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On the Three Lakes trail system south of Petersburg, hikers can follow miles of mostly boardwalk pathways around lakes and trees that lead deep into the Tongass National Forest on Mitkof Island. Some sections of the trail system got upgraded this summer, with help from seasonal workers contracted by the U.S. Forest Service. Recreation Specialist Tyler Shaw said some of the wooden boards that make up the Three Lakes trail system were installed in the 90s. That style of trail is called...
September 4, 1925 – Probably no better concrete example of the value of the herring industry to Alaska, when handled by Alaskans, could be given than to cite the operations of the Ness Fish Company of Petersburg, which, during its 5-weeks operation here this summer expended some $12,000, practically all of which was spent here. This company put up herring for food which goes to consumers in the middle west. It made another shipment of 200 barrels on the Rogers Thursday, consigned to the Birdseth Fish Company of Fargo, North Dakota. Previous s...
A deteriorating baseball dugout that had been gathering moss and rot at Petersburg's ball field has found new life as a much-needed weather shelter at the Banana Point boat launch. Back in March, Public Works employee Martin Odegaard was dropping his child off at Banana Point to catch the boat to Wrangell for a wrestling trip on a typically miserable late-winter day. "It was pissing rain, as it always is this time of year," Odegaard recalled. "And so all these kids are getting soaking wet. I'm...
Part of a wastewater line in Frederick Sound has broken, and the Petersburg Borough must repair it to comply with an upcoming Environmental Protection Agency permit. The pipe, known as the outfall line, discharges wastewater from Petersburg's treatment plant into Frederick Sound. Wastewater Operations Supervisor Justin Haley said that a part of the pipe called the diffuser has fallen off. The diffuser distributes the wastewater at different places in the water, where ocean currents dilute it further in a "mixing zone." Right now, wastewater is... Full story
After 17 years of shaping Petersburg's infrastructure, this has been the final week on the job for Public Works Director Chris Cotta before relocating to Florida, where he'll serve as Public Works Director in Tarpon Springs, a city on the Gulf Coast around the size of Juneau. As Cotta wraps up his tenure, Aaron Marohl-who has deep roots in the community-steps into the director role, inheriting an experienced crew and a long list of ongoing projects. From Florida to Petersburg and back Before...
WRANGELL - A petroglyph rock was found split in half last month, apparently damaged by someone attempting to remove the ancient carving, according to borough and U.S. Forest Service officials. "Petroglyph Beach is more than a scenic destination. It is a sacred site and irreplaceable cultural resource," the borough said in its report to the public on July 28. "The carvings found here are among the most significant archaeological artifacts in Alaska, reflecting the lifeways and histories of the Tl...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly narrowly rejected a resolution Monday that would have authorized police to dispatch approximately four black bears that Petersburg Police Chief James Kerr says his officers have identified through repeated unsuccessful attempts at non-lethal deterrence. The resolution failed by a single vote after Kerr presented evidence of what he described as "learned behavior" by specific bears. "We've tried paintballs, pepper balls," Kerr told the Pilot. "Pepper balls is like...
In recent weeks, users of the popular Hungry Point Trail system have noticed with some alarm trees coming down, a road being built, and the closure of the trail's Sandy Beach Road trailhead – all necessary for the wastewater utility's Pump Station 4 replacement project. "Folks need to be aware that [the trailhead] is going to be probably closed more than it's going to be open for the next few months," Public Works Director Chris Cotta told the Pilot. "We won't be opening things back up permanent...
On July 1, Alaska’s new sick-leave and minimum wage increase law took effect. Approved by voters in November, it states that someone working at a business with 15 or more employees will earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 56 per year, unless the employer voluntarily increases that limit. Someone working at a business with fewer than 15 employees earns sick leave at the same rate, but the maximum per year is 40 hours. The law also raised the state’s minimum wage to $13 per hour. The minimum wage ris... Full story
John Frederick Nelson passed away on June 7th at the age of 58. He had been struggling after treatment to heart and lungs. He died peacefully in an Anchorage hospital. John was born September 12th, 1966 to Betty and Don Nelson in Petersburg, joining an older sister Carol Ann. His paternal grandparents were Norwegian immigrants, Fred and Edna Miller Nelson. He attended school in Petersburg and graduated with the class of 1984. John then briefly attended junior colleges in Port Angeles and Yakima... Full story
Petersburg's Devil's Thumb Shooters wrapped up their season this past weekend at the AK YESS State Tournament to huge results. For the first time, DTS won the High Over All Grand Champion Team. For long-tenured seniors such as Cayden Turland, who has been in this program since the spring of third grade and Trent Kittams, who has been with the team since fall of fourth grade, this accomplishment ended their careers with a bang. However, despite the accomplishment, it wasn't all smooth sailing...
At the Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting on May 5, the results of recently completed five-year utility rate study were presented, and borough residents can expect utility rate increases in the coming fiscal year as officials adjust for rising operating expenses and debt service for capital projects across water, wastewater, and electric departments. The suggestions based on the rate study include: Water: 3% annual increases from FY2026 through FY2030 Wastewater: 25% increase for FY2026, then...
