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A middle-aged man was rescued from frigid waters near Petersburg on the night of April 7. Franz Schonberg was walking his dog near the ferry terminal after sunset when he heard someone yelling in the Wrangell Narrows, between Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands. Schonberg, a local volunteer firefighter, launched his skiff and went to investigate, searching the dark, fast-moving waters for the person calling out for help. Around the same time, local resident Dr. James Pizzadili was walking along the...
A Petersburg-based fishing commercial vessel caught fire Thursday near Point Gardner in Chatham Strait where it had been participating in the golden king crab fishery. The fire prompted a coordinated response from nearby Samaritan vessels, the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 1:49 p.m. reporting that the F/V Spicy Lady, a 58-foot steel vessel, was on fire and crew members were preparing to abandon ship into a life...
A Petersburg-based fishing commercial vessel caught fire Thursday near Point Gardner in Chatham Strait where it had been participating in the golden king crab fishery. The fire prompted a coordinated response from nearby Samaritan vessels, the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 1:49 p.m. reporting that the F/V Spicy Lady, a 58-foot steel vessel, was on fire and crew members were preparing to abandon ship into a life... Full story
Petersburg’s Emergency Services Director Aaron Hankins presented the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department’s 2024 annual report to the assembly last week. Hankins writes in the report, “2024 gave us a few hurdles to overcome with the resignation of our EMS Coordinator, changes within the officer corps, new regulations and aging equipment. Thankfully, with new leadership and staff in place, new recruits, and with help from the Title 3 USFS receipts we are looking like we are in a little better shape going into 2025.” “Response times remain on...
A fire damaged a Petersburg home on South 2nd St. on the afternoon of January 27. No one was home at the time of the fire, except for two dogs, Daisy and Marz, who died in the fire. Volunteer Fire Department spokesperson Dave Berg said the house was tightly sealed, which deprived the fire of oxygen, and slowed the fire. He said it was clear that the fire had actually died down by the time first responders arrived. "When I pulled up on the place, it was heavy smoke coming from the eaves and...
January 22 – Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a post event report of suspicious activity. PPD received a report of lost property. A driver on Gjoa Street was issued a warning for an expired registration. Papers were served. January 23 – A driver on Haugen Drive was issued a warning for failure to come to a full stop at a stop sign. A driver on Haugen Drive was issued a warning for tail light requirements. January 24 – An officer assisted a citizen with a civil issue on North Nordic Drive. An officer spoke with a complainant on Excel...
Carey Case first arrived in Petersburg in 1998 as a 24-year-old seasonal Forest Service employee, and now, after 25 years of service in numerous roles within the district, she has been hired as the Petersburg District Ranger. "I started working for the Forest Service in college in Washington State, and really liked working outdoors and getting to take helicopters and working in remote places," Case recalls. Her journey to Petersburg began when "RD Parks hired me and moved me up here. He asked... Full story
The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department Association recently received a $173,000 donation to build up the Smokey Howell Memorial Fund which began in 2002 from Petersburg's response to a tragedy and continues to support local volunteer training and emergency response capabilities. The most recent donation follows an earlier $70,000 contribution in 2021 – both coming from Howell's family through the Geneva Bartlett Trust - bringing the total endowment to nearly $300,000. The fund honors L...
A Petersburg home was destroyed in a fire on Jan. 13. Just after noon, Petersburg's volunteer fire department, police and Alaska State Troopers responded to the residential fire - located about two miles out of town along Frederick Point Drive. Petersburg's Fire Chief Dan Bird said the house was "completely engulfed in flames" when firefighters arrived on scene. No one was home at the time of the fire; neighbors said the owners are on vacation. The fire was contained by midafternoon. "It's...
January 16, 1925 – The bachelors are going to entertain the people of Petersburg at the Sons of Norway Hall on Saturday, January 17th. There will be entertainment, a big dinner and dancing. Everyone is cordially invited to attend. The bachelors are to be hosts and wish everyone to know that there will be no admittance or other charges. January 13, 1950 – With memories of last winter’s dry spell still fresh in their minds, citizens of Petersburg are watching the city’s water supply dwindle away to almost nothing this week. With her inadequ...
January 8 – Dispatch assisted in contacting the owner of a vehicle to be moved after a parking complaint was received. An officer spoke with a complainant concerning a civil issue. January 9 – A report was received of a possible downed communication line, Power and Light responded. A driver on North Nordic Drive was educated on helmet requirements for passengers of an ATV. On Sandy Beach Road a driver was issued a warning for speed and tag display requirements. Five calls were received regarding a motor vehicle incident in downtown Pet...
