Sorted by date Results 857 - 881 of 1297
At its first meeting since the Oct. 6 elections, an unchanged Wrangell City and Borough Assembly discussed and largely approved a number of revisions to the Municipal Code on first reading. The proposed ordinances would clarify violations relating to littering, nuisances, distributing handbills, the burning of rubbish without permit, and other infractions, adding them to the minor offense schedule in Title 1. Staff notes indicate the change is a requirement of the state’s court system. Not listing the fines and applicable penalties in Title 1...
More than a year after his arrest and three months after being found guilty of child pornography charges, former Wrangell physician Greg Salard is still awaiting sentencing while being detained at Lemon Creek Correctional Facility in Juneau. Arrested at his home Oct. 14, 2014, after an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Salard was found guilty in July on two of three charges for receipt and distribution of illicit material. A sentencing date set for Oct. 9 has since been moved to Dec. 3. For each count, he faces no less than...
Last week’s Planning and Zoning Commission was an exercise in parliamentary procedure as enough members needed to conduct business were sought out. Alone at City Hall, commission chair Terri Henson gaveled in at the regularly scheduled hour Oct. 8, immediately breaking into a formal recess. She was rejoined the next afternoon by commissioners Apryl Hutchinson, Rudy Briskar and Betty Keegan, with Jim Shoemaker participating by phone. Preliminary plat review was given for the Meyer subdivision, which would split Lot 9 at Meyers Chuck between t...
Wrangell's Canvass Board verified the results of last week's municipal election, which were certified by the City and Borough Assembly at a special meeting Monday afternoon. Of 1,639 registered voters, 375 cast ballots either at the polls on Oct. 6 or beforehand as absentees. Of these, 13 were deemed spoiled due to improper marking, and another three were rejected due to the voters being improperly registered. The board was made up of Assembly members Julie Decker and Daniel Blake and Mayor...
Wrangell was whipped by high winds last Friday during a storm which kept most of Southeast Alaska indoors. Especially at this time of year, the region is no stranger to severe weather brought on by low-pressure systems, but what made last week’s storm rare was a contribution of Pacific Hurricane Oho. The tropical storm system was sustained by warmer than usual waters off the Canadian coast as it moved northward, joining with a pre-existing system. A high wind warning by the National Weather Service remained in effect throughout the a...
Wrangell High School's annual study of the Chief Shakes Glacier is wrapping up its study measuring the mass of ice's steady retreat into the mountains. "We're in our fifth year right now," explained teacher Jenn Miller, who has coordinated the study each year since its start in 2011. With the cooperation of the United States Forest Service, the group lands close to the glacier's face and takes measurements, which are then compared to the previous year's. Miller explained R&M Engineering...
The Petersburg office of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game reported an additional 25 moose were harvested during the third week of this year’s season for Petersburg, Wrangell and Kake, bringing the total to 81. ADFG wildlife biologist Rich Lowell noted the figure represented the highest third-week harvest total in the RM038-area moose hunt’s history. The ongoing tally included 91 moose harvested by Tuesday, and by the season’s end this evening the full figure could be in the mid- to upper-90s. That would put this season’s count just shy of t...
Security was one topic on the minds of Wrangell's Port Commission members when they met on Oct. 1. A compressed air foam system was among the larger items pilfered from the boatyard this year. Harbormaster Greg Meissner explained the 30-gallon device is one of three his department keeps for fire-fighting, with others located at Heritage Harbor and the Reliance Harbor office. Acquired five years ago, each was worth around $5,600, but the real cost is not having it on hand when it's needed. "It's...
Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported the first half of the moose season has generally been going well for the Petersburg-Wrangell-Kake area. ADFG wildlife biologist Rich Lowell reported a total of 54 bull moose had been checked in by the end of week two, on Sept. 28. The hottest spots have been on Kupreanof Island, where 17 moose have been harvested. Eight of those were taken in the Kake area. Hunters in the Stikine River area had 15 confirmed harvested by the halfway point; Mitkof...
After Tuesday's polls closed, unofficial results for Wrangell's regular municipal elections were in. Three-hundred twenty-six votes were cast at the Nolan Center, slightly more than the 312 cast last year. Several seats were in contest this year, and on the ballot were two ballot propositions to draw voters. Incumbents David Powell and Becky Rooney both appear to have won reelection to three-year seats on the City and Borough Assembly. Challenger Christie Jamieson ran a write-in campaign, but the number of write-in votes tallied for the...
The high school cross-country team wrapped up its season over the weekend, with the girls coming in 11th place overall at the State Championships in Anchorage and senior Bryce Gerald coming in eighth place in the boys race. “I’m so happy with how the season went. I’m sad it’s over,” reflected coach Jenn Davies. Gerald bested his time from last year’s championship, when he also came in eighth. This year he finished in 17 minutes 16 seconds, better than 17:22 last year, then his personal be...
Residents interested in mapping out their family histories were able to meet at the Irene Ingle Public Library Saturday morning and afternoon for a pair of introductory genealogy sessions. Semi-retired schoolteacher Teresa Campbell of Juneau was invited by the library to lead the sessions, meant to point a person in the right direction to find useful data. In the morning presentation, nine participants got an overview of different research sources and records commonly available. These can include the various milestone documentation people tend...
