Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
Venturing into Southeast waters this summer, Dr. Victor Stime of Spokane, Washington, plotted out a working retirement for himself. "I've been doing dentistry for 31 years," he explained. "I've been planning this for 20 years. It hasn't been too far from my mind for all of those years." He was inspired by Dr. Fred Bache, an Aberdeen, Washington dentist who has been visiting rural Alaskan communities in the Jenny-B since 1969. "We thought we'd maybe get the mantle passed on to us," said Stime....
Harriet Crocker Jackson Schirmer, M.D., 90 died at Wrangell Medical Center, Wrangell, Alaska on July 10, 2017. She was born on September 25, 1926 to Myron Robinson Jackson M.D. and Mildred Wicker Jackson M.D. in Oyster Bay, New York on the outskirts of New York City. In high school she competed in sailing and ping pong, and played flute in the band. She continued to enjoy all three activities well into her 60s. Upon entering medical school at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, she felt strong...
Wrangell's City and Borough Assembly and the city's public employees union finally reached a settlement over a collective bargaining agreement last week, bringing to a close three years of negotiations. On July 13 Assembly members voted to implement a proposed amendment to the contract terms it had imposed the previous month, which had taken effect at the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The amendment was the product of negotiations between International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers...
July 26, 1917: Messrs, Kirk and Overbeck of the U.S. Geological Survey were in Wrangell early this week to make arrangements for a cruise in this district. The services of W.C. Waters with his motorboat “The Glenora” were obtained and the party left Monday afternoon, northbound. They will proceed to Juneau, Mr. Overbeck’s destination, where he will secure passage on a steamer to the westward, as his present work takes him to that part of Alaska. Mr. Kirk, the fossil expert, will cruise about in Icy Strait and vicinity, returning to Wrang...
The Tongass National Forest supervisor's office announced last week the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and draft record of decision (ROD) for a prospective timber sale are now available for public review. Put together by United States Forest Service staff over the past decade, the Wrangell Island Project would open up federal forest for largely selective harvest. Five alternative plans were ultimately presented during the course of its design, with the one selected including the...
Monday, July 10 Report of injured dog. Suspicious Circumstance. Tuesday, July 11 Traffic Stop: Verbal warning for faulty taillight. Wednesday, July 12 Speeding complaint. Parking complaint. Thursday, July 13 Citizen Assist: Unlock door. Agency Assist: Fire Alarm. Agency Assist: Injured Eagle. Citizen Assist: Vehicle Unlock. Citizen Assist: Disturbance. Friday, July 14 Found Bicycle: Roadmaster black/purple. Arrested: Daniel Meissner age 33 on Warrant for Failure to Appear. Saturday, July 15 Suspicious vehicle. Report of Assault. Traffic...
Here we are well past July 4 and all the excitement of the celebration of our country’s birth. We had great times with ample food to eat, events to watch and participate in. A great day for us. It is fun to see friends and get caught up on their lives the people that no longer live here but are part of our past and remembered in our hearts. The day is filled with excitement, joy, and love for one another. We do things we don’t always do as in our daily routine we spread our wings and fly into the unknown with new things that have not been don...
A full complement of events is being arranged for next week's Bearfest, the eighth held since the festival's inception. It was started in 2010 by Alaska Vistas operator Sylvia Ettefagh, in order to highlight Wrangell's robust bear population. One of the prime places to see the area's brown and black bears together in one place is at Anan Wildlife Observatory, a short jump south of the island on the mainland. Several thousand visitors come to the island each summer in order to visit the Forest...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska legislators have voted to cut oil and gas drilling subsidies from the budget. The compromise proposal was approved late Saturday in an 18-0 vote in the Senate and a 33-6 vote in the House, the Juneau Empire reported. The move will save the state nearly $200 million per year within three years, officials have said. Gov. Bill Walker said in a statement that the approval is a “meaningful step to shore up our financial situation.’’ But he acknowledged that “the work is not yet finished.’’ The state has a deficit of ov...
A new administrator has been hired by Wrangell Cooperative Association, assuming the role last week. Esther Ashton was hired to the position, which had been created in 2015 in order to implement Wrangell Tribal Council’s long-range strategic plans and economic development initiatives, as well as manage its various grants and projects. Ashton has been a Wrangell resident for 13 years, having previously worked for Wachovia Securities in Elizabeth City, North Carolina as a financial advisor and business manager. She has worked for the Tribe s...
