Sorted by date Results 776 - 800 of 906
Former Petersburg Community School District Maintenance Director Tye Petersen, 46, plead guilty last week to Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography—three counts that carry up to a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for each count. Petersen was arrested last October after federal investigators and local police conducted a search warrant of his home and electronic devices. Investigators found email attachments as well as CDs containing images and videos of young children e...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved $137,538 in repairs to the failing parks and recreation HVAC system. Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes said the repairs would help his department save money in the long run through energy savings. The pneumatic controls of the more than 25 year-old system are leaking, and many of the springs and actuators that assist the system's air pump have lost tension, causing too much heat to escape the system. “That compressor pumps air to an actuator and tells that actuator 'you need to o...
Keep moving, Petersburg To the Editor: Petersburg Mental Health staff is grateful for the generous people that made the second annual Pedometer Challenge happen. We couldn't have done it without Mark Kubo’s amazing tracking skills, Erin Michael and Colleen Jaeger at Public Health serving as the distribution center, local businesses (Hammer and Wikan and Skate of Gear) for their contribution, and the Petersburg Indian Association for providing amazing grand prizes. Thanks to you and to all the participants. Petersburg's entire step count during...
Outgoing Petersburg School District Superintendent Rob Thomason attended his last school board meeting Tuesday evening. He had these final words for the board and the public: "It's been a great five years in Petersburg," Thomason said. "It's been the highlight of my career. It truly has. As my wife and I have reminisced, we always say we wished we would have found this opportunity ten years sooner. It's been good, and I think the district is in good hands with the principals and the director of... Full story
June 13, 1914 – Last Tuesday evening, immediately after the adjournment of the firemen's meeting, nearly every man in town who was not otherwise occupied assembled at the Fire Hall for the purpose of devising ways and means for the celebration of the coming fourth. Enthusiasm ran high and, if kept up, Petersburgers and visitors will witness the greatest fourth of July celebration in the history of the town. It was suggested that everybody be appointed a committee of one and invite out-of-town friends to join in the festivities of the day. J...
Despite fears this winter of dipping into its reserves, the Petersburg School Board unanimously approved a balanced budget for the 2014/2015 school year without spending from reserve funds. Petersburg School District Finance Director Karen Quitslund presented the budget to the school board last week. She outlined several budget considerations including recent legislation passed during this spring session that increased the base student allocation (BSA) by $150, which brings total funding per student to $5,830. Petersburg schools will have an an... Full story
Petersburg High School seniors are graduating next Tuesday in the high school gym. Petersburg School District teacher Sue Harden is retiring this year and will be the honored speaker during the ceremony. Among the many highlights at the event, the school’s band and choir will perform and Class Historian Fran Abbott will provide a history of the class. Petersburg High School and Mitkof Middle School Principal Rick Dormer said the senior class tends to set a tone for the school’s climate each year. This year’s class has created a quieter and c...
The Petersburg Community Foundation awarded its annual grants on May 17, 2014. The grants, valued around $10,000, included: Petersburg Medical Center - $335 to support new instructional materials for the Physical Therapy Department, Working Against Violence for Everyone (WAVE) - $400 to support volunteer advocate training in 2014, Petersburg Public Library - $750, to support the 2014 Amazing Rainforest Race, Petersburg Children's Center - $1,308 to support new teaching materials for S.T.E.M....
WRANGELL - State Rep. Peggy Wilson will no longer represent the Wrangell area to the state legislature, starting with the election of her successor. Wilson announced her plans Friday during a floor session of the state legislature, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Wilson's mother will require help around the home, and several new great-grandchildren have arrived in the family, Wilson said. "My mom isn't well," she said. "She's so fragile that she hasn't been outside all...
The Petersburg School Board is seeking to appoint two new school board members to serve until the October elections after board members Dawn Ware and John Bringhurst resigned. Both Bringhurst and Ware are moving away from Petersburg. Bringhurst said he couldn’t think of any profession that has more impact on society than that of a teacher. “For me it’s been a pleasure and a great experience being on the team that helps oversee this effort and work with all of those who stand in support of and in back of and in leadership of those wonde... Full story
Petersburg School District Finance Director Karen Quitslund presented a bare bones draft budget in front of the school board Tuesday evening. Quitslund said next year’s school budget is the most challenging budget she’s worked on in her three years as finance director. Staff had to plan the budget while dealing with several financial unknowns due to changes in education funding in the State legislature. Declining enrollment, which influences a state funding formula known as ‘foundation funding’, in Petersburg school’s also presented a challen...
Community members packed the assembly chambers last Monday to support continued local education funding for the Petersburg School District. District staff and parents responded to across the board budget cuts proposed last week by several assembly members. Sue Paulsen said while she understands difficult discussions will need to take place at some point, now is not the time for generalized budget reductions. “I bow to you,” Paulsen said. “You will be having these discussions. It’s not going to be easy. But a general reduction in services right... Full story
This weekend, the Petersburg Fire Department will be hosting the SE Region Emergency Medical Services Council’s 30th Annual Emergency Medical Services Symposium in Petersburg. This will be the first time in SEREMS’ history that the 4-day educational event will be held here. Approximately 100 speakers, vendors and attendees will descend on Petersburg for the educational offerings, social events and the opportunity to experience the community of Petersburg. According to Bobbi Leichty, Executive Director of SEREMS, “It will be the ‘safe...
