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As Alaska legislators confront a major state budget deficit, the state Senate on April 15 voted unanimously to approve a “bare bones” $162 million capital budget to pay for construction and renovation projects across the state. The spending plan, which would take effect July 1, remains a draft subject to approval by the House. Gov. Mike Dunleavy could also veto individual items in the spending plan. The budget bill passed by the Senate is almost entirely limited to the minimum in state money needed to unlock more than $2.5 billion in fed...
Twenty years after Congress passed the REAL ID Act, and after numerous postponements, the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, will require travelers have an approved identification to board an airplane as of May 7. Which means Wrangell residents who don’t have a REAL ID issued by the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — the cards have a star in the upper-right corner of the license — are running out of time to get a new license. People need to get to the DMV office in the Public Safety Building to fill out the forms and provi...
No one likes another requirement to pass through security before boarding a flight to see family or friends, visit a medical specialist, attend a business meeting or, even better, take a vacation. But the federal requirement that travelers on domestic flights must show a REAL ID, or other approved enhanced-security photo identification, will take effect on May 7. The deadline comes 20 years after Congress approved the law. Over those two decades, the frequently criticized law has been postponed several times, same as the morning northbound...
Alaska’s two U.S. senators both believe that President Donald Trump’s pro-development administration will be good for the state’s natural resource economy, creating jobs, boosting tax revenues and building long-term prosperity. Both support the president’s initiatives to unlock resources that had been placed off-limits by the administration of Joe Biden and others before him. And both want the federal government to operate efficiently and reduce spending. Beyond those shared beliefs, however, the two came across as worlds apart in their a...
Citing concerns over heavy foot traffic and Front Street congestion, the borough assembly denied Brian Schwartz’s request to rent space facing Front Street for a food truck-style seafood trailer. Schwartz hoped to rent a small area in front of the public restrooms on the northern end of Front Street. Despite the planning and zoning commission recommending that the borough accept his request, the assembly voted 5-1 against the proposal on March 11. Phillip Mach, the newest assembly member, was the only yes vote. “That area gets very con...
Landslides, heavy snowfall, flooding and wildfires aren’t uncommon in Alaska. But as the oceans and atmosphere grow warmer, such extreme events and disasters are becoming more frequent across the state, a new report says. The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center this month released the report, “Alaska’s Changing Environment 2.0.” The report contains contributions from dozens of scientists and Indigenous experts and dives into long-term climate trends, focusin...
For the first time since it shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wrangell's indoor shooting range is up and running. One might even say it's ready to go - lock, stock and barrel. The range's first day of operation was Dec. 3, and it will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. (dependent on the availability of range safety officers). Eventually, the range, located in the basement of the Public Safety Building, will open on Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m., but that will not begin until...
Police Chief Gene Meek has revamped the Wrangell Police Department. Since arriving in July, he has implemented a series of policies that emphasize transparency, prevention and community engagement. When he arrived in town, he realized something pretty quickly about the police department. "This agency was stuck in the 1990s," he said. "It was a reactive model, where you sit back, wait for calls for service, and go out and handle the calls. That's fine from a law enforcement standpoint, but...
Almost 20 years after the legislation was signed into law, the Real ID deadline has a new final date: May 7, 2025. Starting then, Alaskans who want to use their drivers license to travel on commercial airlines will be required to present a Real ID to TSA as their form of identification. For those without a Real ID, other federally issued identification like passports, military IDs or Bureau of Indian Affairs cards will suffice. Wrangell residents without a Real ID — distinguishable by the star in the top-right corner — are in luck: Jayme How...
A major copper-and-gold mining project in the rugged mountains of northwestern British Columbia - upriver from Wrangell - is poised for a boost from the Canadian government. Canada's Department of Natural Resources last month announced that it plans to inject about $15 million U.S. into a massive copper and gold development just 25 miles from the Alaska border. The project is perched above tributaries of the Stikine River - a major salmon-bearing waterway that flows into Alaska waters. The...
Voters approved a $3 million bond issue for repairs to the water-damaged Public Safety Building by a 3-1 margin on Oct. 1. Residents re-elected Patty Gilbert as mayor over challenger David Powell; re-elected incumbent school board member Angela Allen and elected newcomer Dan Powers over incumbent board member Brittani Robbins; and re-elected Chris Buness to the port commission along with newcomer Eric Yancey over challengers Antonio Silva and Tony Guggenbickler. In a close 36-ballot margin, voters rejected a proposition to amend the municipal...
Voters by almost a 3-to-1 margin Tuesday approved a $3 million bond issue for repairs to the water-damaged Public Safety Building. Residents re-elected Patty Gilbert as mayor over challenger David Powell; re-elected incumbent school board member Angela Allen and elected newcomer Dan Powers over incumbent board member Brittani Robbins; and re-elected Chris Buness to the port commission along with newcomer Eric Yancey over challengers Antonio Silva and Tony Guggenbickler. Voters rejected a ballot proposition to amend the municipal charter, which...
Registered voters in Wrangell have several decisions to make in this year’s municipal election — not just deciding their choices for seven elected offices and two ballot propositions, but when they want to vote. The polls will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Nolan Center. But for people who like the convenience of voting early, or will be out of town Oct. 1, they can choose to stop by City Hall weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. though Monday, Sept. 30, to cast an early ballot. All of the ballots will be tabulated at the sam...
