Sorted by date Results 301 - 325 of 432
Last week, the Alaska State Legislature passed time-sensitive legislation to cover funding shortfalls for vital state services, including the Alaska Marine Highway System and Medicaid. The House voted for the “Fast-Track” Supplemental Budget, HB 321, last Monday with 32 in favor and 7 opposed. On Friday, the Senate followed suit and passed it with a vote of 16 to 1. HB 321 includes $24 million for the Alaska Marine Highway System to keep it operating through spring. The AMHS did not receive the total amount of funding they expected for Fis...
The Alaska Marine Highway System announced it has adjusted ferry service schedules for the middle of April in order to help roughly 400 students and chaperones from across Southeast travel to the Region V Music Festival in Juneau. AMHS will be rerouting the M/V LeConte to make a round-trip run through southern Southeast to pick up and return the students. With this service adjustment, students from Ketchikan, Wrangell, Metlakatla and Klawock will be able to attend the annual festival. Students from Sitka and Haines will use a...
Southeast Conference held its annual Mid-Session Summit in Juneau last week, turning the region’s attention to the state of its economy as legislators reach the mid-point of their 2018 regular session. For much of it, the outlook is pretty grim. Indicators since 2014 put the region’s population and jobs on a worrisome decline, along with earned income. “We’re just taking a hit in almost every way you can imagine,” explained Meilani Schijvens, a consultant to SEC and a former executive director. Faced with continued multibill...
January 31, 1918: The next contract for carrying mail from Wrangell to the West Coast points will almost certainly go to Leo McCormack. Mr. McCormack has received notice from the government that his proposal has been accepted. The West Coast mail contract is now held by W.J. Neil, who, it is understood, was an applicant for the new contract. When seen by the Sentinel reporter Mr. McCormack stated that the acceptance of a proposal by the government is merely tentative and that until the contract is actually signed there is nothing certain about...
The sole ferry linking the region’s seaside communities has had to skip a week of its winter schedule due to mechanical problems. Alaska Marine Highway System reported the M/V Columbia has had to remain in Bellingham, Washington, after its arrival last Friday. On its approach to the dock there its bow-side maneuvering thruster stopped working. AMHS public information officer Aurah Landau explained the thruster is a necessary feature for the vessel, particularly during winter weather conditions and while navigating narrow passages. While AMHS h...
The city will be trying to return court services to the Public Safety Building as quickly as possible. The Alaska Court System curtailed its courtroom and legal services in Wrangell just before Thanksgiving, citing air quality concerns with the space it rents from the borough. The building, which is home to the majority of the city’s emergency services, has experienced long-term leakage issues with its roof and siding. The problem at the court offices came to a head in September after the discovery of carpenter ants in an exterior wall, and i...
The ferry servicing Southeast Alaska on the reduced winter schedule fell slightly behind schedule after having mechanical difficulties over the weekend. While on its way to Ketchikan from Bellingham, Washington, the M/V Columbia encountered a problem with its steering system. Alaska Marine Highway System public information officer Aurah Landau explained the issue had to do with a failing indicator rod. This particular component tracks the movement of the vessel’s port-side rudder for its electronic steering system. The problem was discovered a...
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...
One of Southeast’s primary ferries will be out of service longer than expected as it undergoes annual maintenance, affecting the winter schedule. The Alaska Marine Highway System announced last week the M/V Malaspina will be out of commission several months longer than expected. The vessel went in for its annual overhaul and certification on October 1, with the intention of returning it to service on December 22. During the overhaul engineers determined an extensive replacement of the craft’s steel was needed, and that both its propeller hubs r...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) _ A report by Alaska's Southeast Conference calls for the state marine highway system to increase its ticket prices. The recommendation is part of a 25-year plan that Gov. Bill Walker asked the conference's stakeholders to put together for the struggling Alaska Marine Highway System, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Thursday. The major part of the plan is to turn the marine highway into a public corporation. The system's Reform Steering Committee is pursuing legislative changes to make that happen. Stakeholders estimate...
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) _ A report by an Alaska regional development organization indicated that the success of the state ferry service could hinge on repairing the troubled relationship between its management and labor force. The Southwest Conference found that the relationship was strained, inefficient and ineffective, causing financial problems for the Alaska Marine Highway System, the Kodiak Daily Mirror newspaper reported Friday. ``Management and labor need to have a realignment so they're working toward a common goal,'' said Robert Venables,...
One of the state's public ferries will help collect data on ocean acidification during its regular route. The news was announced last week by Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center at University of Alaska Southeast, which has partnered with the Alaska Marine Highway System, British Columbia's Hakai Institute, Alaska Ocean Observing System and other federal agencies on the project. The vessel chosen for the data collection study is the M/V Columbia, which at 418 feet and a gross tonnage of 3,946 is...
The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities reported that the M/V Kennicott has been temporarily taken out of service. After completing its southern run to Ketchikan on November 4 it entered dry dock for repairs. “It’s got a leaky seal on its port-side propeller,” explained Aurah Landau, public information officer for Alaska Marine Highway System’s South Coast office. She estimated repairs should take until mid-month to complete, and the ferry may return to service later next week. In the meantime, service in Southeast has been re...
