Articles from the May 12, 2016 edition


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  • Young, wild and free

    May 12, 2016

  • Students learn about Stikine on annual river trip

    Dan Rudy|May 12, 2016

    Four dozen elementary school students from the Wrangell and Petersburg areas partook in a field day, heading upriver for the 19th annual Stikine River field trip on May 3. Encompassing almost 700 square miles, since 1980 the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness Area has been managed by the United States Forest Service. Originating 335 miles away in Canada's British Columbia province, the winding river is a major contributor of wild salmon and home to many migratory bird species. For many in the Petersburg...

  • Budget draft looks at insurance rates, harbor increases

    Dan Rudy|May 12, 2016

    Community members were given a first peek at the budget being proposed for the next fiscal year, in the first of several planned workshops held on Monday. “This is a draft budget. It's certainly the starting point,” Borough Manager Jeff Jabusch pointed out. “The budget here is balanced up to this point,” finance director Lee Burgess summarized, presenting the draft. While the budget draft presented Monday is currently balanced, Burgess pointed out there are still several looming concerns. Rent revenues from the state for use of the local j...

  • The Way We Were

    May 12, 2016

    In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. May 11, 1916: A party of men of more than usual interest were in Wrangell this week. They were Dougal MacDonald, Jack Moran, Lloyd Simpson and Thomas Hankins, all of Telegraph, and bound to join the British forces at the front. The boys were given a big farewell reception at Telegraph on the eve of their departure and have many beautiful and useful tokens from their friends there. During their stay in Wrangell a purse was subscribed and a small bear cub was purchased and presented to the boys who...

  • Police reports

    May 12, 2016

    Monday, May 2 Agency Assist/Line Crew: Power outage. Civil Issue. Agency Assist/School. Tuesday, May 3 Traffic Complaint. Citizen Assist. Report of Theft. Found Bicycle. Report of Harassment. Report of Trespass. Wednesday, May 4 Traffic stop verbal warning for no taillights. Possible probation violation unfounded. Found property. Report of possible assault. Thursday, May 5 Disturbance unfounded. Person reported hitting deer. Parking Complaint. Dog at Large. Friday, May 6 Traffic Stop: Verbal warning for faulty equipment, and expired tags....

  • Muskeg Meadows news

    May 12, 2016

    Sixteen golfers participated in the Angerman’s Golf Tournament on May 8. First place team: Brian Smith, Dick Angerman, Grover Mathis, Wayne Harding. Net score 24, team handicap 16. Second place team: Jerry Bakeberg, Ed Rilatos, Judge Coniff, Eric Kading. Net score 25, team handicap 13. Straightest Drive: Rodney Littleton 5’2”. Next weekend is the Ryder Cup: Wrangell vs. Petersburg....

  • Leaping into summer

    May 12, 2016

  • Credit union to open branch this summer

    May 12, 2016

    A regional credit union announced it will be opening a branch in Wrangell later this summer. Tongass Federal Credit Union had expressed interest in opening a branch locally in October, sending its CEO to meet with residents and assess whether a branch would be desired. In a press release, the Ketchikan-based financial institution announced its board of directors voted in favor of opening a branch office in Wrangell at its April meeting. TFCU currently operates four branches on three islands in southern Southeast, with its main office and loan...

  • Memorial service held for fallen Mounties

    Dan Rudy|May 12, 2016

    Representatives of Alaskan, Canadian, tribal and local agencies all gathered together in Wrangell on Tuesday to pay tribute to two members of the North West Mounted Police who had died during a storm more than a century ago. Constable Spence Heathcote and Constable Norman Campbell had both drowned while crossing by boat from the Stikine River to Wrangell Island in late December 1901. Though acknowledged as having died in service to their country, it was not until 2006 that Royal Canadian...

  • Disaster drill puts city services to the test

    Dan Rudy|May 12, 2016

    On the afternoon of May 4, disaster seemingly struck at the rock quarry north of Wrangell Airport. Vehicles were aflame, pouring a column of smoke into the sunny sky as dozens of wounded lay scattered around the piles of stone and sand awaiting aid. Within minutes emergency vehicles are on the scene, with pumper trucks from the airport and Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department dousing the wreckage and emergency medical technicians coordinating with firefighters to identify and prepare victims for...

