Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
The cruise season has officially opened in Wrangell. The Wilderness Adventurer, of UnCruise Adventures, docked early on the morning of Tuesday, April 9. According to Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore, the city saw about 16,000 tourists from cruise ships in 2018. This year, there will be an estimated 20,000 cruise ship tourists coming to Wrangell....
SEARHC health educator and grief specialist Erin Matthes, of Sitka, visited Wrangell in January to host a workshop on the grieving process and how community members can support those who have experienced loss. The turnout for that workshop was very impressive, she said. Last week, at the AICS Clinic on Wood Street, she held a continuation of the "Friends in Grief" workshop. This workshop went into details about the myths surrounding grief, how to support friends and family who are grieving, and...
"I've been organizing this cleanup for probably 30 years now, a long time," said Paula Rak. "I just do it because I just want the city to look nice for everybody." Rak, with the help of the Wrangell Cooperative Association's IGAP department, has organized the event to help keep Wrangell beautiful. Rak said that she and her husband adopted about two miles of highway near their home, where they regularly pick up trash left on the side of the street. Trash downtown, and along other roads, does not...
April 10, 1919 A committee has been busy at the Red Cross rooms the past week cutting refugee garments from material on hand. These garments consist of simply made girls’ petticoats and children’s shirts and they will be ready for distribution next Tuesday. While the pajama orders which the local Red Cross must finish as soon as possible is nearing completion, there are ten convalescent robes to be made at the sewing room and a great many refugee garments. Wrangell was unable to get the amount of old clothing for the refugees assigned as her sh...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly recognized the Lady Wolves high school basketball team during their meeting on Tuesday evening for their hard work over the recent season. Mayor Steve Prysunka, in reading a proclamation congratulating the team, pointed out that the Lady Wolves took first place in regionals, defeating Metlakatla, for the first time in 25 years, and that numerous team members had received several awards and accolades over the course of the season. "I, Stephen Prysunka, mayor of the...
April 1, 2019 MVA: Harbor electrical box damaged. Civil issue. Four subpoenas served. April 2, 2019 Agency assist: Abandoned vehicle. Citizen report of possible DUI. Trespass. Agency assist: DOT. April 3, 2019 Welfare check. Hit & run. Intoxicated person. Traffic stop: Verbal warning for improper illumination of license plate. April 4, 2019 Suspicious smell. Four subpoenas served. Failure to register as a sex offender. April 5, 2019 Traffic stop: Verbal warning for obstructed license plate. Parking complaint. Agency assist: Paper service....
From helplessness to optimism Changes in feelings and behavior are not easy. So how can we change how we think, feel, and act? Here are a few things anyone can do. Listen to what you are saying to yourself. If you are saying I'm a failure you can convince yourself you are. Tell yourself you are valuable and cared about. You can choose to think about something different. Recall happier times. Visualize positive experiences. If the problem is overwhelming, deal with it later. It is better to...
To the Editor: I try very hard to keep my budget balanced and pay my bills, so when I hear that a city employee is getting a substantial raise and the Wrangell City Assembly hasn't even passed a budget, I become concerned, especially when I see my Inner Harbor electricity bill skyrocket from $18.00 in the cold month of November to $42.63 in the warm month of April. Then I realize we have the highest sales tax in Southeast and that we may call this electrical overcharge wrongfully charged and don...
Aminda Skan, the daughter of former Wrangell resident Mercedes Angerman, is a second-year pharmacy student with Doctor of Pharmacy program that is jointly organized by the Idaho State University and the University of Alaska Anchorage. She received her bachelor's degree in biological science from UAA in May 2017. Her doctorate program has ISU's name on it, but as she explained in an email, it allows her to remain in Alaska to achieve her degree. Recently, through her work to increase the number...
