Author: kfskadmin

Local voters will likely have several sales tax questions to decide this October. Petersburg’s city council Monday passed the first reading of a ballot question to remove the senior citizen sales tax exemption for purchases of alcohol and tobacco, but not without some opposition. The council also voted to send a question to voters on creating sales tax free days in Petersburg.

New research suggests the number of collisions between boats and whales in Southeast Alaska is on the rise. A growing humpback population in the region might explain the increase. These collisions are dangerous not only for whales, but can also be a frightening experience for smaller boats plying the waters of the Alaska panhandle.

The city of Petersburg and the union representing most city employees made offers last month to settle the ongoing labor dispute, about a year and a half after talks first started between the two sides. Management and the union say they still would like to reach an agreement, although there’s still a gap between the competing offers.

Several dozen young readers Friday marked the end of a two-month summer reading program at Petersburg Public Library. The party featured Tlingit dancing by a group from the Head Start program, story time and drawings for prizes in the reading raffle. Joe Viechnicki stopped by the celebration and talked to a few of the participants.

Petersburg’s Sons of Norway held an auction over the weekend to raise money for a stove to put in the newly remodeled kitchen at the Sons hall. The 99-year-old building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has seen a number of improvements in the past few years, thanks to state grant money and other fund raising efforts. Joe Viechnicki spoke with Sally Dwyer, Rhoda Gilbert and Jill Williams about the auction and some of the work that’s already happened at the Sons.