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Winter wasn't the only source of wonder in Wrangell last week, as residents crowded into the public library to watch a magic show. Illuminating minds under the stage name of Rondoc, Dr. Myron Fribush commanded the southwestern corner of Irene Ingle Public Library the evening of December 20. Children crowded around in front, with as many adults watching from as far back as the main doors. There were 58 audience members in all. Wearing a conical hat and Chinese gown, the visiting physician...
The board of Wrangell’s public radio station last month approved a deal which would transfer its ownership to a regional corporation. Following a decision by its governing board to do so in November, Wrangell Radio Group (WRG) on December 11 filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer its four channels to CoastAlaska in Juneau. Among the four would be KSTK, a source for news and entertainment on the island since the noncommercial station was first built in 1977. CoastAlaska is a nonprofit corporation which provid...
The borough and Alaska Court System are awaiting results of air quality testing at Wrangell’s Public Safety Building before courthouse services can be resumed. ACS shuttered the office space it rents there just before Thanksgiving, citing safety concerns for its staff. Long-term water damage and rot to exterior walls of the court offices had been revealed back in September when maintenance workers opened up the drywall, following reports of a carpenter ant infestation. A judicial officer had to be relocated to another part of the office w...
Monday, December 18 Business alarm: Officer responded. Agency Assist: Power out. Found property: Key turned into PD. Agency Assist: Power outage. Tuesday, December 19 Citizen Assist: Unlock vehicle. Agency Assist: Safety hazard: verbal warning given for feeding birds. Traffic: Verbal warning for light out on vehicle. Citizen Assist: Unlocked vehicle. Wednesday, December 20 Trespass warning. Arrested on charges of Assault/DV: Caleb Miethe, 38. Citizen report of DUI. Thursday, December 21 Report of trespass. Traffic stop: Verbal warning for...
Action plans for the emergency management of Chinook salmon in Southeast Alaskan rivers have been drafted ahead of next month's Board of Fisheries meeting in Sitka. The board, which reviews regulatory oversight of fisheries across the state, planned to meet on January 11 to discuss shellfish and finfish proposals for the coming year. But added to its plate will be a trio of action plans drawn up by the Department of Fish and Game designating king salmon populations in several rivers as stocks...
Lack of support from KSTK public radio listeners and businesses in Wrangell may bring ownership changes to the station. A public notice published in last week’s Wrangell Sentinel foreshadows the transfer of radio station assets to CoastAlaska in Juneau. CoastAlaska provides administrative support and other services for seven Southeast public radio stations including KSTK. Reductions in grant revenue and local donations, has made the station’s financial situation untenable. We’re not convinced that moving the station’s operations to CoastAl...
The clamor of “take me fishing” is taking on new meaning in Alaska. Prospects for a deckhand apprenticeship program just got a big lift from a $142,000 national grant awarded to the Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), and the group plans to get more boots on deck statewide. Deckhand apprenticeships are recommended as one way to attract younger entrants into an industry where the average fisherman’s age in Alaska is over 50. ALFA has been crafting a local deckhand training program since 2015, and the grant from the Nation...
With the next edition, the Wrangell Sentinel and the Petersburg Pilot will discontinue the Posted Fuel Notice that has been published since October 2015. Fuel prices were more volatile then and the price fluctuation was of more interest to the public. The retail price is clearly market driven and both Wrangell and Petersburg have competing vendors in each community. It’s obvious that the size of the market and the distance from the refinery will continue to influence the prices consumers pay at the pump in both towns. Absent new information, w...
Wrangell Medical Center passed its annual financial audit without complaint, though its cash flow situation is still not in the best of health. Financial officer Doran Hammett ran down the numbers for members of the hospital’s governing board during their monthly meeting December 20. Revenues for the past five months still are lagging behind expectation, around eight percent below budget. Expenses have also been lower than expected, by about six percent, but the hospital is nonetheless running at around a $224,460 loss for the 2018 fiscal y...