Leaders of Petersburg's Native community were on hand as the specially crafted box transporting the baby Tlingit girl's remains was unloaded from the Alaska Airlines jet and a procession followed it off the tarmac at Petersburg's James A. Johnson Airport on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. Petersburg's Séet Ká Kwáan Dancers sang during the welcome ceremony. Dozens of community members gathered at the airport to bear witness to the historic return of the repatriated remains. Stephanie Aikins of...
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The Petersburg Borough and the union representing many of its employees are heading into mediation after months of salary negotiations over a new contract reached an impasse. The collective bargaining agreement between the Petersburg Borough and the Petersburg Municipal Employees Association expired on June 30, 2026. PMEA, in a recent communication to the assembly, said the two sides are preparing to enter mediation. Borough Clerk Becky Regula confirmed to the Pilot that negotiations had reached an impasse and both sides agreed to move to...
More than 600,000 Alaskans are scheduled to get $1,200 payments starting Oct. 1 through the Alaska Permanent Fund Division. The payout includes a $1,000 PFD plus a $200 energy dividend approved by the Alaska Legislature this spring. The PFD amount is the same as a year ago — which was the lowest adjusted for inflation since dividends have been issued in 1982 — with the extra $200 due to extra revenue the state got from oil prices that were far higher than predicted due to the Iran war. Residents filing online applications and selecting...
Until now there have been no uniform borough road standards beyond the old Petersburg city limits, but on Tuesday the Petersburg Borough adopted its first road-construction standards for public roads and subdivisions outside Service Area One. The Borough Assembly unanimously approved Resolution 2026-23 on Sept. 8. It adopts the 2026 Petersburg Borough Standard Specifications, replacing the City of Petersburg’s 2012 specifications, and for the first time sets minimum road standards for public road improvements and subdivisions outside...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly on Sept. 8 formally accepted nearly $8.9 million in federal grant funding for a new small-vessel haul-out at Scow Bay, clearing another hurdle before the long-planned project goes out to bid hopefully by the end of this month. Assembly members voted unanimously to approve Resolution 2026-26, accepting an $8,880,791 BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration. The resolution authorizes Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht to countersign and accept the grant agreement once the...
The Mitkof Mummers are back with another fall show in the works — and they are looking for townspeople to help fill out the cast of a fall comedy in which a giant egg walks into a police station insisting he was pushed. The community theater group gathered for a casting call and first read-through last week to launch their fall production: “Hard Boiled: A Nursery Crime,” a one-act children’s comedy by Tracey Wells, published by Pioneer Drama Service. As is tradition for the Mummers’ fall shows, it’s geared toward young audiences....
September 2 – There was a post-event report of a bear attempting to access garbage on Skylark Way. An officer was unable to substantiate a reported dangerous driver at South Nordic Drive and Dock Street. An officer responded to a report of an aggressive dog on Birch Street and spoke with its owner. An older, orange colored mountain bike was reported stolen from the North Harbor. An officer provided a courtesy transport. A complainant reported sewage backing up from the main lines into their residence. Water Wastewater (WWW) was notified and...
During a lengthy, meandering series of remarks last week, President Donald Trump offered another hint that his administration may seek to disrupt Alaska’s U.S. Senate election. Fairbanks political writer Dermot Cole first noted Trump’s remarks. On Aug. 18, NBC News — relying on unnamed sources — reported that the U.S. Department of Justice had issued grand jury subpoenas as it sought to investigate the campaign of Republican candidate Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg. The Alaska Beacon has been unable to verify that reporting, but on... Full story
A Republican-aligned group on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission against Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan. Sullivan, who shares the same first and last name as incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, is one of four candidates in the general election. Dan J. Sullivan had 2.5% of the vote in the August primary. Dan S. Sullivan had more than 41%. Democratic candidate Mary Peltola finished first, with 49.5% of the vote. The complaint by Virginia-based Americans for Public Trust accuses Dan J.... Full story
HAINES — With Canadian tariffs set to take effect Sept. 8, Chilkat Valley businesses are waiting to see how much of an impact they’ll have. A trade war between the U.S. and Canada has escalated with the U.S. on Aug. 22, imposing steep tariffs, up to 50%, on certain goods from Canada. Canada is retaliating with equal tariffs on products from the United States, including some that are likely to impact the Chilkat Valley economy. Haines Packing Company owner Harry Rietze said he was preparing to bring a “bunch of products up” to the...
