Sorted by date Results 751 - 775 of 999
Kake is asking hunters and others not meeting specific travel exceptions to avoid travel to or through the community to avoid the spread of Covid-19. In August, the community established travel restrictions for people traveling to or from Kake. Only first responders, law enforcement officials, Children’s Services officials, medical patient travelers or persons involved with critical infrastructure duties are permitted to enter or leave to the City of Kake, according to an order issued by Mayor Lloyd Davis on August 14. The city requires that p...
We have no desire to critique the public radio station's work but last week we had several people ask what we thought of station intern Corinne Smith's story that aired on KFSK. The story highlighted seafood workers' summer employment experiences in Petersburg under the state's Covid-19 mandates. The piece fell far below the level of excellence usually attained by the station's news department. More work was needed to add balance to a story that could have highlighted the achievements of both... Full story
Kodiak has again scored a first debate between candidates in one of Alaska’s most high-profile political races: the U.S. Senate. Kodiak has been hosting debates for congressional and gubernatorial hopefuls since 1999 with a single focus: Alaska’s seafood industry. The date and format for the U.S. Senate faceoff are still being finalized, but it will occur in close proximity to the annual ComFish event on September 17 and 18, bumped by Covid from its traditional dates in March, and now set to be a virtual experience. Republican Senator Dan Sul...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service issued a deadline to the operator of an Alaska island boat shop to tear down the historic complex and leave, but the owner said the agency’s demands are unrealistic. The federal agency ordered Sam Romey to vacate Wolf Creek Boatworks on Prince of Wales Island, CoastAlaska reported Thursday. Tongass Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart said in an Aug. 14 letter that the boathouse and shop building must be removed by Dec. 15. Ownership of the land parcel occupied by the shop is scheduled to be tra...
Mountain View Manor Assisted Living has begun allowing visitors into the facility under a limited basis, according to acting Incident Commander Sandy Dixson at the COVID-19 community update on Friday. Visitation resumed on Thursday, Aug. 27, and Dixson said the public was eager to see residents at the manor in person again. Apartments are limited to four visitors per visit, and only three apartments can have visitors at one time, said Dixson. Visitors are also screened before entering the...
Over the past eighteen months, Alaska's ferry system faced unprecedented challenges: a reduced budget, a strike, unanticipated mechanical and structural issues with five aging ships, and a global pandemic. This spring, as the pandemic hit, AMHS had four of those ships scheduled to enter service, a workable budget in place, and expected sufficient revenue to provide reliable ferry service throughout the year. Due to the dramatic decline in revenue as commerce all but stopped, the financial impacts on AMHS have been severe. Because ticket sales...
John N Williams, known as Butch, was born in Petersburg, Alaska, on June 7, 1950 to Sarah and Noble Williams. He attended school in both Petersburg and Cordova, and graduated in 1968. He went on to study Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance at Greeley, Colorado Aero Tech. He then studied Flight Training at Emery Aviation College. Butch returned to Petersburg and flew seasonally for Island Air for years, driving truck in the off season and saving up to start his new life. He met his wife, Debbie,...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board of Directors agreed at their Aug. 27 board meeting to ask the Petersburg Borough to set aside $608,345.25 from its COVID-19 fund in the event the hospital can't secure additional funding. The money would go towards payroll, emergency personnel hire, a Cepheid testing machine, an elliptical machine and 10 COVID-19 in home mentoring units. PMC had previously requested $1,004,638.50 from the borough for COVID-19 related expenses, but the state ended up directly...
Three Alaska Marine Highway ferries are pictured at the Auke Bay terminal on Tuesday, Aug. 25 as the M/V Matanuska departed for Petersburg and other southbound ports. The M/V Kennicott and M/V Tazlina are shown tied to the pier. A fourth ferry, the M/V LeConte pulled into port just after the Matanuska pulled away from the berth. The Matanuska was off-line the prior week after the crew was tested for COVID infections in Bellingham and the ship was cleaned before resuming service to Southeast...
Vessels arriving in Petersburg Harbor with non-residents onboard will have to continue to seek approval from the borough public health officer before docking through Dec. 31 under public health mandate #5, which was extended in a special meeting on Monday by the assembly. Public health mandate #5 requires interstate travelers aboard vessels, including passengers and crew, be screened to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 prior to arrival. Borough Public Health Officer Mark Tuccillo will...
Alaska seafood processors are paying tens of millions of dollars extra to cover costs from the Covid pandemic, and most of it is coming out of pocket. Intrafish Media provides a first, in-depth look at how costs for providing protective gear like masks and gloves, testing thermometers, extra staff to handle sanitizing demands between work shifts, and modifying worker lines for social distancing are playing out in the nation’s seafood processing sector. At Bristol Bay, for example, where around 13,000 workers from outside Alaska come to work o...
Coho Salmon Now is the time for coho salmon! Marine catch rates for coho salmon are typically at their peak around this time of year. Anglers can expect marine catch rates to gradually decline while opportunity increases for freshwater fishing as more coho migrate into their natal streams. Fishing near the confluence of fresh and saltwater with a casting or fly rod is a great way to spend the day fishing this time of year. There is nothing quite like having a chrome coho salmon on the hook and...
