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During a break in the U.S. Army apology ceremony, Sik'nax̲.ádi clan leader John Martin walked over to a table in the audience, turned and handed U.S. Army Chaplain Phillip Rittermeyer a book. It was "The Sea Runners," by Ivan Doig, a novel about four indentured servants and their quest for freedom in a stolen canoe. Rittermeyer turned to those seated at his table and explained what happened. "We met last night, and he wanted me to have this," the chaplain said, tapping the book to the table. I...
The Wrangell School District could run short of operating funds by 2026 or 2027 if it doesn't receive new revenues or make large cuts to its programs. The school board discussed the first draft of its 2025-2026 budget on Jan. 20. Barring any notable changes between now and when the budget is sent to City Hall for approval by May 1, the district anticipates a deficit of $767,016, requiring a dip deep into the school district's dwindling reserves. This would leave the reserves at an estimated $51,...
A team from Oregon State University’s Sustainable Tourism Lab will conduct a survey in Wrangell next month to help the borough learn more of what residents think of tourism, the positives and any negatives of having visitors in town, and how to manage for the best outcome for the community. The online survey will start early February, with a student researcher in town later in the month for in-person interviews. “The purpose is to figure out where community sentiment lies” on the effects of a growing tourism industry, explained Kate Thoma...
A member of the Alaska House majority on Jan. 24 introduced legislation that would increase the state’s public school funding by more than 35%, marking the beginning of what will likely be a lengthy debate over lawmakers’ top priority for the session. The bill would add roughly $464 million to the state’s annual education spending, which currently hovers around $1.2 billion per year to Alaska’s schools. The measure was introduced by Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, a Sitka independent who co-chairs the House Education Committee, and who worked as a publ...
Jan. 29, 1925 The finest equipped riverboat in the world of the twin-screw tunnel type will be built in Wrangell within the next 10 weeks and will be ready for operation on the Stikine at the opening of navigation early in May when gold seekers from everywhere will be rushing into the Cassiar region of British Columbia. The new boat will be an addition to the fleet of riverboats on the Stikine owned by Capt. Sid Barrington. Hazel B No. 2 will be the name of the new boat, which will be 90 feet in length with a 25-foot beam powered with two...
WRANGELL MARINERS’ MEMORIAL board members will be available to assist in completing applications to add names to the commemorative plaques from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Nolan Center. Applications are available online at wrangellmarinersmemorial.com. Donations and memberships are also accepted online. COMMUNITY MARKET from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Nolan Center. Check out the locally grown and handcrafted item. WRANGELL KIDS CLUB 2:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays at the Irene Ingle Public Library for STEM activities a...
The Wrangell advisory committee doesn’t want to see Southeast residents lose any more of their limited share of king salmon catches to nonresident charter fishing customers, but it isn’t ready to support proposals that would substantially rewrite the commercial/sport allocations set by the Alaska Board of Fisheries. “It’s complicated,” said Chris Guggenbickler, chair of the local advisory committee which met three times in November and December to consider close to 160 proposals that will go before the state board at its meeting Jan. 28 throug...
Among the 159 proposals to go before the state Board of Fisheries at its meeting in Ketchikan starting this week is one to reduce Southeast Alaska hatcheries’ chum and pink egg take by 25%. Supporters say it would help wild salmon stocks by reducing their competition with hatchery fish for food. The Wrangell advisory committee to the Board of Fisheries “adamantly opposes” the proposal, said Chris Guggenbickler, committee chair. “The hatcheries around here are pretty beneficial to everyone,” he said. “If we didn’t have them,” a lot of people i...
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...
Admittedly, a lot of people avoid surveys. They have other things they want to do with their time than answer questions. But this isn’t a political poll or an advocacy group asking your opinion about a hot topic, or a company asking how much you love their product. The borough has given the Sustainable Tourism Lab at Oregon State University a homework project. The students will run an online survey of Wrangell residents, asking their opinions about — yes, you’re right — tourism. What’s good about it, what’s not so good. What are the benefit...
I remember as a kid accompanying my mom to the elementary school a few blocks from our house. No, not because the principal had called her into the office to talk about my behavior. That came later, in high school and college. Such as in college, when the dorm manager called my dad at work to tattle on me. He called my dad collect. For people too young to know, that’s when the person making the call instructed the operator to bill the person getting the call, “collecting” the toll. That was back when you paid for long-distance calls by the expe...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing legislation that would shorten the window for early voting in statewide elections and make other changes to the way elections are conducted. The bill would require all mail ballots to be received by the Division of Elections by Election Day, changing statutes that have existed for decades. Currently, ballots must be postmarked by Election Day but can be received up to 10 days later for most voters, and 15 days after Election Day for overseas voters. The bill faced immediate criticism from an advocate for voting...
