Public Safety Report

A new initiative is in development which aims to teach survival and safety skills to children throughout the Kenai Peninsula area. Alaska Dreamcatchers was initially founded by Jami Fenn to provide her own children an outlet for meeting friends while learning new skills. When Alaska Dreamcat…

The City of Seward is soliciting bids for a three-tier forensic accounting audit of all utility customer bills for November and December of 2018 and February and March of 2019 through a request for proposals (RFP). Council members Ristine Casagranda and Liz DeMoss have championed the need fo…

The initial phases of renovations to the northeast launch ramp of the Seward Boat Harbor are underway. Harbormaster Norm Regis reported that the project has progressed roughly 35 percent into the engineering and design phase, which is being funded entirely by the Alaska Department of Fish &a…

The City Council voted on Monday not to renew the state of emergency mask mandate initially enacted on Dec. 14 amid rising coronavirus case numbers. After hearing citizen comments, both in favor of and against the mandate, the Council discussed their respective positions before defeating the…

Public Safety Report

Remote rescues in Alaska often are performed by the U.S. Air Force 176th Rescue Wing, part of the Alaska Air National Guard. The wing recently participated in Operation Noble Defender to train for readiness in an arctic environment. The 176th Wing’s rescue triad – known as the Guardian Angel…

He Will Provide, Inc Food Pantry would like to thank Shoreside Petroleum for the very generous donation of $7,407.35. The extreme generosity of community businesses and private citizens of Seward is overwhelming. The Food Pantry would not exist if not for volunteers and generous caring people.

In partnership, the Sons of American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, and the American Legion Post 5, have donated $13,500 towards the Senior Center’s Take a Veteran to Lunch meal program. This program ensures veterans will have access to five meals a week, whether at the center or at thei…

Based on the most recent residential electric rates for Railbelt utilities, the rate for Seward Electric is the lowest.

The State of Alaska has announced that it has implemented the new federal mandate requiring masks on all commercial airport property. This mandate includes all Alaska airports with scheduled commercial air traffic.

A Seward man has been arrested for drawing a pistol on another man in the heat of an argument. On Feb. 3 at 8:45 pm, 34-year-old Curtis Brown was charged with assault and misconduct involving weapons in the Third degree after reportedly producing a Sundance Industries Boa model .25 caliber c…

The City Council met today to review the applicants for the city manager job vacant since the dismissal of Scott Meszaros last fall. GovHR Senior VP Rachel Skaggs presented information on seven applicants chosen by the staffing agency as the best candidates for the position.

On Friday the Federal Subsistence Board voted to change the designation of the Moose Pass community from nonrural to rural. The change carries the privilege of subsistence use priority for Moose Pass residents over other users on federal public lands. Under the rural designation, Moose Pass …

Update: According to Mayor Christy Terry, the City Council addressed the items scheduled for the executive session during its work session today and the executive session will be removed from the upcoming agenda.

At noon on Thursday, Feb. 4 the City Council will hold a work session to review seven candidates in the running for the city manager position vacated with the dismissal of Scott Meszaros last fall. Municipal staffing firm GovHR has selected seven candidates from a search yielding 66 resumes …

The Alaska Chadux̂ Network (ACN) and the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) have finalized an agreement to develop and implement a program to respond to oil spill impacted marine mammals throughout Western Alaska, the U.S. Arctic, and Prince William Sound. The Agreement includes funding from ACN f…

1st Lieutenant Michelle Maguire is a Seward native who has distinguished herself in a number of ways: as an Alaskan, as a wife and mother of two, and as a platoon leader in the US Army’s 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. The subject of a …

The Seward Chamber of Commerce is inviting its member businesses to participate in $hop Seward, a local spending program funded by CARES Act Grant funds. From Feb. 11-16, customers who spend at least $200 (not including taxes, tips or shipping) on non-essential items from local businesses wi…

It’s a new year and a new season of Pick.Click.Give., the charitable check off program that allows Alaskans to donate a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend to their favorite nonprofits. While applying for their PFD online, Alaskans can choose to Pick.Click.Give. in increments of $25. It…

The City Council voted on Monday to rezone the historic property of the former Jesse Lee Home from Multi-Family Residential to Park. The rezoning complies with the official recommendation of the Planning & Zoning Commission and follows a recent community survey conducted by the City wher…

The City Council voted on Monday to adopt a new salary restructuring plan for City employees. The plan includes wage hikes for city employees across all income brackets totaling $252,416, with another $163,410.41 allocated for employee benefits, including paid time off (PTO). The Council vot…

Update: The driver of the 2019 Volkswagen Golf has been identified as 31-year-old Allen Solomon of Fairbanks. Next of kin have been notified. 

On Nov. 10, Providence Seward Medical and Care Center welcomed the newest member of its leadership team when Amy Mullen became the new director of Mission Integration. 