Charles "Charlie" Marvin Wills, 77, a long time resident of Ketchikan, Alaska passed away on March 25, 2019, near Redding, California. He was born on June 29, 1941, in Medford, Oregon to Marvin and Freda Wills. Before arriving in Alaska in 1954, Charlie traveled with his family throughout the western states as his father was a horse trader with the traveling rodeos. When the family first moved to Alaska, they home- steaded on the Unuk River before settling in Ketchikan. Charlie has worn many...
The Salvation Army is probably best known for its work around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons, said Major Michael Bates with the Wrangell Salvation Army. However, they work year-round to serve the needy in communities across the country. Even in Wrangell, there are those in need. "I would like them to know, have a better understanding of the social needs of our community and what's being done about it," Bates said. Housing is one of the categories the Salvation Army tries to offer...
The Wrangell Port Commission met last Thursday, April 4, to discuss a plan to alter lease rates at the boat yard. According to Commission Member John Martin, lease rates at the boat yard cover a wide range, from eight cents per square foot to 28 cents per square foot. Under a new formula the commission is planning to use, several businesses at the boat yard will see their rates decrease, while others will see an increase. Martin said that they are trying to bring a sense of equilibrium and...
Ernestine Hayes said that she was raised as the only child of a single mother who was an avid reader. Growing up in Juneau in the '50s, she said, having her mother read to her was one of her main inspirations for becoming a writer. "The best way to become a writer is to be a reader," she said. Hayes and her mother moved to California when she was 15, according to Hayes' website, but when she was 40-years-old she "resolved to go home or die with my thoughts facing north." Her first book, "Blonde...
Two bald eagles were seen on a lamp post near City Dock the morning of Friday, April 5. Bald eagles, the national bird of the United States, are a fairly common sight in Alaska. According to the American Eagle Foundation, 30,000 bald eagles live in Alaska, compared to approximately 10,000 to 14,000 in the rest of the lower 48 states....
The Wrangell Parks and Recreation Advisory Board met for their monthly meeting last Wednesday evening, April 3. Two of the main topics covered in this month's meeting were the upcoming "Helping Our Parks" project, as well as how the parks and recreation department can best prepare for potential budget cuts. Kate Thomas, director of the parks and recreation department, said that the HOP Project has been one of her main priorities for the past few weeks. The project, which will be taking place on...
Alaska fishermen could catch 85 percent more salmon this year (nearly a hundred million more) if state forecasts hold true. That’s good news for fishermen in many Gulf of Alaska regions who in 2018 suffered some of the worst catches in 50 years. The Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is predicting a total salmon catch of 213.2 million fish for 2019, compared to about 116 million salmon last year. The increase comes from expectations of another big haul of sockeyes, increases in pinks and a possible record catch of chum salmon. The harvest b...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – During Republican Mike Dunleavy’s successful run for governor last year, he offered few specifics for his vision of limited government but was clear that Alaska residents should get a full payout from the state’s oil-wealth fund. Lawmakers and Dunleavy’s predecessor capped the annual checks at $1,600 or less the past few years as they struggled to address a budget deficit that has persisted amid low to middling oil prices and is now estimated at $1.6 billion. Dunleavy’s call for paying the full amount this year, around $3...
The Wrangell Rod and Gun Club, a relatively new organization that promotes shooting and fishing sports around town, will be hosting a "blanket shoot" at the outdoor range this Thursday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. All participants should bring a prize to the event, which is worth at least $10, according to club member Terry Courson. These prizes will then be laid out on a large blanket for attendees to look over. Whoever gets the high score in the contest gets first pick of the prizes. There will be...
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – A 65-year-old Fairbanks man died when he was crushed by a bulldozer on a remote road. Alaska State Troopers say Robert Appleford died. Hikers on Sunday found Appleford severely injured on the Rampart winter road. They attempted lifesaving measures and called troopers, who responded with a helicopter. Troopers determined that Appleford had been using a bulldozer to tow a housing unit to a mining claim. Troopers say he apparently lost traction, got off the bulldozer and tried to unpin the skid trailer from its hitch. T...