The Petersburg School Board unanimously selected Dr. Lisa Stroh to be the new Petersburg School District (PSD) Superintendent. Stroh, who is the current superintendent of Valdez City Schools, officially begins July 1, 2014. "When I look at the (Petersburg) district, things are going very, very well," Stroh said. "What I need to do is get familiar with the programs, listen to people, talk with them and find out from them what's going well, what things we need to tweak, and how can I help them... Full story
April 4, 1914 – The supreme court has rendered two decisions this week of importance to women: the first is an attack on the ancient legal fiction that woman's identity is swallowed up in that of her husband. In England, for centuries, it was pointed out, woman was prevented from acquiring a domicile for any purpose in a jurisdiction other than that of her husband. Only in recent years the United States has allowed a wife to establish a domicile in a jurisdiction other than that of the husband for the purpose of suing for divorce. Now the c...
With some assembly members proposing cuts to school and mental health services funding, Petersburg School District (PSD) Superintendent Dr. Rob Thomason and Petersburg Mental Health Services (PMHS) Director Susan Ohmer each rallied against the potential cuts. Thomason explained that State and local funding has remained flat for the last four years. The State funds public school districts on a per pupil basis-an amount of $5,680 per child. Declining enrollment and increased operations and...
Former Petersburg Community School District Maintenance Director Tye Petersen plans to plead guilty to Distribution, Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography—three counts that carry up to 20 years of imprisonment each and a $250,000 fine for each count. In exchange for the U.S. District Court's acceptance of Petersen's guilty plea, U.S. prosecutors agree not to prosecute the defendant further for any other offenses arising out of the investigation related to Petersen's indictment, the plea agreement states. Last July, FBI investigators i...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly couldn't come to a consensus last Tuesday for next year's budget spending after it was tasked with providing direction to borough staff to make any changes the assembly would like to see. The assembly met with department heads last week and went over budget line items department wide. During Tuesday's budget hearing, members of Petersburg's community service organizations-organizations the borough funds annually-lobbied for their respective funding needs....
Two superintendent applicants toured Mitkof Island, Petersburg and visited with various community members including district staff and administrators on Wednesday. Virginia Jewell Jewell grew up in New England and has spent more than five years of her educational career building start-up American schools in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. "Interestingly enough, overseas, you get a lot of non-Americans who want to have an American education," Jewell said. She is currently working at a start-up school... Full story
The Petersburg Medical Center submitted a balanced budget to the assembly earlier this month. The budget for fiscal year 2015 anticipates a net gain of $333,014 after covering $13.5 million in total operating expenses compared to $13.3 million last year. More than $9 million is budgeted for salaries, wages and employee benefits—an increase of around $229,000 from the year before. Net patient revenue is anticipated at around $13.7 million compared to $13.5 million last year. In creating next year’s budget, the PMC Board operated under sev...
Summer break will start early for Stedman Elementary School students this year after the Alaska Department of Education Commissioner gave the Petersburg District School Board tentative approval to release students four days early so construction can begin on the elementary school’s exterior renovation project. The $2.3 million project will require a large amount of shuffling of classrooms and supplies and the extra few days will allow staff to pack up and move before full access to the building is granted to contractors on June 6. Exterior w... Full story
Three Petersburg School District Superintendent applicants land in Petersburg early next week for interviews and will speak with PSD staff and administrators, visit with the community and tour the island. Jay Thomas, Virginia Jewell and Lisa Stroh have all been selected as finalists for the position. Thomas is currently the Assistant Superintendent in Unalakleet, Alaska. “During my 13 years in rural Alaska, I have been a coach, mentor, teacher, principal and assistant superintendent,” Thomas wrote in his application’s cover letter. “In every s...
Petersburg High School may soon offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) course. PHS Principal Rick Dormer said the course would be added to the school’s vocational technology class offerings. “It would allow kids to walk out with a diploma and a CNA certification,” Dormer said. PHS currently has a shop and aquaculture program. The CNA program would consist of one school year’s worth of classroom lessons as well as clinical experience at Petersburg Medical Center. Angela Menish, PMC Director of Patient Services and Registered Nurse, would b...
The Seas Masons—Petersburg High School’s Alaska Tsunami Science Bowl team—placed 4th out of the 18 teams from across Alaska that competed in the science bowl in Seward two weeks ago. The competition consisted of three categories: a research paper, a presentation and a quiz bowl. In those categories, the Petersburg team placed 9th in the research paper, 2nd in the presentation and 3rd in the quiz bowl. The Sea Mason’s spent the past seven months researching the effects of ocean freshening through the air-sea interface. Sea Mason’s team capt...
