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6 brought with it a new record snowfall on New Year's Day which has the National Weather Service in Juneau and Petersburg Borough staff worried as rain and warmer temperatures are predicted for this weekend. Saturday saw the most snowfall and highest depth ever recorded in Petersburg on January 1 of any year with 17.5 inches of new snow for a depth of 40 inches according to data collected by the NWS. It was just short of the most snowfall ever recorded on a single day in the month of January...
December 22 — An officer provided courtesy transport for a stranded individual. Low hanging power lines making noise were reported. Petersburg Municipal Power & Light was notified. An injured deer was reported at 1.5 mile Mitkof Hwy. Officer verified deer limping but okay. A warning was issued for inoperable taillights. December 23 — Officer responded to a noise complaint on Chief John Lott Street. Music was turned down at direction of officer. A parking complaint was filed. Owner moved vehicle at direction of officer. A power outage was rep...
Petersburg residents took up shovels, flashlights, and rain boots Tuesday in a day that saw freshly fallen snow followed by a power outage and a broken water main flooding the streets of town. 8.5 inches of snow fell Tuesday, setting a new record for most snowfall on December 21 of any year. So far, Petersburg has accumulated a total of 74.3 inches of snow this winter according to the National Weather Service, well above the average for this point in the season of 21.3 inches. While people outsi... Full story
December 16 — An officer and the PVFD responded to a report of a power pole having exploded. Power & Light were notified and responded. Suspicious activity was reported on Mitkof Hwy. An officer responded and determined the complaint was unfounded. A citizen reported a possible phone scam. December 17 — A disturbance was reported on Fram Street. An officer responded. An officer provided a courtesy transport from South Boat Harbor to the hospital. A citizen complained of abdominal pain on Skylark Lane. An officer assisted EMS. Lost property was...
Plows and shovels became commonplace in Petersburg last week after record-breaking snowfall covered the town while Public Works, the Alaska Department of Transportation, businesses, homeowners, and everyone in between cleared roads and paths to keep the snow at bay. Last year only a total of 9.1 inches of accumulated snowfall had been seen by this time-a drastic contrast to this winter which, according to the National Weather Service in Juneau, has seen the third-highest snowfall on record in Pe...
December 9, 1921 While it has not been officially announced, it is under good authority that Wrangell Narrows is to be dredged, and that within a short time, which means that three million or more dollars will be spent by the government close to the town. This means very good business in addition to the increased transportation facilities which would ultimately result from the improvement. Who was it said business is on the bum? We have heard it said but we don’t believe it is now, nor do we believe it will be for those in business who stick i...
Thank you for support To the Editor: The Five Finger Lighthouse Society would like to thank the supporters of our fundraising event during the months of September and October. We really appreciate the artists who contributed their creativity and time to their donated pieces and to those businesses that donated services for the auction. We also thank the bidders and winners of the auction items on the Bidding Owl website, our new members, and those who made additional monetary donations during this time. All of these contributions help keep the...
December 8—A possibly abandoned vehicle was reported on Howkan Dr., unable to locate owner. The vehicle will be impounded if not moved. Suspicious activity was reported on N. Nordic Dr. and an officer responded. Sex offender registration completed. A protective order was served. A fallen tree was reported on Mitkof Highway. DOT responded. An individual was advised on properly restraining their children in a moving vehicle. A protective order was served. A downed power line was reported on Haugen Drive. Power & Light responded. Suspicious activi...
December 1 —A citizen reported found property. A caller reported a theft from a local business. A caller reported graffiti on the Public Library. An Officer assisted EMS. December 2 —A citizen reported icy road conditions. Public Works was notified and responded. A warning was issued for a vehicle with an inoperable light. Vehicles were reported parked on snow removal areas. Owners were contacted and asked to move their vehicles. Caller reported almost being bitten by a dog near Skylark Way. Officer responded, but dog was gone on arrival. Dec...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht presented the assembly with a list of capital projects to consider for FY23 during Monday's meeting in hopes of obtaining funding through the state and federal sources. The list grouped projects by their associated departments such as Harbor, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works and prioritized them within each grouping. It also included some projects associated with the Petersburg Medical Center and the Petersburg School District. The priority list,...
The Borough Assembly held a discussion during Monday's meeting to figure out how the borough should spend funds received through the American Rescue Plan and considered a future work session on the topic. The borough received $634,000 in funds, $20,000 of which has already been spent on finishing the deck out the deck project at Mountain View Manor. Representatives from childcare programs in Petersburg wrote letters to the assembly requesting ARPA funds to recoup losses caused by the COVID-19...
December 2, 1921 A rutabaga weighing 27½ pounds, was raised by D.W. Kirk of Wrangell and is on exhibit in that city. Mr. Kirk had one weighing 56 pounds, but a horse discovered it and sampled it, making it unfit for exhibition. Several 35 pound rutabagas have been raised by him. December 6, 1946 The High School Athletic Department has purchased an all-electric scoreboard with the proceeds of the Athletic Benefit Dance which netted the $450 necessary. Ten turkeys were taken away to grace Thanksgiving tables. Gill Joynt made a score of 15 out of...
