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Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed a $14.4 billion state budget, the sixth-largest in state history, after vetoing about $400 million from a proposal passed by the Alaska Legislature this spring. With Alaska expecting a multibillion-dollar surge in oil revenue due to high prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, spending is up by $2.7 billion when compared to the budget passed by the governor and lawmakers last year. That increase is less than the rise in revenue, and the state is poised to end a decade-long streak of years in which...
The Alaska Marine Highway System has enough crew to operate its summer schedule, though it still lacks a sufficient cushion to handle worker illnesses, injuries and personal leave without holding over staff for extra shifts. “We have been holding people longer than they would like,” Transportation Department spokesman Sam Dapcevich said last week. And the state ferry system is far short of the additional staff that would have been needed to bring the Columbia back to service after a three-year absence for maintenance and a money-saving tie...
A ship named for one of Norway's most famed explorers has been visiting Petersburg for the first time this summer. The MS Roald Amundsen operated by Hurtigruten is the world's first hybrid powered expedition ship and is currently traversing through Alaska, offering passengers a chance to participate in experiments and research among the state's natural environments. Though unable to mark the Amundsen's very first visit to Petersburg in May, representatives from the community including Sally Dwye...
Alaska state ferry service between Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, resumed on Monday afternoon. The last state ferry voyage to the Canadian port city was in late fall 2019. The Matanuska made a quick round trip Monday and is scheduled for another voyage on Friday. "(The) Matanuska made a test sailing to Prince Rupert about a week ago and all went to plan," state Transportation Department spokesperson Sam Dapcevich wrote in a Friday email. This summer's service is limited, with...
Republican candidate Tara Sweeney cannot replace independent candidate Al Gross in Alaska's special election for U.S. House, the director of the Alaska Division of Elections said Tuesday, one day after Gross said he will withdraw from the race. Gross's action and the division's decision means only three candidates will advance to a special general election on Aug. 16, but that could change if the division's decision is successfully challenged in court. Sweeney's campaign will not file a suit,... Full story
The Petersburg Borough Assembly voted 6-0 to approve three ordinances, which could amend the charter, in their second readings during Monday's meeting. Mayor Mark Jensen was excused. If the three ordinances pass in a third and final reading, they will be included on this year's ballot for voter consideration. Ordinance #2022-08 would allow the extension of utility services to properties outside of Service Area One if requested and paid for by the property owner. It has been referred to as a...
Traveling teams are soon going to receive a new greeting when they enter the Petersburg High School Gym. The Class of 2022 has chosen to make a sign that reads “Welcome to the Longhouse: Home of the Vikings” as its class gift. In a letter to the school board, PHS seniors said the sign would represent Norwegian culture and that funds raised for prom will be repurposed for the project. The sign will hang in the gym above the weight room doors, but it will not formally rename the gym facility and will only be an artistic welcome. Though the des...
Boeing 737-800s are set to begin arriving in Petersburg on Friday on Alaska Airlines Flight 64 according to Chad Dolbeare, Petersburg's new station manager. Dolbeare, who has a degree in aviation administration, became the station manager in March of this year after having worked in the same position for Alaska Airlines in Utqiagvik, Alaska for five years. His job is to provide support to his agents, whether that be by getting supplies, scheduling maintenance, or working with personnel to serve...
A resolution that would temporarily move assembly meetings from Mondays to Thursdays failed after a 1-5 vote during Monday’s Petersburg Borough Assembly meeting. Assembly Member Dave Kensinger voted in support and Mayor Mark Jensen was excused. Resolution #2022-10 would have changed the meeting schedule to the first and third Thursday of each month from July through September. The request was made by Jensen who will be gillnetting from Sunday through Wednesday of each week during the summer, making him unavailable for Monday meetings. Before th...
Two candidates have filed for candidacy in this year's election to fill Rep. Jonathon Kreiss-Tomkins' seat in the Alaska House of Representatives. Kreiss-Tomkins, who first elected to the seat in 2012, announced earlier this year that he will not seek reelection. House District 2, which was newly created by the Alaska Redistricting Board, spans Southeast Alaska from Prince of Wales Island to Yakutat and includes Petersburg, Sitka, Kake, and Craig. The candidates running for the seat are Kenny...
