Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
More than 600 Wrangell residents had received their first COVID-19 vaccination shot, and more than half of those had received their second dose, too, as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the community's health care provider, the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, will open the vaccination list even further as more doses become available in the community and is encouraging people to register for the shot so they are ready when their group is called. "Depending on the people registered and vaccine...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is asking legislators for $2 million in state funds to hold a special election this summer, to ask voters their opinion of a Permanent Fund dividend that would average $2,400 a year for the rest of the decade and beyond. The governor's proposal is to split the annual withdrawal of Permanent Fund earnings between dividends and public services 50-50. He introduced legislation to call for the special election as an advisory vote, and a few days later promoted the issue in his...
After a seven-week absence, Wrangell's community markets will return this Saturday at the Nolan Center. "We're really excited to have it back," Nolan Center Director Cyni Crary said of the event, planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community markets are an opportunity for enterprising locals to show off their homemade goods for sale. Past markets have seen items ranging from baked goods to artwork to jewelry, and more. The last market was held Dec. 19, Crary said. The event was put on hiatus...
Feb. 4, 1921 Complimentary to the young ladies who gave the leap year party at New Year’s, a number of young men entertained last Saturday night at the home of Julius Mason. The young men had spared no effort to make the affair a great success and a delightful evening resulted. The ladies who were honored with the invitations were kept in the dark as to where the affair was to be given. At the appointed time, their escorts led them to the Mason home. Here they were met at the door by Harold Shangle, who, appropriately costumed, acted as major d...
Being creative with food, and providing meals for people, is a passion for Nic Martin. It came from his mother, he said, and further developed during this time on fishing boats. As a kid, his mother would have the family pull together all the leftovers and whatever was left in the pantry once a week and make a meal out of it. As a fisherman, he learned to be creative turning limited ingredients into meals. He is now bringing this passion and creativity to Wrangell's newest pizzeria: Nic's...
The recall group has been portrayed as people who are upset with the mask mandate. This is not the fact. We are a group of citizens who feel strongly about following the laws as set out in our borough charter and state statutes. Many ordinances within the city and borough have been violated, as well as state statutes. Meetings have been called without proper notice, which restricts public input. Letters have been written by city employees to the assembly informing them of actions that have been...
Just because I don't use Facebook doesn't mean I don't see its value in spreading the word about community events online. Even better, people like it because it's free. But the Sentinel also does that, and the publicity is free, too, though we need to know about the events before we can share the news with Wrangell. Is your community group holding a meeting that is open to the public, holding a fundraiser, looking for donations or simply or looking for new members? Is your organization doing som...
The governor had a chance to talk honestly about taxes when he announced his 10-year budget plan last month. He had a second chance Jan. 28 with his State of the State speech. Sadly, he failed both times. The governor's 10-year fiscal plan acknowledges there will be a $1.2 billion hole in the state budget 18 months from now. That's equal to more than 20% of public services and Permanent Fund dividends the next year. And that's after spending down the state's savings for much of the past 30...
Fiscal stability, infrastructure and land development are among Wrangell's priorities for the near future. But it will not be easy. "I'm certain that this involves us purchasing a printing press and having a secret room where we come up with the funds we need to do what's necessary," Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen said jokingly. "As the state continues to face fiscal hardship, as we continue to get downward pressure in a number of different ways, and at the same time the cost of operations is...
Senior Thien Khuong and senior Robyn Booker were crowned homecoming king and queen for 2021 during halftime of the Wolves basketball home game last Saturday. COVID-19 precautions required the homecoming court to stand apart from each other at the halftime event. Other members of the court include: Freshmen Prince and Princess Cody Eastaugh and Mia Wiederspohn; Sophomore Prince and Princess Will Ashton and Brodie Gardner; Junior Prince and Princess Jake Eastaugh and Liana Carney; and Senior...
The Wrangell community group BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) has embarked on a "revival mode" after slowing down last year for the pandemic. BRAVE, which was founded in 2017, has as its mission statement: "To provide advocacy for healthy relationships in our community through prevention programs, resource referral and community engagement." It has been an unofficial sister organization to WISH (Women in Safe Homes), the Ketchikan shelter for victims of domestic violence which also...
With one win and one loss, both narrow, the Wrangell Wolves had a hard-fought opening to their high school basketball season. Wrangell High School hosted the Petersburg Vikings last weekend to start the season. "They were definitely exciting for sure," Coach Cody Angerman said of the Friday and Saturday games. The first game, Jan. 29, went to the Vikings. They took the lead early in the first quarter, sinking a three-pointer. However, the Wolves were not deterred. They took the lead briefly, but...
Due to a shortage of players this season, the Lady Wolves received a waiver from the state school sports association and accepted two eighth graders into the team. Adeline Andrews and Aubrey Wynne attend Stikine Middle School but will be playing with the high school basketball team. Both have past experience playing basketball, and joined the team for the challenges. Andrews said she has played basketball for the middle school and with the Amateur Athletic Union for several years. Wynne has also...
