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The school board is advertising on a tight timeline for a new schools superintendent to start work July 1, to replace Bill Burr who has resigned effective June 30 after four years on the job. The deadline for applications is May 5, with the selection of finalists tentatively scheduled for May 7-9 and interviews with the board May 12-14. The board scheduled a special meeting for 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at Evergreen Elementary School to discuss additional “particulars of the superintendent search.” The board is expected to go into exe...
Members of the high school band, jazz band and choir spent three days in Juneau earlier this month for the 51st annual Southeast Music Festival. “There are no winners or losers at Music Fest,” and no trophies, said Tasha Morse, who is in her 17th year teaching music at Wrangell schools. “It is a learning experience. … It’s kind of like a master class,” with guest musicians, called adjudicators, listening and coaching the students one-on-one and in small ensembles. Music Fest was held April 10-12 at Juneau-Douglas High School, with morning and...
The community responded with 6,000 pounds of donated food after The Salvation Army cut back the days its free food pantry was open last month due to a shortage of donations to keep the shelves stocked. The donations allowed the pantry to return to its schedule of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday for families that need help. Previously, the pantry had cut back to every other week. “We’ve been tremendously blessed by this community,” Salvation Army Capt. Chase Green said last week. The 6,000 pounds included lots of canned goods and other shelf...
The Wrangell team in the annual Salvation Army Bible Bowl captured first place at the state level this month, the third year in a row the squad led the state. Wrangell won the national competition last year — the first time ever — and will try for a repeat in June in Los Angeles, said Capt. Chase Green of the Wrangell Salvation Army. “Hopefully, we’ll bring home the repeat,” he said. “There is more opposition,” Green said. “People want to beat them,” he said of the six-member Wrangell team. The state competition quizzed competitors on al...
The Alaska Press Club named the Wrangell Sentinel as the second-best weekly newspaper in the state last year. The awards were presented at the organization’s annual conference April 12 in Anchorage. “With one of the strongest news staffs among the six weekly newspapers competing, the Wrangell Sentinel — ‘The Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper in Alaska’ — consistently places multiple home-grown stories on each front page,” the judge said. The Sentinel, established in 1902, lost out for first place to the Nome Nugget. It’s the second time...
The 2025-2026 Wrangell Travel Guide, a joint project of the Sentinel and the borough’s Economic Development Department, is now available around town. The 52-page, full-color booklet features as its cover photo a brown bear family walking along, minding their own business at the Anan Wildlife Observatory, continuing the annual guide’s theme of showcasing the bear observatory as a prime attraction for visitors to Wrangell. The updated guide includes stories, maps and suggestions for visitors, including a full-page table listing boat charters ava...
As has been routine in recent years, the state has closed the waters in front of the Stikine River to sport fishing for kings or retention of the salmon though July 14. The annual closure is a continuing effort to rebuild the river’s depleted runs. The closure of District 8 covers the waters around the top half of Wrangell Island to the eastern half of Zarembo Island, and up the east side of Mitkof Island. Districts 6, 7, 9 and 10 as far north as Frederick Sound and into Chatham Strait and south of Etolin Island are closed to king sport f...
Police on Saturday arrested Ethan Robison, 22, on multiple charges after he allegedly hit one vehicle and ran two others off the road before losing control of his own vehicle and crashing off the highway. Police said they received a report about 5:25 p.m. Saturday, April 5, “of a potentially intoxicated driver” in a pickup truck near Evergreen Trailer Park on the north end of the island. “Shortly after, the same truck hit a vehicle at the intersection of Bennett Street and Zimovia Highway,” according to the Wrangell Police Department stateme...
Prompted at a work session with the borough assembly last week to gather more public input into its long-term budget plans, the Wrangell school board is seeking volunteers to serve on a special committee. The school board announced March 28 that it is seeking letters of interest from people willing to serve on an ad hoc committee “to research long-term budgetary considerations,” such as a four-day school week, consolidation of the district’s three schools or other measures to cut expenses. “This is your opportunity to be a part of what could l...
The beach between City Park and Heritage Harbor reopened to the public last week after a closure of more than six months to repair damage to the community’s sewage outfall line. The borough last month collected and tested samples from the beach to ensure the area is safe for the public. “Results of those tests have come back within regulatory compliance and historical averages,” according to a March 28 announcement from City Hall. A boat owner last September pulled anchor in front of the beach area, damaging the deepwater outfall line from...
A couple of Wrangell kids scored victories in the state Elks Hoop Shoot competition. Jude Johnson placed second in the state among boys 10 and 11 years old, with his score of sinking 15 of 25 free throws at the Wrangell event. Connor Blake placed third in the state among boys 12 and 13 years old, with his score of making 18 of 25 shots. They were among the half-dozen kids who placed first in Wrangell’s annual Hoop Shoot in November. Their scores were sent to the state director, who ranked their record against first-place finishers from the 1...
The House Finance Committee is scheduled to take public testimony on the state operating budget over three days this week, with several Southeast communities, including Wrangell, on the calendar for Friday afternoon, March 14. The time slot for Southeast residents to testify is set for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday. Individuals will be limited to two minutes each to give the committee their opinions on the state spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Anyone in Wrangell who wants to testify is asked to come to the Legislative...
After a monthlong closure to in-person dining and a temporary suspension of van rides, the Senior Center is back open for both. The center reopened with prepared lunches last week, and will reopen for in-person dining Wednesday, March 5. Van rides are expected to resume this week, too. The center had been closed due to temporary staffing issues; John Waddington was hired last week as the new driver. As of March 5, the center will be open Tuesdays through Fridays for in-person dining and van rides for senior citizens to medical appointments,...
