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Several local fishermen have been volunteering their time and energy, more so than usual, at Wrangell's sole operating seafood processor. With the decision by Trident Seafoods to not operate this summer, Sea Level Seafoods has been the only local option available for fishermen to process their catches. However, thanks to a number of factors brought on by COVID-19, Sea Level has been shorthanded. This has led to a number of fishermen volunteering to help process crab, as well as catch them....
City officials organized an online town hall meeting last Thursday evening, June 18, to try and answer some community questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The town hall also saw some special guests from the state level take part in the Q&A session: Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink and Dr. Joseph McLaughlin. Representative Dan Ortiz also participated in the web conference. As the doctors had a limited window of time to take part in the town hall meeting, city officials spent previous...
The number of COVID-19 cases in Wrangell has increased since last week's edition of the Wrangell Sentinel. As of Tuesday, June 23, there are eight total cases of the virus in town. The fourth case was announced on Wednesday, June 17. According to a joint press release from the city and SEARHC, the patient was an unnamed traveller. He was identified through the airport testing program and is currently in quarantine. "So far, the State's airport testing program has proven to be effective," Borough...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly held one of their last budget work sessions last Wednesday evening, June 17, to finalize next year's budget for the city. For FY 2021, Wrangell is looking at revenues of $4.48 million in the general fund, but expenses of $4.78 million. Much of the discussion in this workshop revolved around the general fund, and how to handle its deficit. The workshop lasted for about three and a half hours. In the end, the assembly directed city administration to move forward with...
Wrangell School District staff, school board members, and parents have been holding weekly meetings to discuss the safe reopening of Wrangell schools, under the new Smart Start outline provided by the state. The group held their second meeting Wednesday, June 17, to try and look at some of the bigger questions surrounding getting kids back into school during the COVID-19 pandemic. Superintendent Debbe Lancaster explained, back in a May 18 school board meeting, that Smart Start is meant to be a...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday evening, June 23. While the adoption of the FY 2021 budget was the primary topic of discussion, and is covered in another article, there were several other important items covered in the meeting. One such item was the resignation of Assembly Member Mya DeLong. DeLong submitted her letter of resignation on June 8, but it was only formally accepted by the assembly in this meeting. According to her letter of resignation, DeLong has served as a member of...
The Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau met last Wednesday afternoon, June 17, to finish up a proposed marketing plan to bring before the borough assembly. In the time of COVID-19, the bureau was hoping to receive funding from the city to address the impacts the pandemic has had on the visitor industry. According to their list of proposals, provided by Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore, the CVB is seeking a total of $146,516 for various projects. First of all, the CVB would like...
After multiple workshops, rewrites, and edits, the borough assembly met Tuesday evening to finally adopt a budget for FY 2021. This budget, overall, barely breaks even between revenues and expenses. However, despite recent concerns of a deficit in their general fund, the budget brought before the assembly this night actually had a general fund surplus. The general fund now has revenues of about $4.95 million, and expenses of roughly $4.91 million. After transfers, Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen...
Members of Wrangell's Unified Command reconvened on June 17, through teleconference to consolidate the community COVID-19 response. Talks were largely focused on recent efforts by the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to implement community testing and changing the culture surrounding positive cases. EOC Manager Dorianne Sprehe filled the group in on discussions which would allow the EOC to provide relief to the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium's (SEARHC) COVID testing efforts. Sprehe...
After suffering a stroke while on vacation, the community has joined to show their support for Wrangellite Dani Lewis and her family. Lewis and her family recently traveled to Florida for a family vacation with her father, according to a GoFundMe page organized by Brittani Robbins. While there, she was cleaning her sister’s oven when there was a short, and she was electrocuted. This triggered a massive stroke, according to the page. “She has made very slow progress, and if she wakes up she will have months of rehabilitation before she can ret...