Alaska Department of Health officials announced a fifth round of federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding awards on Friday. The latest awards for $25.8 million bring the total to more than $207 million to date. The funding is aimed at bolstering Alaska’s rural health system. The latest round of awards will go to 32 projects focused on improving health access, nutrition, telehealth services, healthcare infrastructure, workforce development and more. Alaska was awarded $272 million in federal funding under the program this year,... Full story
Commercial red king crab fishermen in Southeast Alaska are getting a competitive fishery this year, the state Department of Fish and Game announced last week. The fishery starts Nov. 1. It’s the second year in a row that the fishery will open, after several years of not having one. Adam Messmer, regional shellfish biologist for the department, said it’s the first time since 2001-03 that the region is getting a consecutive fishery. “So, you know, 20-plus years since we’ve had fisheries back to back,” Messmer said. There needs to be...
Larry Persily and Leilani Combs, Wrangell Sentinel
"Great news," said Anna Belback, a natural resource technician with the U.S. Forest Service Wrangell Ranger District. Surveyors have not found any invasive European green crabs in their shoreline walks and traps on the northwest coast of Etolin Island. Even more good news: None of the destructive crabs have been found around Anan Bay either, reported Paul Robbins, public affairs officer for the Tongass National Forest. "It was really good habitat in general for crabs that like intertidal...
Summer is coming to a close, the kids are back in school, the Xtratufs are on and September has arrived. That can mean only one thing: The moose hunting season is upon us. The season for the Wrangell and Petersburg area kicks off Sept. 15 and will run until Oct. 15. So hunters will have exactly one month to bag their moose. Those looking to participate must get a valid hunting permit for the area they’ll be hunting. “First off, they want to get an RM 038 permit that covers Unit 3 and 1B for most people going up the Stikine River,” said...
WRANGELL — Crab fishing is practically synonymous with Alaska, but in recent years the Dungeness crab fishery has become less reliable. Many say that recovered sea otter populations are responsible for the decline. Now, after the summer commercial Dungeness season closed 20 days early, the borough is seeking solutions to support fishermen and push for more otter management. At its Aug. 25 meeting, the Wrangell Borough Assembly voted unanimously to declare a local disaster as a result of the early closure of the summer Dungeness fishery....
September 10, 1926 – Patrons of the Variety Theater will be treated to a fine program over the weekend, announces manager Rasmus Enge. Friday night ‘Buck’ Jones will be seen in a feature length thriller, “The Circus Cowboy.” It is a picture filled with breath-catching incidents and one which will prove very popular with the younger people as well as the grown-ups. “Nip O’Scotch,” a comedy, “Roving Thomas in Chicago” and a Fox Newsreel will make up the remainder of the program for Friday and Saturday. Sunday only, “Where...
For the first time this season, the girls cross country team had their full roster all together – and the results did not disappoint. Junior Arielle Tucker finished first, Cadence Flint finished second, Arya Holmgrain finished fourth, Zia Hulebak finished sixth, Maria Toth finished ninth and Devyn Flint finished 12th. “Couldn’t have asked for a better weekend from them,” head coach Kayleigh Lenhard said. “It was good to see not just the potential but also the improvement from two weeks ago. “Arya ran a 24:05 in Sitka and a 22:07...
The PHS Swim and Dive team had their first meet of the season this past weekend in Juneau. For the first meet of the season, the Vikings were mainly focused on experimentation. On Friday, the girls 200 freestyle relay, with Kendyl Lachapelle, Sydney Pop, junior Bella Miller and Lexie Tow finished first, with a time of 1:52.67. On Saturday, the girls 400 relay team with Miller, Lachapelle, Olivia Hinde and Tori Miller finished first, with a time of 4:17.66. "I felt decent in all of them because...
To the Editor: Rita and I want to thank all those who attended and helped with our wedding on Saturday, August 29. It was truly a special day full of community, celebration, love, and friendship. Many of those who came to help us tie the marriage knot did so to support and recognize the right of those of the same gender to marry, which only became legal a mere 21 years ago. While we both are happy to exercise this long-awaited right, we also hope someday that the stigma of “gay marriage” will be recognized simply as “marriage.” A big...
25th anniversary of 9/11 To the Editor: It's hard to believe that it has been 25 years since the 9/11 attack. It was a day I'll never forget and more than just ‘something on the news.’ I was living and working in the Washington, DC, area on 9/11, though I grew up in New Jersey, just a few miles from Manhattan. My parents knew I was flying that day, so when I realized what was happening I tried to call them repeatedly, hitting ‘redial’ for over an hour and a half. Obviously, the communications trunk lines in and out of the New York...