The deadline to drop off submissions for this year's Pride art show came and went with the beginning of the week and, as of Monday, organizer Annette Bennett was still hoping to get a piece of art done in time. June is Pride month and Bennett helped establish the event in 2019 with the goal of helping increase visibility of the LGBTQ community on Mitkof Island. Bennett feels like COVID disrupting life for many people might have temporarily taken some of the wind out of those sails. But they rece... Full story
Around 80 demonstrators gathered at the Petersburg Court House on the evening of Friday, June 24th, 2022 holding signs that read "abortion is healthcare," "we will not go back," and "keep your laws off my body." They cheered as passing cars honked in solidarity then proceeded to march through downtown Petersburg chanting "My body, my choice!" The rally was a response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier in the day which overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that established... Full story
The four finalists for Alaska's special U.S. House election have been decided. Based on results tallied through Wednesday evening, Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III, independent candidate Al Gross and Democratic candidate Mary Peltola will be the options for Alaska's first ranked-choice election on Aug. 16. The winner of that election will fill the remaining term of former Congressman Don Young and serve in Congress until January, when the winner of the November general election is... Full story
Parks and Recreation reopened on Monday following three weeks of cleaning and repairs to the community center. Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Payne said the annual closure normally lasts two weeks but this year it was closed for three to allow for electrical repairs and the installation of two new boilers. The boilers, which were at the end of their service life and had been affected by a fire in October 2020, were installed earlier than expected which gave them ample time to test the...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly and Petersburg Medical Center Hospital Board met in the assembly chambers Tuesday afternoon for a joint work session to discuss potential sites for a new hospital building. During the meeting, PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter gave an update on the progress made toward planning and construction of a new building and what the project's next steps are. The assembly and hospital board have both previously agreed on the need for a new facility and passed resolutions in the... Full story
The Petersburg Borough will be restarting its process to hire a new Fire/EMS director according to Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. Two candidates who were up for the position visited Petersburg last week to meet with community members and conduct their final interviews but neither were hired. According to Giesbrecht, Stephen Jellie was offered the position but wanted to stay closer to his family in New York while Rhys Mateo was not ready to move his family to Petersburg. Giesbrecht wrote the borough feels the community needs a director who...
It all began after Dave Kensinger's buddy started an organic apple orchard in Eastern Washington and was having a hard time selling his produce. It was 1975 and still about two decades too early for organic apples, according to Kensinger, but he stepped in and helped. Commercial sheds weren't able to pack or store them and about the only solid option for unloading stock was a few small neighborhood co-ops. Though after a few years, larger natural food stores gained momentum and markets in... Full story
The Petersburg School Board adopted its FY23 School Operating Budget at the final meeting of the school year Tuesday evening in a 4-0 vote with Member Meg Litster excused. Finance Director Karen Morrison gave an overview of the budget which at this point still has “a lot of unknowns.” The budget has a revenue of $7,962,605 and is based on 413 enrolled students which is below the funding formula enrollment threshold of 425 students. Being below that threshold drops the district down from three school funding to two school funding. As of Jun...
Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht and the boroughs attorney are set to begin discussions with the Petersburg Medical Center on the possibility of transferring management of the Mountain View Manor Assisted Living Facility to the PMC following unanimous approval from the Petersburg Borough Assembly. The borough has struggled to hire staff including resident assistants and registered nurses at the manor and sees the transfer of management as one solution to relieve staffing challenges. The manor...
The Petersburg Medical Center is one step closer to "shovel ready status" following unanimous approval from the Petersburg Borough Assembly to begin surveying and evaluating potential sites for a future hospital. The approved process, which will be paid for by PMC through received funding, will help the hospital learn more about the borough-owned properties and see if there is anything at the proposed sites that would prevent building. Petersburg Medical Center CEO Phil Hofstetter said during... Full story
School got out last week, but Bridget Wittstock still had one week to go until she ended her final year with the Petersburg School District. She is set to retire after 29 years of service and there will no doubt be a void left that will be difficult to fill. The district recently held a surprise party to recognize Wittstock and, of course, the eventwas catered by Wittstock's mother Julie Dahl and included a song written and preformed by the Luncheonettes. "I cried, it was very touching,"...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed its FY23 budget by a 4-3 margin in its third and final reading on Monday with Assembly Members Dave Kensinger, Jeff Meucci, and Thomas Fine-Walsh voting against. There were no amendments proposed in its last reading but discussion saw similar points of concern raised by opposing assembly members. Fine-Walsh had concerns about how the budget would place “more emphasis on policing than education and housing.” “These are my priorities, these are the priorities of our community as they have been expre...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly unanimously approved two items which will begin the lengthy process of acquiring the state-owned uplands and tidelands surrounding the Papkes Landing Marine Facility during Mondays meeting. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht put forward the two separate items requesting ownership of the uplands and tidelands respectively as the borough looks to eventually make improvements to the facility. Giesbrecht has held talks with representatives from the Alaska Department of...
Amongst the sounds of churning conveyor belts, rolling carts, and running rivers, a high pitched steam whistle blares, cutting through the noise-its time for mug up. Coffee drips and silverware clatters with plates as tired workers gather for a moment of respite. With eyes closed, hearing the symphony of industrial noise one might think they had walked inside an operating Alaskan cannery, but upon opening they would instead find a faithful recreation of cannery life inside the Alaska State... Full story
Two candidates who are up for the Fire/EMS director position visited Petersburg this week. Stephen Jellie and Rhys Mateo were in town to meet with community members and conduct their final interviews in front of a panel and with Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht. One of the two could be replacing Sandy Dixon who is retiring at the end of June. Jellie has been involved in fire emergency services since he began volunteering when he was 18. He worked in emergency services in the federal government...