Sept. 25, 1924 Henry H. Darud, a hydraulic expert who went into the Cassiar early in August for the purpose of making a thorough examination from a hydraulic standpoint of the holdings of the Dease Creek Mines Corp. on Dease Creek, arrived in Wrangell on Monday. Mr. Darud stated that his investigations were highly satisfactory. He expects to return shortly after the first of the year, and will go up the Stikine by dog team over ice. It is significant that H. G. Nichols, one of the best known mining engineers living today, made the following...
The Public Safety Building needs work. Water and rot damage have taken their toll on the almost 40-year-old wood-frame building. Yes, the borough could have and should have spent more on maintenance and repairs in years past but that doesn’t change the fact that the work is past due and the community needs to pay the bill. Voters are asked on the Oct. 1 municipal election ballot to approve a $3 million bond issue to help pay for new roofing and siding and other critical repairs. The Sentinel supports a “yes” vote. The borough would borro...
The borough assembly is making a second try at winning voter support for borrowing money to start repairs at the water- and rot-damaged Public Safety Building. Voters defeated a 2022 bond issue proposition by a 65-vote margin, 324-259. The 2022 proposal was to borrow $8.5 million. The Oct. 1 municipal election ballot asks voter approval of a scaled-back plan to issue $3 million in bonds. The borough also is hoping for a $2.4 million federal grant to add to the local funding, though that will require congressional approval and the House and...
After 58 years in Wrangell, nine years on the assembly and two separate stints as vice mayor, David Powell decided now is the time to run for Wrangell's highest elected position. And while he is up against incumbent Patty Gilbert, Powell wants it known that he is not running against Gilbert in a typical fashion. When asked why voters should check the box next to his name on Oct. 1, he hesitated to give a response - not because he wasn't sure why people should vote for him - but because he...
Mayor Patty Gilbert ran for the office in 2022 with two goals in mind: economic development and improvements to the community's infrastructure. As she looks to win reelection this year, her goals haven't changed. Before becoming mayor, she served on the city council and borough assembly for 14 years. She also served on the school board between 2020 and 2022. A lifelong teacher with a classroom career spanning across six decades, Gilbert is confident she can continue to move Wrangell forward in...
After a prospective buyer bailed out on purchasing the former hospital in June, the property remains a burden for the borough. Currently, the building sits empty. It had been eating up nearly $100,000 a year to cover heat, insurance and maintenance. On Sept. 2, the borough’s Economic Development Board brainstormed some potential options for the building’s future. After a long discussion, the board established two priorities for the property: job creation and economic development. Board Chair Bob Dalrymple acknowledged that spinning the ailing p...
NOLAN CENTER THEATER “It Ends With Us” rated PG-13, at 6 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13-15. The drama romance runs 2 hours and 10 minutes; tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children under age 12. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. COMMUNITY MARKET from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Nolan Center. Check out the locally grown and handcrafted item BABY RAVEN READS 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Nolan Center classroom. Theme is Devil’s Club. Alaska Native families with child...
Assembly Member David Powell has filed to run for mayor, taking on incumbent Patty Gilbert in the Oct. 1 municipal election. Gilbert is running for a second two-year term as mayor. Powell is in his ninth year on the assembly. In another contested race on the ballot, Chris Buness is seeking a second three-year term on the port commission, with Tony Guggenbickler, Eric Yancey and Antonio Silva also on the ballot. The top two vote-getters will each win a three-year term. Guggenbickler has never held elected office in Wrangell, though he served...
Voters will decide Oct. 1 whether the borough should borrow $3 million to repair the Public Safety Building, and also whether to amend the municipal charter so that assembly members could eventually receive compensation. The charter currently prohibits compensation for the mayor and assembly members; the Oct. 1 vote could change that. The assembly voted Aug. 27 to place both questions on the municipal election ballot. The bond proposition passed unanimously, while the compensation ordinance passed 6-1. Assembly Member Bob Dalrymple was the...
BASKETBALL SKILLS CLINIC 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept 6; 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7; 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Sept. 8. Coach Mark Cascio will teach shooting with confidence, effectiveness on ball defense, quick and clever transition, essential actions to score. At the high school gym. For eighth through 12th graders. Walk-in registration, $50. Scholarships available. Call Coach Good 707-779-9505 or Coach Allen 907-305-0910 with any questions. Sponsored by the AAU Sports team. MUSKEG MEADOWS championship 18-hole, individual...
In less than four weeks, Wrangell voters will cast their ballots in the Oct. 1 municipal election. Voting is easy — cast an early ballot at City Hall any weekday starting Sept. 16, or vote at the Nolan Center on election day. The harder part is deciding how to vote. The decisions include contested races for mayor, the school board and port commission, and two ballot propositions: One question asks voters whether the borough should borrow $3 million to start repairs to the 40-year-old Public Safety Building, and the other asks if voters want t...
While finding the money to fix everything wrong with the rot-damaged Public Safety Building is far outside the budget, the borough hopes that it can replace the deteriorated roof, siding, windows and doors. At an Aug. 12 meeting, the assembly unanimously approved moving to the next step — a public hearing — toward putting a $3 million bond issue before voters on the Oct. 1 municipal election ballot. This funding, if Wrangell also receives the $2.4 million it has requested in federal assistance, would provide the borough with enough money to com...