Articles from the February 27, 2020 edition


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  • How ferry shutdown impacts school districts

    Caleb Vierkant and Brian Varela|Feb 27, 2020

    The shutdown of ferry service in Southeast Alaska has impacted many aspects of day-to-day life in communities across the region. In previous reporting by the Wrangell Sentinel and Petersburg Pilot, peoples' travel plans have been disrupted, businesses have been impacted, and cultural events like Celebration 2020 could potentially see decreased turnout. Another aspect of Southeast communities that is facing disruption from the lack of ferries are school districts. The schools of Wrangell and...

  • Calls for ferry service, OCS workers, local Fish and Game office heard in state finance committee testimony

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    The Alaska House Finance Committee received public testimony from people across the state on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22. The state is currently in its budget season again, and the finance committee held the meeting to hear what the public felt was important. Several members from Wrangell called in from the local Legislative Information Office to give their perspective on the community's needs moving forward. Among the items Wrangellites voiced support for were the need for ferry...

  • Mariners' Memorial construction nearing milestones

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial project is moving along at a good pace, according to Brennon Eagle. The memorial has been a long-running project for the community, beginning back in the early 2000s. According to the memorial committee's website, Wrangell High School seniors worked to identify a suitable location and design for the memorial, meant to recognize Wrangellites who lose their lives at sea. The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial Committee achieved tax-exempt status as a nonprofit in 2017....

  • "Ayyam-i-Ha" party by Baha'i community

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    Wrangell's Baha'i community will be hosting a party at Evergreen Elementary school this Friday at 6 p.m., to celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha and is open to the Wrangell community. The Baha'i faith operates with a calendar of 19 months, made up of 19 days each. This means the Baha'i calendar has a total of 361 days in it. To keep their calendar aligned with the Gregorian calendar, Baha'is celebrate several "intercalary days." This year, being a leap year, has five intercalary days for the Baha'i...

  • School board adopts budget revisions, receives letters on swim team funding

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    The Wrangell School Board adopted some revisions to the FY 2020 budget at their Monday night meeting. The district's budget, originally, set revenues at a little less than $5.5 million, and expenditures at around $6.1 million. With the revisions however, revenues have been bumped up to around $5.7 million. The first revision to the budget adds the Wrangell borough's contribution. The revised budget takes into account a contribution of $610,329 from the City and Borough of Wrangell....

  • Swim club competes in championships in Anchorage and Ketchikan

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    The Wrangell Swim Club has had a busy start to 2020, competing in two tournaments in Anchorage and Ketchikan in January and February. Four club members swam in the Alaska Senior Championship, in Anchorage, near the end of January. Coach Jamie Roberts said that this is the highest level competition in Alaska for swimmers between the ages of 13 to the mid-20s. The three-day event saw about 160 swimmers from 16 different teams compete. Wrangell was represented by Jimmy Baggen, Nikolai Siekawitch,...

  • Lady Wolves go 1-1 in homecoming games

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    The Wrangell Lady Wolves held their annual homecoming games last weekend, playing against the high school's rivals, the Petersburg Lady Vikings. After two hard-fought games, both teams walked away with one win. The first game, on Friday, opened with Wrangell taking a narrow lead at 10-8. This lead extended in the second quarter, 23-18, and in the third quarter, 34-25. The fourth quarter saw the Lady Wolves push their score up even higher, despite a tough defense by the Lady Vikings. The final sc...

  • Wolves fall in narrow homecoming losses

    Caleb Vierkant|Feb 27, 2020

    Wrangell High School celebrated its homecoming this past weekend. People from all over Wrangell, and the school's rival Petersburg, came together for a weekend of intense basketball games. While the Wrangell Wolves did not come out of the games victorious, the games were hard-fought and very entertaining. "I'm still recovering, trying to get my voice back," said Coach Cody Angerman. "They were intense." The first game was on Friday, Feb. 21. Both teams went back and forth in a high-energy first...

  • Homecoming court

    Feb 27, 2020

    The 2020 Wrangell High School Homecoming court (left to right): Freshman Jacen Hay, freshman Kiara Harrison, sophomore Jake Eastaugh, sophomore Liana Carney, junior Brett Abrahamson, junior Robyn Booker, senior and Homecoming King Makai Allen, senior and Homecoming Queen Kaylyn Easterly, senior Wade Jack, senior Jing O'Brien, senior Trevor Miller, and senior Laura Helgeson....

  • Community comes together for the Ferdinands

    Feb 27, 2020

    The community of Wrangell turned out in large numbers last week to support some of their own. Randall Ferdinand, community member and fisherman, passed away in a boating accident last Sunday, Feb. 16. He leaves behind two daughters, Amy and Isabelle. A community walk around town, and chili feed were organized by Southeast Beasts and Wrangell Burial Assistance on Saturday, Feb. 22, to raise money for the Ferdinand family. A silent auction was also hosted at Wrangell High School over the weekend,...

  • The Way We Were

    Feb 27, 2020

    February 26, 1920 The Willson & Sylvester Mill company have built an addition to their wharf in order to have room for the construction of a box shed 150 feet long by 40 feet wide. A considerable supply of boxes will be kept in this shed at all times, thereby making it possible to bring the barge in and load quickly and get out again in the least possible time. The mill will be a busy place during the next few months, as four million feet of lumber will be required for the manufacture of the boxes now booked for delivery. The box orders are fro...

  • Nolan Center open house

    Feb 27, 2020

    The Nolan Center held an open house last Thursday, Feb. 20, to commemorate Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. The open house featured performances by the JOM dancers, a museum display of Alaskan civil rights leaders, and an art project put together by Evergreen Elementary's fourth and fifth grade classrooms. Pictured here is the fifth grade class at the open house, showing a book and commemorative $1 Peratrovich coin they were gifted during the open house. Back row (left to right): Kasey Whitaker,...

  • Police report

    Feb 27, 2020

    February 17 Agency Assist: Hoonah P.D. Civil Issue. Traffic Stop. Disturbance. February 18 Traffic Stop: Michael Howell, 47, citation for failure to provide proof of insurance. Deer Complaint. February 19 Citizen Assist: Unlocked vehicle. Summons Service. Traffic Stop verbal warning for headlight out. February 20 Drug Info. Traffic Stop: Verbal warning for driving habits. Traffic Complaint. Traffic Stop: Verbal warning for no headlights. Traffic Stop: Verbal warning driving habits. February 21 Dog Euthanasia. Fraud. Theft. Agency Assist: Dead...

  • Dan's Dispatch

    Dan Ortiz|Feb 27, 2020

    Thank you to everyone who spoke up during public testimony on the budget in House Finance last week. I need to hear from you in order to do my job, and I was incredibly impressed with the straight-forward, intelligent, and passionate comments that the residents of Wrangell provided. There were more people in Wrangell who testified than all other District 36 communities combined! You all have been the most effective political advocates for any community. The top three issues brought to our attention were: staffing woes in the Office of Children...

  • Fish Factor: Alaska's Dutch Harbor Top Fishing Port in US for 22nd Year in a Row

    Laine Welch|Feb 27, 2020

    Dutch Harbor remained the top fishing port in the USA for the 22nd year in a row with 763 million pounds crossing the docks in 2018 valued at $182 million. And Naknek ranked as the nation’s second most valuable port for fishermen with landings worth $195 million. (Naknek also ranked #8 for landings at $191 million.) Empire-Venice, Louisiana held the second spot for fish volume (569 million). The “Aleutians” was close behind (539 million), thanks to Trident’s plant at Akutan, the largest processing facility in North America. Kodiak fell to four...