Sometimes, connecting the dots is the best way to learn. The first set of dots cost $87 million in federal pandemic aid money. That’s the price of the contract the state signed with an Atlanta-based for-profit health care staffing firm to provide up to 470 medical professionals to help out at 15 Alaska hospitals and medical clinics, schools too, for 90 days. The travelers helped relieve the strain during the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak this fall, when Alaska was in record territory for new cases and hospitalizations. The Wrangell Medical C...
Petersburg's annual Parade of Light and Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place on Friday. The parade portion of the event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic according to Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Administrator Mindy Lopez, but it returns this year and will feature beloved characters spreading holiday cheer. The parade will start at 5:30 p.m. near Trading Union and will head south along Nordic Drive towards the municipal building. 15 minutes before the parade,...
The Borough Assembly approved a change order during its November 17 meeting for repairs to the motor pool shop which was damaged in a fire in August of 2019 and the borough is in the process of rebuilding. According to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht, the changes to the project are mostly covered by the borough’s insurance and are related to either fire damage or fire codes. Included in the order are additional asbestos tile removal, the repairing of fire damaged x-bracing, and shim crane r...
The Petersburg Indian Association is making progress on constructing the Mountain View Manor boardwalk trail and now has a 2022 estimated completion date according to Tribal Administrator Tracy Welch. The Tribal Transportation Program works on projects such as trails, sidewalks, and street construction that are included in PIA's long range transportation plan which is updated every year. Members of the public can give feedback on future projects and the council makes a priority list of projects...
The Petersburg Medical Center reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday for a total of 48 active cases. Community spread is rapidly occurring, causing closures and staff shortages, and PMC is asking people to follow mitigation recommendations. 37 of the 48 cases were identified within the past seven days according to the Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard. 93 COVID-19 tests have been sent to a reference laboratory and results are expected in the next 3-5 business days. PMC has moved into red...
The Borough Assembly approved ordinances #2021-15 and #2021-17 during Monday's meeting in each of their third and final readings. Ordinance #2021-15 would move a chapter of the old city code which centers on disease control into the borough code. The ordinance limits the powers of the health officer, such as the power to compel vaccination, and makes it so the officer must act under and report to the assembly and the borough manager. It was reviewed by the Petersburg Medical Center, the police...
The Rasmus Enge bridge is expected to see repairs to its deck and structural components next summer according to Public Works Director Chris Cotta. The bridge was built in 1945 and last saw major work in 2014 after state inspectors identified some issues. It was closed Monday and Tuesday for periodic maintenance focused on repairing sections of rotting wood, but there is more work that needs to be done on the bridge in the future. "We are going to do a complete replacement of the deck, probably...
The Borough Assembly held their second reading of Ordinance #2021-17 Tuesday night which would make changes to recycling collection and would introduce measures to combat problems with bears coming to town looking for food in garbage. The assembly also hosted a public forum on the ordinance, but no members of the public chose to speak. The ordinance is comprised of four key components which include preventative measures regarding bears, recycling collection changing from once every week to once...
October 13 — Trespassing individual reported near Ira II St. Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a warning to an individual for unsecured garbage near N. Nordic Dr. Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a warning for unsecured garbage creating a bear nuisance near Ira II St. Officers responded to a vehicle in a yellow zone near N. 2nd St. which was moved by a responsible party. Officers responded to a disturbance near Dolphin St. Officers assisted EMS near Wrangell Ave. Dark smoke was reported at an address on Mitkof Hwy. where residents were burning deb...
September 29 — Suspicious activity was reported near 1st St. Complaint of a parked boat with a trailer near Gjoa St. and Sing Lee Alley. Danny Rusk and Ramona Short were remanded for Violation of Conditions of Release. A citizen was assisted at the Police Department. Sex offender registration was completed at the Police Department. September 30 — An officer responded to a non-criminal disturbance and the parties separated. A citizen was assisted near Queen St. Lost property was reported near North Harbor. There is an ongoing investigation of...
Petersburg Parks and Recreation and Public Works completed improvements to Sandy Beach Saturday. The project added space for parking at shelter one and along the road according to Public Works Director Chris Cotta. Construction also widened the entry road and replaced the culvert near the park. Cotta estimated there is room for five parking spaces combined in the areas they cleared behind the shelter and by the road. Some dead trees were taken down because they posed safety hazards while others...
The Borough Assembly discussed a new sanitation ordinance during Monday's meeting, Ordinance #2021-17 would aim to mitigate bears getting into garbage and make changes to the recycling program. Public Works Director Chris Cotta spoke to the assembly on the four focuses of the ordinance and the purposes of it. The ordinance would require a reasonable effort must be made to secure garbage from bears and other wildlife. It lists examples of measures that could be taken including tying down the lid...
A daily record of 3.54 inches of rain fell while hurricane force winds with gusts up to 70 mph dropped trees into power lines, bringing out borough line crews, Alaska Department of Transportation workers, emergency services personnel, borough staff, and volunteers until 2 a.m according to Utility Director Karl Hagerman. Employees and volunteers first responded to a tree in the line at 919 Sandy Beach Road which the crew cleared without damage to the power or telecom lines. Though the trees...
