Articles from the December 17, 2015 edition


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  • Water quality testing underway at Southeast salmon rivers

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    With mining concerns looming upstream, a program through the Central Council Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska is anxious to define what's normal for Southeast Alaska's major transboundary rivers. The second round of water quality testing was conducted on the Stikine River by Central Council's Native Lands and Resources Department (NLRD) Dec. 9. "The reason we started this project was prompted by what's going on upriver in British Columbia," explained Jennifer Hanlon, an environmental... Full story

  • Banding together for the holidays

    Dec 17, 2015

  • Planning and Zoning nears end of entitlement properties discussions

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    Future use of borough lands at Crittenden Creek, Sunny Bay and Mill Creek should continue to be recreational in nature, Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission concluded at its regularly scheduled meeting Dec. 10. The entitlement properties were among those transferred to Wrangell from the Department of Natural Resources earlier this year, just over 9,000 acres of undeveloped lands on the mainland and surrounding islands. Planning and Zoning has been offering recommendations to guide future use of the properties along with the Economic D... Full story

  • The Way We Were

    Dec 17, 2015

    In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago. December 9, 1915: Wrangell now has a regularly appointed town marshal, Earl West having been appointed last night and is now on the job. Mr. West was the choice of the majority of the business houses in Wrangell and it is believed that he will make a reliable and trustworthy officer. Mr. S. Zynda, proprietor of the Eagle Brewing Company, of Juneau was in Wrangell for a few days the first of the week, preparatory to placing his beer on the local market. Mr. Zynda states that he will soon have a new...

  • SEAPA board approves utilities rebates

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    Wrangell and Petersburg utilities can be expecting a rebate this year from Southeast Alaska Power Agency. This summer the board approved a rebate of $1.5 million for member utilities. A formal award plan was presented at last week’s meeting in Ketchikan on Dec. 10, with $340,563 to go to Wrangell and $372,343 to Petersburg. The remaining $787,093 would be distributed to Ketchikan. Voting alternate and electrical superintendent Clay Hammer represented Wrangell at the meeting, and he explained the rebate was possible in part because of funds u... Full story

  • Police reports

    Dec 17, 2015

    Monday, December 7 Parking Complaint. Agency Assist – Fire Dept. – Dispatched. Tuesday, December 8 Parking Complaint. Arrested Adrienne McLaughlin, 30, on charges of Assault 4/DV. Wednesday, December 9 Warrant Arrest: Arrested Donavan Bean, 21, on charges of Theft and Failure to Appear. MVA: No injuries. Thursday, December 10 Hit & Run. Citizen Assist. Friday, December 11 Agency Assist/Adult Problem. Citizen Assist. Civil Stand-By. Traffic Stop: Verbal warning for faulty equipment. Saturday, December 12 Search & Rescue. Sunday, December 13 Pos...

  • Obituary: Fr. Thomas Lee Weise, Jr., 46

    Dec 17, 2015

    The Reverend Thomas Lee (Joseph) Weise, Jr., 46, a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juneau, Alaska, died December 6, 2015, following a cardiac arrest suffered while visiting family members in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Fr. Weise was born January 10, 1969 in South Laguna Beach, Calif. After graduating from Dana Hills High School, he was appointed to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., graduating in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science While in the... Full story

  • 2016 game proposal book available for review

    Dec 17, 2015

    The proposal book for next year’s Alaska Board of Game regulations is now available for review. One hundred and thirty-eight proposals have been included for consideration at the ABG annual meeting in Fairbanks from March 18 to 28. The proposals generally concern statewide changes to hunting and trapping regulations under 5 AAC Chapter 92. The board will also consider 29 statewide sheep hunting season items which were accepted under an expanded call for proposals this year. Other categories will include bear baiting, unlawful taking of game, o...

  • School coffee sessions complicated by board policies

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    Holding the first of its planned informal sessions with the public last Saturday morning, members of the Wrangell Public School Board learned it might also have to be the last. Resident and former school superintendent Woody Wilson stopped in to let the board know what it was doing seemed to be violating its own policies. Citing Board Policy 7320, he pointed out that minutes were not being taken and that the public had not been given due notice of a meeting. Under the parameters set out in BP-7320 and in BP-7012 regarding communication with the...

  • Getting specific

    Dec 17, 2015

  • Garnet Grit Betties win first bout of season

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    Wrangell's roller derby team has started their new season with a bang, coming away with a win in Ketchikan on Saturday. The Garnet Grit Betties beat the hosting Rainforest Rollergirls with a final score of 270 to 132. "We're really proud of the way we played," said Coach Shawna Buness, who rolls under the pseudonym "BabyCakes." The Betties started the match with a scoreless two jams before retaking the momentum, building an early lead and building from there. "Our team really pulled together," s...

  • Wolves wrestlers sending 8 to State

    Dan Rudy|Dec 17, 2015

    Most of Wrangell High School's wrestlers will be headed to the State Tournament in Anchorage this weekend, after taking a number of top-four spots at Petersburg during the Region V Tournament Dec. 11 and 12. "We had a tough team," commented Coach Jeff Rooney. Nine students qualified with top-four placements in the regional tournament. "We've had some tough customers out there, some real high-end finishers," said Rooney. Chet Armstrong finished in first place for the 182-pound bracket, finishing...

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|Dec 17, 2015

    Caught by Alaskans for Alaskans is a business concept that bested 170 others in a global fisheries business competition last month at Stanford University in California. The contest, sponsored by Fish 2.0, awards creative approaches that build demand for sustainable seafood, reduce waste and support fishing towns. The Alaska Community Seafood Hub model, presented by Kelly Harrell of Anchorage, won $5,000 in cash and is in the running for more money to be awarded this month. Fish 2.0 builds the knowledge and connections needed to increase...

  • Ketchikan City Council to revisit pot law

    Dec 17, 2015

    KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – Ketchikan officials are set to take another look at regulations surrounding the retail sale of marijuana. The City Council will meet Monday to reconsider the council’s Dec. 3 vote to prohibit the retail sale of marijuana in city limits, The Ketchikan Daily News reported. The vote meant that City Attorney Mitch Seaver would have to draft an ordinance that would have allowed Ketchikan to opt out of the retail component allowed by Ballot Measure 2, which legalized the personal use and retail sale of marijuana. Cou...

  • Report recommends way to curb Alaska prison population

    Dec 17, 2015

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Criminal Justice Commission on Thursday released recommendations that it says would reduce the state’s average daily prison population and save about $420 million over 10 years. They include expanded use of citations instead of arrest for lower-level nonviolent offenses; revising drug penalties to focus more severe punishments on higher-level offenders; changes in parole and probation aimed at reducing recidivism; and addressing the needs of crime victims. Senate Majority Leader John Coghill plans to inc...

  • Fireball passed over Petersburg from the Northeast

    Ron Loesch Publisher|Dec 17, 2015

    Marc Fries a scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. continues his work to track the Petersburg fireball, which passed over Petersburg early on Saturday, Nov. 21. Fries told the Pilot, via email on Wednesday, “I’ve been able to find the location of the camera at the harbor with sufficient accuracy to plot the azimuth from the camera towards the fireball. Shadows from the fireball are clearly visible in that camera image. The blue line in the Google Earth image is the direction towards the bright flash,” explained Fries. The P...