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States and cities have tried a lot of creative slogans over the years to entice people to come visit. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." The iconic "I Love NY" slogan and logo. And there's the romantic "Virginia is for lovers." Now we have the newest entrant among tourism marketing campaigns. We could call it: "Get stuck in Alaska." The state of Alaska will offer free COVID-19 vaccinations for travelers who come to the 49th state this summer. If the fishing and scenery, the long summer nigh...
The steep drop in visitors to Alaska last year because of pandemic travel restrictions showed up in air, sea and land numbers - and resulting job losses - across the state. Overall, the state lost more than 22,000 jobs between February 2020 and February 2021, according to the Alaska Department of Labor. "Based on my forecast here, I do not anticipate a return to pre-pandemic employment levels until after 2022,"Mouhcine Guettabi, an associate professor of economics at the University of Alaska...
January Jan. 2: Along with the lights, trees and carolers, the Salvation Army's red Christmas kettles are a common sight during the holiday season. Lt. Jon Tollerud, Wrangell's new corps officer, said the red kettles brought in $10,469. Jan. 9: The Nolan Center celebrated the new year Dec. 31 with a murder mystery party. As this new year marks a new decade, a return to the '20s, the party had a 1920s theme to it. With jazz music, themed costumes and masks, partygoers had the chance to return to...
December 17 Jamie Roberts, with the Wrangell EOC, reported that there are currently no active cases of COVID-19 in the community. Statewide, Alaska’s case count is 41,859 as of yesterday. This is an increase of 3,151 from last week. Wrangell received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 16. According to SEARHC, following guidance from the Alaska Vaccine Advisory Council, vaccinations will be given to frontline health workers first, along with first responders, and l...
Despite rainy weather, about 30 people gathered together last Friday evening to march in recognition of Juneteenth which is a holiday that originated in Texas. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger made the announcement from the city of Galveston that all slaves were free. With recent current events surrounding race relations and police brutality in America, the holiday has received nationwide recognition. Wrangell's Juneteenth march was organized by Kyle Hovarth, with Alaska Crossings. He...
4/1/20 COVID-19 Update Mayor Steve Prysunka and Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen hosted a brief teleconference, on Wed., April 1, to share pertinent information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic with the public. There are still no confirmed cases of the virus in Wrangell as of this date, Prysunka said. However, this is not cause for relaxation. Von Bargen said she was recently part of a teleconference with other city managers across Alaska, along with representatives from FEMA and the Department...
Alaska Crossings, the behavioral health program, is gearing up for another season of helping kids in need. The program is geared towards teenagers who have struggles in their home life, or at school or in their wider communities. These kids go out on outdoor expeditions with Crossings guides, all over the Tongass National Forest, where they can learn important life skills like teamwork, self confidence, and stress management, among others. "Alaska Crossings believes in helping youth make...
Following is the Wrangell Sentinel's news review for January through June of 2019. Next week the review will include events from July through December. January Jan. 13 - The Fairbanks Arts Association opened their 24th annual statewide poetry contest for submissions this December. Each year, the association picks a new judge for the contest. This year will be judged by Wrangell resident Vivian Faith Prescott. Prescott is the author of numerous works, including The Hide of My Tongue and The Dead...
The federal government’s plan to raze more roads through the Tongass National Forest is facing strong headwinds from fishermen, Native groups and coastal communities throughout Southeast Alaska. Over 220 Southeast Alaskan fishermen signed a letter to the Trump Administration last week opposing the abrupt push to exempt the Tongass National Forest from a roadless rule in place for over a decade. The exemption would release more than 9 million acres from protection and open nearly 200,000 acres to logging. The U.S. Forest Service made the a...
The City and Borough Assembly: Three Year Tearm Julie Decker is seeking re-election to the Wrangell Borough Assembly for a three-year term. There are several reasons she wants to sit for another term on the assembly. The current borough assembly has been making some good decisions on behalf of the city, she said, and she would like to see that continue. As a member of the assembly, she said that she has tried to stay informed and lead in a way that benefits the city as a whole. She added that...
In the past year, at least four citizens from Petersburg and Wrangell have sought and gained their U.S. citizenship to be with their families and for peace of mind. Elisa Teodori originates from Italy, but moved to Petersburg after she met her husband, Tor Benson, while working in Ecuador. Laura Davies first came to the US from Canada to work as a recreation therapist in Georgia, but eventually moved to Wrangell to take a job working with Alaska Crossings and met her husband. Gilda Barkfelt...
Wrangell's first-ever Tongass ToughMan triathlon took place last Sunday. Beginning at 6 a.m., participants faced a 1.2-mile (42.5 laps) swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 14.5-mile run over Rainbow Falls in a major test of fitness, speed, and endurance. Nick Howell, who helped organize triathlon, said that there were 27 people who entered the competition. Most of these people worked as a team, with one person handling each of the three events. There were six people who signed up individually, and...
