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The City and Borough of Wrangell held a special meeting via teleconference last Sunday afternoon, March 22, to issue an emergency "shelter in place" order. The assembly recently granted the mayor and borough manager the ability to issue emergency orders in the interest of public health, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen issued Wrangell's first emergency orders last week, limiting restaurants to to-go service only and limiting public gatherings to a maximum of...
4/1/20 COVID-19 Update Mayor Steve Prysunka and Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen hosted a brief teleconference, on Wed., April 1, to share pertinent information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic with the public. There are still no confirmed cases of the virus in Wrangell as of this date, Prysunka said. However, this is not cause for relaxation. Von Bargen said she was recently part of a teleconference with other city managers across Alaska, along with representatives from FEMA and the Department...
Governor Mike Dunleavy announced two new statewide health mandates Monday, March 23, in response to the ongoing spread of COVID-19 in Alaska. These are the ninth and tenth health mandates the state government has announced regarding the virus. Many local communities have been taking steps of their own to mitigate the risk of the virus spreading further. These mandates, however, are meant to help statewide efforts to combat COVID-19. The first of these two mandates, Mandate 009 took effect on...
While many events have been postponed or cancelled in response to the spread of COVID-19, in Alaska and across the world, Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore said that a high response rate to the 2020 census is still important. Rushmore, who also serves on Wrangell's census committee, explained in previous meetings that census does much more than help government officials count people. Information provided by the census helps determine how federal and state funding is divided up for...
As many readers are aware, the COVID-19 virus is continuing to spread around the globe. A relative handful of cases have been confirmed in Alaska, but many people and organizations around the state are taking proactive steps to lessen their risk of contracting or spreading the virus. According to the CDC, the elderly are among high-risk groups of people when it comes to COVID-19. For this reason, the Wrangell Senior Center has temporarily closed its doors. "We're not doing what they call...
March 25, 1920 W.E. Parrott received a letter yesterday from A. Everson of Telegraph Creek. Mr. Everson states that he had the misfortune of getting burned out on January 22 when the temperature was 34 below zero. He reports that his wife and little ones are well and that two of the girls and Johnny are attending school regularly. Mr. Everson complained that he is not receiving the Sentinel regularly. He says he has heard that there are four sacks of papers for Telegraph Creek in the office at Atlin. That better transportation facilities...
To expedite the COVID-19 testing process and eliminate unnecessary contamination of primary care clinics, the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) recently opened alternative testing sites in Juneau, Sitka, Wrangell, Haines, and Klawock. Appointments may be required for testing. For information on screening, call: In Wrangell call 874-4700. Each alternative testing site is manned by a SEARHC clinician in approved personal protection equipment (PPE), including mask, goggles,...
Wrangell's Planning and Zoning Commission met last Tuesday evening, March 17, to hold a series of public hearings on several permit requests and agreement modifications. The first hearing was on a conditional use permit request for agricultural development. This request came from Laura and Dwane Ballou of Oceanview Gardens. They recently purchased Lots 14A and 14B of USS 2589, in an area more commonly known as Sealy's Mt. The Ballous propose to use the land for raised beds, orchards,...
Due to the spread of COVID-19 through Alaska, many people and organizations have had to suddenly alter their schedules and day-to-day operations. The Wrangell School District, for example, is looking at an extended closure right at the tail end of the school year. All schools in Alaska are to remain closed until May 1, according to an announcement by Governor Mike Dunleavy, to help mitigate the spread of the virus. This is especially important in Wrangell, Superintendent Debbe Lancaster wrote...
• Order your school lunch online as usual through the WPSD School Website at wpsd.us • Orders are due online by 8:30 AM. The following guidelines are for the pick up of lunches: Mondays-City Market: • Lunch pickup after 12:00 PM from the deli area • Provide name to server Tuesdays and Thursdays-J&W's • Lunch pickup at high school main doors off Reid St. after 12:00 PM Wednesdays and Fridays-Wrangell IGA • Students may pick their lunches up after 12:00 PM from the deli area • Students then...
