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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The state of Alaska plans to begin distributing this year’s oil-wealth fund check and a special energy relief payment to residents on Sept. 20. The timeline was announced Friday by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state Department of Revenue. The combined payout for the dividend and energy relief payment is estimated to be around $3,200 per person; a final figure is pending. Residents will receive the money as one payment, the department said. The energy relief payment was intended by lawmakers as a one-time benefit to help res...
The new U.S. Forest Service Petersburg District Ranger Vernon "Ray" Born introduced himself to the community during Monday's Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting and gave a report on the Forest Service's current and future projects in the district. Born, who came to Petersburg from Bethel where he worked managing the Yukon Delta Wildlife Refuge, succeeded Ted Sandhofer as the permanent district ranger. He is originally from Minnesota where he grew up on his family farm and also served in the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted unanimously to add 14 projects to its capital project requests list during Monday’s meeting. The requests list is comprised of capital projects that are listed in the state of Alaska’s CAPSIS system used by the state legislature, the congressionally directed spending requests list, and the Alaska Department of Transportation needs list. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said during the meeting that the requests list is being updated much earlier in the year than usual because of increased funding opp...
Look around Southeast and you will see a lot of evergreen trees that aren't so green. Southeast Alaska's hemlock and spruce trees are fending off an assault by a number of pests and diseases, most notably a caterpillar that causes the conifers to turn reddish-brown. The main culprit is the western blackheaded budworm, a moth caterpillar that feeds on hemlock and spruce needles, according to U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region entomologist Elizabeth Graham in Juneau. Graham said Southeast trees...
The Petersburg Medical Center Foundation will host its 8th annual Paddle Battle on Saturday, August 6 with the goal of raising funds to help support education. "I would consider it kind of a revival of the event because the last two years have been pretty quiet as far as the Paddle Battle," said Community Wellness Coordinator Julie Walker. "We've still held the event during the height of the pandemic but it was small and we're really looking to revive the event and encourage more participation...
Petersburg has been hit with below average rainfall this summer according to data collected by the National Weather Service. From June 21 to July 6 Petersburg had just 0.42 inches of precipitation and though that has picked up this past week, the borough is still dealing with the challenges caused by the dry weather. According to Edward Liske, a meteorologist with the NWS in Juneau, the dry conditions have been observed across Southeast and are the product of a high pressure ridge. "Well the...
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two overdue boaters on the shore of Totem Bay on Sunday after their vessel sank. The men, who were staying at the Island Point Lodge, departed the lodge Saturday morning on an 18-foot aluminum vessel and were expected back that evening. After they did not return, Sector Juneau watchstanders received a report of their absence from fellow lodge guests at approximately 6:55 a.m. Sunday. In response, watchstanders launched a Maritime Safety and Security Team Seattle...
The Petersburg Medical Center has reported two positive cases of COVID-19 among Long Term Care residents over the past week. The first case was reported on July 8 and an additional case was identified on Tuesday after a second round of testing. According to PMC, both positive residents have mild symptoms and are being isolated. The hospital reported that it has been in contact with State of Alaska Epidemiology and is currently checking residents for symptoms twice a day and testing residents and staff twice a week. Residents and staff are also...
A car was found overturned in a ditch along Haugen Drive Sunday morning after it crashed according to Assistant Fire Chief Dave Berg. The upside down white Volkswagen Jetta was spotted by a passerby off the road near the end of the airport runway at around 5 a.m. on Sunday according to Berg. A fire truck, work truck, and ambulance responded to the scene but did not find any of the occupants of the vehicle. Berg said responders canvassed the area around the crash and found blood on the car. The r...
Hunting guide Logan Canton has been working all over the state since 2008, including conducting black bear hunts in Southeast. He says, one of the biggest changes he's seen locally is an increase in nonresident hunters coming here to hunt bear, and the 2021-2022 season that just wrapped up on June 30 was no exception. For years, good genetics on Prince of Wales Island produced a reputation for black bears with big skulls. That, combined with the infrastructure, road system and an array of...
A candidate up for Mountain View Manor director visited Petersburg this week and held a meet and greet at the assisted living facility on Tuesday. Derrick Casey, who grew up in Petersburg and is a Petersburg High School graduate, interviewed for the position and toured around the facility during his visit. Casey has been in management for over 20 years and got his start in retail before eventually deciding to try something different and begin working as a caregiver for people with dementia and...
The Salvation Army has appointed a new corps officer to Petersburg following the retirement of Maj. Loni Upshaw. Capt. Khamsavart "KV" Saengthasy arrived in Petersburg on June 29 and is currently settling into his new role, learning about food distribution and assistance programs, overseeing the thrift store, and preparing for church services and Bible study. He started with the Salvation Army in Stockton, California in 2014 and was last stationed in Honolulu where he worked as a social service...
