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With Health Mandate 16, part of Governor Mike Dunleavy's plan to reopen Alaska's economy safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the state are considering what the near future may look like. Revenues have fallen for the city and businesses have had to get creative to stay open. While there is optimism to be found amongst some business owners, uncertainties loom for the economy in general. Alan Cummings, of All In Charters and Grand View B&B, said that they are looking at a rough...
The Reopen Wrangell Task Force, made up of several representatives across the community, met last Monday afternoon to discuss ways to assist Wrangell's economy through the COVID-19 pandemic. The task force recently sent out a survey to local businesses to see what their needs are. The survey became available Friday, April 24. Kate Thomas, with the Wrangell Parks and Recreation department, said they have received 27 responses. Two of them were test runs from city officials, she said, but the bulk...
This has been a unique school year in Wrangell. With the COVID-19 pandemic, not only was the basketball season cut short, but districts across the state have closed their doors. The Wrangell School District is no different, having closed down the schools to protect staff and students from the virus. While the buildings are not in use currently, the district is still providing education remotely, through online classrooms. Not only that, but the district is working to make sure students are...
April 1 was Census Day, but Carol Rushmore wanted to remind everyone that responses can still be turned in until the end of July. Rushmore, Wrangell's economic development director and head of the local census committee, wanted to clear up a few questions she had received from the public regarding the census, and to encourage further turnout. One of the most common questions she has heard about the census was about when people can expect to receive physical packets, she said. Rushmore explained...
At the beginning of April the Wrangell Sentinel reported on Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium's organization-wide COVID-19 testing numbers, across all of their medical centers and clinics in Southeast Alaska. At the time, SEARHC representatives said that they could not provide community-specific numbers to the public. The test numbers in each individual community were so small, the reasoning went, that releasing those numbers could potentially identify who was being tested and violate...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly held a special meeting Thursday, April 16, to consider their local contribution to the Wrangell School District's budget. According to the meeting's agenda packet, the city can provide the district anywhere between $583,830 and about $1.6 million. The district's current budget for FY 2021, which was adopted on March 19, has revenues set at about $5.68 million and expenditures at about $6.08 million. The school district was requesting the same contribution as the...
The Wrangell Sentinel has again been named among the best weekly newspapers in Alaska according to the Alaska Press Club, which announced winners of its annual contest for 2019 over the weekend. The Cordova Times placed first in the category, Petersburg Pilot, second and Wrangell Sentinel, third. Tawney Crowley placed second in the best illustration or graphic. Her entry was titled, "The greatest bite of all time." Judges commented: "Nice work. I can see the illustrator had fun with this...
The Wrangell School Board met last Monday evening, April 20, via web conference. The first item on the agenda was a temporary suspension of the policy requiring that the school board hold in-person meetings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is safer to hold all meetings via phone or web conference. With this out of the way, the board got down to the business of accepting a contract for school psychology services. The contract is with SERRC, the Southeast Regional Resource Center. This contract...
While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, across the country government authorities and businesses are discussing the idea of slowly reopening and getting things back to normal. In Wrangell, one of the many industries impacted by the virus is the tourist industry. Now that spring has begun, the time for cruise season is drawing ever closer. However, recent information provided by Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore shows that the cruise season, if there even is one this year, will have a...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met remotely last Tuesday, April 14, to hold one of their regularly scheduled meetings. It was a light agenda, as far as items requiring an assembly vote, but there was much discussion. After opening the meeting, the assembly heard from two Wrangell residents who wanted to see the local economy start to reopen. Wrangell residents Dale Parkinson and Mike Lockabey both thanked the city staff and the wider public for doing their parts to keep the community safe during...
The Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau met last Friday afternoon, April 17. Among the items on the meeting's agenda was the cancellation of this year's Birdfest, and what could be done in its place. The Stikine River Birding Festival, more shortly known as Birdfest, is a Wrangell tradition that dates back over 20 years. Usually occurring in April, around the time migratory birds return to Wrangell and the Stikine River area, the festival brings all kinds of people, from locals to tourists,...
With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, many events and traditions in the Wrangell community have been cancelled. The Wrangell School District has closed its doors for the remainder of the academic year, hosting classes virtually. While this rather unique school year is drawing to a close, school staff are working to make sure the graduating class has a memorable end to their high school careers. Jack Carney, interim principal for Wrangell's secondary schools, said that plans are in the works for a...
On Wednesday, April 15, representatives from the City and Borough of Wrangell (CBW), Wrangell Medical Center (WMC), the Alaska Division of Public Health, the Alaska Island Community Services (AICS) Clinic, and Wrangell's emergency operations center participated in their weekly teleconference to advance community planning for COVID-19 response. The teleconference was preceded by a Tuesday, April 14, COVID-19 report by WMC Medical Director Dr. Lynn Prysunka to the CBW Assembly as part of their...
