on Monday. “From a wholesale power standpoint, there is no increase. There’ll be no rate increase for 2024,” said member Lynn. “There will probably need to be a quarter cent increase in 2025...

  • Postal Service proposes new, higher-cost zone for Alaska and Hawaii

    Sean Maguire, Anchorage Daily News|Dec 21, 2023

    Alaskans could pay significantly more next year for mailing packages to, from and within the state with two price increases planned by the U.S. Postal Service. In an effort to reduce its projected $160 billion loss over the next 10 years, the Postal Service announced it is planning a 5.7% average nationwide price hike in 2024 for some shipping options. Customers using USPS Ground Advantage for shipping within Alaska would see a 9.2% average increase. The price increases are set to take effect Jan. 21, but some Alaska mailing rates from Outside...

  • Christmas Bird Count sightings

    Dec 21, 2023