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September 3, 1926 – With the opening of the fall term of school, transportation in Petersburg becomes a vital question. Many children in Scow Bay are enrolled in the Petersburg schools but are regularly unable to attend through no fault of their own. More often than not they are unable to reach the school because of bad roads. In order that children residing in Scow Bay and the vicinity may be able to attend school regularly, it is necessary that the road connecting those communities with Petersburg be improved so that transportation will be po...
Petersburg's Community Aquatic Center reopened its pools this week after being closed since mid-May for a sewer-line repair beneath the facility's concrete floors. However, while contractors finish up the job and reconcrete the locker room floors, swimmers will need to adjust to reduced capacity and altered access, announced Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne. The leisure and wellness pool and the lap pool have reopened as of Tuesday morning on Aug. 18. The sauna and the second-floor...
The votes are adding up for Alaska’s primary election, which happened Aug. 18. Poll workers say Petersburg had strong voter participation in this year’s primary. In the Petersburg-Kupreanof precinct, 555 voters cast ballots in-person on Tuesday by the time the polls closed. That turnout was higher than the previous primary held in 2024, which officially saw 393 ballots from Petersburg. Not including early or absentee ballots, the unofficial local primary results from votes cast on Tuesday are as follows: For U.S. Senate, Petersburg voters fav... Full story
Mrs. Willis, Kindergarten: Liam Birchell, Ethan Buotte, Kannon Davis, Jaylha Graham, Harlow Kandoll, Estherjo Litsheim, Keegan Martin, Connor Mazzella, Harper McCay, Raiden Wagemaker. Mrs. Hammer, Kindergarten: Gage Bullard, Connor Josey, Aleksander Kerr, Bristol McCallum, Samuel McCallum, Triniti Nelson, Liam Pallissard, Natalie Sheldon, Owen Shumway, Willow Skinner, Danielle Thynes. Mrs. Mullen, 1st Grade: Amia Davis, Esme Ford, Kenna Gillen, Devyn Jabusch, Ejah’nay Mitchell, Mason Newman, Abby Reyes, Flora Smith, Autumn Stanhope, Thorin S...
Nearly seven decades ago a major Hollywood film crew rolled into Petersburg to shoot the sprawling Alaska statehood epic "Ice Palace." For their new exhibit, the Clausen Memorial Museum brings that movie back for two screenings. The museum will celebrate the opening of its new exhibit Saturday, Aug. 8, with a 3 p.m. matinee screening of the film. A second showing is set for Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. Standard museum admission covers a tour of the exhibit, the screening, and concessions - popcorn and...
JAG Ketchikan LLC, which began operating the state-owned Ketchikan Shipyard in September, has secured a nearly $100 million contract for a service-life extension project involving a federal research vessel. The $99.6 million contract from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island based fisheries survey ship Henry B. Bigelow has a start time of June 6 for procurement of long lead-time materials and an estimated completion date of April 14, 2029, according to information from NOAA and the Alaska Industrial...
Joanne (Joey) Linda Chapman was born on November 10, 1954, in Wiesbaden, Germany, to Donald and Barbara (Grainger) Chapman. When she was ten her mother died from an undiagnosed kidney disease. She and her three sisters were lovingly raised in Burlington, Massachusetts, by her stepmother Evelyn Chapman. She enjoyed a childhood vacationing on Cape Cod and summers full of fun on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. After graduating from Burlington High School in 1972 Joey went to the University of... Full story
Walk downtown Petersburg during Little Norway Festival and you'll find artwork just about everywhere you look. It's in the galleries and on the walls of pop-up shows. It's on the parade floats. And it's in the storefronts of Petersburg-Wrangell Insurance, IGA, First Bank and Wells Fargo - where the students of Rae C. Stedman Elementary School have their work on display for anyone passing by. "[The festival] is quite a concentrated experience of visual creativity," said Firelight Gallery owner Ma...
To the Editor: These outstanding students have demonstrated respect, responsibility, leadership, and a love of learning. Each will be recognized with a school announcement, a Viking Bus Noise Parade, a yard sign, a certificate and recognition in our community. April Students of the Month are: Rory Volk, a responsible and respectful student whose confidence continues to grow; Dawsyn Jabusch, a thoughtful and caring student who always looks out for others; Carmella Ford, a strong leader who consistently sets a positive example; Abigail Martin, a...
The Alaska Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to reform the state’s pension system for public employees, ending months of debate on future retirement benefits for Alaska’s state and municipal employees, including teachers and police officers. The measure aims to address the consequences of a 2006 decision by Alaska lawmakers to eliminate the state pension plan that guaranteed income in retirement, and replace it with a 401(k) style plan that has since left many public-sector workers without the funds to retire securely. Union leaders and oth...
