Sorted by date Results 351 - 375 of 1602
Following a successful bid opening, the South Harbor dredge project is gearing up toward an October start date according to Harbormaster Glo Wollen. South Harbor, which was completed by the state in 1984, has faced problems with the bottom of the harbor rising and boats going dry in stalls during certain stages of the tide, making them unusable. Wollen said that since it was completed "we've had issues of the glacial rebound occurring and also with earthquakes and different things we've noticed...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted in a close 4-3 vote in favor of the borough's proposed FY23 budget in its first reading during the assembly's May 2 meeting. Before the meeting, the assembly held a work session where Finance Director Jody Tow gave a presentation reviewing the budget and department heads spoke on upcoming expenditures. Tow reported that "costs have increased dramatically" throughout the borough, impacting the upcoming year's budget. New contracts with the Petersburg...
WRANGELL - Seattle-based Trident Seafoods will not open its Wrangell processing plant this summer, the third year in a row the operation has been closed. As in the past two years, the company cited weak chum salmon returns for its decision not to run the plant. Company officials did not return calls to the Sentinel last Friday or Monday. News of the plant closure was presented in Wrangell Borough Manager Jeff Good's report for Tuesday's assembly meeting: "They have notified us that they do not...
May 4 – An officer responded to a report of animal cruelty on North 14th Street. A citizen reported finding lost property on the Hammer Slough Bridge. An inoperable vehicle was reported on North Nordic and was able to be moved by morning. Jonathan Mazzella was arrested for violation of conditions of release at Papke’s Landing. Dylan Adams was booked on behalf of the Alaska State Trooper (AST) for violating conditions of release. A dog was reported lost on Lyons Road and returned to its owner. May 5 – An officer conducted a welfare check on So...
WRANGELL — Anyone who wants to get a pizza midweek at the Marine Bar or a steak or burger at the Elks Lodge knows that worker shortages have forced employers to reduce their days and cut back on offerings. “This worker shortage is real, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Dan Robinson, research chief at the Alaska Department of Labor, told legislators last month. “For nine years in a row, more people have left the state than have come here,” he told the Senate Finance Committee. The population has been stable as births have outpaced de...
When Kate Thompson was small, her father Harold made a perch in the wheelhouse of the St. Lazaria, so she could be atop the console, see out the window and keep him company as he steered. But once she was big enough, she put down her toy radio and began working on boats herself. During the recent Sitka sac roe herring fishery, Thompson, now 15, worked as a deckhand on the St. Lazaria. It was technically her seventeenth season doing herring, if you count the one she spent aboard the St. Lazeria w... Full story
April 28, 1922 The Totem Pole is now open. Miss Mary Allen and Miss Blanch O’Dell opened “The Totem Pole” ice cream parlor in the Ohmer post office building. The new place is a credit to the town being furnished in the mission style, with old rose hangings, curtains and shades. The service is excellent. A cozy corner alcove with piano and settees is included and music is one of the evening attractions. A soda fountain has been installed and all the fixings are in order. April 25, 1947 The annual Junior Prom was held Saturday evening April...
April 20 – A citizen reported an attempted phone scam. Officers responded to a report of trespass on private property on 14th Street. April 21 – An officer responded to a report of a disturbance on Harbor Way. It was non-criminal. An individual completed their annual sex offender registration. An individual reported lost property on North Nordic. Police are investigating a report of an individual tampering with vehicle gas caps and the theft of gasoline. An officer assisted with a medical emergency on Mitkof Highway. April 22 – An officer conta...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously in favor of two ordinances in their first readings during Monday's meeting, with Assembly Member Bob Lynn excused, which would increase the rates residents pay for water and sewage utilities. According to Utility Director Karl Hagerman, the increases included in Ordinance #2022-05 and Ordinance #2022-06 would be the first rate increases since 2018 and are needed to meet increased costs and expenses. Hagerman included a report in the meeting packe...
The Harbor and Ports Advisory Board reviewed a conceptual design document last week for improvements to the Papke's Landing marine facility including the construction of a new ramp, a new float dock, and expanded parking. Alan Murph with Harai and Associates, who drafted the plans, presented the concepts at the meeting and said the project would be broken up into phases for a total estimated cost of $6,410,000. The document depicts a new 255-foot by 215-foot parking lot which would be built on...
