Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
After last week's announcement of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Wrangell, two other cases were confirmed shortly after. Wrangell now has three total cases of the virus. One case has been declared recovered. However, there is some question about the source of the third case. Public Health officials state that Wrangell's third case was a contact with the first case, but the first case said she does not know how that could be. The first case was announced on Sunday evening, June 7. A join...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly hosted a public hearing on next year's budget Tuesday night, June 16. This was an opportunity for members of the public to voice their opinions and concerns regarding FY 2021, and how Wrangell's money is going to be allocated. Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, like many other communities, Wrangell is facing a lean financial year. There were several people who called in to the meeting, or wrote emails to the city, who wanted to state their support for...
In one of their final budget workshops for FY 2021, the borough assembly gave guidance to city administration to do as much as they can to close Wrangell's general fund deficit. According to the agenda packet for the June 10 meeting the FY 2021 general fund was facing a deficit of $801,451. However, city administration is anticipating that roughly $350,000 in wages for the upcoming financial year will be eligible for reimbursement through the CARES Act, "due to time spent on COVID-19 by...
The Wrangell Planning and Zoning Commission met last Thursday, June 11. During this meeting, they heard a request to purchase city land, continued their ongoing discussion of rezoning the old Institute property, and held a public hearing on a conditional use permit. The request to purchase city land came from Jim and Sue Nelson. They were seeking to buy 1,600 square feet of triangular land adjacent to the switch yard near the Public Works Department. They wanted to buy this land, according to th...
Wrangell is home to many locally-owned businesses. One of the community's newest businesses, Lover Bear Candle Co., is really thriving in the locals-supporting-locals environment. "My husband and I were getting married last September, and we wanted to do something personalized ... for all 150 of our wedding guests," said Anna Angerman, one of the company founders. "We wanted to make a party favor that people would enjoy." Anna and her then-fiancé, Cody Angerman, were batting around ideas for...
Wrangell's Economic Development Committee met Monday, June 15, to workshop various grant programs to assist Wrangell businesses. The EDC has put together three local grants that businesses could apply for to get some financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the discussion revolved around eligibility requirements and dollar amounts for these grants. The first grant they workshopped was for small businesses. This grant program, according to a draft application the EDC rev...
During the June 9 meeting of the borough assembly, Wrangell resident Ryan Howe was appointed to fill a vacant position. A seat on the assembly was left empty after Drew Larrabee announced his resignation, brought about by his plans to move to pursue a new career opportunity. The unexpired term, now filled by Howe, comes to an end this October. However, the appointment of Howe has led to some question of whether or not the city violated the Open Meetings Act. The Open Meetings Act, section...
The Wrangell School Board met Monday, June 15, to accept a collaboration agreement with the Sealaska Heritage Institute. They also approved of some budget revisions. According to the collaboration agreement, in the meeting's agenda packet, Sealaska has received an Alaska Native Education Program grant, from the Department of Education. The purpose of this grant is to support a three-year project to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in several Southeast...
A sample of butter clams from Etolin Island have been found with high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins, the Wrangell Cooperative Association's IGAP Department reports. Kim Wickman, with WCA IGAP, said that a group of campers on Etolin Island gave them some clams to test for toxins, and they were found to be above regulatory limits. The clams that were tested had 110 ug/100 grams of PST, she said, while the limit is only 80. According to a June 13 PSA, shared on the IGAP Department's...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Permanent Fund dividend was finalized at $992 and distribution is expected to begin early this year because of economic impacts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, state department officials said. The state Department of Revenue made the announcement Friday, saying payments are expected to begin July 1 instead of in October. "We are in extraordinary times. We need to make sure that the people of Alaska have cash in their hands to help in this economy," R...
June 8 Criminal mischief Citation issued to Alora Wigg, 50, for parking in Handicap Zone. Suspicious vehicle June 9 Criminal mischief Dog attack June 10 Civil issue June 11 Agency assist: Fire Department June 12 Agency assist: City Market Welfare check Arrested: Justin Barker, 34, for probation violation Paper service Civil Matter Disturbance unfounded Traffic Stop Assault Criminal Mischief June 13 Traffic stop: Verbal warning for faulty equipment Welfare check Arrested: Corey Henderson, 50, on charges of DUI Paper service 86’d letter June 1...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A subsidiary of an Alaska Native corporation has agreed to pay $1.3 million in a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice over a fraud scheme allegedly involving a former employee. Manufacturing company Alutiiq International Solutions told the agency in a non-prosecution deal that former manager Elmer Baker received cash and other kickbacks over several years in connection with a project to modernize the Harry S. Truman Federal Building in Washington, D.C., the Anchorage Daily News reported. Alutiiq International S...
All systems are go for keeping close tabs on fish and crab stocks in waters managed by the state, meaning out to three miles. While constraints from the coronavirus resulted in nearly all annual stock surveys being cut in deeper waters overseen by the federal government, it’s “closer to normal” closer to shore. “While it’s not business as usual, we are conducting business in as close to normal fashion as we can,” said Forrest Bowers, deputy director of the commercial fisheries division of the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. “We have kept all...
Community members joined in last Friday afternoon for a "Helping Our Gardens" event at the Nolan Center. The public was invited to help weed the gardens in front of the community center and movie theater in a small beautification project. Pictured here is Addy Bania weeding one of the gardens....
June 17, 1920 The Diamond C extended its hospitality to twenty of the younger set last Sunday whom they took to Big Bay and for a cruise around Woronofski Island. At Big Bay a bountiful picnic dinner was served aboard the boat. Arriving home, the party was invited to the Hofstad home where a delightful evening was spent. June 15, 1945 Alaska Metals and Power Company have just completed a water power and electric power plant at Mill Creek about ten miles from Wrangell on the back channel. The company also has a complete Corlie saw mill,...
Thank you to everyone who participated in the public testimony meeting last week hosted by the University of Alaska Board of Regents. As many of you are already aware, the University is considering merging the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) into either University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) or University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). This idea comes after many years of financial struggle. If this idea is adopted, it certainly would have a negative long-term impact on our local and Southeast regional economy. The University budget has been cut...
The 118 year-old Wrangell Sentinel has seen a lot of change during its existence. Due to our coverage of a small and compact community and the ongoing trust of our readers, we have fared better than many in the industry. Larger metropolitan size papers can survive on subscription revenue, and in some cases, significant income from the sale of corporate assets like multi-acre sized printing facilities. Smaller papers continue to require a mixture of advertising revenue from retailers and subscrip...
Work on establishing an alternative isolation site for COVID-19 patients reached an important milestone last week. During the June 9 assembly meeting, Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen announced that a lease had been signed to use the old Sourdough Lodge to potentially house COVID-19 patients. The original plan was to use one of Trident Seafood's bunkhouses, but Von Bargen said that using the lodge would be a better deal. "The terms of that are $5,000 a month while there's nobody in there," she...
A patch of Lupine flowers growing along Wrangell's airport loop road. The Lupine is one of a wide variety of flowers that can be found in Wrangell and Southeast Alaska....