Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 150
Bodies were strewn throughout the rocks north of the Wrangell Airport, the site of a grisly airplane wreck. Cries for help could be heard here and there. Bloodied victims wandered aimlessly. Every three years, the state Department of Transportation requires a drill to prepare emergency responders in the case of a real disaster. Last Wednesday, approximately 25 firefighters and EMTs treated volunteer victims during a mock plane crash, complete with fiery wreckage and triage stations. Before the...
Feb. 16, 1922 The recommendation of the Board of Engineers to Congress for an appropriation of $50,000 for a breakwater for the protection of Wrangell harbor is as welcome as it was unexpected. Just a short time ago the board had publicly announced its intention of reporting unfavorably on the project. Then, following a survey made under the direction of Col. James G. Steese, District Engineer of the Alaska Rivers and Harbor District, the board recommended that the project be approved and Congress asked to make the necessary appropriation....
Long-time Wrangell resident Lester Allan Schultz, 60, died Oct. 23 at the Wrangell Medical Center. A memorial service and celebration of life is planned for 1 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Elks. The event is a community potluck. His family will spread his ashes at the family cabin at Olive Cove. Schultz was born July 27, 1961, in Petersburg, but grew up and lived in Wrangell. "His whole life was here," daughter Shayna Schultz said. He fished commercially with friends in his 20s, and enjoyed hunting with...
Oct. 13, 1921 An enormous rutabaga, grown on the Kirk ranch near Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, appeared in the Coulter Meat Market window this week. It was brought down the Stikine River to Wrangell on the Hazel B on Sunday by D. W. Kirk, and weighs 27.5 pounds. Mr. Kirk had a 56-pound rutabaga ready for shipment, but a horse discovered it as it lay drying after having been washed and displayed. The horse showed its appreciation of its quality by sampling it and making it unfit to send away. Several 35-pound rutabagas have been raised on...
Leonard Charles Angerman was born at home June 12, 1935, and died Sept. 22, 2021, at Wrangell Medical Center. "His 86 years were full of bumps and obstacles, which he met with courage, hope and a positive attitude," the family wrote. One of the toughest was the death of his 51-year-old father. His mother had $500, four children, and a cab business to run. His parents, Fritz and Helen, had emigrated from Austria and were hard workers who successfully instilled that into their children Fred,...
July 21, 1921 Local strawberries of large size and delicious flavor have been on the market for nearly two weeks. Shipments of berries from Haines have also been received by local merchants. A beautiful Wrangell-raised geranium exhibited in a window of the Matheson store has attracted a great deal of attention this week. It is owned by Mrs. Patterson, who decided to share its beauty with the general public. The plant is unusually large and has 10 bunches of perfect flowers of a lovely shade of pink. July 19, 1946 A lively blaze in the basement...
The community came together last week to help make a wish come true for Jason Gadd, 16, with a parade in his honor and a bedroom makeover thanks to community volunteers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "I don't even have words to describe how thankful I am to everybody who came out to help," Dacee Gustafson, Jason's mother, said. "He's shown emotions and things we haven't seen in years that day." Jason has Dravet Syndrome, Gustafson said, which causes unpredictable seizures. This has limited him...
Friday, July 2 3-on-3 Basketball: Start at 10 a.m. At the covered play area behind Evergreen Elementary School. Chairperson: Christie Good Art Clark Scrap Fish Derby: 11 a.m. City Dock Summer Float Two age categories: 6-9 and 10-13 Rules: No parents allowed on floats unless they are one of the volunteers. All children must wear a life jacket at all times. Hand lines only; no rods or reels. One hook per line; one line per person. Contestants must bait their own hook. Any kind of bait can be...
We need to preserve the biggest of the kings Tyee is a Native word that has several meanings. The Big One is the one that describes a 30-pound or bigger king salmon. At the south end of Wrangell Island, there are five rivers that at one time had a lot of big kings, like the one that derby winner Gary Smart caught in 2017. Not all kings are created equal, the genetic strain is what makes the big ones so special. If we lose this genetic strain, it will be lost forever. More than 70 years ago, the...
The Southeast Alaska Power Agency continues to review damage and repair costs after a fire at its Zimovia Highway warehouse and office building May 13. The fire did not affect electrical service to the community. The Sentinel last week incorrectly reported the fire caused “minimal damage.” The news report should have said SEAPA was “appreciative of the rapid response of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, which minimized damage to the structure and its contents....
Thanks to all who helped with Polar Plunge and Dip Thanks to all who participated in the 2021 Polar Plunge and Dip. Also, a big thank you to all the folks who came out to help and donate, including the folks who supplied firewood for the burn barrels: Bob Lippert, Todd Torvend and Rolland Howell. Thanks also to John Taylor and Tim Buness of the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department, the Wrangell Public Works Department and Parks and Recreation Department, and Stephanie Cook at the Wrangell...