Anti-tobacco advocates thought a little friendly competition between Wrangell and Petersburg might draw attention to their message. "It's been a challenge to reach people because we're not having face-to-face meetings," said Tammi Meissner, Wrangell SEARHC health educator. Organizers put up posters in each town, showing the connection between tobacco use, e-cigarettes and health, and asked people to find and take pictures of the hidden posters, and then put them on the event's Facebook page....
A local tax on tobacco products would be a "win-win-win" for Wrangell, a health educator said. Promoting public health is a win, as is reducing smoking among teens - plus the borough could gain a new source of revenue, SEARHC Health Educator Tammi Meissner told the borough assembly Jan. 26. "Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S.," Meissner said. "One in five adults in Southeast Alaska smoke, and one in three American Indian and Alaska Native adults smoke in...
The city announced a new case of COVID-19 in Wrangell on Saturday morning. It was not related to any travel. This latest case, the 29th for the community, was reported as a local resident infected with the virus. According to the city's press release, the resident had not traveled recently. The person has been notified and is in isolation, the city said. The weekend report was the only active case of COVID-19 in Wrangell. The previous 28 are all reported as recovered. Residents who experience...
Pacific halibut harvesters received some rare good news last week: Increased catches in 2021, along with a longer fishing season. At its annual meeting that ended Jan. 25, the International Pacific Halibut Commission boosted the coastwide catch for 2021 to 39 million pounds, a 6.53% increase over last year. It includes halibut taken in commercial, sport, subsistence, research, personal-use and as bycatch for fisheries of the West Coast, British Columbia and Alaska. Almost 300 individual Pacific...
Monday, Jan. 25 Welfare check: Person is fine. Tuesday, Jan. 26 Agency assist: Ambulance. Traffic stop: Citation issued for speed over 20 mph in school zone. Summons service. Agency assist: Ambulance. Domestic disturbance. Wednesday, Jan. 27 Agency assist: Ambulance. Thursday, Jan. 28 Agency assist: Hoonah. Traffic stop. Citizen assist. Friday, Jan. 29 Agency assist: Public works roads. Theft. Disorderly conduct. Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department. Agency assist: Ambulance requested. Saturday, Jan. 30 Trespass / assault. Sunday, Jan. 31...
VANCOUVER, BC (AP) - Public condemnation has grown over a wealthy Vancouver couple who allegedly flew to a remote Indigenous community in Canada’s Yukon Territory to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. Marc Miller, Canada’s federal Indigenous services minister, said he was “disgusted” by the purported actions of Rodney Baker and his wife, Ekaterina, who have been issued tickets under Yukon’s Emergency Measures Act and face fines of up to $1,000 Canadian (US$783) plus fees. Baker resigned on Jan. 24 as Great Canadian Gaming Corp.’s president a...
JUNEAU (AP) - More people are leaving the city of Juneau than arriving because of state budget cuts and declining state jobs, labor officials said. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development estimates more than 1,300 people have moved out of Juneau since the city’s population peaked at 33,162 in 2015, public radio KTOO-FM reported. Juneau lost 172 residents from July 2018 to July 2019, and 286 residents from July 2019 to July 2020, officials said. The state population has also declined during that time. Agency economist Sara Teel...
After missing 2020 due to the pandemic, the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines plans to return this year. The board voted unanimously last month to put together some version of the annual event, according to the Chilkat Valley News in Haines. But it will not be a normal year. Southeast Alaska State Fair Executive Director Kari Johnson said events are likely to be smaller and will certainly be outdoors. “We are hopeful,” Johnson told KHNS public radio. “Yes, there’s going to be one. It might be big, it might be small. … I think we’re kin...
JUNEAU (AP) - Officials in Alaska’s capital city are working on measures to prevent disruptions of online public meetings that have included verbal abuse of at least one assembly member. The use of videoconferences allows the public to continue observing and participating city government meetings during the coronavirus pandemic, but there have been problems, Juneau public radio station KTOO reported Jan. 26. City officials estimated there have been about a dozen instances of what has become known as “Zoom bombing,” or planned disruptions of me...
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Fewer Alaska residents had routine cancer screenings in 2020 than in the year before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, doctors said. There were 330 fewer mammograms and 28 fewer lung cancer screenings last year than there were in 2019 at Juneau’s Bartlett Regional Hospital, said Paul Hawkins, director of the hospital’s diagnostic imaging center. Some medical providers said the screening decrease was likely linked to anxiety related to the virus that has lasted through the pandemic, the Anchorage Daily News reported Jan...
JUNEAU (AP) - Alaska has detected the state’s first known case of the coronavirus variant identified last year in the United Kingdom, officials said Jan. 26. The infected person is an Anchorage resident who had traveled to a state where the variant had already been detected, the Alaska health department said. The person first experienced symptoms on Dec. 17, was tested three days later and received a positive result Dec. 22. The resident lived with another person in Anchorage, who also became ill. Both isolated and have since recovered, o...
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Severe child abuse cases in Alaska have increased significantly at times during the coronavirus pandemic, experts said. As students return to classrooms, child welfare advocates are assessing the impact of the pandemic on child abuse, Alaska Public Media reported Jan. 27. Visits by one clinic to children in need of hospitalization for severe injuries because of suspected abuse skyrocketed by 173% in the past year, said Mike Canfield, a spokesperson for Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage. “This absolutely reflects a...