Author: kfskadmin

The city of Petersburg has started requiring approval of the city council to fill full-time staff vacancies. It’s a potential cost-cutting measure written into the city’s strategic plan approved by the council earlier this month. City councilors and staff got their first taste of the new strategy at Monday’s special council session.

The continent’s southernmost tide-water glacier is showing some signs of changing at its terminus in LeConte Bay on the mainland east of Petersburg. Local high school students recorded a small advance for the face of the LeConte Glacier last year, but say the ice sheet lost a large portion of that advance in late summer of 2007. Six high school seniors made the annual trip to chart the glacier’s position on May 23rd. High school teacher Victor Trautman says he’s also seeing some changes in composition of the ice near where it hits salt water in the bay. Joe Viechnicki spoke with Trautman about their findings from this year’s glacier survey.

Petersburg Medical Center is going all-digital. The hospital no longer uses film for its X-rays and mamograms and it's in the process of eliminating paper charts and records as well. Hospital officials say the new electronic system will improve health care provider access to patient information, produce better images, and reduce the wait for radiology results.

Petersburg dignitaries welcomed a new cruise ship to town Wednesday morning. The 145-foot Safari Explorer is offering week-long summertime cruises in Southeast Alaska. American Safari Cruises spent nine months and three and a half million dollars renovating the ship.

Swimmers at Petersburg’s aquatic center will notice five new colorful artworks adorning the building’s interior space and walls. The murals, stained glass and fabric sculptures were created by five women, three from Petersburg and two from elsewhere in Alaska. The works were dedicated at a ceremony Saturday.