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center celebrated its 50th birthday this year, marking a half-century of becoming the premier research-oriented marine facility in Southcentral Alaska.

Public Safety Report

The State of Alaska has announced that the coronavirus vaccine is now available to those age 65 and over. This is the start of the next phase of vaccinations.

Alaska’s minimum wage increased Jan. 1 to $10.34 per hour from $10.19 per hour for 2020. For an employee working 40 hours per week, the new wage calculates to $413.60. An increase of $6 per week. The increase is the result of a ballot measure in 2014 that causes the minimum wage to be adjust…

On Dec. 22, Acting Police Chief Alan Nickell was promoted to Chief. The former lieutenant had served as acting chief since illness forced former Chief Tom Clemons into a medical leave of absence before retiring. Chief Nickell first joined the Seward Police Department in 2002, when he was ini…

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) has closed the Seward airport due to inclement weather. In a notice to airmen released Monday, the Department says the airport will be closed until 4 p.m. on Friday. A spokesperson for DOT said that based upon the current fo…

For the first time in Seward history, the city will be ringing in the new year with a bang. As the clock ticks from 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31 to midnight on Jan. 1, 2021, fireworks will spring ablaze in the skies over the Resurrection Bay near the boat harbor. Event Spokesperson Kat Sorensen hin…

Last Wednesday the Port & Commerce Advisory Board (PACAB) voted to recommend to the City Council that Seward join the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) Local Governments for Sustainability non-governmental organization, promoting sustainable development. U…

Jim Woodside cuts into black cod fillets with the precision of a surgeon and the swiftness of a samurai. It’s the first step in the creation of a masterpiece that has earned his Saltwood Smokehouse the title of 2020 Press Pick for Best Fish / Meat Processor from the Anchorage Press, in spite…

Last week the Seward City Council voted to re-engage Harbormaster Norm Regis as Acting City Manager for another three-month term. Accompanying the extension, a temporary raise in pay will compensate Regis for continuing to take on two major roles in the City administration. When first appoin…

Last week the City Council extended the current state of emergency an additional 60 days amid a trending rise in Covid-19 numbers. The declaration carries the requirement that all Seward citizens must wear masks indoors when social distancing cannot be maintained. 

A structural change in water and sewer rates may be on the way for many utility customers throughout Seward. At a recent  City Council work session, GovRates President Bryan Mantz joined the Council via teleconference to present the results of a City-commissioned study that included proposed…

Today Governor Mike Dunleavy directed the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT) to reopen the Silvertip Maintenance Station on the Seward Highway near Hope. The station was closed by the Dunleavy administration last year following a shortfall in fuel tax revenue tha…

The Seward Chamber of Commerce has announced its new board of directors following a bylaw change and election that took place recently. The bylaw change increased the number of directors from nine to 12. The three additional directors were appointed by the Board of Directors. The new directo…

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game says, “the State of Alaska is pleased with the ‘not warranted’ finding issued today (Dec. 2) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or Service), finding that listing the Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is…

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is seeking comments on its sport fish stocking plan. The Division releases approximately 7 million fish annually into Alaska waters and is reviewing its next five-year plan. The plan specifies locations, type, size, and life stage of fish to be stocked.

Seward City Clerk Brenda Ballou has been elected as first vice president of the Alaska Association of Municipal Clerks. As first vice president she will ascend to the position of president in November of 2021.

The State of Alaska says it was was a victim of data exposure by hackers and personal data of voters was compromised. The incident, which occurred on Oct. 27, was announced by the State in a release made on Dec. 3. The system was built by an outside vendor and operated by the Division of Ele…

The Alaska SeaLife Center admitted a two-week-old sea otter pup as part of its Wildlife Response Program on Nov. 12. The male sea otter pup was spotted by residents near a beachfront home in Homer according to a release from the Center.

The Public Safety Report is compiled from numerous sources, both official and unofficial, including police, fire, and EMS dispatches, press releases, official reports, court documents, interviews, and other sources.

Bruce Knofel shared his Words of Comfort on Sunday, Nov. 22 for the lighting of the Seward Area Hospice Holiday Blue Christmas Tree. His words were as follows:

A Wasilla man was arrested this morning on charges of narcotics and illegal firearm possession after placing a 911 call to report the overdose of a woman in his hotel room. At approximately 6:15 a.m. police entered the room of Jeremy Fitchner, 38, to discover over 50 grams of methamphetamine…

This story has been updated to an additional information about the zoning vote for the Jesse Lee Home property.

According to a release from the Alaska National Guard, two stranded hikers were rescued Sunday near Cooper Landing. The release did not say why the two needed to be rescued, but they were transported to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage and released.

New details have emerged on the proposed kelp farm to be sited 2.7 nautical miles south of Seward. If finalized by the Southcentral Regional Land Office (SCRO), the 28.9-acre farm site will be leased to Seward-based Fisherman Fresh at a rate of $3,950 a year.