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The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation named Joyce Cummings second in mortgage originators in Southeast Alaska. Cummings was among two other First Bank mortgage originators receiving honors. Sarah Griffin from Ketchikan placed first and Rocky Elerding , also from Ketchikan, placed third in the Southeast Alaska ratings for its 2021 fiscal year. "When a homebuyer chooses AHFC for their home loan, dollars stay in Alaska to help Alaskans," AHFC's Directors of Mortgage Operations Jan Miyagishima...
The Borough Assembly meeting due to take place on Monday was cancelled due to lack of a quorum. Mayor Mark Jensen and Assembly Members Taylor Norheim, Jeigh Stanton Gregor, and Chelsea Tremblay were all out of town according to Deputy Borough Clerk Becky Regula. The agenda for the assembly meeting rescheduled for August 9 at 12:00 p.m. includes a report from PMC CEO Phil Hofstetter and a presentation by Utility Director Karl Hagerman on the Electric Utility Bond Issue. An update on the...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium announced an agreement Friday to construct a new multimillion dollar medical center in Sitka. The Mt. Edgecumbe Expansion and Construction Project will replace the Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center on Japonski Island. The Indian Health Service and SEARHC signed a joint venture agreement on July 23 that will see SEARHC design the new facility and fund its construction and IHS provide long-term funding for operations and maintenance. "To continue to meet...
David Louis Stewart, Jr., 48, was indicted on July 15 with a single count of Indecent Viewing and Photography and 13 counts of attempted Indecent Viewing and Photography of four minors. He entered not guilty pleas to each charge in arraignments held on July 17 and 20 in Petersburg Superior Court before Judge William Carey. According to the indictment Stewart, Jr. was alleged to have taken videos between Sept. 2019 and August of 2020. The defendant was released on $5,000 cash appearance bond and $5,000 performance bond with a 3rd party...
The Federal Aviation Administration's environmental cleanup of a former dump site on Big Level Island is now estimated to cost over $5 million. Located southwest of Mitkof Island, Big Level Island was home to a FAA Station that operated from 1964 to 1995. After its closure, most of the station was demolished and removed, but waste from a dump site near the facility has been deemed a threat to the environment according to the administrative record associated with the Big Level Island cleanup....
Eight non-residents on a private boat tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday after arriving in Petersburg according to the Petersburg Medical Center. The non-residents notified PMC of their symptoms upon arrival and all passengers tested positive. Those onboard the boat have begun isolating and are not at risk of spreading COVID to the community. Asymptomatic testing will be available at no charge to residents on Thurs., Aug. 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the respiratory clinic. Testing for... Full story
Petersburg recorded its second COVID-19 death on Friday according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service's COVID-19 Dashboard. The Alaska COVID-19 data summary reported that the death in Petersburg was a male in his 70s. The Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard has listed that there are five active cases in Petersburg as of July 28 with 55.0% of the population fully vaccinated. Alaska reported 562 new cases between July 23 and 25, which has also seen the statewide alert level remain high...
The United States Forest Service has ended its comment period for 2023 outdoor project proposals. The comment period, which closed on July 6, allowed for the USFS to receive input from members of the community on what projects they would like to see completed in the near future. There are over a dozen 2023 project proposals listed in the Petersburg District, which includes Mitkof Island, Kupreanof Island, and Thomas Bay, with suggestions for even more given by the community. "We have an...
The Petersburg Medical Center Board reviewed the recent COVID-19 outbreak during their July 22 meeting. Infection Prevention and Quality Manager Liz Bacom presented a report on the increase of COVID cases in July. According to Bacom’s report, the two contributing factors were the arrival of the American Cruise Lines vessel Constellation and the Independence Day celebrations. Four passengers and two crew members from the Constellation with positive tests isolated in Petersburg while recovering f...
The Petersburg Medical Center has begun receiving feedback from the community through the Community Needs Assessment. Conducted every three years, the Community Needs Assessment is required for non-profit healthcare organizations and serves as a way for residents to comment on how their healthcare needs are being met. The survey features questions focused on a range of topics including services the hospital offers, demographic data, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "For me it's actually very good...
A new outdoor shelter was completed at the Clausen Memorial Museum with the help of a community challenge grant from AARP. The Clausen Museum applied for the grant after AARP representatives came to the Petersburg Medical Center before the COVID-19 pandemic said Museum Director Cindi Lagoudakis. "I looked at some of the grant opportunities and I put in a request and it was not originally granted, but they contacted us and they were interested in the bench shelter idea," Lagoudakis said. The...
The window to file for candidacy opened Tuesday in preparation for the fall 2021 borough election. The election, which will be held on October 5, will see seats on the Borough Assembly among many other boards listed on the ballot. In addition to the seats that are held by elected officials, there are many seats that are currently vacant or are held by an appointed board member that will be voted on. Two seats on the Borough Assembly with three-year terms will be voted on which are those...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released an emergency order Monday to revise limits for king salmon in Southeast Alaska. The order sets the bag and possession limit for residents of Alaska as one king salmon measuring at least 28 inches in length in areas other than those where the retention of king salmon was prohibited. Once those areas are opened to retention, the resident bag and possession limit will be raised to two king salmon 28 inches or greater in length. Areas where the...
