Sorted by date Results 1 - 17 of 17
There are a lot of reasons people decide to get a dog. Besides being pets or boon companions, canines can also serve in a number of capacities from assisting the blind to herding, hunting, detecting pests and sledding. Steve Prysunka decided he wanted his family dog to help his community as a tracking dog for Wrangell Search and Rescue, a division of the volunteer fire department. It will fill a need since Wrangell's emergency services have not had local access to search-and-rescue dogs for the...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly had a full plate when it met Tuesday evening, starting with steps toward solving the city's dog problem. Members examined proposed changes drawn up by the borough's code review committee which would reduce loopholes and correct the fee schedule for code infractions concerning the handling and restraint of animals within borough limits. The committee has been going through all the borough's codes for possible revision in turn, but this particular issue has taken precedence. “That was moved up to the forefront,” sai...
September 10, 1914: The fire department was called out last Sunday to extinguish a fire in the house occupied by J.R. Bender, back of the St. Michaels Trading Company store. The fire started from distillate being spilled on a hot stove which flamed up and set fire to a tank used to supply an oil burner stove, which in turn flamed up and set fire to the house. The house is owned by P.C. McCormack. The fire came very close to being a disastrous one, but for the ready response of the fire boys, who extinguished it in fine shape, but only after...
Administrative and nursing staff from the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) presented an update of a new patient portal program in progress to the hospital’s board of directors at Wednesday’s monthly meeting. Cathy Gross, Denise McPherson and Katrina Ottesen delivered a Powerpoint presentation outlining the hospital’s progress setting up an electronic health records (EHR) system. “Our team meets every week and we can actually have a report we run through and look at,” said Gross. Wrangell’s is one of three Alaskan medical centers now unrolling s...
Monday, August 18 An officer gave an individual a courtesy ride. Police arrested Elwyn J. Bates, 25, on charges of Driving Under Influence, Eluding and Vehicle Theft. 911 – Person stated it was a pocket dial. (2x) Request for school zone lights turned on. Parking Complaint. Found Property. Officers responded to Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance (MICS 6). Officer responded to a report of Criminal Trespass. Dog Complaint. Officer brought dog into station and owner picked him up. Officer responded to a report of loud arguing. Tuesday, A...
Randy Allan Hooker was a devoted father and loving friend. He was the true embodiment of a free spirit, dictating the narrative of his life with little regard for social norms and convincing all those who would listen to do the same. Words cannot do justice to the breadth of knowledge and expertise Randy acquired through his extensive travels and unique experiences. From Alaska to Australia, California to Colorado, Randy influenced the lives of many and left impressions the globe over. He was...
Maury Buness passed away Saturday, August 23. Obituary to follow....
School may have just begun for Wrangell students, but they can’t rightly start without notebooks, pencils and other supplies. For those still needing materials, the Wrangell Cooperative Association will be holding its annual backpack giveaway on Wednesday. Last year 85 new backpacks were distributed to area students, each laden with brand new school materials. But due to cutbacks, this year’s program was only going to be able to acquire around 20. Knowing some donors, the program’s organizer, Carol Snoddy, decided to see if she could acqui...
It had risen above Wrangell's rooftops for well over a century, acting as a beacon both to Sunday-morning parishioners and ships at sea alike. Now, no more. On Tuesday morning, a hydraulic lift run by Johnson Construction hoisted the neon cross from First Presbyterian's roof for the last time. "The ships used to use it as a beacon," said Nancy Barlow, who manages the church's hostel. "It's like a lighthouse." To her knowledge, the neon cross was only one of two in the world used atop church...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Searchers turned their attention underground Monday for a Juneau woman missing for three months. An expert on Juneau mine shafts led a team under Mount Roberts to look for hiker Sharon Buis, who disappeared May 24. Brian Weed said he did not want to give people false hope that Buis will be found, the Juneau Empire reported. “She may not be down there,” Weed said. “But there's at least two (mining shafts) you could have fallen in if you were sliding down snow, and they're covered most of the year. Probably end of August,...
After being rescheduled earlier in the month because of foul weather, supporters of cancer care were finally able to come together this past weekend to golf, mingle and raise funds for a good cause. Now in its tenth year, the men's and women's Rally For Cancer Care golf tournaments have raised funds for the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) Foundation's Cancer Care Fund. The fund provides up to $1,000 per year, per applicant to help defray travel and lodging costs for individuals receiving cancer...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Phase one of work on Peterson Lake Trail is complete, meaning the path is more easily walkable for the first three-fourths of a mile, up to the scenic waterfall overlook. Trail Mix Inc. crews have also maintained the path's historic character as a mining trail. In addition to the gravel pathway, as part of the U.S. Forest Service's agreement with the State Historic Preservation Office, Trail Mix crews have completed three sections of replica tramway along the trail, said USFS Recreation Planner Mike Dilger. “We were abl...
More than 100 researchers and three dozen projects are underway to find clues as to why Alaska’s Chinook salmon production has declined since 2007. The ambitious effort marks the start of a state-backed five year, $30 million Chinook Salmon Research Initiative that includes 12 major river systems from Southeast Alaska to the Yukon. And while it will be years before the project yields definitive data, the scientists have pinned down some early findings. “It’s not the fresh water production of the juvenile Chinook that is the reason this decli...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The population of black-tailed deer in southeast Alaska appears to have rebounded from harsh winters years ago, and the hunting is going well. The Juneau Empire reports that hunters and biologists are seeing a healthy deer population. Hunter Darrel Wetherall says the population appears to have rebounded from a tough 2006-2007 winter. Snowfall at the Juneau International Airport that year reached a record of 197.8 inches; the following winter also had an above-average snowpack. Doe season closed early in 2007 and 2008 in U...
KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – A Canadian company is moving forward with plans for a new rare-earth metals mine at the end of Kendrick Bay on Prince of Wales Island, sending a team to drill and spending millions sampling rock and studying the area. The goal of Ucore's team is to answer questions from investors and government officials, including concerns about the mine's environmental impact in light of the collapse of a dam holding toxic mining waste in British Columbia this past month. The breach at the Mt. Polley Mine spilled millions of g...