A brown bear has been killed by Wildlife Troopers and Forest Service personnel after a run-in with a group of Alaska Crossings campers just north of Berg Bay, across the narrows on the mainland near Wrangell. According to information provided by Public Information Officer Ken Marsh, with the Alaska State Troopers, the encounter occurred on Sunday, May 26, around 3 a.m. A brown bear wandered into the Crossings camp and began rummaging through the group's food. The group had a bear fence,...
The Coast Guard flew into town last Friday to show off some rescue maneuvers to a crowd of curious onlookers. They dropped swimmers into the water, between City Dock and the Nolan Center, and demonstrated how to rescue them with a rope as well as a basket. The Coast Guard also trained with The Wrangell Fire Department, search and rescue, and Alaska Crossings on how to raise and lower a basket up to a hovering helicopter. Afterwards, they landed on the dock to give the public a chance to talk...
Alaska Crossings has been a part of the Wrangell community since its inception in the early 2000s. The behavioral health program is designed to help troubled teens from all over the state. From April to December, according to Program Manager Jerrie Dee Harvey, Crossings attempts to help rehabilitate the teens via outdoor expeditions. By taking them on camping expeditions in the great outdoors, she said, they are attempting to teach them confidence, social skills, teamwork, stress management,...
Many members of the Wrangell community, as well as guides from Alaska Crossings, crammed into the Stikine Middle School commons last Saturday afternoon for QPR suicide prevention training. The training was lead by Jay Greene and Tracey Wiese, of the Full Spectrum health clinic in Anchorage. They were invited to Wrangell by Community Roots, the local LGBT support group. Suicide is something that is very prevalent in Alaskan communities, they explained during the training, and is higher than avera...
Harbor Light Assembly of God, located across Zimovia Highway from Alaska Housing, began renovations to its downstairs portion of the church earlier this month. The renovations are thanks, in part, to a $15,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation they received last October. Pastor Kem Haggard, with Harbor Light, said they received the Tier 1 grant from the foundation to help benefit the wider Wrangell community. “They’re [the Rasmuson Foundation] basic thing is they really want to enhance communities,” said Haggard. “Several years ago, one of...
Early on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 14, a boat accident occurred off of Heritage Harbor. Greg Meissner, with the harbor department, said that one boat was leaving the harbor and sailing westward, towards Zarembo Island. Another boat, with Alaska Crossings, was heading in a southern direction. Both boats collided out in open water. According to Bruce Smith, with the Wrangell Police Department, there were four people involved in the accident. Three people were injured and hospitalized. Smith could not speak to the extent of their injuries or...
BRAVE, the Wrangell organization advocating for stronger community relationships, will be hosting a Family Resilience Fair on Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nolan Center. According to volunteer Maleah Wenzel, the fair is meant to provide Wrangell families with information about what resources are available to them. She added that the event was originally going to be held at the high school commons, but it has outgrown the space and was moved to the Nolan Center. “Basically the purpose of this is to make sure people in town know what resources t...
A pair of major state-managed construction projects are either under way or about to move forward for 2018. Years in the making, after wrapping up some outstanding right-of-way issues this winter, the rehabilitation of Wrangell’s Evergreen Avenue finally began last Thursday. The Department of Transportation and contractor SECON got to work, starting on the airport side of the 0.91 mile long project and working their way westward. Crews will begin with drainage work on both sides of the road, especially at driveway crossings along the route. B...
A free showing of a documentary highlighting the hazards of mining on transboundary rivers drew a pretty decent crowd Monday evening, with seats at the Nolan Center filling up fast. Released last year, "Uprivers" is the first film made by Matthew Jackson, of Ketchikan. Jackson previously has spent time in Wrangell working with the Alaska Crossings program, and his presentation of the film is part of a broader tour of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. Prior to showing his 30-minute work,...
Alaska Crossings is gearing up for its 2018 season, with guide training formally starting last week. The youth-oriented behavioral health program has operated out of Wrangell since its inception, back in 2001. Originally a program of Alaska Island Community Services, Crossings is now under the Southeast Alaska Rural Health Consortium umbrella since it acquired AICS last year. Designed to help people between the ages of 12 and 18 years, Crossings combines therapeutic interventions with outdoor...
Caitlin Cardinell One of three candidates running for an unexpired two-year term on the Wrangell Public School Board. (Incumbent member Robert Rang and candidate David Wilson will be featured in next week's Sentinel.) Age: 27 About the candidate: "I'm originally from Minnesota, I've been living in Wrangell five years now, and I've held a variety of jobs throughout the community. I originally was working with Alaska Crossings, spent some time working up on the Stikine River, and now I'm currently...
At its 27th Annual Fundraiser Dinner on Saturday, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce announced its honors list for 2017. There were five nominees for this year’s Wrangell Citizen of the Year: school board member and Wells Fargo Bank employee Aleisha Mollen; Sourdough Lodge proprietor Bruce Harding; Alaska Vistas operator Sylvia Ettefagh; Dr. Lynn Prysunka at Alaska Island Community Services; and Evergreen Elementary School secretary Renate Davies. Of the candidates, Prysunka was awarded this year’s honor, having served the community as a fam...
