Articles from the May 1, 2014 edition


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  • Wilson will not seek re-election

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    State Rep. Peggy Wilson will no longer represent the Wrangell area to the state legislature, starting with the election of her successor. Wilson announced her plans Friday during a floor session of the state legislature, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. Wilson’s mother will require help around the home, and several new great-grandchildren have arrived in the family, Wilson said. “My mom isn’t well,” she said. “She’s so fragile that she hasn’t been outside all winter long.” “We’ve had four new great-grandbabies b...

  • Just a bit outside

    May 1, 2014

  • State dismisses Brock gambling charges

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    The State of Alaska dismissed charges against Lavina “Lovey” Brock April 22. Brock, 67, of Wrangell, had faced four Class A misdemeanor counts of promoting illegal gambling according to a criminal complaint filed Feb. 5. The complaint preceded by one week a notice of violation filed by the Alaska Dept. of Revenue Tax Division’s Gaming Unit against American Legion Post #6. Brock pled not guilty to the charges March 4. Michael P. Nash, who represented Brock for the duration of the court case, said both parties had pushed for dismissal follo...

  • The Way We Were

    May 1, 2014

    May 7, 1914: Frank Clark arrived in town Wednesday from the Mission Marble Quarry at Tokeen. Mr. Clark reports that the real work at the quarry has been suspended as the marble on which they were working was not fine enough to make the milling profitable and will not be resumed unless more favorable prospects are found. Several men were left at the quarry to prospect the surrounding country to find a better grade of rock. May 5, 1939: River conditions permitting, the Barrington Transportation Company will open navigation on the Stikine...

  • Petersburg law enforcement to seek federal resources for drug trafficking

    Kyle Clayton|May 1, 2014

    PETERSBURG – The Petersburg Police Department may petition the federal government to become designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). A coalition of law enforcement agencies can petition to become a HIDTA region, however, according to the Whitehouse’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), no agencies in Southeast have applied. In a report to the assembly several months ago, Borough Manager Steve Giesbrecht announced that Petersburg was being considered for the HIDTA designation. Police Chief Kelly Swihart said tha...

  • Police reports

    May 1, 2014

    Monday, April 21 MVA. Report of VCOR. Report of theft. Report of abandoned vehicle. Tuesday, April 22 Report of theft. Parking complaint and vehicles were moved. Parking complaint. Agency assist. Warrant Arrest Theodosia James, 39. Traffic stop – faulty headlight. Traffic stop – verbal warning no headlights. Wednesday, April 23 Noise Complaint. Alarm. Gun found at shooting range and returned to owner. Catering Permit has been approved. Illegal Parking – Airport. Thursday, April 24 Deer killed by vehicle on Zimovia Hwy – Meat was utilize...

  • Obituary: Daniel Scott Baldwin Sr., 82

    May 1, 2014

    Daniel Scott Baldwin Sr., husband, father of four and missionary pilot, died at the age of 82. He took off on his final flight, heaven bound, on April 17, 2014 at 7:50 am from his home in Wrangell, Alaska. He was born July 18, 1931 in Hughson, Calif., the second child of Walter Earl and Eula Fern (Miller) Baldwin. He had three sisters, Wiyizety, Fern and Sylvetta along with one brother, Gordon. He was raised in Northern Calif. on a vineyard. At the age of 15 he moved to a farm with his aunt, his...

  • Shellfish Farming workshop in Kake May 1-3

    May 1, 2014

    The Southeast Soil and Water Conservation District (SE SWCD) will be hosting a comprehensive three day workshop in Kake May 1-3. The program will teach best management practices to beginning oyster farmers. The workshop curriculum will consist of lectures, labs, and hands-on field operations on working oyster farms. The workshop is open to the public and the District is anticipating participation from shellfish farmers in Kake, Hoonah, and Angoon. Participants will learn from experts about nearly every aspect of oyster farming in Southeast...

