Author: Joe Viechnicki, KFSK

A cruise ship in Southeast Alaska cut its anchor free Sunday to release a humpback whale tangled in the ship’s anchor chain. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says numerous whales were bubble net feeding in Holkham Bay near Tracy Arm, about 45 miles south of Juneau early Sunday morning, August 27. One humpback struck the ship Wilderness Explorer and became caught in the anchor line around 2:15 that morning.

The board and staff of the Petersburg Medical Center this month tried to restart a discussion with Petersburg’s borough assembly about building a new hospital building. In a work session August 23, the mayor and two assembly members asked first to redefine the relationship between the municipal government and the community hospital.

Legislation approved this year for a land swap in Southeast Alaska between the federal government and the Alaska Mental Health Trust has a two-year deadline. The swap will happen in two phases with more public involvement.

Voters will have a choice of candidates for mayor and for borough assembly in Petersburg this fall. The only two mayors of the Petersburg borough both filed to seek the mayor’s seat, Mark Jensen and Cindi Lagoudakis.

The overall commercial catch of pink salmon in Southeast Alaska is falling short of the pre-season forecast but it’s not as low as last year’s run. In fact, some parts of the panhandle have seen strong humpy catches.