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Wrangell voters insurmountably rejected a proposal to lower the sales tax, retained their sitting mayor, and removed one member of the assembly in municipal elections Tuesday, officials said. The unofficial results, read aloud shortly after the polls closed at 8 pm, put the vote tally for the contentious tax proposal at 451 votes against lowering taxes from 7 percent to 5.5 percent, and 172 votes in favor of the change. Sitting mayor David Jack tallied 455 votes while Kipha Valvoda scored 118....
An argument between a Thomas Bay Power Authority commissioner and two Thomas Bay employees after the Wrangell Assembly has added to the venom in the debate over the future of TBPA. Shortly after Tuesday’s regular assembly meeting, Commissioner Clay Hammer confronted TBPA office manager Rhonda Christian over public comment delivered to the Borough Assembly on the subject of TBPA, Nicholls and Christian said. Hammer accused Christian of overstepping her bounds as a TBPA employee to address the commission, and Christian countered that Hammer w...
October 21, 1913: After being in the hands of the court for several years, owing to the death of the owners, Thomas Wilson and Rufas Sylvester, the Wrangell Mills are for the first time clear and when started in the spring it will be a purely local management. The mills were given over from the court to the Wilson and Sylvester Mill Company, Inc. on the first of October which company is composed of Mrs. M.A. Wilson, president, F. Matheson, secretary and H. Gartley, treasurer, who will operate the mill. T.C. McHugh has been appointed the...
On September 23, First District Judge Kevin Miller adjudicated the following cases: Gary A. Stevens, 43, was found guilty of Criminal Trespass in the First Degree – Inside a Dwelling, Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree – Property Damage and Assault in the Fourth Degree – Cause Fear Of Injury. He was sentenced to serve 20 days in jail or 160 hours of Community Work Service to be completed by 3/24/2014, ordered to pay $2,113.10 in fines, surcharges and restitution, ordered to contact Alaska Island Community Services by 9/30/2013 for complete...
Monday, September 23 Lost Property: Black Trak phone. Citizen Report of Possible DUI. Reported Possible Assault/DV. Tuesday, September 24 Arrested Ralph B. McQueen, 55, on charges of Driving Under the Influence. Vacation Check. Parking Complaint. Catering Permit. Wednesday, September 25 Traffic Stop vehicle parked in front of Harbor Lights Church. Person reported two dogs running in town. Officer was UTL the dogs. Traffic Stop verbal warning for faulty equipment. Person requested officer assistants to get into building. Thursday, September 26...
The borough assembly has narrowed a field of 14 applicants for the position of borough manager down to five, according to members of the assembly. The borough assembly met last Thursday in executive session to consider the applications, no action was taken in open session. The names of the remaining applicants aren’t in the public domain yet to protect their professional standing at their existing jobs. However, two local applicants who have admitted in public to pursing the position – interim manager and finance director Jeff Jabusch and for...
Barbara Ellen Maenhout (Peters), 72, of Wrangell, Alaska, passed away Sept. 21, 2013 surrounded by friends and family. Barb was born in Sister Lakes, Mich. Nov. 1, 1940 to Walter and Matilda (Toots) Peters. She graduated from Dowagiac Central High School in Dowagiac, Mich. in 1958. She was married to Dale Maenhout in May of 1961. Barb moved to Wrangell with her family in 1970 and began working at the Wrangell Sentinel newspaper and helped found the Petersburg Pilot with Jamie Bryson. She started...
A federal bill allocating at least a quarter of the school system’s local funding passed the Senate and House of Representatives this week. The Secure Rural Schools program provides Wrangell Schools with $1.3 million per year, which represents roughly 25 to 30 percent of the school system’s budget, according to Superintendent Rich Rhodes. Local officials and the borough’s lobbyist expressed concern for the fate of the bill among the widely reported atmosphere of fiscal belt-tightening in Washington. The bill awaits President Obama’s expecte...
To the Editor: Many thanks to each and every person who shared their opinions with me whether you were for or against this initiative. Please know I appreciate each and every one of you that took the time to share. I was one honored to have the freedom as a Citizen of the United States of America to bring forth an initiative to vote on by utilizing our government due process which is not allowed in other countries. I want each person who took the opportunity to do their due diligence as an American Citizen by going to the polls and voting take...
