Governor Dunleavy has ordered that Alaska and the United States flags fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, December 3rd, in honor of former Mayor of Valdez and Wasilla Bert Cottle, who passed away October 19th.

Bert’s service to the state of Alaska includes 23 years of law enforcement in Valdez, eight of those years as Chief of Police, Valdez’s City Council for a year, then the Mayor for ten. Upon returning to Wasilla, he served as the Wasilla’s Deputy Administrator, followed by Mayor for six years.