Joe Viechnicki, KFSK - Petersburg

Joe Viechnicki, KFSK - Petersburg
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Joe Viechnicki is a reporter at KFSK in Petersburg.
Exterior: a man in a hard hat gestures to a supply road

Stream restoration near Petersburg aims to improve fish habitat

The goal is to mimic natural processes to bring back topsoil and improve fish habitats.
two people stand looking over the water on a ship

Bar service returns to 2 Alaska ferries

Ferry managers were looking for ways to improve the travel experience, said a state transportation department spokesman.
A photo of a group standing at the edge of a hill with a glacier's terminus in the background

Petersburg high school students calculate a glacier’s advance

The LeConte Glacier student survey was started in 1983 by Petersburg High School teacher Paul Bowen and has happened almost every year since then.
A wooden sign says Mountain View Manor

Petersburg reports large COVID outbreak at borough’s assisted living facility

As of Monday, the outbreak at the borough’s Mountain View Manor assisted living wing involved one death and at least 10 people testing positive.
The white underside of halibut lie in a metal tub

Commission boosts fishing limits for halibut

The commission approved this year’s total coast-wide limit at 41.22 million pounds, more than a 5% increase from last year.
A deer walking through green muskeg

Deep snow hampers Mitkof Island deer study

Southeast Alaska's heavy snowfall hasn't been easy on deer — or for the people who study them.
Several old white men on wooden desks talk seriously.

Board of Fish Southeast meeting moved to Anchorage in March

Anchorage’s larger hospital capacity played a role in the decision to move the meeting as the state sees COVID case numbers set new record highs this month, says the Board of Fish executive director.
Homes on a quiet street.

Petersburg COVID cases drop to single digits for the first time since October

Petersburg’s active COVID-19 case count dropped to single digits this week, the lowest total since late October.
A photo of mountains and the sky.

Senators reintroduce bill that would grant land to Alaska Native communities in Southeast

The bill would grant just over 23,000 acres of land that’s now national forest to each of the five new corporations.
A harbor with a bunch of small fishing boats

Chinook catch falls short in first Southeast troll opening

Southeast’s commercial troll catch of king salmon fell short of its target in the first summer opening in July. The fleet gets another shot at those chinook in a second fishing period that starts Friday, Aug. 13.
A canada flag next to a us flag

Canadian border workers strike, warn of delays at crossings

Just days before the relaxation of some travel restrictions at the U.S.–Canada border, Canadian workers are warning of long delays at the border because of a labor dispute.
An official room with wooden desks

House finance committee considers extending COVID-19 disaster declaration

Supporters of a disaster extension say it would allow health care providers to continue to offer alternate sites for screening and testing and continue to use telemedicine during the pandemic.
An entryway to a building

Petersburg ranks as fourth-worst spot for COVID-19 in US

The Southeast Alaska town ranks fourth of any counties in the U.S., according to a New York Times analysis.

‘Use words to make a difference’: The legacy of Elizabeth Peratrovich

For many, civil rights icon Elizabeth Peratrovich is more than a historical figure. For Diane Benson, a Tlingit woman living in Petersburg, learning of Peratrovich changed her.
A large loader drops log into a truck

US Forest Service mismanaged Tongass timber sales, report says

Mistakes meant $2 million less for habitat restoration work on the Tongass National Forest, according to the internal audit by the US Forest Service.
The white underside of halibut lie in a metal tub

COVID-19 takes half-billion dollar bite from Alaska commercial fisheries revenue

A federal agency has put some dollar amounts to the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial and charter fishing industries nationwide in the first part of last year.
A photo of a normal black colored orca breaching in the water at the same time as a mottled white orca.

Rare white orca spotted in Southeast Alaska

A Petersburg-based whale watching and charter company documented the white orca in the Inside Passage this summer. It’s been sighted frequently in British Columbia and Washington state as well.

Petersburg mourns four killed in crash

Four people died in a vehicle wreck south of Petersburg. It’s believed the late model SUV went off Mitkof Highway sometime Monday night.

Alaska clarifies new rules for ferry travel, no test required for short trips

The Alaska Marine Highway System announced the new coronavirus-related protocols on Sunday. Three days later, it sent out a statement tweaking some of them.

Due to COVID-19, spring bear hunting isn’t happening for non-residents

After announcing there would be no spring bear hunting in the state, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has partially changed its mind. All non-resident brown and black bear hunts will remain closed through May 31. Spring bear hunting for Alaska residents remains open during that time.