Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission was able to meet last Thursday for the first time since January. Commissioners examined the future of Silvernail Road, whose right-of-way cuts a course through the Marine Service Center yard and connects with Front Street. The Harbor Department would prefer to see the largely conceptual road vacated to free up space for leasing, but Economic Development head Carol Rushmore has expressed reluctance to relinquish it so easily. In Rushmore’s view, having the road guarantees the property access to Fro...
The full Wrangell School Board met Monday evening at Evergreen Elementary to discuss contracts and the upcoming budget as the academic year enters its final quarter. The board examined budgets past and future, making some minor revisions to its FY15 budget and examining changes to its first draft of FY16. Superintendent Patrick Mayer explained that the changes reflect the expected 2.5 percent reduction in one-time monies allotted by the state. "The Legislature hasn't sent any indication that...
The skies were burning brightly over Wrangell Monday night and into Tuesday morning. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a magnetic storm watch through Tuesday into the next evening, after reports of a large coronal mass ejection from the sun increased the likelihood of a display of aurora borealis....
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. March 25, 1915: The fore flippers of any hair seal caught or killed within the waters of the Territory of Alaska will in the future be worth $5 in cash to the person making the capture, or the killing, according to a bill introduced in the legislature. The bill provides that any person capturing the seal must attach a copy of an affidavit, the form of which is set forth in the bill, to the fore flippers of the seal, which must be sent to the Territorial Treasurer. This bounty has been agitated for...
Tuesday, March 10 Robert Richard Bowlin Jr., 51, appeared before First District Court Deputy Magistrate Leanna Nash on charges of Criminal Tresspass 2—Vehicle and Violating Condition of Release. He pled no contest to the charges and was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail with credit for time served, as well as to pay $200 in surcharges....
Monday, March 9 Possible Phone Scam. Animal Bite. Report of Harassment—Phone. Citizen Assist. Agency Assist. Tuesday, March 10 Civil Standby. Traffic Stop—Verbal warning for faulty equipment. Unlock Vehicle. Wednesday, March 11 Abandoned Vehicle. Possible Theft. Thursday, March 12 Citizen Assist—Vehicle. Friday, March 13 Report of Possible Fraud. Citation issued to Amy Price, 39, for Dog at Large and License Required. Saturday, March 14 Courtesy Transport—Officer gave transport. Sunday, March 15 Nothing to Report. There was one ambulan...
As Wrangell looks to future growth, the owners of its largest hotel are likewise looking to expand. Southeast Properties owner Bill Goodale and Stikine Inn manager Jake Harris have made preliminary appearances at recent assembly, port, and planning and zoning meetings to pitch their idea. They would like to purchase 27.45 square feet of tidelands adjacent to the hotel property. Once acquired, the inn's owners could then begin expanding the building, adding rooms and ground-level retail space. Go...
My wife, Dena, and I enjoy walking around town. As we stroll, I can’t help but notice the crocuses are in bloom. The bulbs of these beautiful flowers looked dead when they were buried. At just the right time they rise up in all their glory. With Easter on its way I can’t help but be reminded of Jesus. He was dead because He chose to take my sins upon Himself. He was buried and rose again. So each crocus bloom is a reminder of God’s love for us. I like to garden. The worst part of gardening for most folks is pulling weeds. Some weeds are on the...
With only 90-days to conduct the public’s business, we never cease to be amazed at the bills that attract consideration by our state legislators. In the, “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” category comes SB 6 and a companion bill HB 64 that proposes to eliminate daylight savings time in Alaska. Why? First, it puts Alaska out of sync with the rest of the country, particularly our neighbors in Canada and for S.E. residents, the west coast cities where we conduct much of our business. Second, public safety would be compromised. We need more dayl...
From the beginning of this legislative session, everyone knew the $3.5 billion budget deficit would be the driving force behind nearly all legislative considerations. With oil tax revenue making up over 90% of all state revenue, and oil prices dropping from an average of $110 a barrel to approximately $50 a barrel, there was no escaping the necessity of making some extremely difficult budget reductions. The decisions made in each legislative committee resulted in budget cuts across the board to all regions of the state. However, because of the...
