Sorted by date Results 2331 - 2355 of 7954
Larraine Jenson-Kagee has a physical connection to her family's origins in Snarum, Norway, that sat in a box gathering dust for the past 20 years. Last month, Jenson-Kagee's sister, Darlene, sent the family fiddle to Wrangell after it spent almost eight decades in Oregon, far from the place it was built in 1842. Though some might refer to it as a violin, the instrument is actually a Hardangerfele or Hardanger fiddle, the national instrument of Norway named for the region of the country where it...
An additional 40 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Wrangell July 7-13, more than twice as many as in the previous three weeks, according to the Alaska Department of Health website. That’s almost as many cases as were reported in Ketchikan, 43, during the same seven-day period, though the Ketchikan borough has more than six times the population of Wrangell. Of the 713 infections in Wrangell reported to the state since the pandemic count started in March 2020, 172, almost 25%, have come in the past three months. Federal and state health o...
For the first time in its almost 30-year history, Sharing Our Knowledge, a regional conference of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes and clans will be held in Wrangell. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 7-11 at the Nolan Center, with activities also planned for Chief Shakes Island and the WCA carving shed. Each day will begin with keynote speeches followed by workshops, said Alice Taff, a conference coordinator. Several field trips are planned and evenings will be devoted to cultural activities for participants. The sessions will be open...
Independent travelers and residents looking to visit Anan Wildlife Observatory apart from tour groups still have a chance to do so. The Forest Service Wrangell ranger district is making last-minute permits available through its office on a weekly basis until Aug. 25, the end of the bear-viewing permits season. Up to four last-minute permits per day will be made available for those who request them the previous week by filling out a form in the district office. “Collection of weekly requests will end Mondays at 4:30 p.m. and permits will be a...
The borough is applying for a $1.166 million state grant to go toward replacing the harbor float at Meyers Chuck. The 400-foot-long float is 57 years old, supported by steel pilings almost 40 years old, according to information presented at the July 11 borough assembly meeting. Assembly members approved the application for state funding. The float “has been in a poor and deteriorated condition for many years and needs to be replaced,” said a report to the assembly prepared by Amber Al-Haddad, Wrangell’s public facilities director. Total cost...
Early voting will open Aug. 1 for the Aug. 16 special election to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young and the primary election, also Aug. 16, for governor, Legislature, U.S. Senate, and to select the top candidates for a full two-year term in the U.S. House. Voters may cast their ballots between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays through Aug. 15 at City Hall assembly chambers, said Sarah Merritt, state elections worker in Wrangell. “You never have to give a reason” to vote early, Merritt said. Voters can choose to vote early if the...
Looking to ensure that all property is taxed fairly and equitably, the borough is considering a reassessment of all residential and commercial properties for next year’s tax bills. The goal is for assessments to be consistent and “fair and equitable for everyone,” Borough Manager Jeff Good said last week. It’s not about raising taxes, it’s to ensure that similar properties are assessed accordingly, he said. Generally, the borough’s property assessor — a contractor from out of town — reviews the value assigned to about a third of the property...
The BearFest photo contest is wide open like an aperture on a starry night. That is, it’s time to click and submit entries focused on bear photos and videos. From now through 11:59 p.m. on July 29, photographers and videographers can post up to five of their favorite Alaska bear photos and/or videos at facebook.com/BFphotocontest2022 for a chance to win a BearFest T-shirt and $50 gift card. Children 16 and under who enter their work have a chance to win a T-shirt and $25 gift card. According to BearFest organizer Ceona Koch, the contest u...
Look around Southeast and you will see a lot of evergreen trees that aren't so green. Southeast Alaska's hemlock and spruce trees are fending off an assault by a number of pests and diseases, most notably a caterpillar that causes the conifers to turn reddish-brown. The main culprit is the western blackheaded budworm, a moth caterpillar that feeds on hemlock and spruce needles, according to U.S. Forest Service Alaska Region entomologist Elizabeth Graham in Juneau. Graham said Southeast trees...
Nearly two-thirds of the 440 Southeast Alaska business leaders who responded to a spring survey said the region’s overall business climate is good, the highest positive rating since 2017. It’s a strong turnaround from last year’s survey when 80% called the business climate “poor” or “very poor,” amid the second year of pandemic limitations on travel. Businesses in Wrangell were not as optimistic as other Southeast communities. Whereas the Southeast average was 62% who rated the economy as good or very good, Wrangell came in at 48% good and...
Most every town in Southeast faces a similar summer problem: Boatloads of visitors and not enough public toilets. Some communities have built additional restrooms, and Sitka this summer is paying downtown businesses willing to open their facilities to the public. Under a new grant program, Sitka has succeeded in opening six business restrooms to the public this summer, relieving a strain on the limited public facilities downtown. The incentive program is part of the town’s effort to handle a record-setting cruise ship season. “We were max...
This year, deposits of about $3,200 each will begin appearing in Alaskans’ bank accounts on Sept. 20, but so far the promise of a record-high combined Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief payment hasn’t translated to more charitable giving. Since the Alaska Legislature approved the large payout in May, Alaskans had donated an additional $14,000 as of last week through Pick.Click.Give., the online charitable giving program linked to the PFD. “This is typical for this time frame, every year,” Pick.Click.Give. senior program officer Jessie...
