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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A young Alaska Native woman left an impression on Alaska's territorial Senate in 1945, delivering a speech that led to the passage of the nation's first anti-discrimination law. Now, the late Elizabeth Peratrovich is leaving her impression on a $1 coin. The U.S. Mint unveiled the design of the coin Oct. 5 at the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood convention in Anchorage. The 2020 Native American coin will go on sale early next year. The coin will feat...
Setting up a booth behind Rayme's Bar on Sunday and Monday, Wrangell resident Maleah Wenzel spent her Labor Day weekend taking signatures for the ongoing recall effort against Governor Mike Dunleavy. The governor, like many other people and issues in American politics, has become a source of division in recent months. According to a July 26 memorandum, the recall movement has several reasons they want to see Dunleavy removed from office. Among their claims are Dunleavy violating state law by...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s governor has vetoed additional funding for the state’s ferry service that was placed in the budget by the Legislature, a report said. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $5 million Monday that was added to the Alaska Marine Highway System budget by the Legislature, CoastAlaska reported Monday. The Legislature previously cut $43 million from the ferry system’s budget. A fiscal note attached by the governor’s office called the budget item “premature’’ ahead of a $250,000 study commissioned to reshape the fer...
Juneau, Alaska (AP) - A spokesman for a union representing workers for the Alaska ferry system says the union has gone on strike. Hundreds of ferry workers went on strike Wednesday after failing to reach agreement on a contract with state negotiators. Robb Arnold, a spokesman for Alaska's Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific, said the strike began Wednesday afternoon after a meeting with state officials did not yield an agreement. He said the union remains open to a deal. "Unfortunately, we had...
Fisheries fare better than most people in terms of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s budget cuts. Just under one million dollars was cut from the commercial fisheries division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, leaving it with an $85 million budget, half from state general funds. “To give the governor credit, he recognized the return on investment,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, ADF&G Commissioner. “It’s a theme I had all the way through the legislature that we take a $200 million budget of which about $50 million is unrestricted general funds and...
One fisheries item that appears to have escaped Governor Mike Dunleavy’s veto pen so far is his desire to divert local fish taxes from coastal communities into state coffers. Dunleavy’s initial budget in February aimed to repeal the sharing of fisheries business and landing taxes that towns and boroughs split 50/50 with the state. Instead, all of the tax revenues would go to the state’s general fund – a loss of $28 million in FY 2020 to fishing communities. “There is a recognition that these are viewed as shared resources, and they should be...
State Representative Dan Ortiz (I) held a teleconference with constituents in Ketchikan and Wrangell Monday, July 8, to hear public opinions on the state budget, the PFD, and other items. Monday was the start of a second special session of the state legislature, one that has appeared to be just as divisive amongst legislators and Alaskan residents as the previous sessions. One of the hot topics of this session, when it was announced, was whether or not to overturn Governor Mike Dunleavy’s l...
According to a press release from the Wrangell Legislative Information Office, State Representative Dan Ortiz will be holding a teleconference on July 8, from 5 to 6 p.m. to receive feedback from the public on the state budget and the PFD. Both subjects have been the topic of much debate across Alaska recently, with the state legislature struggling to form a budget, some times coming into conflict with Governor Mike Dunleavy's desire for serious budget cuts in certain sectors. The debate has...
Members of the Wrangell School District and the borough assembly came together for a joint workshop on the school district’s recently adopted budget. As Superintendent Debbe Lancaster said in the past, and repeated in Monday evening’s meeting, this was a “no fat” budget that was operating very close to the district’s bare minimum. The FY 2020 budget is assuming $6.34 million in revenue, and almost the same in expenses. In comparison, this is a decrease from the FY 2019 budget which had expenses set at roughly $6.61 million, but still higher th...
Lean times are ahead for the Wrangell School District, according to the budget that was adopted on April 30. Funding for the district has been a topic of much concern ever since Governor Mike Dunleavy released his proposals for the state budget. One of his proposals was a major cut to the Base Student Allocation, a program that gives schools money for every student in their district. It has been very challenging to prepare a budget for the new school year without knowing for sure what was going...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – During Republican Mike Dunleavy’s successful run for governor last year, he offered few specifics for his vision of limited government but was clear that Alaska residents should get a full payout from the state’s oil-wealth fund. Lawmakers and Dunleavy’s predecessor capped the annual checks at $1,600 or less the past few years as they struggled to address a budget deficit that has persisted amid low to middling oil prices and is now estimated at $1.6 billion. Dunleavy’s call for paying the full amount this year, around $3...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly and the Wrangell School Board held a joint work session last Thursday to discuss the school district's proposed budget for the 2020 school year. Earlier this year, Governor Mike Dunleavy proposed a 23 percent cut to the Base Student Allocation, which helps determine the amount of funding a school district receives from the state based on the number of students within the district. Since then, funding for the Wrangell School District has been a topic of much concern...