Petersburg police, fire and EMS personnel conducted a multi-agency active threat training exercise at Stedman Elementary School after school hours on Wednesday, April 15. The Petersburg Police Department issued a public service announcement ahead of the exercise alerting residents that emergency vehicles and personnel would be visible in and around the school and asking the public to avoid the immediate area. The drill was organized by Petersburg Police Sgt. Drew Ayriss and EMS Coordinator Ryan...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously Monday to support House Bill 78, legislation that would restore a defined benefit retirement option for Alaska public employees and teachers — and added language calling on the Legislature to reject an amendment that critics say would burden local governments. Resolution 2026-10, passed at the April 13 regular assembly meeting, expresses the borough’s support for HB 78, which would allow employees in the Public Employees’ Retirement System Tier 4 and Teachers’ Retirement System Tier 3 to opt...
Cora Campbell, president and CEO of Silver Bay Seafoods, returned to her hometown of Petersburg as guest speaker Saturday evening at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. Over the course of about 20 minutes, she drew a through-line from the town's 1897 founding to the hard lessons of the 2023 salmon crisis - and outlined an optimistic slate of value-added products she said will soon be flowing through the Petersburg plant. "As pink salmon goes, so goes the economy," Campbell told...
Molly Taiber recently returned from Juneau, where she spent several days this legislative session doing what she has done every year for the past six years: sitting across from state legislators making the case that Alaska’s public employees are heading toward a retirement they will not be able to live on. For most of Alaska’s history as a state, a career in public service came with one of the better retirement packages in the country — a guaranteed pension that rewarded workers for building careers in Alaska. That system was dismantled in 20...
Petersburg’s elementary school will be getting new accessible playground equipment next school year as part of a $173,000 grant from the Hurst Wood Education Foundation, a nonprofit that supports special education projects in schools. The current playground at the Rae C. Stedman Elementary School has swings, slides, monkey bars, and a variety of climbing equipment. For students in wheelchairs or with limited mobility, playing on that equipment can be challenging. Special Education Director Cyndy Fry said having a playground that’s ina... Full story
In 2019, after being selected as Alaska’s 2018 State Teacher of the Year, I worked with other award-winning educators to pen an op-ed: “Why teach in Alaska?” At the time, we eagerly co-signed as we believed in dedicating a career to Alaska students and that our legislators and community wanted a thriving public education system. My answer now is a heavy “I can’t.” My wife, Catherine Walker — the 2024 Alaska Teacher of the Year and one of four National Teacher of the Year finalists — and I are leaving. When two people recognized among the most d...
Stedman Elementary School Students of the Month To the Editor: Stedman Elementary is proud to announce our Students of the Month. These outstanding students have demonstrated respect, responsibility, leadership, and a love of learning. Each will be recognized with a school announcement, a Viking Bus Noise Parade, a yard sign, a certificate, and recognition in our community. Ben Grim is a shining example of kindness and respect at Stedman Elementary. His resilience, perseverance, and positive attitude make him a wonderful role model in our...
Alaska’s state ferry system is at risk of a partial or total shutdown this summer due to the failure of the federal government to issue a key annual grant. “Currently right now, we have a shortfall in our budget,” said Dom Pannone, director of program administration and management for the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, to members of the Senate Finance Committee during a Monday morning hearing. Money from the Federal Transit Administration’s rural ferry program pays for almost half of the Alaska Marine Highway... Full story
To the Petersburg Community To the Editor: Thank you, thank you, thank you for providing us with the most rewarding memories of the past 25 years! From opening your arms to us in 2000, when Kathy was hired as Petersburg’s City Clerk, to supporting our family operation of Northern Lights restaurant from 2003 to 2010 and Larry’s commercial carpet cleaning business for many years. But most of all, we thank you for working with us since 2014 to develop the youth shotgun marksmanship program, Devil’s Thumb Shooters. Since 2014, DTS has expan...
Alaska lawmakers opened the second year of their regular legislative session on Tuesday with an ambitious agenda but low expectations amid a tight budget that appears likely to draw the lion’s share of legislators’ attention. “It’s one big log jam,” said Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka. The Alaska Legislature operates on a two-year cycle between elections; bills are carried over from the first year to the second, but if they don’t pass the Legislature by the end of the second year, they expire and must start all over again. Speaking Tuesday, me... Full story
January 2025 The Petersburg Borough Assembly agreed to transfer seven parcels of borough-owned land in the Airport Addition Subdivision to Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority (THRHA) in exchange for the developing road and utilities for 11 residential lots. The snowpack at the Raven's Ridge snow survey site at 1,650 ft elevation measured zero inches. One of only two years on record without snowpack in January. Rock-N-Road Construction was awarded the contract for the borough's Pump Station...
Around three years ago Petersburg's 100-year-old American Legion post, the Edward Locken Post 14, had dwindled to three members – Paul Anderson, Butch Anderson, and Stan Hjort. Paul Anderson carried a tremendous amount of the responsibility for the veteran community in Petersburg. When he died in Jan. 2023, a new generation of local veterans stepped up to carry the mantle. Petersburg resident Garrett Kravitz was just retiring from his career in the Navy. He, along with Tony and Tracy Vinson, l...
