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A new ordinance being considered by the Petersburg Borough Assembly proposes adding a new section about "inactive vessels" to the municipal harbors section of borough code. Adopting the new language would impose certain requirements —including storage fees, a marine condition survey, and proof of insurance— on vessels that don't leave their moorage stall in the harbor for 12 consecutive months or longer. The ordinance aims to encourage active, regular use of vessels that are moored in bor...
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American Cruise Lines —operators of a small cruise ship that frequents Petersburg during the summer— is working with the borough to design and potentially build a dedicated cruise ship docking space at the end of Dock Street. Having a guaranteed place for the cruise line to dock could help the harbor department to better manage vessel congestion in the inner harbor. Splitting the cost with American Cruise Lines (ACL), the borough has hired PND Engineering for conceptual drawings to assess wha...
More Alaskans voted to repeal the state's open primary and ranked choice voting system than voted against the measure, among the roughly 70% of the votes counted through early Wednesday. There were 120,597 votes to pass Ballot Measure 2 and 115,110 against it, though it remained too close to call, with a rough estimate of 100,000 ballots left to count. Ballot Measure 2 would repeal the voting system that's been in place since voters approved it in 2020. If the measure passes, political parties... Full story
Republican challenger Nick Begich III was ahead of Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola in Alaska's U.S. House race with more than 90% of precincts reporting early Wednesday morning. The final result likely won't be known until Nov. 20, when Alaska's election workers are set to tabulate results in the ranked-choice election. Statewide, Begich had 49.66% of the over 255,000 votes counted as of Wednesday morning. Peltola had 45.27%. If the top vote-getter does not receive over 50% of the vote,...
A borough-owned parcel near Sandy Beach will undergo a rezoning process before it is auctioned for sale. The Petersburg Borough Assembly weighed an application to purchase the vacant 2.3-acre lot at 1020 Sandy Beach Road and, with a contested vote, decided the parcel should be rezoned prior to selling it. Rezoning the lot would make it eligible for developing more single-family homes and align it with the zoning in the surrounding neighborhood along Sandy Beach Road. Now the parcel will be sent...
The U.S. Forest Service Petersburg Ranger District is temporarily moving office operations to Scow Bay while the downtown headquarters is renovated. Work on the downtown office —including a complete renovation of the interior of the building— is estimated to start in January 2025 and could last two years. Until then, the Harris Building —at 123 Scow Bay Loop Road— will be the de facto Petersburg District office location where the public can meet with USFS staff. Work at the downtown office site...
On October 31, a Petersburg jury found a resident guilty of sexually assaulting a woman. The verdict comes down after an investigation that was set back for several years by the pandemic and backlog at the state’s only forensic lab. 31-year-old Kelsey McCay now faces up to 99 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman at a party in the fall of 2019. Over the course of the two-day trial, the jury heard from the victim and several witnesses. They deliberated for less than half an hour before returning their guilty verdict. The case was p...
Republican Donald Trump again won Alaska in the presidential election, the Associated Press announced on Wednesday. Trump had a 15.2-percentage-point lead over Democrat Kamala Harris, with roughly 70% of the state’s votes counted. Alaska was one of two states, along with Maine, that held a ranked choice election for president. However, the ranked choices of voters for trailing candidates would only be considered if no candidate received more than 50% of the first-preference votes. Trump was on track to exceed that level. Alaska has voted for t... Full story
The proposed summer 2025 Alaska Marine Highway System schedule shows the same level of service to Petersburg as in the past several years: one ship serving the mainline route, with one stop northbound and one southbound each week. The Columbia will stop in Petersburg northbound on Sundays, on its run from Bellingham, Washington, through Southeast, then turn around in Skagway and stop on its southbound route on Wednesdays. It’s the same schedule as the Kennicott is running this year. The state ferry system is scheduled to pull the Kennicott out...
While planning and hoping for as much as $2 billion to replace its shrinking fleet of older ships over the next 20 years, the Alaska Marine Highway System also is looking at smaller things it can do to improve service in the near term. That will include Wi-Fi service on the ships; possibly more offerings or expanded bars; maybe even putting gift shops on the vessels. Federal money will pay for installing Wi-Fi. Increased bar service and possible gift shops will depend on whether the state ferry system can cover the costs, said Sam Dapcevich,...
Petersburg Indian Association (PIA) filled two positions in October, hiring Jalyn Pomrenke to the Tribal Administrator position and Hillary MacDonald as Director of Finances. "I am excited to have this opportunity to listen to and uplift the voices of tribal citizens in Petersburg," Pomrenke said in a message to the Pilot. Born and raised in Petersburg, Pomrenke has a career in residential property management and real estate, working at Petersburg Properties LLC and at PIA in her previous role...
Petersburg Borough is set to request over $3.5 million in state loans to help fund the long-anticipated vessel haul-out and work yard project at Scow Bay. The Petersburg Borough Assembly passed a resolution on Oct. 21, authorizing the loan application to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) for the Scow Bay infrastructure project. It passed unanimously in a 6-0 vote, with assembly member Bob Lynn excused. The borough will apply to ADEC's revolving fund program for...
