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It was out of the workplace and into the streets for many Wrangell city staff last Thursday, as two dozen unionized workers began a strike over prolonged contract negotiations. The City and Borough has been negotiating for a new collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 since the summer of 2014, when the previous CBA expired. The process has at times been tumultuous, with court proceedings through the fall of 2016 being settled prejudicia...
With the public employees' union going on strike late last week, numbers have proven a key issue in the ongoing debate over fair compensation. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547 – which represents 24 of the City and Borough of Wrangell's staff – has proposed a new collective bargaining agreement that would include a $2.50 hourly increase across the board for its member employees. The city's offer of $0.75 an hour's increase appears slight by comparison, but how muc...
In the week since the city’s public workers have gone on strike, the Wrangell Borough has had to work around the problem as best as it can. Twenty-four workers from eight different public departments are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547, which represents employees around the state. Beginning June 22, they walked off the job to protest the City and Borough Assembly’s unilateral adoption of a new contract two days prior, once drawn-out negotiations reached an impasse. (See main article) The two par...
June 28, 1917: Judge Wm. G. Thomas who has resided in Wrangell more than 40 years, and who has been U.S. commissioner for 11 years has tendered his resignation to take effect June 30. When seen by the Sentinel reporter Judge Thomas gave no special reason for resigning except that the fees are quite small, and that his wife being in poor health he wished to take her up the Stikine for a month or two in the hope of benefiting her health. Judge Jennings, in accepting the resignation stated that he did so with regret as he had been in Wrangell so...
The man accused of a spate of vehicular thefts earlier this month has entered a not guilty plea this week, and the case is expected to go to trial in August. Lief Cheyenne Bosdell, 20, appeared for his arraignment at Wrangell Courthouse on Monday. He had on June 9 been charged with seven felony counts of vehicular theft and three additional misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief. If convicted, the charges together carry a maximum jail sentence of 35 years and one month and up to $356,000 in fines. The alleged thefts took place in Wrangell...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska State Troopers say two days of searching has not found a 53-year-old woman missing on Thunder Mountain Trail in Juneau. Troopers say family members first attempted to find Teri Heuscher and contacted emergency responders for help Saturday afternoon. Volunteer rescue groups were joined by municipal, state and federal officials. A private helicopter searched from the air. Groups and volunteers searched again Sunday. Heuscher is 5-foot-4. She was last seen wearing a navy blue jacket and black pants....
June 26 Criminal charges against Phillip Eullean Haskins, 34, were dismissed by prosecution at First Judicial District Court. Two counts of Theft 3-Value $250-$999 were dropped, and all charges in the case are now disposed. Criminal charges against Steven B. Gerard, 48, were dismissed by prosecution at First Judicial District Court. One count of Criminal Trespass 2-Upon Premises was dropped, and all charges in the case are now disposed....
Monday, June 19 Citizen Assist: Officer unlocked vehicle. Abandoned Vehicle: Sticker placed on vehicle. Officer secured business door. Tuesday, June 20 Vacation Patrol: Vacation check requested. 86’d letters: Two letters served. Lost Wallet. Agency Assist: Info given at Harbor Dept. Wednesday, June 21 Micaelah Larsen, 19, charged with Criminal trespass in the first degree, Harassment in the second degree, and resisting or interfering with Arrest. Criminal Mischief: Report of vehicle being keyed. VCOR: Arrested Micaelah Larsen, 19, Violating C...
History of city negotiations I feel as a City employee, who is in the union, I must say something. Circa 2004, the employees approached the council with the issue of wages and the fact that they had not changed, plus the fact that we were behind something on the order of 8% (memory) in the cost of living. As the City did not want a union to enter into the fray, they offered to give us half of the cost of living we were behind in that year, and the rest the following year, plus a wage study was authorized. That year all went well, sort of. The e...