A good turnout was had at the "Crazy Big Swim" meet, jointly held by the Wrangell Swim Club and Wrangell Island Masters Swimming. Of 36 swimmers registered to attend, 32 were able to make it to Saturday's meet at the pool. Masters coach Bruce McQueen said the meet was the first involving both the adult and children's groups since Swim Club was rebooted in 2012. Swimmers spanning eight decades pooled together for the swim, which is a virtual meet associated with non-profit Swim Across America....
Repairs to public sites at the Stikine River's popular hot springs have been completed. Located on the mainland some 28 miles northwest of Wrangell, the Chief Shakes Hot Springs flow into a slough off of Ketilli Slough. The United States Forest Service(USFS) maintains a pair of recreational tubs there which have long been a destination for locals on both sides of the Stikine's delta flats. "It is the most popular spot on the river," said Bob Dalrymple, ranger for Wrangell's USFS district. One...
Polls will open for Wrangell’s regular municipal elections this Tuesday. Candidates have filed for all available seats, with several positions in contest. Among those open to the polls this year are two three-year seats on the City and Borough Assembly. Incumbents David Powell and Becky Rooney have both filed to run again, and Christie Jamieson last week announced her intention to run as a write-in candidate. Jamieson had previously served as Wrangell’s City Clerk from 1997 to 2012. Rooney has been on the Assembly since her election to an une...
Next week, the Alaska Native Sisterhood celebrates its 100th anniversary at the place of its founding, Wrangell. Alaska Native Brotherhood/ANS is the oldest rights organization for indigenous persons in the world, with the Brotherhood founded in 1912 and the Sisterhood established in 1916. Its stated mission is to improve the lives of Native people and their families, by promoting Native culture and advocating for civil rights and land rights. Membership is organized into local camps,...
Like raking leaves and pumpkin-based desserts, influenza inoculations are another sign that summer is finally over. A pair of flu clinics will be held by Wrangell healthcare providers later this month. The Center for Disease Control recommends that people get immunized early on in the season, before flu activity picks up the pace. The strain chosen for this year’s vaccine is expected to perform better than last year’s. On its site, CDC explains vaccine efficacy can vary depending on how far the virus “drifts” during a season. Its finding...
The season began for Wrangell High School’s wrestling team yesterday, as members met for their first after-school practice. “They’re training really hard,” said the team’s coach, Jeffery Rooney. Coach Steve Miller will be assisting him again this year, which Rooney expects will be good for the team. Last year Wrangell took the Region V title, and took seventh overall at the state-level tournament in Anchorage. Several students placed in the top two or three spots for their weight class, and 12 of the Wolves’ 15-strong roster this year are retur...
Two exhibits submitted by local artists to the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines this July won top honors, going on from there to compete and win in Palmer Aug. 27. Arlene Woodward and Kitty Angerman each took top prizes for their art. Woodward's piece was a photograph entitled "Yellow Jacket on Forget-Me-Nots," which won a third-place white ribbon. In addition to her ribbon at Palmer, Woodward's photograph also earned four ribbons at the Haines fair. A relative newcomer to fair exhibition,...
Local hunters have been hit harder than usual by antler restrictions so far this year. The season began on Sept. 15, and by the end of the first week seven of 35 moose reported harvested in the Wrangell, Petersburg and Kake areas were deemed noncompliant. In 2014, hunters harvested 28 moose over the same period. Only three of these were ruled illegal, about the norm. The full season went on to be one of the best on record, with 106 moose harvested. Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Rich Lowell reported the number of noncompl...
Royal Dutch Shell surprised many Monday after the energy conglomerate announced it would cease offshore exploration activity in the Alaskan Arctic for the foreseeable future. Shell explained initial drilling results indicated oil and gas reserves present at the Chukchi Sea site would not be sufficient to warrant further exploration. The Burger J well would be sealed and abandoned in accordance with federal regulations, and the company expects to lose $4.1 billion on the investment. The decision comes as a disappointment for the state government...
At their Tuesday night meeting, members of the Wrangell Borough Assembly learned the former Byford salvage yard will be cleaned up after all. Earlier in the summer the 2.5-mile site tested positive for considerable contamination from lead and other hazardous metals. Oversight for the investigation has been jointly provided by the Alaska Department of Conservation (DEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency. Cleanup funding was previously to have come from EPA’s Superfund, but was earlier this month delayed after agency resources were d...
A local man was found guilty of threatening a child in Wrangell First District Court on Sept. 17. Randolph Kalkins, 46, was arrested May 8 on charges of assault in the fourth and violating conditions of release. A Class A misdemeanor, the fourth-degree charge means using words or displaying conduct to cause fear of imminent physical injury. Because of her age, the complainant has not been named in court documentation. The prosecution contended Kalkins had offered the eight-year-old a ride in his car on May 7 while she was riding her bike along...
Wrangell will be getting a new Alaska Wildlife Trooper (AWT) shortly, the Department of Public Safety confirmed last week. Residents may recognize Trooper Scott Bjork, who was transferred to Juneau in January. AWT said Bjork will be posted here temporarily, both for the moose season and for transitioning in a new trooper. The office did not have details on who will be assigned to Wrangell but said the change could be expected within the next few weeks. During the Legislature’s budget battles in the spring, the Department of of Public Safety p...
Wrangell’s Parks and Rec hosted an American Red Cross certified lifeguard course over the weekend as part of its efforts to improve its pool-related programming. Currently there are around ten people able to lifeguard locally, but in recent months the department has been unable to train any more themselves. The departure of several staff members this year meant there were no more employees certified to be instructors. Parks director Kate Thomas explained she just received her certification to instruct this week, taking a two-day course in I...