The Wrangell School Board met last Monday evening. During the meeting, Superintendent Debbe Lancaster provided the board with a brief recap of a recent public meeting the district held on school safety. For those unaware, concerns were raised among parents in the community after an unnamed student made threats against the school on Snapchat. The district contacted the police on the matter, who determined there was no threat, and then they informed parents of what had happened. The meeting was called to discuss the safety protocols the district...
Ever since Governor Mike Dunleavy announced his proposed budget, it has been a hot topic of debate across Southeast Alaska. The proposed budget does offer a full PFD to all Alaska residents, as well as supply “back pay” for PFDs that were smaller than usual, but it also makes some serious cuts to public education and the Alaska Marine Highway System. Many people in Wrangell have wondered how the proposed budget could affect the city. To discuss these concerns, a town hall meeting was held at the Nolan Center last Wed., March 6. “I’m confide...
State Representative Dan Ortiz made a stop in Wrangell last week to discuss the proposed budget cuts by Governor Mike Dunleavy. He was present at a town hall meeting on how the cuts could affect Wrangell last Wednesday. He also stopped at the Stikine Inn Thursday morning for an informal meet and greet....
Safety in the Wrangell School District has been a hot topic around town these past few days. On Saturday, March 2, school officials were made aware of a high school student making threatening comments on Snapchat. The student, who is underage and will not be named, sent a photograph to friends saying, “Don’t go to school Monday, guys,” while making a finger gun. School officials were made aware of this photograph, according to an email by Secondary School Principal David Macri, and they contacted the police department. The department then inter...
The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, SEACC, was founded in 1970 to protect the land and wildlife of the Tongass National Forest. The SEACC board of directors is made up of people who have made this region their home, from Seattle to Yakutat. Current Board President Stephen Todd is a Wrangell resident. SEACC board members and staff all came to Wrangell this past week to hold meetings on topics they felt were of public interest. The main two topics that were brought up were the Roadless...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)– A co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee said Thursday he wants to reach a budget agreement that would fund the state’s ferry system through mid-2020. Sen. Bert Stedman, a Sitka Republican, said that would allow time for further discussion about management of the system going forward. Stedman said he views Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget proposal as an “elimination budget’’ for the Alaska Marine Highway System. A spokeswoman for the ferry system has said it hasn’t scheduled sailings past Oct. 1. Stedman said he wants to s...
When one thinks of the civil rights movement, there are several names that come to mind. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are two well known people who were influential civil rights activists. The fight for civil rights has not just been limited to the lower 48, though. Alaska has its share of important civil rights figures, as well. One such figure, Elizabeth Peratrovich, was recently remembered in an assembly at Wrangell High School last Tuesday. The assembly was put together by the...
A first draft of the Wrangell School District’s 2020 budget was made public at last Monday’s school board meeting. In total, the proposed budget for FY 2020 allows for $5.37 million in revenue, and $5.34 million in expenditures. This budget is fairly tight, and has several major cuts to expenditures, compared to previous years. For example, health benefits have been reduced by about $313,000. Funds for travel, supplies, and equipment have also been reduced. Another major change to how the district operates is the combination of two pos...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Gov. Mike Dunleavy wants to repeal the boards tasked with regulating alcohol and marijuana in Alaska, according to documents from state officials. The plan was outlined in a letter to commerce department employees by commissioner Julie Anderson and in a memo from Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office director Erika McConnell. The documents say Dunleavy wants to repeal the Marijuana Control Board and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and transfer authority and responsibilities of the boards to the commissioner. This is b...
Members of the Wrangell school board and two high school students will be heading to Juneau this week for the legislative fly-in. The fly-in is an event organized by the Association of Alaska School Boards. According to Aleisha Mollen, school board president, 35 students and school district representatives from across the state will have the opportunity to learn about the legislative process, meet with their representatives, and discuss issues that are important to them and their district. Mollen and Board Member David Wilson will be attending,...
The government shutdown has caused few problems so far in Alaska’s fisheries, but concern is growing as it enters a third week. The shutdown of nine out of 15 federal departments and agencies on Dec. 21 has furloughed about 800,000 workers nationwide, most with no pay, including fishery oversight and research jobs. In many cases, that means there’s no one to issue fishing permits, licenses or other documents and services required before setting out. “I have not heard of any problems, but that’s not to say that there aren’t any,” said Forres...
An Alaskan sisterhood of sorts is advancing a line of tundra botanicals mixed with the sea to create potent anti-aging skin care products bearing the best of both. A wild salmon Skin Serum is the first wellness product the Salmon Sisters have added to their popular line that features original designs on clothing and other ocean-themed goods. "We love how smooth and light it feels. There are beautiful notes of crowberries, which we picked throughout our childhood on the tundra behind our...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A state Superior Court judge ousted in the general election will be replaced by an appointee of Gov.-elect Mike Dunleavy. Anchorage television station KTVA reports Judge Michael Corey’s term in office ends 90 days after the election. Corey is barred from applying to be a judge in Alaska for four years. Alaska Judicial Council director Susanne DiPietro says the council will begin the process of recommending qualified applicants to replace Corey. Alaska voters rejected Corey after he signed off on a plea deal that let...