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Sea otters are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, a federal law that prohibits the harvesting of marine mammals. However, this law does allow for some exceptions. Under section 101 of the act, on page 16, it reads that "... the provisions of this Act shall not apply with respect to the taking of any marine mammal by any Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who resides in Alaska and who dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean if such taking-(1) is for subsistence...
State Wildlife Trooper Kyle Freeberg moved to Wrangell back in April. As a state trooper, Freeberg's job includes patrolling old logging roads during the hunting season, and watching the commercial and sport fishing in Wrangell's waters. Of course, being the only trooper in Wrangell means he has a lot of ground to cover, literally and figuratively. As such, he said that he wants to increase the amount of collaboration between himself and the people of Wrangell. This is not only to help him do a...
August is just around the corner, meaning it is almost time for Wrangell's annual fishing derby. Fishing derbies have been a longstanding tradition in Wrangell, and for many years the king salmon derby was a very popular event for locals and tourists. However, the king derby was set aside last year due to struggling stock numbers, and replaced with a coho salmon derby. Last year's coho derby saw 240 tickets sold and 106 salmon weighed in. This year, the chamber of commerce is offering tickets...
Wrangell District Ranger Clint Kolarich, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, is closing the June 21 – July 31, 2019 Federal subsistence Sockeye Salmon fishery in the Stikine River. The closure will be effective Sunday, July 21, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. and will remain in effect through the rest of the 2019 season which ends July 31. The 2019 preseason forecast for the Stikine River is 90,000 Sockeye Salmon which is below the average 153,000 fish. The forecast includes 66,000 T...
Suicide is an important topic in Alaska, as the state has one of the highest suicide rates per capita in the country. According to the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council, in 2014 there were 22.3 suicides per 100,000 people across Alaska. As such, several community members have wanted to know how they can help those around them who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. Along with some cafe-style discussions on the topic of suicide prevention put together by SEARHC, “safeTALK” training was held at the Nolan Center last Thursday and Fri...
The Nolan Center hosted a grand opening presentation for its most recent exhibit last Tuesday, July 16: "Muybridge in Alaska: 1868." The exhibit has been traveling around the state this year, first being shown in the Alaska Native Heritage Museum in Anchorage, then in the Sheldon Museum, in Haines. The Nolan Center will house this exhibit until the end of August. "Muybridge in Alaska" is, among other items, a collection of photographs taken by Eadweard Muybridge of Southeast Alaska in the late 1800s. These are some of the first photographs of...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced July 22, nonresident anglers may not retain king salmon from August 1 through September 15 in Southeast Alaska and Yakutat marine waters, except in designated sport fish terminal hatchery areas in the vicinity of Juneau and Ketchikan. Resident king salmon regulations remain unchanged. This period of nonresident king salmon nonretention will be effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, August 1, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, September 15, 2019. The Southeast...
As the debates over the state budget and Governor Mike Dunleavy's vetoes continue, many Alaskans are left to worry about how they will be affected. In a Facebook post on July 22, Mayor Steve Prysunka said that the state is looking at a total of $749 million in cuts from the state budget, the largest portion being about $444 million in line item vetoes. Among the 182 line items reduced or eliminated by the Governor, according to an article in the Anchorage Daily News, was the elimination of the...
The borough assembly held a second reading of a proposed amendment to Wrangell's municipal code during their meeting Tuesday. The amendment would be to chapter 15.12, Electricity, and would add a section that covers rate stabilization. This amendment was first brought up during the city's recent budget workshops, according to the meeting's agenda packet, where the assembly requested a "rate stabilization fund" be created to help offset increased power costs to residents in case the city had to s...
JUNEAU – Hundreds of public ferry workers who operate Alaska's vital Marine Highway conducted a vote this week – and decided by a margin of 86% to reject the package of harsh measures proposed by Governor Dunleavy's administration, that included the following: 1. Cancelling 28 negotiated settlements reached during almost three years of contract bargaining. 2. No wage increases in over 5 years. 3. A one year contract instead of the normal and more efficient three year contracts. 4. The use of...
July 24, 1919 Since the opening days of the recent World War, customs in a good many lines have undergone marked changes. In no direction has this been more noticeable than in furs. Though custom furs were worn only in the late fall and winter months, and their use in this way made the fur business a seasonable one of relatively short duration. The heavy consumption of furs so far the present summer has kept manufacturers extremely busy and created such a big demand for goods, that the stocks of raw furs in all parts of the world have shrunken...
July 15, 2019 Illegal parking. Suspicious activity. Two citizen assists: Unlock vehicle. Trespass: People were warned not to come back. Citizen report DUI: Unable to locate. July 16, 2019 Two citizen assists: Unlock vehicle. Summons service. July 17, 2019 Traffic complaint: Speeding. Citizen report DUI. July 18, 2019 Criminal trespass. Civil matter. Suspicious circumstance. Two citizen assists: Vehicle unlock. Citation issued: Kim Peterson, 50. Dog at large. Agency assist: Probation. Theft: Unfounded. July 19, 2019 Random test. Traffic...
The Wrangell Community Orchestra met at Evergreen Elementary School last Saturday morning to practice for an upcoming performance during Bearfest. The orchestra will be playing at the Nolan Center on Sunday, July 28, at 3 p.m. for the last day of the festival. Pictured here is Jack Roberts and other violinists practicing "March of the Dwarfs."...
Nadine Ione Phillips, 88, passed away on July 15, 2019 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Service arrangements to be announced. An obituary will follow.... Full story
Norman L. Ream, 96, passed away on June 24, 2019. He was born in Ketchikan, Territory of Alaska, on November 23, 1922, the second of four children of Anna and Joel S. Ream. Norm graduated from the University of Washington with a master's in structural engineering, and served in WWII and Korea in the Army Corps of Engineers. He worked in the field of construction, eventually co-founding AIC Construction. AIC had work in the Pacific from Midway Island to Guam and remote areas in Alaska. Norm never... Full story
There was a meet and greet with Heath Scott, the current candidate for Wrangell Chief of Police last Friday evening. Scott has been the police chief in Haines for the past three years, and before that worked as an officer in Washington D.C. Pictured here is Scott talking with Assembly Member Mya DeLong....
First Bank hosted two best ball tournaments last weekend at Muskeg Meadows. There were 29 participants in the tournament on Sat., July 20. First place went to a team consisting of Brian Slick, Kathy Slick, Matt Hagen, and Christa Hagen with a net score of 17 and team handicap of 19. Second place went to a team consisting of Rocky Littleton, Marva Reid, Rodney Littleton, and Ken Madsen with a net score of 19 and team handicap of 15. Third place went to a team consisting of Brett Woodbury, Jerry...
Juneau, Alaska (AP) - A spokesman for a union representing workers for the Alaska ferry system says the union has gone on strike. Hundreds of ferry workers went on strike Wednesday after failing to reach agreement on a contract with state negotiators. Robb Arnold, a spokesman for Alaska's Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific, said the strike began Wednesday afternoon after a meeting with state officials did not yield an agreement. He said the union remains open to a deal. "Unfortunately, we had... Full story