Nearly 100 residents headed to the Nolan Center the evening of March 11 to preview a short film produced about themselves. Entitled “Water is Life,” the ten-minute video follows the Stikine River from its headwaters to its terminus and highlights its importance to nearby communities. Shooting was conducted last fall by a film crew working for Inside Passage Waterkeeper, which visited Wrangell, Petersburg and Telegraph, British Columbia. In addition to gathering footage of the river and its wildlife, interviews were conducted with a variety of...
A bagpiper sets the mood before Saturday's Shamrock Shuffle, where over 40 participants braved nippy gusts to run, ride or skate a five-kilometer course....
One Wrangell resident hoped to stir up some interest in an alternative to subscription-service television at the Wrangell Borough Assembly meeting March 10. Sue Horner introduced herself as 31-year military veteran and recent arrival to the community. While settling in, one of the things Horner noticed was Wrangell did not make use of Alaska Rural Communication System (ARCS) programming. “I was surprised and disappointed,” she told the Assembly. She explained the ARCS network is a system of satellite-fed, low-power television transmitters pro...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday amended a bill that would update state laws following the legalization of recreational use of marijuana in Alaska. Some of the amendments were technical in nature. Others addressed issues raised by state officials and the public in past hearings, including adjusting open container laws and limiting concentrate purchases by transaction, rather than by day. Lawmakers also added a section that would give regulators some enforcement authority over marijuana businesses in response to a...
Nearly four dozen runners, bicyclists, walkers and longboarders make their way up Case Avenue at the start of the Southeast Beasts' Shamrock Shuffle 5K. The group's first major run of the year, it raised $560 for Wrangell High School's vocational education program....
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – The Kennicott, a ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway System, set sail earlier this month from the Ketchikan Shipyard with more than $13 million in repairs and refurbishments complete. The ferry, which underwent work over the past two winters at the shipyard, is returning to service after undergoing extensive upgrades on systems ranging from electrical, refrigeration and information technology to the vehicle elevator. The project also included adding heated windows to the bridge and a main engine overhaul, according to T...
Cody Angerman on the Thunderbirds scores under pressure from Angoon defenders Bailey Johnson and Curtis Lane during Wrangell's last-minute 69-68 win over Angoon on Sunday during the Juneau Lions Club 69th Annual Gold Medal Basketball Tournament B Bracket....
Print your licenses at home and go fishing. The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game’s revamped Online Store is the go to place for all fishing (and hunting) licenses and it now offers two new features. “Fishermen, both sport and commercial, can now print their licenses at home. They can purchase it online, immediately print it and go out fishing,” said Michelle Kaelke, Financing and Licensing Supervisor for the department. “They can buy it before they go out to the fishing grounds, or if they’re traveling from Seattle or wherever, they can have ever...
PETERSBURG – The Sitka sac roe herring fishery will be done cooperatively this year, with processing completed in Sitka alone, meaning no fish tax for Petersburg. “This is an industry initiated cooperative,” Dave Gordon, area management biologist at the Department of Fish and Game, said of the co-op. He added that the sac roe herring market is “very poor right now,” and that the decision was made to eliminate competition and risk — to lower costs to “make it worthwhile to go after the product.” “The quota this year is quite small,” said Patr...
The Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery opened at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday under a cooperative model. Dave Gordon, area management biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said the decision was made by permit holders to eliminate competition and lower costs to “make it worthwhile to go after the product” as the market is poor. It wasn’t a popular decision among tenders, however. “There’s a lot less boats here,” said Tanner Mackiewicz, president of the Alaska Independent Tendermen’s Association. “A lot of people without jobs.” He said the...
Earlier this month, three members of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) were able to gear up and attend this year's Scott Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle, Wash. Firefighters Chris Hatton, Adam Sprehe and Dorianne Curley made the trip along with Tim Buness. The three joined 1,897 other firefighters on March 8 to climb the Columbia Center, the West Coast's second-tallest skyscraper. In its 24th year, the annual charity event draws firefighters from around the world, raising money and...