May 8, 1925 – Ohmer plans to invade Lynn Canal and there is great rejoicing at Haines, the little village nestling in Mission Cove, and happiest of the whole crowd is Dr. L. Pryer, the druggist and president of the chamber of commerce. For three years, Dr. Pryer has been preaching shrimp, shrimp and nothing but shrimp, in Lynn Canal. So loud and persistent was he in his talk, that it was heard way down at Petersburg, 200 miles distant, by Mr. Earl N. Ohmer, president of Alaskan Glacier Seafood Company. He immediately and forthwith sent two f...
April 30 - An officer responded to a car hitting a stop sign on Skylark Way. Public Works was contacted. Extra patrols were conducted. An officer responded to a disturbance on S 2nd Street. An officer conducted a welfare check. An officer responded to a disturbance on S 3rd Street. An officer assisted EMS. May 1 - A distracted driver was reported on Haugen Drive, but couldn’t be located. A deer versus vehicle accident was reported. The deer was salvaged and given to charity. Extra patrols were conducted on Sing Lee Alley. Intoxicated i...
Three sets of stairs have provided access from North Nordic Drive down to the beach near Hungry Point. A few years ago, the wooden stairs closest to town were replaced with new treated lumber. The middle set of stairs was blocked off to discourage use. And the third set of stairs, closest to Hungry Point, was determined to be hazardous and in need of removal or replacement. "We decided to do both!" Aaron Marohl, Petersburg's Assistant Public Works Director told the Pilot. The existing concrete s...
"The Senate's new education bill is a joke!" declared Governor Mike Dunleavy in a social media post last week. "It does absolutely nothing to improve educational achievement... Welcome to Alaska: 51st in the nation in educational outcomes. In what world does one write a blank check with no expectations?" The governor's comments came as the Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 69 on Friday, April 11, which would increase the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by $1,000 per student. Dunleavy...
March 27, 1925 – Representative John E. Rankin in a speech before Congress [titled] “Alaska, as I Saw It,” said among other things: “I believe that we should give those people as much authority as possible over the territory and that we should protect them in the enjoyment of life and the pursuits of happiness to the same extent that we do our people here in the states – that the wealth up there may not be used to fill the coffers of a few trusts and combinations, but that the resources of the great territory, with its wonderful scenery,...
In Wright Auditorium, tubes of cardboard are being transformed into marble columns. Costumes salvaged from thrift stores are repurposed into Elizabethan finery. And students are grappling with language written over 400 years ago learning how to bring it to life. Petersburg High School's drama program, under the direction of Elsa Wintersteen, is tackling William Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" this spring, with performances scheduled for March 27-29, including a Saturday matinee....
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted 6-0 Monday to adopt a resolution formally approving a comprehensive Visitor Industry Management Plan developed by a local working group in 2019-2020 and updated in early 2025. The plan, created by 17 Petersburg residents including business owners and borough staff, aims to address visitor industry growth while “maintaining the balance between Petersburg's quality of life and the visitor economy while preserving Petersburg's authenticity and sense of place,” states the resolution. Petersburg Har...
Veterans, our heroes To the Editor: Flying the inverted American flag is a recognized distress signal. Recently we hung our flag in this manner to sound the alarm as a wake up call to the seriousness of all that is happening since January 20, 2025. Musk is creating chaos and catastrophe, and it’s hurting veterans who put their lives on the line for the country we love. Veterans are 30% of the federal workforce. The DOGE’s illegal firings of these brave men and women has been cruel. Veterans’ groups are raising the alarm about what they call ind...
February 12 - The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report that a dog had been lost and found. An officer responded to a report of a dog at large. The dog could not be located. A runaway canine was reported and later found by the owner. An officer provided lockout assistance. A protective order service was completed. An officer responded to a noise complaint and determined it to be non-criminal. An officer responded to a complaint of barking dogs. The owner was contacted and brought the dogs inside. February 13 - An officer conducte...
President Donald Trump’s order to pause the spending of billions of dollars in federal grants triggered a wave of anxiety, fear and uncertainty on Tuesday in Alaska, a state dependent more than any other on federal spending. “For me, it was pandemic-level chaotic,” said Nils Andreassen, director of the Alaska Municipal League, which works with cities and boroughs statewide. A federal judge’s ruling late Tuesday temporarily blocked the presidential order, but that only defers an act with broad consequences. “We’re waiting for the other shoe... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 21 to extend the borough's solid waste disposal contract with Republic Services for an additional year, as communities across the region continue to explore long-term solutions for Southeast Alaska's waste management challenges. The one-year extension will maintain waste disposal services through August 2026 at a rate of $192.40 per ton, with estimated costs between $425,000 and $475,000 for the year. The borough had until...
Word arrived last week that Petersburg has finally secured funding for the Scow Bay Haul-out and Washdown Pad project. $8.8 million is coming through the Department of Transportation's Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, part of more than $47 million for Alaska in federal transportation grants announced by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. The funding breakthrough came after eight consecutive applications submitted by the...