SEWARD, Alaska (AP) — An Olympic buzz permeates an Alaska coastal community thousands of miles away from Japan and nearly a full day after Lydia Jacoby scored a major upset to bring home gold in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Games. Jacoby, a 17-year-old who will return for her senior year of high school in Seward, was the first Alaskan to ever qualify for the Olympics in swimming. “We were hoping for a medal, but for her to hit the wall first was just beyond any of our expectations,” said Sarah Spanos, a swim mom who volunte...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A fully vaccinated passenger on an Alaska cruise tested positive for COVID-19 and received “private air transportation” home, according to Celebrity Cruises. A passenger on Sunday reported cold-like symptoms to the ship’s medical personnel and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the cruise line said in a statement Tuesday. The person was isolated in the ship’s medical facility for monitoring. The company said it did contact tracing and tested the person’s close contacts, who were all negative for the virus. The pers...
The Borough Assembly discussed Monday how the most recent COVID-19 outbreak in Petersburg was handled and the resulting communication issues. The outbreak was linked to the American Cruise Lines vessel American Constellation which was docked in Petersburg. Assembly Member Jeff Meucci requested the discussion to review how information was communicated by the various groups involved in resolving the crisis to the assembly. "One of the concerns I had was that, and this is not to blame anybody, but...
The Borough Assembly unanimously approved ordinance #2021-12 which will place the approval of funding the Blind Slough and Scow Bay utility projects on the fall ballot for voter approval. The 5-0 vote saw the next step in the process of approving $7.8 million in revenue bonds to be used for the Blind Slough Hydroelectric Refurbishment Project and the Scow Bay Generation Design Study. According to Utility Director Karl Hagerman, the revenue bonds will help replace virtually all the equipment in...
The annual Paddle Battle raised over $1,500 this year which will go towards helping Petersburg Medical Center employees continue their education. It was a cool 54 degrees on Saturday when the 21 paddlers braved the waters. The first group of participants started from Scow Bay at 8:30 a.m. and were later joined by a second group near South Harbor at 9:15 a.m. The paddlers traveled around Hungry Point and headed south along Frederick Sound to the finish at Sandy Beach Park. The participants who st...
Branch Manager Joyce Cummings is planning on semi-retiring after over three decades at First Bank's Petersburg Branch effective July 31, 2021. In 1985, Cummings began working at First Branch as a loan secretary with Branch Manager Bill Frech. She was promoted to assistant manager in 1989 and went on to become branch manager in 2012. "First Bank has been incredibly fortunate to have Joyce providing stability and leadership in our Petersburg branch for over 30 years," First Bank President Todd...
The Borough Assembly discussed the future of the planning and zoning code revisions after a long hiatus during Monday's meeting. Assembly Member Jeff Meucci requested the discussion to find out where the borough is in the process of revising the code and what is next. Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht said that the people involved would need to regroup because of how long it has been since work was done on the project. "Now that we've had a year off worrying about COVID, let's reopen the file and...
The Borough Assembly discussed the need for more affordable housing to attract young people to Petersburg during Monday's meeting. Assembly Member Jeff Meucci requested the discussion item in an effort to focus the assembly's attention on attracting younger families by having affordable housing and dependable childcare available. "Bottom line is we need more affordable housing in Petersburg," Meucci said. "How can young people move into Petersburg if there's no places to buy or no lots...
TORONTO (AP) - Canada announced Monday it will begin letting fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country on Aug. 9 — without a 14-day quarantine requirement and with no restrictions on the reason for traveling — and will allow travelers from the rest of the world on Sept. 7. The open border will apply only to U.S. citizens at least 14 days past their vaccination shot, according to the Canadian government announcement. Travelers will be required to upload proof of vaccination to Canada’s web portal, and will be required to show proof of a...
The Petersburg Medical Center is advising residents to get tested early if experiencing symptoms amid community spread of COVID-19. The Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard has been updated to reflect that there are eight active cases in Petersburg as of July 22. Seven of these cases are Petersburg residents while one is a non-resident. PMC says that recognizing symptoms early on and getting tested helps their ability to treat COVID-19 illness. Free asymptomatic testing is available and can be... Full story
Petersburg recorded its second COVID-19 death on Friday according to the Alaska Department of Health and Social Service’s COVID-19 Dashboard. The Alaska COVID-19 data summary reported that the death in Petersburg was a male in his 70s. The Petersburg COVID-19 Dashboard has listed that there are eight active cases in Petersburg as of July 26 with 54.3% of the population fully vaccinated. Alaska had 447 new cases reported between July 21 and 22, which has also seen the statewide alert level r... Full story
SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium yards signs have begun appearing around town, sparking discussions within the community about the future of healthcare in Petersburg. The prospect of SEARHC coming to Petersburg has been a topic of the community for a while now as residents look to hospitals that SEARHC operates in neighboring cities as examples for what could happen in Petersburg. Members of the community hope that these yard signs, which have been distributed by the Petersburg...