Despite the gloomy weather last week, nine students explored the natural world in this year's summer science camp. Every year, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Sea Grant and the Petersburg Marine Science Center host a summer camp for middle school aged kids in town to expose them to career opportunities in science right here in Petersburg. Normally, the weeklong camp includes hikes, camping trips and whale watching, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic Sunny Rice, of the Alaska Sea...
The most recent confirmed case of COVID-19 in the community was declared recovered last Friday, Aug. 21. At the COVID-19 community update on Friday, acting Incident Commander Sand Dixson anticipated the individual, a non-resident tested positive for the virus on Aug. 14, would later that day be declared recovered. Public Health Nurse Erin Michael said in order for an individual who has tested positive for the virus to be deemed recovered, the person should not have any symptoms or have had...
Starting this weekend, the Parks and Recreation Center could see a change to its schedule and availability, though Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht, and acting parks and recreation director, said the change may not occur, but if it does, it would be an improvement. Whether or not the schedule changes depends on if the Petersburg School District needs to make adjustments to it. Giesbrecht said PSD can work within the current schedule, but the school district gets the final say. He said a...
WRANGELL - The Wrangell School Board held a special meeting Monday, Aug. 24, to discuss recent travel and purchases made by the superintendent and school staff. Last week, Superintendent Debbe Lancaster and three other members of the school district traveled to Juneau for a shopping trip. This was to acquire some key items related to reopening the schools and COVID-19 mitigation, she said. There were several reasons this was a topic of discussion for the board, among them being a lack of...
WRANGELL - Shea Siegert, campaign manager for Alaskans for Better Elections, recently spoke to the Wrangell Sentinel about their organization. With limited opportunities for in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, they are trying to get the word out about their campaign in any way they can. Their campaign, he said, is to make some big changes to the way elections are run in the state of Alaska. "These are really important for Alaskans because we are facing some big problems with...
Snacks that are good for people and the planet now come in the form of crispy chips that are made from Bristol Bay sockeye salmon skins. The new, flash fried snack was spawned by a Los Angeles-based company called Goodfish, which aims to “propel sustainable seafood into our mass-market consumer culture.” It is the second venture for partners Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud, a well-financed duo who are committed to trailblazing brands that have “higher standards of sourcing, manufacturing, and social ethos.” A decade ago they co-foun...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s contact tracing program is working well despite undergoing a strain in recent months during the effort to track coronavirus infections, public health officials said. The state recently increased the size of its team of contact tracers as the number of new cases went on a downward trajectory, The Anchorage Daily News reported. Public health experts believe the investigative process of tracking how a virus moves through a population is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The continued efficiency of con...
The Petersburg High School cross country team is about three weeks into their season, and Coach Tom Thompson said this season's young team is showing great potential. The team, which is made up of 16 runners, has spent six days of each week getting in shape for the season. On Saturday, they will be doing time trials and comparing their times to runners across the state. Thompson said he anticipates low times for this team. "Over the first three weeks, we've seen some really great improvements,"...
The M/V Matanuska's sailings were cancelled through Aug. 20 after five passengers on board the vessel on Aug. 10 tested positive for COVID-19, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. The ferry is expected to resume service on Aug. 21 out of Bellingham. On Aug. 10, while sailing from Kake to Juneau, the crew of the M/V Matanuska was notified that some passengers were in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person in Kake. Those...
The test result for a non-resident traveler came back positive on Friday, Aug. 14, according to a joint press release from the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The individual has been in isolation in town and close contacts have been informed. The Petersburg Emergency Operations Center believes the COVID-19 risk to the community is low due to the individual having limited contact with others in the community, according to the press release. As of Wednesday, Aug. 19, the number o...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly chose Sarah F. Fine at their meeting on Monday as the moderator for the Sept. 10 community meeting to discuss the civil emergency provisions ordinance. The third reading of the borough's civil emergency provision ordinance was postponed at an assembly meeting last month until Sept. 21 to allow the public more time to inform themselves about the ordinance and offer feedback. As part of the deferment, the assembly agreed to hold a public meeting sometime before...
The borough assembly passed a resolution at their meeting on Monday that puts a parcel of borough land on Ira II St. up for a competitive bid after two parties expressed interest in the property. The Petersburg Indian Association wants to buy the lot at 705 Ira II St. for the site of their low income housing duplex; however, Kathy Holtzinger, who lives next door at 701 Ira II St. also wants to build a duplex on the property. A 2020 assessment of the 10,000 sq. ft. lot valued it at $36,000. The...
Although the Petersburg Parks and Recreation community pool has reopened on a limited basis, Petersburg High School students will have to wait until Sept. 2 for the swim and dive season to start. According to Activities Director Jaime Cabral at the Petersburg School Board meeting last week, the Alaska School Activities Association held a special meeting earlier this month, and found that several schools throughout the state did not have access to a pool until Sept. 1 due to COVID-19 concerns;...