Alaskans who find themselves in a mental health crisis can now call or text 988 to access a trained crisis counselor. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to individuals of all ages. The three-digit number for suicide prevention and mental health crisis support became operational in Alaska and across the nation on July 16. Leah Van Kirk, statewide suicide prevention coordinator with the Alaska Division of Behavioral Health, said 988 “provides an easy to remember three-digit number for someone to use when they’re in crisis or...
With two of its members facing lawsuits for their social media practices, the Alaska Legislature is contemplating new advice and policies to cover its 60 members. The joint House-Senate Legislative Council unveiled its first draft of a new policy last Thursday, but individual lawmakers voiced objections to the proposal and further revisions are expected before a final policy is settled. As explained by legislative staff, the draft policy is an “everything or nothing” approach that advises lawmakers to not discuss legislative issues or bus...
A science and policy review concludes that mining risks to salmon habitat have been underestimated across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska and British Columbia. The report discusses the limitations on governance of mining operations and calls for greater transparency to prevent future damages. The study was written by 23 scientists and policy analysts and published July 1 in the peer-reviewed journal “Science Advances.” “Despite impact assessments that are intended to evaluate risk and inform mitigation, mines continue to harm salmo...
Multiple vessels were targeted with fines as a result of enforcement by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf during an annual fisheries patrol last year. The announcement comes as the Coast Guard’s annual fisheries patrol, North Pacific Guard, is about to start once again. “Everyone eats on the planet. Everyone needs food. Everyone needs fish. It’s a problem for everyone,” said Lt. Collin McClelland, who works in the international section of the Coast Guard District 17 in Juneau, coordinating the patrols. “That is why it has become a priority f...
A dead humpback whale that had been seen floating in northeastern Sitka Sound is probably the same one that washed ashore a few miles away in May, a marine mammal expert said July 12. Lauren Wild, applied fisheries assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, ran her skiff up into the southern end of Nakwasina Sound on July 12 to investigate the carcass. The location is a well-traveled waterway near Olga Strait and Dog Point, Sitka’s portal to the Inside Passage. Wild said the juvenile male humpback had undergone significant d...
The U.S. government on July 11 agreed to a request from environmental groups to study increasing critical habitat designations in Alaska waters for North Pacific right whales, one of the rarest whale species in the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries estimates there are about 30 of the whales left after centuries of hunting, ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements have devastated the species. The agency in 2008 designated about 1,175 square miles in the Gulf of Alaska and approximately 35,460 square miles in...
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The Biden administration on July 12 released two reports arguing that removing dams on the lower Snake River may be needed to restore salmon runs to sustainable levels in the Pacific Northwest, and that replacing the energy created by the dams is possible but will cost $11 billion to $19 billion. The reports were released by the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Business as usual will not restore salmon,’’ said Brenda Mallory, chair of the council. “The Columbia River system is the lifeblood of the Pacific N...
As Wrangell’s population continues to age, an increasing number of homes in town qualify for the state-mandated exemption from property taxes. About 25% of the assessed value of residential property in Wrangell is senior-owned and exempt from taxes, according to borough data. The tax-exempt status will cost the borough $427,000 in lost revenue this year. The borough expects to collect almost $1.8 million in property taxes this year on taxable residential and commercial property. The total assessed value of all privately owned residential proper...
DC Auto, the only automotive mechanic shop in Wrangell, closed its doors for good last Friday, after being in business for about seven years. The closure leaves a void in auto services with not many options to get a vehicle repaired, oil changed or other needed fixes. There are a few mechanics in town who provide service to select clients or friends and family, but that’s of little comfort to someone with a trashed transmission or blown head gasket. “We’re thinking about getting back into it, and we’re actively trying to find guys for a shop,...
BearFest is coming out of hibernation and is planned for July 27 through July 31 throughout Wrangell. The popular event, in its 13th year, will offer pie contests, live music, art and music workshops, symposiums, a marathon and more. "It's a celebration of bears. That's the short of it," said Sylvia Ettefagh, chairperson for the event. "Its mission is to promote Wrangell and to promote the environment; one part of our environment - a very important part of our environment - the bears." Not only...
The chamber of commerce will work to raise money over the next nine months or so as it looks ahead to paying for next year’s Fourth of July fireworks and events. The annual royalty raffle is the chamber’s major fundraiser for the summer celebration, and this year’s proceeds are short of what’s needed to fully stage the 2023 Fourth, said Brittani Robbins, executive director of the chamber. The chamber would like to raise an additional $20,000 to $30,000 before next summer to ensure the fireworks, events and prizes can continue at the same le...
A new Parks and Recreation Department program focuses on keeping student athletes stronger, more flexible and injury-free to keep team rosters healthy and full this coming school year. From July 18 to July 22, the Youth Strength and Conditioning Camp will teach high school and middle school-aged students how to set and attain physical and nutritional goals. "We'll certainly emphasize the importance of all the work that we put in, including strength, mobility and range of motion in the spirit of...
More than 100 Wrangell households will see their food stamp payments reduced beginning in September as a result of the official rescinding of the state’s public health emergency order on July 1. As of May, 125 Wrangell households were participating in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with an average benefit of $469, up 88% from March 2020, the last pre-pandemic month. SNAP, which traditionally assists low-income families with food purchases, began issuing emergency allotments in April 2020 as part of the federal g...