January 2024 A prized Mental Health Trust lot by Blind River Rapids, a popular recreation site for sport fishing, was sold at auction to a USCG family. Toler and Jessie Alexander are eager to return to Petersburg after retiring from the Coast Guard in a few years. The borough listed its top priority capital projects, and the Petersburg Medical Center replacement was first and second on the list – for the main hospital construction and the main hospital interior build out. Petersburg Indian A...
December 4 – The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a leaking water meter on 4.5 Street. Water Wastewater (W/WW) was notified and responded. PPD received a report of a dog on South 2nd Street being let out into its yard unattended. The Crystal Lake warning system was tested. An officer responded to a parking complaint on Chief John Lott Street and a vehicle was moved from its illegal parking spot at the direction of the officer. December 5 – Travis Miller was cited for dog at large. An officer assisted a citizen on Sou...
Petersburg's student-run nonprofit movie theater, the Northern Nights Theater, has run out of reserves and will have to make some changes starting in January. The last few years have been very challenging and expensive for the organization. Sitting unused through the early stages of the pandemic led to major malfunctions with the movie projector, Theater Manager Cyndy Fry told the Pilot. "We basically had to buy the whole computer guts of the system, [and then] because of that change we had to...
November 26 – An officer spoke with a complainant regarding a civil issue. Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a vandalized door to a school outbuilding near the track. An officer responded to a disturbance on South 2nd Street and determined it was a civil issue. PPD received multiple reports of fraudulent texts from an individual claiming to be a minister needing Apple gift cards purchased for them to give to cancer patients in the hospital, alleging they were too busy to get the cards themself, but would repay the money a...
A Petersburg borough sanding truck slid into another vehicle on an icy hill and then rolled into the muskeg on December 1. The truck was going up a hill to the local dump at around 4:30 p.m. Dave Berg is a spokesperson for the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department. He said the sand that the truck had just put down was no match for the steep, slick road. "He was heading up the hill," he said. "There was another vehicle following him, and the sander stopped, [it] basically was not getting any...
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska, came to Petersburg on Nov. 21 to thank first responders from Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, Petersburg Medical Center, the Troopers and the Police - presenting each with a plaque in recognition of their extraordinary response on the night of Nov. 13, 2023, when a Coast Guard helicopter crashed outside of Petersburg....
November 20 – An officer responding to a report of a dog at large on North Nordic Drive found the canine had departed the area. An officer assisted Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on Haugen Drive. Isaiah Etcher was cited on Charles W Street for driving in violation of provisional license requirements. An officer responded to a reported disturbance on South 2nd Street and spoke with all relevant parties. A driver on Baranof Street was issued a warning for an expired registration. November 21 – An officer assisted EMS on Ira II Street. An off...
The members of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department elected Dan Bird this month to replace Jim Stolpe as fire chief. Stolpe served two three-year terms as chief, and he intends to continue his volunteering career with PVFD for as long as he is able - though he plans to let his EMT certification expire in the coming year and will slow down a little when it comes to rushing into burning buildings. "After 45 years of doing it, I figure it's time for that younger generation to pick that ball up...
November 13 – Officers responded to a disturbance on South 3rd Street. Officers responded to a disturbance on Haugen Drive and determined it was non-criminal. Officers responded to a report of suspicious activity on North 1st Street and determined it was unfounded. Officers assisted the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) with a boat fire at the Crane Dock. November 14 – The Petersburg Police Department (PPD) received a report of a fuel smell on North Nordic Drive. The Fire Marshall was notified and responded. Property found on Hau...
A fisherman, who also happens to be a member of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department, was checking on his boat in Petersburg's South Harbor Wednesday evening, Nov. 13, when he smelled smoke. He investigated and saw flames through a gally window of the FV Carol B — a tender docked a few stalls away from his own boat. He called it in, and the fire department along with harbor crews mounted a fast response. No one was aboard the Carol B and no one was injured in the fire or the response, confir...
October 30 – An officer conducted extra foot patrols in downtown Petersburg. An officer conducted a welfare check on Sing Lee Alley. An officer assisted EMS with an incident on Chief John Lott Street. A report was received of a runaway dog. The dog was later found by its owner. Evelyn Anderson was cited for speeding. An officer responded to a reported disturbance on S. 4th Street and determined it was non-criminal. October 31 – Found property on Gjoa Street was reported. An officer conducted a welfare check on 12th Street. A runaway canine was...
In costume as inflatable unicorns for the night, Erin Kandoll and her daughter Harlow dance to halloween-themed music as trick-or-treaters in Severson's Subdivision check out a fake dummy in the back of the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department EMS ambulance on October 31....
Emergency Medical Technician class is underway at the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department....
