Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 718
Alaskans, including many in Petersburg, have experienced heightened food insecurity for the past several years - ever since the Dunleavy administration cut more than 100 jobs from the state's Division of Public Assistance in 2021, which left offices understaffed and led to a severe, multiyear backlog of applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Thousands of Alaskans were left without the food aid they needed. To combat the backlogs Gov. Dunleavy added millions...
On a much needed sunny Saturday last weekend, the Petersburg Market – an outdoor market for homegrown and handmade local goods - kicked off its summer season, welcoming shoppers in a new location and under new leadership. With several new changes in the works by freshly appointed market manager Rebekah Gumz, the 2024 market is slowly growing into its new location between Kito's Kave and The Salty Pantry, as both new and old stalls, vendors, and attractions pop up to serve the public every other...
The USDA Forest Service is starting the process of revising the Tongass National Forest Land Management Plan, which will shape local and regional management for years to come. Over the past 27 years since the Forest Plan was developed, the land and lifestyle in Southeast Alaska has changed significantly. As a result, the Forest Service is seeking input from the public to ensure that the revised plan reflects the evolving needs and concerns of the community. The current Forest Plan was developed... Full story
All mud dump fees for the new hospital project will be waived. Although the fees would have amounted to about $186,000 in revenue for the borough, the Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved the request to waive the fees because it will be an in-kind contribution, which can help PMC secure additional funding for the project, and improvements made by work on the project is saving the borough about $160,000 in expenses. At the assembly meeting on Monday, assembly member Thomas Fine-Walsh...
The state House needed an auctioneer last week. Instead, it wasted three hours in a meaningless bidding war as the Republican-led majority told Alaskans they cared far more than anyone else about supporting education and ensuring state-funded alternatives for correspondence school students and their families. That meant they didn’t want to move too quickly to fix the constitutional problem of state money going to private and religious school programs. Let the millions continue to flow and wait for the Alaska Supreme Court to hear the appeal o...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) preseason forecast estimates 1,400 adult Chinook returning to the terminal harvest area this summer. The low abundance triggered the department to close the freshwaters of Blind Slough for fishing king salmon this season. The last time freshwater was fully closed for a season was in 2013. ADFG ordered the closure according to the management plan for the sport fishery. It is a conservation effort to protect the broodstock for the Crystal Lake...
February 28 – An officer assisted with a lockout on Wrangell Avenue. An officer assisted in contacting individuals blocking the snow plow on Fram Street. An officer assisted with a lockout on Mitkof Highway. Chris Haerling was cited on Mitkof Highway at Hungerford Hill Road for operating a vehicle without a valid license and failure to provide proof of insurance. A deer was killed on Sandy Beach Road and its meat was salvaged. An officer assisted with a lockout on 4.5 Street. An officer responded to a reported loud noise on North 2nd Street, b...
February 7 – An officer conducted foot patrols downtown. An officer conducted a welfare check. An illegally parked vehicle was moved at the direction of an officer and a warning was issued. An officer responded to a reported disturbance on Kiseno Street and determined it was non-criminal. A post-incident report was filed concerning a disturbance on South 2nd Street. A trespass notice was served. February 8 – A driver on Dolphin Street was issued a warning for an inoperable headlight. Found property was brought to the Petersburg Police Dep...
Concert pianist Tony Lu, 26, arrived in Petersburg on Tuesday for a week of piano performances and inspiring the community to think about music differently. He will perform live at the Lutheran Church on Sunday, Feb. 11. Originally from Wuhan, China, Tony moved to the United States when he was 16 years old, completing high school in St. Louis, Missouri. "It was a really good experience ... getting to know the culture, getting to know the language," he said. He first started teaching piano to...
January 24 – An officer responded to a report of trespassing on North 12th Street and directed an individual to leave the area. An officer responded to an alarm that activated at a business on North Nordic Drive. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a water outage at a residence on Skylark Way. Petersburg Public Works (PPW) was notified and responded. An officer conducted a welfare check on Mitkof Highway. Property found on South Nordic Drive was returned to its owner. A driver at 3rd and Excel Streets was issued a warning f...
In 2015, a deadly landslide occurred in Sitka. Anxiety swept the community as a result, and the frequent heavy rainfall typical for Southeast Alaska became a source of fear for many Sitkans left questioning when the next disaster would strike - and wondering what they could do to keep the citizens of the city safe. In response to the concerns, the Sitka Sound Science Center organized a volunteer team of geologic and climate experts from across the country. For over a year, the group met...
January 17 – An officer spoke with neighbors on Mitkof Highway who were arguing over snow removal and they agreed to be neighborly. An officer assisted a citizen on South 2nd Street. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a disabled vehicle at Eagles Roost Park. An officer conducted a welfare check on Nordic Drive. PPD received a report of items left at the post office. PPD received a report of suspicious activity on Excel Street. Extra patrols were conducted on Haugen Drive. January 18 – An officer conducted a welfare che...