A team from Oregon State University’s Sustainable Tourism Lab wants to hear from you. The borough linked up with the academic team to better understand the community’s opinions about tourism. The survey is available at http://beav.es/wrangell and the deadline to complete the short questionnaire is March 20. On Feb. 21, a member of the team joined City Hall’s monthly economic development coffee chat at the Stikine Inn, and community members offered up ideas to better understand Wrangell’s tourism economy. For example, one community member...
After just under two years in business, Island Tire Repair closed down its operations last week. “Hate to say it but the business is shut down as of today at 3 p.m.,” according to the company’s Feb. 17 post on the Wrangell Community Facebook page. “Going to have a sale at the shop tomorrow starting at 10 a.m.” Business owner John Hurst did not respond to messages from the Sentinel asking for more information. “Everything is for sale,” the Facebook post said. “I want to say thank you to all my customers for being with us for these last two...
The Wrangell Sentinel has a new front-page masthead and logo, honoring the history and culture of the Tlingit people. The new logo incorporates a representation of the Bear Up The Mountain Totem, with permission of the Naanya.aayi' clan. The new artwork replaces a different totem that had been part of the Sentinel for more than 50 years until last fall when it was deleted from the newspaper logo at the request of the clan. Bear Up The Mountain tells the story of how a bear led villagers up a...
Wrangell Elks Lodge No. 1595 received $19,000 in state and national Elks funds which the lodge has distributed to four separate community programs. The grant funds were distributed to the school wrestling program, Senior Center, Parks and Recreation’s youth swim program, and for grocery gift cards for veterans and their families. The checks — and burgers — were presented at the Elks Club weekly burger night Thursday, Feb. 13. “The Wrangell Elks Lodge is proud to support these programs and more in our community,” said Dawn Angerman, a lodge trus...
Maylee Martin is working to line up financing to buy Tiny’s Taxi and its vehicle, but until that comes though she is offering to give people rides for a donation. Tiny’s Taxi closed down last month, and Martin stepped in to provide donation-only rides when and where she can, while working toward setting up her own business. Tiny’s was the only taxi service in Wrangell. “I’m just doing this until … I get the loan I need,” she said last week of her work with a financial institution under a state loan program. She plans to call her new business...
Wrangell's Bearfest doesn't start until the end of July but organizers have come up with a unique musical event to help drum up support for the annual all-things-bears weeklong celebration. Unit Souzou, a Japanese folk drumming group, is coming to town as the first stop on their Alaska tour next month. The group also is scheduled to perform in Petersburg, Anchorage and Bethel, said Sylvia Ettefagh, a volunteer organizer for Bearfest. The statewide tour is funded by grants. "I look for...
Almost one-third of Wrangell’s population is at least 65 years old, and many could use some help, which is the idea behind Hospice of Wrangell restarting its Friends and Neighbors program. “We are recruiting volunteers to visit assigned neighbors to provide them with conversation, help with reading or writing, play games, prepare some food, help tidy up or escort them to an errand or appointment,” said the program announcement from hospice. “Visitors will not provide personal care, handle finances or do any heavy chores. Visitors will mostly...
The borough is accepting letters of interest to fill one vacancy each on the assembly and port commission. To submit a letter, either email Borough Clerk Kim Lane — municipal clerk of the year in Alaska for 2024 — at clerk@wrangell.com or drop it off at her office in City Hall. As of Jan. 31, Lane said she had received three letters of interest. Phillip Mach and Scott McAuliffe submitted for the assembly seat, while Antonio Silva submitted for the port commission. “More would be great!” Lane said. Silva ran for port commission last fall an...
The borough assembly has passed the first reading of an ordinance to eliminate the requirement of a public vote to sell or lease borough-owned property worth more than $1 million, scheduling the ordinance for a public hearing and possible approval Feb. 11. Lawyers had advised the borough that the public consent requirement in the municipal charter contradicts the state constitution. The assembly unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance Jan. 28. The approval process was used as...
The boys and girls high school home basketball games between Wrangell and Craig were postponed from the weekend (Jan. 31 and Feb. 1) to Monday and Tuesday this week (Feb. 3-4). Bad weather in Craig made it unsafe for student travel by boat for the weekend games, though the Panthers were eventually able to make it to Wrangell ahead of the Feb. 3 matchup. Following the postponement, the boys varsity games tipped off at 5:30 p.m. on Monday and again at 7 p.m. the following night. The girls schedule was the inverse, tipping off at 7 p.m. Monday...
This Valentine’s Day, you won’t have to worry about where to eat. The Wrangell Elks Lodge will transform its Nolan Room into a “five-star romantic restaurant” on the evening of Feb. 14. According to the Elks, romance will be the night’s theme. There will be “soft music, candlelight, five-star service,” and of course, the four-course meal. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., with seating times at 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. To book a reservation, call Dawn Angerman at 907-305-0552. Seats are limited and organizers encourage anyone interested to...
The chamber of commerce has five annual awards to hand out in March — now it just needs some nominations. The chamber is soliciting nominations through Jan. 31 for business of the year, citizen of the year, volunteer of the year, educator of the year and young leader of the year. The awards have been around a long time, “I don’t know how many years,” said Tracey Martin, the chamber’s executive director. Anyone can nominate anyone in town, and there is no form to fill out. All it takes is a letter to the chamber, describing why the person or...