Sorted by date Results 3078 - 3102 of 7954
Wrangell marked two milestones in the fight against COVID-19 in November: The first death attributed to the highly infectious disease in the community, and a record number of new infections. The borough on Monday reported the death. To protect the individual and family privacy, neither the borough nor the state releases the name, specific age or day of death of the person, though the state reported the individual was a Wrangell man in his 60s. The state health department website only lists the death as occurring sometime in the past 30 days....
If something interested Ira Merrill, he would throw his all into it. He would order books to absorb and learn, just to master a subject before moving onto the next thing. As it was in all things that caught Merrill's attention, so it was especially in art. By the time of his death two years ago, at age 83, Merrill had created thousands of pieces of artwork which can still be found throughout Wrangell and beyond. Born in 1936, he had already lived an adventurous life by the time he reached...
An unexpected, strong weather system sent high winds tearing through Wrangell, snapping three Southeast Alaska Power Agency poles which blocked the highway at City Park and knocked out power to most of Wrangell for much of Tuesday afternoon into the evening. A peak wind gust of 54 mph out of the southwest was detected on Zarembo Island at 1:55 p.m., said Wes Adkins, a lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service Juneau Forecast Office. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management operate a remote, automated weather system on...
The 19th annual Dove Tree Ceremony is a way to remember loved ones during the holiday season. Participants wrote the names of their loved ones on paper doves, one name per dove, and placed the names on the boughs of a tree set up in the lobby of the Nolan Center, using loops of ribbon. Ahead of hanging the paper doves, Alice Rooney, president of the nonprofit Hospice of Wrangell, which put on the event in-person this year after last year's was virtual, started the ceremony Sunday by expressing...
A tree will light up. Santa will greet children. Hot food and drinks and gathering community members will warm the body and soul. Although it’s dubbed Midnight Madness, Friday’s event will feature something for everyone, in addition to special holiday sales at Wrangell businesses. The holiday bazaar will run from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Nolan Center, with about 25 vendors in attendance, selling various products. Santa Claus will make an appearance from 4 to 5:45 p.m. and then again from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in a giant snow globe. “This year, in order...
Wrangell’s yearly Christmas home and business decorating contest is on. The chamber of commerce with Wrangell Real Estate is offering $1,300 in prize money. The same cash prizes will be awarded for both categories. First place nets $300, second place gets $200, third place wins $100 and honorable mention receives $50. Judging will take place Dec. 21. Contact the Wrangell chamber if you’d like to participate. You can reach out on Facebook or Instagram by searching username “wrangellchamber,” call 907-874-3901, or email info@wr...
The Wrangell Senior Center is in need of food donations, especially subsistence foods. In particular, the center is seeking turkeys and hams, plus fish, deer meat, moose meat and liver. Moose or deer is preferred, but cow liver is fine too, because one of the center’s menu items is liver and onions. Donations will be collected through Jan. 31. Site Manager Solvay Gillen said all the donations benefit the seniors, and people in town also can donate other food items, such as produce and seafood, if they’d like. Donations can be dropped off at...
The Wrangell Senior Center is receiving a loaner bus from Juneau, equipped to handle transporting passengers in winter weather. The loaner bus arrived early Thanksgiving morning on the Kennicott ferry, part of the Catholic Community Service fleet. “It’s one of the newer ones,” said Solvay Gillen, site manager. “It has all the bells and whistles: A chairlift, four-wheel-drive.” Catholic Community Service operates the Wrangell Senior Center. April Huber, nutrition and transportation regional coordinator at Southeast Senior Services, a division...
Lisa Torgramsen has been crafting fabrics since she learned how to make her own clothes at the age of 12. At the age of 24 she added quilting to her repertoire, and she continued to build her skill for 42 years. In May, Torgramsen opened Fishwife Quilts, a shop that centers on all things quilting - from selling supplies and custom creations to teaching others everything she's learned in decades of practicing the artform. She was inspired by her grandmother to learn quilting in the 1970s, so she...
A doctor who served as chief of staff at the Wrangell hospital eight years ago awaits possible life imprisonment for raping an underage female relative in Louisiana more than 16 years ago. Greg Salard faces a possible sentence without parole or probation after a Louisiana jury convicted him of rape, according to the Caddo Parish district attorney’s office. Salard, 60, of Mountain View, Arkansas, was found guilty on Nov. 19 by a six-man, six-woman jury after deliberations that lasted less than 45 minutes, according to the district attorney’s off...
Tom Gillen Sr. and Glenda Gillen met at a teen dance one weekend in Ketchikan. It was either the end of 1957, or the beginning of 1958, he said. He remembered when they married - that was 1959. Their life in Wrangell has lasted a lot longer than the dance. The couple has been married 62 years and have five children: Three boys, two girls; 13 grandchildren; "I've got 27 great-grandchildren," Glenda said. "Twenty-eight," corrected Tom. "Twenty-eight great-grandchildren," Glenda amended. "I missed...
JUNEAU (AP) — A conservative Republican freshman state legislator announced plans Monday to run for governor, joining a field that includes Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, former independent Gov. Bill Walker and former Anchorage Democratic state lawmaker Les Gara. Rep. Christopher Kurka, of Wasilla, announced his plans in a video on social media in which he levied criticisms at Dunleavy. “The dirty little secret of Juneau and Washington, D.C., is that while most conservative officials talk tough about Republican ideals, very few have the int...
While Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas looms on the horizon, the ghost of Thanksgiving lurks in the fridge. But there's nothing to fear. Wrangell is populated with creative types who are happy to share their tasty ideas on what to do with those lingering leftovers. Diane Hillyer Ivy-Dahlin said her family's favorite leftovers tradition is turkey enchiladas. This recipe can be frozen after preparing, then reheated. "You can use chicken too, but it's just a great flavor with turkey," she...
ANCHORAGE (AP) — A man charged with threatening the lives of Alaska’s two U.S. senators has pleaded not guilty, and the judge decided that he will remain in custody. Jason Weiner, an attorney for Jay Allen Johnson, entered the plea on his client’s behalf during Johnson’s arraignment in U.S. District Court in Fairbanks on Nov. 22. Johnson at the hearing greeted U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott Oravec by saying: “Good morning, Happy Thanksgiving, and I’m sorry I’m here today.” Johnson, from the small Interior community of Delta Junction, was i...
The state says it will stop paying extended unemployment benefits because the jobless rate has declined, ending a third program of enhanced or extended financial aid for Alaskans jobless during the pandemic. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced the state’s extended benefits period will end Dec. 11, Anchorage television station KTUU reported. The extension — which has been in place since May 2020 — provided Alaskans the opportunity for additional weeks of unemployment benefits, which range from $56 to $370 a week...
In the Nov. 24 Sentinel, Megan Powell’s last day as secretary of Wrangell High School was incorrectly reported. Her final day at the school will be Dec. 17....
The 2022 pink salmon harvest in Southeast is forecast at about half the 10-year average but better than 2020, the brood year for next summer’s returns. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and federal fisheries officials have forecast next year’s pink harvest at 16 million fish in Southeast. The 10-year average is 34 million pink salmon, with 2020 a very weak year at 8 million pinks harvested — the sixth-worst year since 1962. This year’s returns were excellent, at 48 million pinks, surpassing pre-season forecasts. Trawl surveys collect...
With a few pre-winter snows, a sledding hill popular with children has already seen some use. However, the Wrangell parks and recreation department’s plan to make improvements to the hill behind the covered play area at the elementary school has been delayed. Replacing decaying logs between the parking lot and the hill, and clearing of alders encroaching on the slope will now likely take place in the spring, said Kate Thomas, parks and recreation director. Parks and recreation was teaming up with the public works department to complete that w...
After 20 years, Southeast communities, the state and federal government are still debating whether road building should be banned in most of the Tongass National Forest. The Department of Agriculture is accepting public comments through Jan. 24 on a proposed rule change to restore roadless protections to much of the Tongass. The nationwide roadless rule was implemented in 2001 under President Bill Clinton; subject to two decades of litigation and political maneuvering that failed to upend the rule in the Tongass; then overturned in late 2020...
A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states, including Alaska, that had brought the first legal challenge against the requirement. The court order said the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid had no clear authority from Congress to enact the vaccine mandate for providers participating in the two government health care programs for the elderly, disabled and poor. The injunction does not apply to several hospitals across A...
A new state advisory board intended to provide more public input over operations and investment decisions for the Alaska Marine Highway System is starting to gather up its members, with five of the nine positions filled. None of the board members named so far are from southern Southeast Alaska. The Legislature this year approved the new panel’s composition and advisory responsibilities to replace a board structure under an 18-year-old law that had been criticized as ineffective and often ignored by state officials. House Speaker Louise S...
The aftermath of an unexpectedly strong Tuesday weather system affected life in Wrangell, postponing community events and unfurling an outpouring of support amid power outages. Power was restored to about 90 households early Thursday morning, according to Kim Lane, acting borough manager. Power poles at City Park are up and repaired, and power has been restored to the island. Crews worked through the night to restore the power, Lane said in a message. "Having roughly 100 homes without power... Full story
The borough is asking anyone who suffered property damage to their home, business or boat in Tuesday's windstorm to submit a damage report and photos by 3 p.m. Tuesday to City Hall. The borough is taking inventory of the losses in the community to determine the total amount of damages for any possible disaster declaration. People can email their damage report and photos to clerk@wrangell.com, or drop off their information at City Hall. For more information, contact Borough Clerk Kim Lane at 907-874-2381... Full story
The borough assembly last Thursday canceled a special meeting called to consider a face mask ordinance, citing a decline in active COVID-19 cases in the community. The decision to cancel the meeting came a day after Wrangell set a record for new COVID-19 infections in a month. The meeting, which was to be held virtually, would have reenacted the requirement of face coverings in certain indoor settings. The draft ordinance also included a $25 penalty in municipal code for non-compliance — which the borough has never used — and strongly urg...
The borough is looking to move forward with its plan to develop residential lots on the site of the former Bureau of Indian Affairs Wrangell Institute boarding school, while also fulfilling the Department of the Interior’s mandate that former boarding school sites be inspected for human remains. The federal push came after the discovery earlier this year of 215 unmarked graves in British Columbia at the site of what was once Canada’s largest Indigenous residential school, and the fear that unknown burial sites could exist at American Ind...