The differences between Democratic incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola and her Republican challenger Nick Begich were on full display last Monday during the final planned debate of Alaska’s U.S. House race. Begich, a businessman who lost twice to Peltola in 2022, is again vying for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat against Peltola, a former state lawmaker who won the seat in 2022 after leading for several years an intertribal fish commission. The outcome of the race could have far-reaching impacts in determining control of a closely divided chamber, dra...
An updated set of procedures for future sales of borough-owned tidelands could be codified this November. The Petersburg Borough Assembly is considering a new ordinance that would update municipal code to clarify the process of selling borough-owned tidelands and establish that such sales would be considered at no less than the appraised value —rather than the assessed value— of the land. The ordinance would add not one, not two, but three new sections under the Tidelands chapter of borough mun...
A century-old technology has been added to Petersburg's fire hall for emergency communication when all else fails. Amateur radio —or ham radio— is a form of two-way radio communication that allows specially licensed operators to communicate over long distances using radio frequencies reserved for non-commercial use. Think walkie-talkie, but much more powerful. Depending on the equipment and frequency range, ham radio operators can communicate with neighboring communities, countries on the oth... Full story
It seemed everyone in Wrangell piled into to the Nolan Center to witness the blessing of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree. Led by the Wrangell Cooperative Association, the event was moved indoors after a persistent storm turned a cloudy afternoon into a rainy one. The event was attended by folks from Wrangell, from throughout Alaska and from Washington, D.C. Even Smokey the Bear made a surprise appearance. Kate Thomas, the borough's economic development director, played emcee for the afternoon,...
Two thousand and ninety to one. Those were the odds of winning the only elk-hunting permit on Zarembo Island this year — the first time in nearly 20 years the state Board of Game has permitted elk hunting on Zarembo after they were urged to do so by the Wrangell Fish and Game Advisory Committee. Quite literally against all odds, Wrangell resident Curtis Kautz won the lottery. His prize? A 31-day window to try and bag a creature Kautz described as smart, skittish and fast. "They're hard to s...
WASHINGTON — With less than a week before the polls close on Nov. 5, the U.S. Justice Department Wednesday reiterated its efforts to protect voters’ access to the ballot box through its civil rights, national security and criminal divisions. “Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government,” the Justice Department said in a press release. The Justice Department said that any complaints relating to viol... Full story
A major copper-and-gold mining project in the rugged mountains of northwestern British Columbia — upstream from a Southeast Alaska fishing town — is poised for a boost from the Canadian government. Canada's department of natural resources last month announced that it plans to inject about $15 million U.S. into a massive copper and gold development just 25 miles from the Alaska border. The project is perched above tributaries of the Stikine River — a major salmon-bearing waterway that flows... Full story
Faced with increased operational costs from inflation and higher utility expenses, paired with rates that are several years out-of-date, the financial sustainability of Mountain View Manor Assisted Living Facility is under review. A new ordinance brought before the Petersburg Borough Assembly this week would increase and establish certain charges for residents. Among the changes, the ordinance would install a one-time "Community Facility Fee" of $2,000 for new residents moving into the facility...
Alaskans will vote Nov. 5 on a ballot measure that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027 and require that workers get paid for up to seven sick days a year. To backers who collected signatures to put the question before voters, Ballot Measure 1 is about fairness for workers and overall state economic vitality. But opponents in business groups warn that the measure, if passed, would bring dire consequences. To Sarah Oates, CHARR’s president, the consequences of Ballot Measure 1 would be bad. “This is going to kill small... Full story
Artists, foodies and nonprofits: the time is nigh. Petersburg's 49th annual Oktoberfest Art Share returns this Saturday at the Petersburg Community Center. Oktoberfest is sponsored by the Muskeg Maleriers, who have facilitated the event for over four decades. Originally founded by the Petersburg Arts Council, the event is an art-focused opportunity for folks to sell and share homemade crafts with the community. Jewelry, glasswork, woodwork, photography, knit creations, original paintings, toys,...
On a Thursday morning in Petersburg High School's room 206, algebra II students sit around the edge of the classroom, forming a big U. Their teacher, Megan Smith, asks them if it's possible to take the square root of a negative fraction. "Noooooooo" they chorus, "No solution!" Together they work through a series of problems. Then, even though class is only halfway over, she tells them to get started on their homework. She turns to four students who had been ignoring the lesson, curled over...
Nearly 100 high school musicians from Southeast Alaska were in Petersburg to celebrate the 50th annual Southeast Honors Music Festival. It's also the first time Petersburg has hosted the event since 1974. "I think it's really cool that we're bringing it back [honors music festival] for its 50th and I think it's a testament to the music directors and administrators throughout Southeast Alaska that have kept it going," Petersburg High School Music Director Chelsea Corrao said. The festival began...