Local residents, business owners and community leaders testified for about an hour Wednesday on impacts from more than one and a half billion dollars that could be cut from state spending this year. Most, but not all, spoke against spending cuts and urged legislators to come up with a different way to close the state’s budget deficit.

There’s rain and snow in the forecast for Southeast Alaska and that could mean some relief for dwindling hydroelectric resources. But even if reservoirs start refilling, the region’s drought is expected to have longer term impacts.

A crew has arrived in town to start filming a TV show based on police departments in Petersburg and two other Alaska communities.

It looks like local voters this year will get their chance to weigh in on a change to the way people are elected to Petersburg’s borough assembly. The assembly Monday approved the second reading of an ordinance that will create designated seats for the assembly, despite opposition to the change.