Despite concerns of COVID-19, construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center has continued largely unhindered. Work on the new hospital began back in April of 2019, with an official groundbreaking ceremony in June, after the City and Borough of Wrangell and SEARHC came to a mutual agreement on the project. Work is nearing the one-year mark, and so far everything is largely on track. Current activities at the construction site include sheathing the exterior of the building, roofing work, and ins...
CORRECTION: In the March 19 edition of the Sentinel, we printed the police log supplied by the Wrangell Police Department which was a year old. Two weeks of the police log appear below. March 09 Citizen Assist. Animal Complaint: Injured doe. March 10 Nothing to report. March 11 Driving Revoked: Citation issued to Taylor Stavee. Paper Service. Trespass. March 12 Disturbance. Agency Assist: Wrangell Medical Center. Disorderly Conduct. Summons Service. March 13 Agency Assist: Alarm. Agency Assist: Hoonah PD. Traffic Stop: Mathew Gerald, 47,...
March 10: A bail hearing was held for Duke Aitken, charged with assault in the fourth degree and violating conditions of release. The court agreed to re-issue his conditions of release to allow for visitation with his children. March 17: A calendar call and status hearing were held for Casey Seimears, charged with criminal trespass, theft, and a probation/parole violation. An omnibus hearing was scheduled for April 27, a calendar call for June 16, and a trial for June 23. A calendar call was held for Valerie Nakamura, charged with possession...
To the Editor: As a long-time Southeast resident, I continue to be amazed by the resiliency and determination of our close-knit communities. The preparation that is happening in advance of COVID-19 in our communities is strong. SEARHC continues to enact a comprehensive response plan. As SEARHC Chief Medical Officer, I maintain daily communication with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and other state authorities, including the Governor's office and the state emergency...
The State of Alaska has been operating at a deficit. This is nothing new and has been the primary challenge for the Legislature over the past five years. However, this year, some new wrenches were thrown into the equation: decreasing oil prices and the stock market. Unfortunately, the State of Alaska revenue comes almost solely from those two sources. For decades, oil covered over 80% of our budget until oil prices and production decreased and we began relying on savings and the Percent of Market Value (POMV) draw. Now, oil accounts for...
Janet Lee Teague passed away in Wrangell, Alaska on March 15, 2020. She was born on January 31, 1937 in Portland, Oregon to Russell and Dorothy Weaver. She and her parents were some of the early pioneers of Alaska, moving to Valdez in the early 1950s. It was in Valdez that Janet met the love of her life, Frank Teague. On July 1, 1955, Janet and Frank began a 64 year journey together which took them to Anchorage, around the state, around the world and ended as it had always been; side by side. Be...
Where were you when the pandemic came to Alaska? Future generations will demand an answer from each of us. Did we change our habits to protect the vulnerable? Did we make sure our elderly neighbors had everything they needed? Long after the virus disappears from the public consciousness, these are the questions we’ll be left to grapple with. For so many, we look to government to provide services during a crisis. We forget, as Franklin Roosevelt once said, that “government is ourselves.” It’s understandable. Few have experienced an event o...
Last Tuesday evening, March 17, the Wrangell Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire by City Park. Dorianne Sprehe, with the fire department, said that the call came in around 6:59 p.m. that evening. An unnamed minor was driving a Chevy pickup truck, she said, when smoke began to pour out of the vehicle’s engine. The truck’s operator pulled over at City Park and called 911. The fire was put out by 7:18 p.m. Sprehe said that there were no injuries. However, the truck was a total loss. As of...
The Pacific halibut fishery opened on March 14 amid little fanfare and flattened markets. The first fish of the eight month season typically attracts the highest prices and is rushed fresh to high-end buyers, especially during the Lenten season. But that’s not the case in this time of coronavirus chaos, when air traffic is stalled and seafood of all kinds is getting backlogged in global freezers. Alaska’s share of the 2020 halibut catch is about 17 million pounds for nearly 2,000 fishermen who own shares of the popular flatfish. A week int...