Wrangell paddlers Ian Weishar, Bryan Ottesen, Esther Ashton, Kelsey Leak and Lizzy Romane take part in the 4th annual Paddle Battle in the Narrows on Saturday. With participants taking to either paddleboards or kayaks, the friendly event raises money for Petersburg Medical Center, this year supporting the acquisition of new wheelchairs for its patients. This year was the first in which Wrangellites organized a team....
Wrangell’s utility users were advised last week to start being more conservative with their water usage, with the city going into the first phase of its emergency response plan. The plant which has treated the city’s municipal water supply for most of the past two decades has in recent years been having trouble keeping up with peak demand, which locally is during the summer. Ongoing problems with the aging facility came to a head last year, with a shortage prompting a declaration of disaster by the mayor in July and emergency conservation measu...
The Nolan Center is giving inquisitive locals someplace quiet to research, with Wrangell Museum staff setting up a station inside its office. Speaking Tuesday, Nolan Center director Terri Henson said the nook is now open to the public. It includes a cozy desk, a laptop computer, bookshelves and filing cabinets. It was set up by museum staff, and makes it easier for people to access their still-expanding digitized collection. "What we did was created a little research center," Henson explained....
As predicted, Alaska fishermen are getting higher prices for their salmon this year. It’s good news following a 2016 season that saw lackluster catches in all regions but Bristol Bay, a failure of pink salmon runs, and paltry pay checks nearly across the board. Prices paid to Alaska salmon fishermen depend on the region, the species, the type of fishing gear and, most importantly, global market conditions. Salmon prices also reflect bonuses for iced fish, dock deliveries and other agreements between a buyer and seller. As a fishing season u...
PETERSBURG – The Petersburg Assembly is being accused of violating the Alaska Open Meetings Act in a recall application that is sponsored by 12 community members, including city employees and two former mayors. The petition seeks to oust four members from office, including Nancy Strand, Jeigh Stanton Gregor, Eric Castro and Kurt Wohlhueter. Member Jeff Meucci is immune to recall because of his recent appointment, according to Alaska Statute 29.26.240. And member Bob Lynn’s term is over in October. Mayor Cindy Lagoudakis is not included in the...
SITKA, Alaska (AP) – Three Sitka brothers baked cookies to help a Syrian refugee family arrive safely in Canada. Blake, Dane and Nate LaPerriere, ages 15, 7 and 11, respectively, were excited to learn this week that the family made it to Canada with the help of a $20,000 fundraiser that they contributed to, the Sitka Sentinel reported. The LaPerriere brothers heard about the needy family from their mother. Their aunt Allison Lawlor was part of the group that organized the fundraising efforts in Canada. “We thought it was something worth doi...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A Republican state senator has announced plans to run for governor in Alaska. Sen. Mike Dunleavy of Wasilla on Monday filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission a letter of intent to run. The election will be held next year. Gov. Bill Walker, a Republican-turned-independent, has not formally announced whether he’ll seek re-election. Walker told reporters Monday that he is focused on getting a state capital budget passed. Dunleavy had been flirting with the idea of running for governor for some time. Earlier this yea...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A fungus that damages trees is making its way through the state of Alaska. The fungus, spruce bud blight, has left damage in Southcentral and Interior Alaska, and now has been discovered for the first time in the southeast part of the state. The infection was discovered in Southeast Alaska in late June, the first reported sighting in the region, CoastAlaska News reported Thursday. The blight infects Sitka spruce, one of the most common trees in Southeast Alaska’s rainforest. “Right now, I’m considering it potenti...
PETERSBURG - The Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions issued a press release on Tuesday addressing the murder and manslaughter charges against 24-year-old William Christopher Allen, the driver of a vehicle that landed upside down after running off a Petersburg road on July 4, 2016, killing two and injuring one. The state alleges that Allen was driving a Borough-owned van moments before the crash, despite warnings from doctors to not because of a seizure disorder that was “well-known” and “well-documented,” according to Assistant Attorney Gener...
