Author: kfskadmin

Petersburg has over a million dollars in state funding to spend on upgrades to its cruise ship moorage space but the plan is in limbo for now. The City Council wanted to limit the project to the available funding, but a group of stakeholders and harbor advisors called for more extensive, and expensive improvements. The issue remained unresolved after City Councilors debated the value of the project at their regular meeting this week.

Authorities have made two arrests in connection with a string of break-ins at the Catholic Church in Petersburg. Police say the church's new video surveillance system caught the two teens in the act.

Petersburg will move forward with permitting for a proposed hydroelectric project at Ruth Lake in Thomas Bay. The City Council voted unanimously, Tuesday, to turn in a preliminary permit application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. There was support for the proposal at a public presentation earlier in the day. However, some residents who favored the public project also worried it could bolster controversial plans for private hydro development at other mountain lakes in the bay. (note: the following story refers to meetings taking place Monday. Monday was a holiday. The meetings took place Tuesday. KFSK regrets the error.)

New rules on open burning are in the works for Petersburg. The Public Safety Advisory board this week began consideration of an ordinance to clarify what sort of fires are and are not allowed under local and state law. The draft measure would also establish a written permit system and a schedule of fines for violations. The issue sparked to life this fall after a large open burn of demolition waste prompted public complaints and subsequent concern from state environmental officials.

The commercial and charter fishing fleets are taking their concerns over halibut catch limits to the International Pacific Halibut Commission this week. The IPHC has its annual meeting in Vancouver BC and for the third year in a row, commission staff is proposing a deep cut to the Southeast Alaska harvest.