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...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday, Nov. 10. During this meeting, among other items, they held a discussion about the borough's CARES Act funding. They reviewed expenses so far, as well as possible future projects. Wrangell received a $3.85 million grant from the CARES Act, to help the city respond to the COVID-19 update, according to a memo from Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen. Between March and October of this year, $2.3 million has been spent on a variety of programs and payroll for...
There was a power outage across the city last Thursday afternoon beginning a little after 4:20 p.m. The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department was called out to the municipal light and power building shortly after the lights went out, with what appeared to be smoke coming out of the building. There was no fire, however, and power was restored to the city around 5 p.m. Wrangell Municipal Light and Power Director Rod Rhoades explained that a radiator fan motor seized up, which caused the 2.5 megawatt...
Two weeks ago the Wrangell Cooperative Association provided $86,000 to the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department which, according to Tribal Administrator Esther Reese, is to help purchase new ambulance equipment. Some of the equipment includes a PowerCot, a PowerLoad system, and a cardiac monitor. "We're really happy to be able to contribute in a tangible way to something that is meaningful in our community, and helping keep our community members and our tribal members safe," she said. The donation...
At approximately 10:35 a.m. last Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department was alerted to a fire alarm at the Wrangell Medical Center. Firefighters and EMS responded to the call within minutes, while hospital staff and patients waited outside. Upon investigation, it was determined that there was no danger. The fire department was unable to determine what caused the fire alarm to go off, however. "It could have been a procedure they were doing," said Chief Tim Buness. "It doesn't...
Alaska State Troopers continue to investigate a fatal accident that claimed the lives of four seine boat crewmembers sometime after 10 P.M. on Monday, July 27. A Ford Excursion driven by Siguard Decker drove off the roadway near the 27-mile marker of Mitkof Highway at a high rate of speed, according to Alaska State Troopers. Megan Peters, communications director with the Alaska Dept. of Public Safety said Siguard Decker, who was driving, seems to have had lost control of the vehicle and then...
Four individuals died in a car crash that occurred late Monday night or early Tuesday morning on Mitkof Island when their SUV drove off the roadway near the 27 mile marker of Mitkof Highway at a high rate of speed, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Two of the passengers were Wrangell citizens Siguard Decker, 21, and Helen Decker, 19, according to the ADPS press release. Another passenger was identified as 29-year-old Ian Martin of Petersburg, according to...
PETERSBURG- Four individuals died in a car crash that occurred late Monday night or early Tuesday morning on Mitkof Island when their SUV drove off the roadway near the 27 mile marker of Mitkof Highway at a high rate of speed, according to a press release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Two of the passengers were Wrangell citizens Siguard Decker, 21, and Helen Decker, 19, according to the ADPS press release. Another passenger was identified as 29-year-old Ian Martin of Petersburg,...
George Albert Casey, 76, died on June 17, 2020 in Modesto, California. He was born on March 20, 1944 to Tatiana Sofia Ermeloff in Wrangell, Alaska. He met and married the woman of his dreams, Kristin (Peterson), in 1969. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Modesto where George worked various heavy equipment jobs and as a volunteer firefighter before being hired on at Modesto Fire Department in 1973 where he proudly served for 27 years. George was adept at keeping it light in the hardest of times...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly began several days of budget workshops last Monday, June 1. The meeting opened with an overview of the borough's general fund for FY 2021, and then went into specific department budgets. Points of interest in the meeting included the budgets for the fire department, police department, and the public safety building. The general fund is facing a deficit this upcoming year. Total revenues and transfers for the general fund for FY 2021 are estimated at about $5.32 mill...
Last Thursday evening, May 27, some Wrangell residents were recognized for their heroic actions during a fire. On Saturday morning of May 16, a trailer at the Panhandle Trailer Court caught fire. Dan Flickinger (left), Duke Aitken (right), and George Howell (not present) helped rescue the trailer's resident, Norm Canaday. They used a mattress to help Canaday jump out of his back door safely and get away from the burning building. Members of the fire department and city government convened...
A Wrangell home caught fire last week, and firefighters suspect a candle is to blame. The fire occurred around 3:45 p.m. last Thursday. The residence, home to Jim "Bear" Jenkins and his son Josh Jenkins, is located on Second Street, next door to the Irene Ingle Public Library. The Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call quickly, and had the fire put out shortly after 4 p.m. Nobody was home when the fire began however, the Jenkins' dog, Rowdy, was inside at the time....
The City and Borough of Wrangell (CBW), the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) and local leadership met last Wednesday in the first weekly meeting to collaborate and prepare a local response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The team, consisting of CBW, SEARHC, Wrangell Medical Center (WMC), Wrangell Volunteer Fire Dept., Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Wrangell Police Dept. and local port officials, is closely monitoring information of a potential outbreak in...