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Wrangell's City and Borough Assembly has approved its budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The budget was previously issued as a draft at a public workshop on April 28 and has since been subjected to two hearings. The state of Alaska's finances still casts a shadow of uncertainty over Wrangell's projections. As of Tuesday the Legislature had reconvened in Anchorage for special session but had not yet settled on a final budget. Which items will ultimately face cuts is still in the air as the state tackles its $3.5 billion... Full story
Borough Assembly members were presented the final form of Wrangell's waterfront master plan before their Tuesday evening meeting. The plan is the product of progressive public discussions and meetings in January, February and March. The core concept is to fill the 2.5-acre area located between the barge and boat yards parallel to Campbell Drive, which the Harbor Department obtained a permit to develop from the Army Corps of Engineers in 2007. Beyond that, the master plan looks ahead at developin... Full story
Flags adorn the graves of a group of unknown veterans interred at the Wrangell Cemetery this Memorial Day. American Legionnaires Einar Haaseth and Jimmy Bell put out around 150 flags at veterans' gravesites over the holiday weekend, meant to commemorate United States military personnel who have fallen in the line of duty....
The Wrangell Medical Center Foundation raised at least $32,000 for charity during its 8th annual prime rib dinner and auction, and the 8th annual Brian Gilbert Memorial Tournament last weekend. “We did a little better overall this year than we did last year,” explained Kris Reed, WMC development coordinator. “With sponsorships, it will be a little higher than that.” Most of the tickets to the dinner were pre-sold, with the rest sold at the door. “We had pretty much a full house,” she said. Earlier in the day, 39 golfers took part in the tour...
Anglers of all ages took to the water over the Memorial Day weekend, hoping to land a salmon fit for the special first prize awarded during Wrangell’s 63rd Annual King Salmon Derby. Chad Smith won the $2,500 weekend prize with a 42.7-pound specimen, and propelled himself to first place in the derby bracket. Ending June 7, this year’s first-place fish earns its captor a $6,000 prize. Thirty-seven fish were weighed in between Friday and Monday, though it is likely many more were caught. Derby par...
Alaskans will have to wait until fall to learn if salmon habitat prevails over a coal mine proposed at Upper Cook Inlet. A decision due earlier this month by the state Department of Natural Resources has been delayed until after a public hearing later this summer, said Ed Fogels, DNR Deputy Commissioner. At issue is competing water rights claims filed in 2009 by the Chuitna Citizens Coalition and PacRim Coal of Delaware and Texas. The Coalition wants to protect spawning tributaries of the salmon-rich Chuitna River, dubbed the Kenai of the West...
Chad Smith holds a 42.7-pound king salmon he caught over Memorial Day weekend, which won him the $2,500 weekend prize and propelled him to the top of the 63rd Annual King Salmon Derby bracket. If Smith's fish remains the winner by the derby's end on June 7, it will have been the third smallest on record for the month-long tournament....
The financial situation for Wrangell Medical Center has improved in recent months, but its new chief financial officer told the hospital’s board of trustees at its May 20 meeting that there is still much left to do. Doran Hammett presented the hospital’s budget for next year, which on the revenue side builds from projected income for the 2015 fiscal year. Net revenue after write offs, charity and bad debt are anticipated to total at just over $10 million, better than the previous year, yet still be below a high of $10.7 million for 2012. Ham... Full story
Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission held a brief meeting midday May 20 after establishing a quorum, taking on monthly business rescheduled from May 14. Commissioners approved preliminary plat review for vacation of the remaining 15 feet of Cedar Street between Lot 4, Block 25, and Lot 2A, Block 31. The request was filed by Tony and Sue Guggenbickler and addresses an encroachment issue with a neighboring property held by Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC). “The vacation was approved a couple of years ago,” explained Carol Rushmore,...
Monday, May 18 A caller reported a dead seal on the beach in front of their house. Agency Assist—Power outage. Line crew notified. Civil Issue. Agency Assist—Possible Fire. Fire Department notified. Tuesday, May 19 Agency Assist—Fire Department. Wednesday, May 20 A person reported receiving harassing phone calls. Lost phone. An officer unlocked a vehicle. Parking Complaint. Thursday, May 21 Lost Cell Phone. Later reported found. A caller reported an individual fell while walking down the street. Officer responded. Friday, May 22 Police arres...
After five months of repair, the Wrangell community pool reopened to the public May 20, just in time for the onset of summery weather. An open house celebrating the repairs was held that evening, with residents finally able to take a dip for the first time this year. Wrangell's pool was built in 1986 as part of improvements to the adjoining middle school. Following detection of a leak last year and the pool's Dec. 18 closure, Jensen Yorba Lott was contracted to perform the first-ever comprehensive condition survey of the pool and community...
Roland Larsen was born in Sioux Falls, S.D, on July 20, 1930, and raised on a farm. He completed high school in 1948, after which time he moved to Desmet, S.D., to work on a farm belonging to family friends. In 1950 he joined the Navy and spent some time serving in the South Pacific. Once out of the service he moved to Washington where he worked as a sheriff in Snohomish County. He moved to Alaska around 1976 to pursue beach logging with his friend Lloyd Harding. Roland worked for K&L Liquor... Full story
A pair of projects have moved toward their next phases after a special midday meeting of the Wrangell Port Commission Tuesday. Commissioners approved plans to finance float reconstruction at Shoemaker Bay Harbor, as well concepts for a mariners memorial at Heritage Harbor. The current concept for updating Shoemaker features four fingers built using polyethylene tubs as floats rather than wood and metal. Three of these envisioned fingers will be enough to accommodate the currently berthed boats, with the fourth offering space for longer, wider c...
Girl Scouts from Wrangell's Troop 4156 recently returned from a four-day field exercise upriver, observing amphibians for this year's "Camp'Phibian." What has become an annual field trip is in its second year and partners the troop with researchers from the Alaska Herpetological Society (AHS) and United States Forest Service. It is part of a broader research project the society has developed called the Stikine Long-Term Amphibian Monitoring Program. AHS president Josh Ream said the project...
The school year came to an end for Wrangell students on May 21, and while they’ve said “so long” for the summer to teachers and homework, they are still invited to pick up a book or two in the interim through the annual summer reading program. The program—hosted by the Irene Ingle Public Library—is already under way, encouraging kids to continue reading while on break with a variety of prizes and cash drawings for participants. Its purpose is to help curb summer reading loss, where students lose some of their newly learned or developin...