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – A person who didn’t follow quarantine procedures after arriving in Alaska has created the possibility of broad community spread of the coronavirus after going to social gatherings and public places in Ketchikan while awaiting results of a COVID-19 test that turned out positive, officials said. The person arrived in Ketchikan Saturday and underwent testing for COVID-19. The state says anyone tested on arrival is to quarantine until they receive a negative test result. Under the state rules, one is not to leave a quaranti...
June 24, 1920 We would call attention to the rare musical treat promised by the Ladies’ Guild at St. Phillips Gymnasium in presenting Mrs. John T. Towers. Mrs. Towers who is spending the summer in Alaska, is from the Boston Conservatory of Music, and has a wide reputation both in Eastern circles and on the Pacific Coast as a vocalist and pianist. The entire proceeds of the concert will be used in replacing the walk in front of the Episcopal Church. June 22, 1945 W. B. Duwe, veteran pilot, has come north to join the Wrangell-Petersburg Air S...
June 15 Fireworks Time limit parking Agency assist: Ferry Terminal June 16 Fireworks complaint Arrested; Anthony Guggenbickler, 23, on charges of Assault 3 June 17 Subpoena service Citizen assist Welfare check June 18 EDP: Citizen assist Catering permit Parking complaint June 19 Subpoena service Agency assist: Fire Department June 20 Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department Paper service: Subpoena Paper service: Subpoena Paper service: Subpoena June 21 Noise complaint Agency assist: Alarm Agency assist: Harbor Department Civil issue Welfare...
On June 6, 2020, Wrangell AWT was on patrol at Sandy Beach, near Woronofski Island, when they observed two subsistence Dungeness crab pots belonging to Edward Kalkins, age 63, of Wrangell. Both pots had insufficient biodegradable escape mechanisms. The pots were seized and brought back to Wrangell. On June 10, 2020, Kalkins was issued a citation for no bio with bail set at $120 in the Wrangell Court....
In the past 4 consecutive years this newspaper has been recognized by the Alaska Press Club for its quality writing and overall excellence. But award winning stories mean nothing if they aren't read. Subscribers are the lifeblood of a community newspaper. Without readers, our work is for naught. Despite the prolific numbers of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, the Sentinel enables community discussions. Letters to the Editor were the first and most commonly used community...
Unexpected upheavals stemming from the coronavirus have slowed the process of getting relief payments into the hands of fishermen and communities hurt by the 2018 Gulf of Alaska cod crash. In late February, the Secretary of Commerce cut loose $24,416,440 for affected stakeholders. Then in late March, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang proposed a written timeline for developing a distribution plan and also called for input from communities and fishing groups. A draft of the initial plan was intended to compile...
PETERSBURG – An employee with Trident Seafoods has tested positive for COVID-19 on the individual’s tenth day of quarantine after arriving to the community, according to a press release from the Petersburg Emergency Operations Center. All Trident Seafoods employees that travel to Petersburg are tested for the virus prior to arriving in town and are quarantined in a bunkhouse upon arrival, according to the press release. The workers are then tested again on the tenth day of a 14 day quarantine. The individual’s roommate was also tested on the...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s government has announced that child care providers will receive an additional $10.5 million from the state’s portion of federal coronavirus relief funds. State Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum said in a statement that the department and Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy directed the additional funding to businesses providing child care, The Anchorage Daily News reported Saturday. “We found that the funding available to this sector was not coming fast enough,” Crum said. Child care is...
Kalkins and Glacier Larsen at Sunday's tournament, June 21, sponsored by the Elks Lodge. The first place team was Spenser Stavee, James Brenner, Jason Garringer with a net score of 21. The second place team was Keene Khort, Faye Khort, Joe Delebrue, and Tori Hauser with a net score of 23. Guy Kalkins won the straightest drive with 2"....
Despite rainy weather, about 30 people gathered together last Friday evening to march in recognition of Juneteenth which is a holiday that originated in Texas. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger made the announcement from the city of Galveston that all slaves were free. With recent current events surrounding race relations and police brutality in America, the holiday has received nationwide recognition. Wrangell's Juneteenth march was organized by Kyle Hovarth, with Alaska Crossings. He...