  • SEALASKA seeks accounts of 1869 bombardment

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    It started as a domestic dispute brought on by a rowdy Christmas party at a nearby American fort in 1869, according to Tlingit witnesses. Eventually, it spiraled into the full-scale artillery bombardment of native villages around Wrangell, and resulted in the deaths of at least three (possibly more) Tlingit clansmen, a white business owner living near the fort, and a woman’s severed finger. The discrepancy in casualty stems from the tendency of Tlingit oral histories to employ tales like those of the Wrangell bombardment as moral lessons, a...

  • Letters to the Editor

    May 1, 2014

    To the Editor: I have another question for all people in public housing within the state of Alaska: Do you have headaches? Rashes? Are your kids underachievers, lethargic? This could be a sign of lead poisoning. The federal government enacted laws for the identification and removal of harmful lead in housing, similar to asbestos. However the nepotism rampant within the state’s administration has ignored this fact, ignoring federal law. This does put your children as well as yourself at risk. The build up of lead in a child’s system will lea...

  • Combat Cookies

    May 1, 2014

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|May 1, 2014

    Kodiak’s roe herring fishery began on April 15 with little notice and rumors of fire sale prices. The fleet of 22 seiners was down a bit; they are competing for a harvest of 5,800 short tons, similar to the past five years. No gillnetters had signed up for the herring fishery. Test fishing from the east side of the island were showing nice roe counts, said James Jackson, herring manager at ADF&G in Kodiak. “We are fishing a predominantly older age class of mostly nine year olds and it looks like we are hitting those fish right now. They are...

  • New boat lift expected Tuesday

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    A mix-up with the new 300-ton boat lift meant the five shipping containers with the unassembled lift were sent to Anchorage instead of Wrangell this week. The error apparently occurred sometime after the containers were off-loaded in Tacoma. Instead of being placed on a Wrangell-bound barge from Seattle, they were placed on an Anchorage-bound barge by a cargo subcontractor employed by AsCom S.p.A, the Italian-based manufacturer of the new lift, according to harbormaster Greg Meissner. The containers made it as far north as Juneau before being...

  • Nurses get sexual assault examiner training

    May 1, 2014

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ Homer nurse Colleen James had been working in her field for about five years when she was confronted with something she’d never dealt with before _ a child patient who was sexually assaulted. “No one knew how to take care of that child and it ended up being a pretty hideous experience for everyone involved, especially the child,’’ said James, who was working in Homer at the time. When she encountered another case only a week later, James knew there had to be a better way. She went on to start Alaska’s first, and longest r...

  • Wrangell nets $4.6 million in infrastructure funding

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    $4.6 million is definitely better than zero. The state’s proposed capital budget would set aside more than $1.6 million for Wrangell-based projects, up from nothing in Gov. Sean Parnell’s proposed capital budget announced Dec. 12. An additional almost $3 million in proposed infrastructure “reallocations” will also be headed to Wrangell, with some slight modifications to allow the use of the funds to be more flexible. The capital funds include: $615,000 for a Wrangell connection to the upper reservoir, which will allow the Department of Public...

  • Festival caters to birders of a feather

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    Hummingbirds are jerks. That was among the messages, meditations, stories and sights shared at the 2014 Stikine River Birding Festival last week. The annual festival caters to those – like guest speaker and author Noah Strycker – with birds on the brain, and took place most visibly over the weekend. The festival receives funding in part from the US Forest Service's Resource Advisory Committee, which also provides funds for Bearfest in August. As a conclusion to an hour-long presentation foc...

  • Ordinance review committee to discuss canine conundrum

    Brian O Connor|May 1, 2014

    Discussion from the April 22 borough assembly meeting could lead to potential changes for some furry best friends in Wrangell. Hiring a part-time ordinance enforcement officer to handle a surplus of dog feces in public parks has been discussed since the April 8 meeting. Assembly member Daniel Blake asked for the issue to be added to the April 22 agenda based on a Facebook discussion of the matter which he said drew between 30 and 40 responses. Several possible changes to existing ordinances could make dog cohabitation a little less gooey,...