January 10 – An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on North 12th Street. An officer responded to a request for a welfare check, but the individual had left the area. January 11 – An officer responded to a reported structure fire on Mitkof Highway and assisted the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD). An officer responded to a reported structure fire on Kiseno Street and assisted the PVFD. PPD transferred a report of an animal related incident to the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Troopers (AWT). An officer provided lockout ass...
Correcting the wrongs of the past To the Editor: As the Landless Native bill works through Congress and many Alaskans eagerly await its passage and others oppose it, a look at the past provides a broader perspective. In the years prior to Statehood when Alaska was a Territory, there was a movement to repatriate lands to Alaska Natives through the creation of a system of reservations throughout the Territory. At the time, the Governor of Alaska was Ernest Gruening, a wise and learned man who believed strongly in Native rights. He did not...
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...
December 6 – An alarm activated at a business on North Nordic Drive. An officer ensured the building was secure and notified the owner. An officer responded to a disturbance on Fram Street and instructed an individual to leave the area. Found property was returned to its owner. A subpoena was served. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) was notified that trash and recycling bins on Sing Lee Alley were suspiciously turned over and it was not bear related. Officers conducted a security examination of all exterior doors to a residence on Ira II S...
Nikita Chase doesn’t have a Christmas tree yet this year. She said she is more worried about staving off an electricity shutoff notice than getting into the holiday spirit. Her food stamps, known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, were nearly two months late. “I am pretty much tapped out going into Christmas. That’s not a great place to be,” she said. She ran up debt on her credit card to pay for heat and electricity after she spent all her cash to feed her family. She paid significantly higher prices for piecemeal groceri... Full story
Rock-N-Road Construction proposed to make needed modifications to the Petersburg Borough’s rock quarry and mud dump access road in exchange for up to 60 thousand cubic yards of borough rock to use for the new hospital site. The proposal benefits the borough by allowing further development of the borough’s quarry, which is currently exhausted with a shortage of accessible rock, and will also save money on the new hospital project. The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved this trade during a regular meeting on Dec. 5. According to Public Wor...
November 21 – The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) advised the Department of Transportation of several downed trees and flooding along the Mitkof Highway in the vicinity of Crystal Lake Hatchery. PPD served a protective order on Lumber Street. A fire drill was conducted on Charles W Street. An officer provided a courtesy transport to a highly intoxicated individual on Sing Lee Alley. Zachary Bray was arrested on Howkan Street and charged with burglary. PPD received a report of a cement block askew in a parking lot. Public Works (PPW) was n...
Ashley Lohr's newest art show opens at the Clausen Museum this Friday, November 3, with a reception from 5 - 7 p.m. Her digital paintings, works on canvas and enamel earrings will be on display through November 14. This is Lohr's 14th solo exhibit at the museum since moving to Petersburg in 2008 to work as Petersburg High School's art teacher. Like getting married, earning a masters degree, and having two children - Rosie, 8, and Finn, 5 - her solo exhibits serve as mile markers in her life....
The garden in front of the Petersburg Public Library has the first stage of a new art installation in the works - blending into the background, awaiting the focal pieces. Josef Quitslund welded an intricate fence last month, just "putting up the framework" for what will soon become a school of salmon swimming up Haugen drive. Around a hundred salmon-shaped pieces of colorfully painted plywood will hang from the rebar structure - moving with the wind and swimming through the garden midair....
With high oil prices driving up state revenues, Southeast legislators say to expect a larger capital budget next year for public works projects, more money for deferred maintenance and another attempt to boost state funding for public schools. That’s assuming oil prices stay elevated as the state works its way through the fiscal year that will end on June 30 and remain high in the forecast for the next year. Lawmakers will return to work at the Capitol on Jan. 16. With oil prices last week 30% higher than assumed in this year’s spending pla...
Stan Hjort Why have you chosen to run for Public Safety Board at this time? I have chosen to run for the Public Safety Board again because I am familiar with safety issues having been an engineer officer on AMH. What personal and professional experience do you bring to this role? As an engineer on AMH, I was supervisor of a crew of up to 6 employees. What do you define as the role of the Public Safety Advisory Board in Petersburg? The role of the Safety Board is to stay in touch with citizens co...
Anyone interested in the sudden surge of mushrooms or the bellowing cry of the Sand Hill Cranes passing over town can stoke their curiosity at the Petersburg Rainforest Festival events during the days to come. The official goal of the rainforest festival is, "connecting people to the natural world through education, exploration, and the arts." Since 2008, this festival has typically taken place after Labor Day weekend. However, that changed a few years ago. "For the last couple of years, we've...