April 13 – A vehicle was reported as abandoned, but was not. April 14 – An officer investigated a report of a verbal argument causing a disturbance on South Second, but the individuals had left the area. A report of a garbage issue on North Nordic was cleared up by the responsible party after they were notified. A runaway dog was found and returned to its owner. An officer responded to a report of a canine struck by a vehicle on Sandy Beach Road. An officer responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle on Mitkof Highway. The owner was contacted...
WRANGELL—A lightly used 32-foot-long police jet boat moored at Heritage Harbor may be sold to save money. The borough assembly at a work session March 22 went over its insurance expenses ahead of finalizing its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. It discussed insurance costs for the old hospital, earthquake coverage, museum exhibits and about $6,000 a year the borough pays to insure the police boat. “I understand the business end of it,” Chief Tom Radke said March 29. “I hate to lose it. Right now, it’s still under discussion.” Radke said the...
With the first statewide use of ranked choice voting in Alaska on the horizon, the Petersburg Borough Assembly discussed holding an information session to inform community members on how the new voting system works. The upcoming special election will use ranked choice voting, which was approved by Alaska voters in 2020, to determine who will fill the late Rep. Don Young's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives until the term expires in January 2023. During Monday's assembly meeting, Assembly...
March 30 — A citizen was assisted near South 3rd Street. An officer assisted EMS at Middle Boat Harbor. Found property near Harbor Way was turned in. An officer responded to a report of a vessel with a possibly intoxicated operator. The vessel was not currently in port and the information was passed to the Alaska State Troopers. March 31 — There was a report of chickens killed by a dog near Hungerford Road. A citizen was assisted near South 2nd Street. April 1 — A citizen was assisted near Valkyrie Street. An individual completed sex offen...
Patti was presented as a Christmas gift to her three brothers Bob, Dave and Jim. She was born in Vancouver, B.C. and came home to Petersburg in December with her parents Loyla and Earl Ohmer. Her childhood was a happy one. She traveled to many states visiting family and friends with her mother. Summers were spent at Bum's Retreat near Green Rocks. Her father Earl would join the family there on weekends bringing the mail and groceries from town. Her first business venture at age 12 involved... Full story
March 23 – Officers removed rock debris from the roadway on Mitkof Highway. An officer spoke with the owner of a vehicle parked in the wrong direction on Ira II Street and the vehicle was moved. March 24 – An officer responded to a report of suspicious activity on Wrangell Avenue, but found an individual taking photos of wildlife and other items of interest (non-criminal). An officer responded to a report of domestic violence on South Third and determined it to be a non-criminal dispute. A run-away dog was reported from Kiseno Street, then it...
March 16 – An extra patrol watch was conducted on Haugen Drive. March 17 – A runaway dog was reported on Sandy Beach Road, it returned home. An officer responded to a noise complaint on South Third. It was unfounded. A verbal warning was issued for a taillight violation on the airport access road. Property found at Kiseno and Third Streets was turned into the Police Department. Officers assisted with the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade downtown. A citizen reported lost property on Charles W Street. It was later found. A mechanical alarm was a...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously passed Ordinance #2022-03 in its third reading on Monday, finalizing increases to harbor fees. Harbormaster Glo Wollen said the change in rates, which is the first increase since 2018, was needed to keep revenue aligned with the harbor's operational costs and account for inflation. The increase drew the support of the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board and passed in the assembly unanimously in its first two readings. Annual moorage fees and transient...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game started performing aerial herring surveys in the Sitka Sound last week in preparation for the upcoming sac roe herring fishery. Aerial surveys are conducted by Fish and Game to search for herring spawn and, if spotted, map their location and take aerial photographs. Though no groups of herring spawn have been recorded yet, surveyors have recorded sightings of herring predators in the area. On Tuesday, 65 sea lions were spotted off of Inner Point while a...
March 8 – Jay Rayborn, 40, was cited for excessive speed on Mitkof Highway. An officer responded to a report of unauthorized parking, but it was unfounded. Officers responded to a report of a verbal disturbance on South Third and separated the offending parties. Officers responded to a disturbance on South Third and determined it was non-criminal. March 9 – An individual completed registration as a sex offender. An officer responded to a fight at the school. An officer responded to a report of a disturbance at North Nordic and Haugen. The ind...
St. Patty's Day used to be the perfect excuse for Nicole McMurren to get "bombed," almost as if her Irish heritage was a license to tie one on. She'd have a "bump" before the parade, then after it was over, and singing at Longterm Care had concluded, it was time to head for Harbor Bar and into the night's festivities. But this year, McMurren will be celebrating the leprechaun-loving holiday the same as she's done for the last decade-without beer or whisky. "For me, a really good choice was just...