Thirty-seven moose have been checked in to Alaska Department of Fish and game this season. Rich Lowell, Area Wildlife Biologist for Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said nineteen moose were checked in during the first week, which is close to average for the last 10 years “Most of the harvest occurs within the first two weeks of the season,” Lowell said. As of yesterday afternoon, 12 moose have been harvested from the Stikine, 12 from Kupreanof and six from Mitkof. Although 12 moose were taken from Kupreanof only six were taken from the Kak...
The Petersburg Borough Assembly approved a resolution Friday informing the Wrangell assembly of its acceptance of Southeast Alaska Power Agency’s offer to take over Tyee Hydroelectric Project operation costs. The resolution urges the Wrangell assembly to also accept the offer. SEAPA CEO Trey Acteson presented the offer that would also absorb existing Thomas Bay Power Authority employees along with their Public Employee Retirement System unfunded liabilities in excess of $750,000 should SEAPA terminate the current Tyee contract. The Petersburg a...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Voters in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will decide in Tuesday’s election on whether to allow the borough to enact a 5 percent tax on areawide alcohol sales. The tax would offset the burden on property tax payers, but opponents say the measure unfairly targets a specific industry. The proposed tax was introduced in June by borough Assemblyman Steve Colligan. It was approved the following month for the ballot. Colligan said he sees the measure simply as a sales tax, KSKA reported. “Why should property owners be beari...
A new greenhouse at Evergreen Elementary School is on hold after the student-designed project failed to win a community improvement grant, school officials said. Students at Wrangell High School designed the greenhouse as part of the construction trades class. Most of the students in the class said the hoped a new source of funding could be located. “I really hope they do build it,” said Cody Thomassen. “It would nice.” The new greenhouse wouldn’t be used, he said. Students discussed the proje...
PETERSBURG – This summer’s warmer than average temperatures could carry over into the winter if current climate trends continue. Two main factors affect winter weather in Southeast Alaska—the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, or PDO, and the El Nino/La Nina Oscillations or ENSO. Each factor has two phases—positive and negative and both affect sea surface water temperatures. The positive PDO phase happens when increased storm activity in the north Pacific blows warmer water into the Gulf of Alaska and raises the average sea surface tempera...
The Island of Faith congregation has settled in with a new intern pastor. Lynne Ogren, the church’s intern pastor, arrived in Wrangell back in January, but started her ministry recently. So far, she’s overcome her share of island adjustments. “Not being able to drive to another town has been an adjusment,” said the Oak Harbor, Wash. native. “When you need to go to the mall in another town, you just get in your car and go. Here you need a plane or a boat. That took some adjustment for me.” The...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) _ A glance at some of the resources available for more information on marketplaces, insurance options and the federal health care law: Online: The federal government website through with marketplaces can be accessed: http://www.healthcare.gov Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium site: http://anthctoday.org/aca or email healthreform(at)anthc.org State Division of Insurance: http://commerce.alaska.gov/ins/Insurance/ACA Enroll Alaska: http://www.enrollingalaska.com By phone: 24-hour hotline corresponding to the...
Governor Parnell took to the statewide airwaves last Tuesday to answer questions from Alaskans on APRN’s Talk of Alaska. Of fishing interest: A Cook Inlet set netter asked about his stance on the proposed Chuitna coal mine in Cook Inlet that would set a precedent by removing, among other things, 11 miles of salmon streams. “Didn’t you say you would never trade one resource for another?” she queried? “And I won’t,” Parnell responded. “I’ve seen the written misinformation about Chuitna and the decision that was made on a proposal to basic...
The Wrangell High School Boys cross-country team is headed to state after winning the small schools division at the Region V Championships meet Saturday in Sitka. The team scored 105 points for third place overall, led at 17:50 by sophomore Bryce Gerold, who won the small schools race and placed third overall. Behind him, senior Robbie Marshall delivered a respectable 18:15 for fifth among small schools and eighth overall. Freshman Darren Shilts clocked 19:39 to round out the top three...
A long-term plan for trails in and around Wrangell is taking shape with a little help from the National Park Service. The Borough Planning and Zoning Commission heard testimony from economic development officer Carol Rushmore earlier in the month that a network of trails joining the Volunteer Park Trail to the Dewey Mountain Trail has been under consideration recently. Parks and Recreation Director Amber Al-Haddad was careful to stress that no plans have been finalized, and hikers may have to...