Christopher Raymond Feller, 60, passed away April 22, 2017 in Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Native Medical Center. He was born in Wrangell, Alaska on March 5, 1957, the youngest and fifth child of John and Carol Feller. Christopher lived most of his life in Wrangell and graduated from Wrangell High the class of 1976. He was a hard worker on his brother-in-law's seine boat F/V Miss Susan. He worked at the local lumber mill until it closed in 1994 and again, when it reopened for a few years...
Joseph Rugo and Alexandra Surface tied the knot on May 29, 2017 in Cancun, Mexico, surrounded by family and friends. Joe is the son of Barb and Mike Rugo of Wrangell, Alaska, and the bride is the daughter of Michael and Lisa Surface of Kansas City, Missouri. The best man was Joe's brother, Jess Rugo, and the maid of honor was Kristin Tremonti. The newlyweds are making their home in Atlanta, Georgia....
With its abundance of mountains, seascape, wildlife and local color, Wrangell is no stranger to television. For instance, contractors at the Marine Service Center were featured on National Geographic Channel's series "The Yard," with episodes first being aired in 2016. Another show has shined a spotlight on the island this month, with BBC Two exploring the fish-out-of-water theme in "The Life Swap Adventure." The premise of the six-episode series takes residents from around the United Kingdom...
While more commonly Wrangell leaves a lasting impression on its visitors, one thought to leave his mark on Wrangell instead. With the aid of two chainsaws and assorted carving equipment, Denny Leak spent most of last week outside Wrangell Cooperative Association's Cultural Center as he worked on fashioning out part of one of the tribe's stored totems. Hailing from Kansas, Leak was up for a visit with his daughter, who in March began work at Wrangell Medical Center as a physical therapy...
The Summer Solstice Golf Tournament was held on June 23 at Muskeg Meadows sponsored by John Tullis Real Estate with 19 participants. The first place team was Faye Kohrt, Chris Ellis and Wayne Ellis with a net score of 20 and a handicap of 17. John Tullis Real Estate also sponsored a tournament June 25 with 10 golfers. The first place team was Faye Kohrt, Grover Mathis and Eric Kading with a net score of 19 and a team handicap of 14. Straightest drive was Rodney Littleton and closest to the pin was Grover Mathis. Next will be the Alaska...
Additional chairs had to be arranged in City Hall’s meeting chamber Tuesday evening, as at least three dozen concerned residents crowded in to see the Borough Assembly at its end-of-month meeting. On many minds was the ongoing strike of public employees, 24 of whom took up pickets on June 22. (See adjoining stories) Of residents in the room, seven opted to speak their mind on the matter during the meeting’s “persons to be heard” segment. Several exhorted the Assembly to resume negotiations with the employees’ union, International Brotherhood of...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Legislature, motivated by the threat of a government shutdown, approved a plan late Thursday to fund state operations for another year. The proposal, advanced by budget negotiators and passed by the House and Senate, would continue to draw from savings to help fill the state’s multibillion-dollar deficit, something Gov. Bill Walker had hoped to avoid. It also would fully fund K-12 education, provide $57 million for oil and gas tax credits and limit to $1,100 the size of this year’s dividend check Alaskans recei...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Two more Alaskans were mauled by bears over the weekend, bringing the number of bear attacks in the state to four in less than a week, including two fatalities. Alaska wildlife officials say they don’t know why there have been so many attacks in such a short time. But one official speculated Monday that perhaps bears are coming closer to people this year to follow available food sources such as moose. Dave Battle, the state Fish and Game area biologist for the Anchorage region, also noted that more people also are spend...
An open house and ribbon cutting was held for a new and expanded Children’s Dental Clinic in Juneau on June 22. First admitting patients the previous month, the office is maintained by Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium at its dental building in the capital’s downtown. The expansion has been in its planning stages since 2014 and was to its designers a logical next step in providing all children in the community. Many of said patients are recipients of Denali Kid Care with access to dental care. With more space and more dentists, SEA...