The Alaska Marine Highway System has put forward its draft summer schedule for next year, one which is similar to 2017 sailings. The proposed schedule covers service between May and September 2018. Nine of the system’s 11 vessels will be operational during the season, Wrangell will be serviced through the summer by the Malaspina and the Columbia. The Malaspina will sail from Prince Rupert to Skagway once per week, and from Prince Rupert to Juneau once per week. It will make southbound stops into Wrangell Monday mornings and Thursday e...
The Alaska Marine Highway System needs forward funding. I don’t think I need to say it twice. If money is allocated to the AMHS for its future expenses, the AMHS can properly plan sailings which would: capture revenue from tourists (including those considering traveling with their RVs or vehicles), allow businesses to send employees to neighboring islands, and provide more advance planning options for Alaskans. Of course, the ferry system would also benefit from being more insulated from political influence. Currently, support for the marine h...
At Southeast Conference last week in Haines, Alaska Marine Highway Reform Initiative presented its draft report assessing the state ferry system SEC had been tasked by the governor's office in May 2016 with organizing a statewide planning process to improve the ferry service's long-term viability. The 12-person steering committee subsequently formed to direct that effort has since moved into its second phase, preparation of a proposed organizational model which would better meet the state's tran...
With Southeast Conference wrapping up in Haines this morning, municipalities, businesses and individuals from around the region should have a better idea of how the economy is faring. Each year, SEC's Southeast Alaska By the Numbers report looks at the preceding year's demographic and labor statistics, noting trends and making forecasts where possible. Released just this week, the report for 2016 indicated it had been a tough year for the region, economically speaking. For the first time since 2007 jobs and earnings were both down from the...
Later this month the region’s economic development organization will be meeting in Haines to discuss new trends, problems and opportunities it will face in the coming year. Representing many of the area’s municipalities, federally-recognized tribes, businesses, government agencies and organizations, Southeast Conference holds two major forums each year, in the spring and in the fall. Its autumn meeting is its biggest, in past years drawing hundreds to hear about and discuss concerns unique to the region, from transportation and utilities to its...
As the fisheries industry continues to expand and Wrangell’s Marine Service Center’s services demand increases, I believe Wrangell’s economy has nowhere to go but up. However, to accommodate this growth, the state must maintain their services in Wrangell. I am particularly concerned about the conservation of state jobs in Wrangell. Several years ago, Wrangell lost its social worker and its fisheries biologist. Now, the loss of the Wrangell trooper and the potential of reduced funding to the city jail weigh heavily, as Wrangell’s state jobs sl...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Alaska Legislature remains on pace for a statewide government shutdown as lawmakers renew discussions they hope will bridge the gap between the House and Senate. Gov. Bill Walker said he is confident the Legislature can avert an economically catastrophic shutdown July 1. Officials' top priority during the special session is the state operating budget. "At this point, I must focus solely on one issue and one issue alone, and that is the operating budget so we do not have...
May 19, 1917: Miss Mary Louise Bihler, teacher of primary department of the Wrangell public school, gave an exhibit of the children’s work in her room last Friday afternoon. The four walls of the room were covered with written exercises, drawings, free hand cuttings, tablemats, caps, and various other articles made by the children. A number of miniature hammocks made by the different pupils were all so nearly alike, and the weaving so perfectly done, that they looked more like a factory product than the work of school children. May 22, 1942: T...
For those following the issues facing our state, it’s no surprise that Alaska’s $2.7 billion budget deficit is the biggest issue. For the last five years, Alaska has had a budget deficit. Those deficits have caused the state to burn through at least $12 billion in savings, and we are quickly running out of savings. In the previous legislative sessions (2013-2016), the Legislature – led by Republican majorities – was unable to address the issue in any meaningful way other than to continue reducing the budget and kicking the can down the road. S...
Regional economic forum Southeast Conference is seeking out data on private sector investment for its annual report on the economy. The survey is supposed to only take three minutes, asking for general information on significant private project investments one’s business or company had made between July 1, 2016 and June 30 in Southeast Alaska. All individual survey answers are completely confidential, and will be reported in aggregate only. “We do this annually so we can get a better feel for what the private investment is in the reg...
As expected, it’s been a challenging legislative session, and from here on, the budget will be the forefront of every discussion. Both the House and the Senate are creating Alaska’s budget, but it’s clear that the bodies have differing approaches. Last week, I wrote a letter explaining the House approach to resolving Alaska’s fiscal crisis. To recap, the House proposed budget is $81.7 million in General Funds less than our current fiscal year. State agencies have been reduced by $62 million. Despite these cuts, the House Majority Coaliti...
In the last few weeks, folks have called and emailed to ask about our budget and what’s happening in the Capitol. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and in this climate, where every Alaskan is worried about the future, it’s important to keep things in focus. With budget numbers flying and hundreds of amendments under consideration, I’m going to pick out the most significant changes – those that will affect you and your family – to highlight. Keep in mind that this is the budget as of March 16th, 2018, 3:30 PM. With hours of debate and...