WRANGELL – DC Auto, the only automotive mechanic shop in Wrangell, closed its doors for good last Friday, after being in business for about seven years. The closure leaves a void in auto services with not many options to get a vehicle repaired, oil changed or other needed fixes. There are a few mechanics in town who provide service to select clients or friends and family, but that’s of little comfort to someone with a trashed transmission or blown head gasket. “We’re thinking about getting back into it, and we’re actively trying to find guys...
After leading the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department for 14 years, Fire/EMS Director Sandy Dixson celebrated her retirement at an event last week in the fire station. Current and former PVFD volunteers, Petersburg Borough Assembly members, borough staff, and other community members gathered to mark the occasion and present Dixson with a plaque to recognize her time with the department. Dixson gave her final address to the assembly during its June 20 meeting where she shared her story and...
Assembly Members Dave Kensinger and Bob Lynn were appointed to help finalize conceptual plans for proposed improvements to the Papke's Landing Marine Facility at the June 20 Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting. The two assembly members will work with Alan Murph of Harai & Associates who came up with the initial conceptual design. The total estimated cost of the project according to the plans presented to the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board on April 15 is $6,410,000. That plan is broken up into p...
During Monday's meeting, the Petersburg Borough Assembly voted 6-0 to appoint Assembly Member Bob Lynn as chair for the next three assembly meetings. The motion was brought forward as Mayor Mark Jensen will be absent fishing and Vice Mayor Jeigh Stanton Gregor will be attending the meetings remotely if available. Stanton Gregor said Monday that he would prefer having someone in person in the assembly chambers facilitate the meetings rather than him running the meetings over Zoom and he...
The final coat of paint was put on the surface of the leisure pool Monday according to Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne. The leisure pool was closed last month after leaks were discovered during the community center's annual closure. It was painted an ocean blue color and will take a week to cure. Parks and Recreation plans to partially fill up the pool with water on July 11 to see if there are any more bubbles indicating a leak. If all is well, Payne expects the pool could reopen...
The Petersburg Medical Center Hospital Board unanimously approved its FY23 budget during last Thursday's meeting. According to PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter, the hospital faced many challenges and unknowns while crafting its "creative budget" as the healthcare industry comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the budget's total operating revenue of $23,925,927 is 11.1% up from the FY22 baseline, a value based on the hospital's year-to-date financials through March 31, 2022 plus an average over the...
Beer and wine have been available at the bars on board the state ferries Matanuska and Kennicott since late May after the amenities were closed seven years ago, reportedly to save money. The ferry system “has collected feedback on the bar reopening through customer surveys answered by Kennicott and Matanuska passengers — all positive comments,” Sam Dapcevich, Department of Transportation spokesman, said last week. “I’ve also heard from a few Southeast Alaska residents who are happy to see the bars reopened.” There is no additional staff expense...
WRANGELL – The final inspection took place on June 16. An entirely new observation deck and shelter are still fresh with the smell of sealant. Anan Wildlife Observatory is almost ready for visitors at the start of the permit season on July 5. Even though the observatory is ready, plans are not flush to open the popular bear-viewing site, U.S. Forest Service staffers say. One thing blocks the way before people can arrive. The public toilets. "We are having complications with getting our t... Full story
Sealaska Heritage Institute has made available online for the public recordings of two important treasures in the preservation of traditional Southeast Native culture, knowledge and history: Radio interviews with Native leaders that go back almost 40 years and the biennial Celebration festival. The 164 radio interviews preserved in digital files are from an hour-long program, “Southeast Native Radio,” that aired on Juneau public station KTOO 1985 to 2001. “The collection is remarkable, as it offers so many interviews with people on topic...
Towards the end of last month, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) held a community tour aboard the cutter Pike to help introduce the latest vessel that will continue the legacy of service in Southeast. Prior to the event, Commanding Officer Jack Loewenstein and Executive Petty Officer Kevin Chapman made sure to get off the ship and meet some people around town while spreading word about the event. "We did the rounds, we ended up walking over to the police station and meeting Jim there, meeting Glo at...
An investigation by the borough into a complaint filed by Petersburg Police Department Chief Jim Kerr, alleging that he was the subject of harassment from Assembly Members Jeff Meucci and Dave Kensinger, found that no conduct that met any legal definition of harassment had taken place. The investigation also found that Kerr's comments at a Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting on November 17, 2021 were not protected by the First Amendment or the Alaska State Constitution. On Monday, as a response... Full story
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade today, ending the federal right to abortion and putting access to it in the hands of states. In Alaska, abortion remains legal through the state constitution's provision on privacy, but abortion-rights advocates say that right is fragile. And they say that access to abortions in Alaska is already inequitable. "The big takeaway is abortion is still safe and legal in Alaska. All of the options that existed yesterday exist today in Alaska," said Rose... Full story
If elected, would you work to improve access to affordable child care? Kenny Skaflestad: This is a priority. And this is a priority again from the smallest village to our more prominent communities. The need for addressing the child care challenge in each community is a major topic. It's one that I'd be glad to champion as far as the Alaska State House has to do and I think that could be a great deal depending on the energies put towards it. I'm glad to have seen some of my predecessors in the H...