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today that Dungeness crab permit holders throughout Registration Area A (Southeast) will be required to call ahead and make an appointment with department staff prior to registering for the 2020/2021 Dungeness crab season. Due to safety measures put in place by State of Alaska Health Mandates, the department recommends permit holders bring a check or exact cash for payment of buoy tags, a pen to sign the vessel registration form, and to wear a fac...
April 10: A bail hearing was held for Joel Franks, charged with violating a protective order and sexual assault. Bail remained as set. A calendar call is scheduled for June 16, with a jury trial on June 23. April 14: Theodosia James was arraigned on charges of violating conditions of release. The hearing was rescheduled to April 21. James Howe was arraigned on charges of unlawful contact and violating conditions of release. He was released on a $5,000 cash performance bond. Other conditions of release include PED monitoring, not consuming...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly convened electronically on last Monday, April 6, to consider a new emergency ordinance in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The final vote on Ordinance No. 977 was delayed, however, to let city officials gather further information. The proposed ordinance would have mandated a two-week self quarantine for any intrastate travelers coming to Wrangell, allowed for modified quarantine plans for critical workforce, and required that travel safety and modified qua...
Last March was Women's History Month. To recognize several women who have made contributions to the cause of protecting the environment, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council hosted a teleconference town hall meeting on March 31. Of the women who were highlighted in the meeting, there was one Wrangell resident: Tis Peterman. "While we planned this event a few months ago, like everyone else we had no idea that our lives would be so upended by the coronavirus health emergency, and that tools...
In last week’s edition, we reported that families participating in Sunday’s “social distancing egg hunt” could expect to pick up plastic Easter eggs at Hannah’s Place after the event. Hannah’s Place decided not to pass out plastic eggs out of public health concerns....
Governor Mike Dunleavy signed the Fiscal Year 2021 budget into law on Monday, April 6, according to an April 7 press release from the governor's office. The budget, as enacted "maintains spending across various programs and components at a level consistent with FY 2020, and funds an incomplete Permanent Fund Dividend." In short, the approved budget has total revenues set at about $9.07 billion and expenses at about $10.03 billion. While adopting this budget, the governor also issued some line-it...
There appears to be some confusion regarding an announcement the Department made recently regarding sport and personal use fishing. The Department understands the value of these activities to Alaskans and supports Alaskans having the opportunity to get out and fish to feed their families and fill their freezers. Sport and Personal Use fishing in the State of Alaska will remain open, consistent with published regulations during the 2020 season, subject to compliance with State of Alaska Public Health Mandates. Although travel between...
On Tuesday, April 7, the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Incident Command System (ICS) announced the pending arrival of several COVID-19 rapid test machines from the medical equipment manufacturer Abbott. Each machine is accompanied by approximately 45 testing kits and will be available in seven SEARHC communities in the coming days, allowing for same-day, in-house COVID-19 test results. Providers in the communities of Sitka, Juneau, Wrangell, Klawock, Haines, Hoonah and...
The Wrangell Planning and Zoning Commission met remotely last Thursday evening, April 9, to give final plat approval of various land surveys for a proposed land swap between Alaska Mental Health and the Forest Service. Preliminary plats were approved back in 2018, according to the meeting's agenda packet. The land surveys, No. 2018-9, 10, and 11, were all approved by the commission. Survey 2018-10, however, was approved with some conditions. The City and Borough of Wrangell gets to record an...
Representatives of the City and Borough of Wrangell and the local seafood industry held a workshop on Tuesday, April 7, to discuss how public health can be protected with fishing season drawing near. There were over 30 people who called into the meeting, in total. The meeting was chaired by Assembly Member Julie Decker. "I think, in my opinion, the goal is to move the city in a direction of a set of policies, and procedures, and requirements, for the seafood industry that keep the community...
PETERSBURG – The Petersburg Chamber of Commerce has officially cancelled this year's Little Norway Festival due to uncertainties over how long state health mandates to shelter in place and maintaining social distancing will remain in place. Chamber Administrator Mara Lutomski said the choice to cancel the 62nd Little Norway Festival was a hard decision for the chamber board. "No one wants to cancel a festival that has been such a rich part of Petersburg history," said Lutomski. The chamber of c...
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Governor Mike Dunleavy, Department of Health and Social Services, and Department of Military and Veterans Affairs are launching a new joint COVID-19 website. This new website will be a one-stop-shop for Alaskans as they navigate the resources that the State of Alaska is offering during this unprecedented crisis. “This outbreak is an all hands on deck situation. Resources are available from every State of Alaska agency working to slow the spread of COVID-19, financially help Alaskans, assist b...