The Wrangell girls basketball team took second in the inaugural Southeast Alaska Cultural Tournament, held in Craig from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25. After some back-to-back wins against the Ketchikan junior varsity team and Klawock, Wrangell eventually fell to hosts Craig in the championship game. Wrangell returned home adorned with a silver medal and a chip on their shoulder ahead of the upcoming rematches against Craig on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Wrangell. Wrangell started off the tournament strong, beating the Ketchikan JV team...
The high school boys basketball team took first place in the inaugural Southeast Alaska Cultural Tournament, hosted by Craig Jan. 23-25. The Wolves won three of their four tournament matches, meaning Wrangell has won seven of their last eight matchups, dating back their out-of-town matches against Petersburg earlier this month. Though the tournament will not contribute to the Southeast conference standings, the win will certainly bolster the boys’ confidence ahead of the two-game home stand against Craig this weekend. The opening contest of the...
The two U.S. Border Patrol officers newly stationed in Juneau will work with law enforcement throughout Southeast on high-priority illegal activities — largely involving drugs — not conducting workplace raids and setting up deportation camps, said Ross Wilkin, patrol agent in charge of the Border Patrol’s sector office, which is responsible for operations in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. “We don’t want people to be concerned that there’s a restaurant that’s going to get raided or something like that,” he said. “This is not the goal of this...
For their senior project, Addy Andrews and Aubrey Wynne are helping to coach the middle school girls volleyball team. During their four-year careers playing high school volleyball, they three-peated as Southeast champions, with just as many showings at the state tournament. Now, with their varsity volleyball careers behind them, Andrews and Wynne hope they can help the next generation find the same passion for the sport they love. "We try and make sure that they enjoy it," Wynne said. "We both...
Money's going to be tight, but a permanent education funding increase rather than another one-time boost is among the essential tasks facing lawmakers this session, state Senate leaders said as the Alaska Legislature gaveled to work on Jan. 21. Energy and development issues also dominated conversations with lawmakers during the first day of the session, which came the day after President Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to vastly expand oil and other natural resources production...
North America's tallest peak is a focal point of Jeff King's life. The four-time winner of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race operates his kennel and mushing tourism business just 8 miles from Denali National Park and Preserve's entrance, and the 20,310-foot mountain looms large as he trains his dogs on nearby trails. King and many others who live in the mountain's shadow say most Alaskans will never stop calling the peak Denali, its Alaska Native name, despite President Donald Trump's...
Monday, Jan. 20 Suspicious activity. Tuesday, Jan. 21 Traffic complaint. Traffic complaint. Wednesday, Jan. 22 Violating conditions of release. Found property. Suspicious person. Disorderly conduct. Warrant arrest: Violating conditions of release. Thursday, Jan. 23 Nothing to report. Friday, Jan. 24 Traffic stop: Citation issued for driving while license cancelled. Saturday, Jan. 25 Civil issue. Sunday, Jan. 26 Agency assist: U.S. Post Office. During this reporting period, there were 10 subpoenas served, three agency assists for the Hoonah...
Jacquie Dozier passed away on Dec. 23, 2024. She was born on Jan. 3, 1935. "About the artist, Jacquie Dozier," her family wrote. Jacquie was a former teacher and headmistress of a Christian school for language disabilities in California. Taking a job on a sailboat as a nanny, she came to Alaska. She arrived in Wrangell around Mother's Day in 1995. She fell in love with the friendliness of the people and the warmth of the town. Often she would be seen with her little white Westie, wandering...
PIANO TUNING Piano tuner from Corvine Piano Care plans a March visit if there are enough pianos to be serviced. Contact Alice Rooney at 907-305-0007 to be put on the work list. FUNDRAISER Fundraiser for Tasha Toombs Peterman. Hand-woven cedar bark hat by Clara Haily. Tickets are on sale through Feb. 13. Sellers are Clara Haley Fern Seimears and Lynn Allen, at Raymes. Call Clara at 907-305-0874. HOME FOR SALE Spacious 2-bedroom, 1½-bathroom, fully furnished 1,695-square-foot home near the airport, with 1-car garage, RV parking, gated backyard,...
The loss of an estimated 4 million common murres during the marine heatwave known as the “Blob” was the biggest bird die-off in recorded history, and seven or eight years later the Alaska population has not recovered, biologists report. The findings, in a study led by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Heather Renner, show that the toll on common murres killed 4 million, about half the Alaska population. It was not only the largest bird die-off in the modern era but also appears to be the largest wildlife die-off, said the study, whi...