  • King salmon derby launches Saturday

    Dan Rudy|May 12, 2016

    Anglers are fueling up their boats and assembling their gear in preparation for the 64th Annual King Salmon Derby, which starts on Saturday. There are only a few changes to this year’s derby from past contests, among which will be three weigh-in stations around town. During weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. stations will be located at the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce office by the city dock and at Petro Marine at Inner Harbor. An additional station will be set up at the Harbormaster’s office for weekday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. and on weekends, fro...

  • Wrangell High School graduates receive $20,000 scholarship

    May 12, 2016

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|May 12, 2016

    Alaska salmon fishermen can get rebates on pingers aimed at keeping baleen whales away from their gear. The six inch, battery operated tubes are tied into fishing nets and transmit animal-specific signals every five seconds to alert the animals to keep their distance. “Pingers can be really helpful to alert the whales to something in front of them so you have less entanglements,” said Kathy Hansen, director of the Southeast Alaska Fisheries Alliance. SEAFA received a $25,000 Hollings Grant from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to fund t...

  • Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Exams

    May 12, 2016

    The Coast Guard commercial fishing vessel examiner will be conducting free dockside examinations for commercial fishing vessels May 24 – 27. Check out our new specific checklist generator located at www.fishsafewest.info to allow safety requirements to be printed for an exam. Mandatory exams are required on all commercial fishing vessels that operate more than three miles off shore. Contact Jim Paul at (907) 617-2523 to schedule an exam....

  • Free F/V stability workshop

    May 12, 2016

    AMSEA will offer its “Upright & Watertight: Vessel Stability Awareness” workshop in Petersburg Tuesday, May 24 from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm at the Tides Inn. Register online at www.amsea.org or call (907) 747-3287....

  • Free F/V drill conductor refresher workshop

    May 12, 2016

    AMSEA will offer a 10-hour Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Refresher workshop in Petersburg Monday, May 23, from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm at the Tides Inn. This is for commercial fishermen that have previously completed a Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor workshop and want to update their skills. Register online at www.amsea.org or call (907) 747-3287....

  • House Majority vows to fight state Medicaid expansion

    May 12, 2016

    JUNEAU (AP) – The Alaska House has given notice that it plans to keep fighting Gov. Bill Walker’s authority to expand Medicaid on his own, drawing criticism from minority Democrats who oppose continuing the legal battle. Lawmakers faced a deadline for whether to appeal a judge’s decision dismissing a lawsuit initially filed last summer by the Legislative Council, which is made up of House and Senate members. Attorneys representing the council filed a notice of appeal on behalf of the House on Thursday and said they planned to seek an order...

  • Teen birth rate steadily dropping in Alaska

    May 12, 2016

    KENAI, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s teen birth rate is still dropping. The state’s rate was 27.8 births per 1,000 teens ages 15-19 in 2014, according to the latest information from the Alaska Section of Epidemiology. The state’s rate is still higher than the national average of 24.2 births per 1,000 in the age group. But Alaska’s teen births have fallen significantly from 42.6 per 1,000 in 2008, the Peninsula Clarion reported. Nationally, teen births have dropped from 61.8 births per 1,000 teens in 1991. The numbers only counts live births, n...

  • How Alaska's population might change by 2045

    May 12, 2016

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s population will continue to climb over the next 30 years, inching closer to the 1 million mark, a new report says. The state’s population is projected to increase by 162,200 from 2015 numbers to 899,825 people in 2045, according to a report released last week from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The population of Alaskans age 65 and older is the group expected to grow the fastest, and annual natural growth births minus deaths is expected to slow. Southeast Alaska is the only regio...

  • Tourists use Alaska homeless shelter to grab coffee, snack

    May 12, 2016

    KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – Cruise ship passengers have been hanging out at an Alaska homeless shelter to get free coffee and a bite to eat, but few have bothered making a donation, said one of the nonprofit’s board members. Tourists in Ketchikan often stop by looking for a restroom, and some decide to stay longer, First City Homeless Services chairwoman Evelyn Erbele told the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly on Monday. “If we have a snack, they’ll take the snack and they’ll sit there and watch TV,’’ Erbele said. “It’s called ‘audacity,’ isn’t i...