Sorted by date Results 4078 - 4102 of 7954
PETERSBURG – A positive case of COVID-19 was identified this morning in Mrs. Potrzuski’s fifth grade classroom at Rae C. Stedman Elementary School, resulting in a district-wide school closure, according to a statement on Petersburg School District’s Facebook page. Both the student and their parent tested positive for the virus, according to a joint-statement between the Petersburg Borough and Petersburg Medical Center. The student recently traveled to Juneau on a non-school related trip and is symptomatic, according to the joint state...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) –Alaska is redoubling efforts to sell two fast ferries by accepting sealed bids. The state Department of Transportation issued a public notice of the bidding process Thursday, CoastAlaska reported Monday. The state set a minimum reserve price for each ship but does not plan to reveal the amount until the bids are unsealed Dec. 15. Prospective buyers are required to post a refundable $25,000 deposit with each bid for the M/V Chenega and M/V Fairweather. The agency told lawmakers earlier this year that the cost of mooring b...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly considered several purchases for the Wrangell Police Department during their meeting last Tuesday evening, Oct. 27. Two items were approved by the assembly, a Text-to-911 router switch and body cameras. The police department requested approval to purchase a Text-to-911 router switch in the amount of $4,000. There are several benefits that this would provide, according to Police Chief Tom Radke. For one thing, he said that someone texting 911 would also provide them...
A CBW Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) official was recently threatened on social media. This incident was deeply hurtful to the official involved and put the individual in fear of her own safety, and that of her family. A police investigation is underway. The Borough Attorney is also reviewing the incident as well. No one should need to worry about intimidation and fear when doing their job. Differences of opinion are understandable, and even welcomed in our community, but we all need to be careful about the way that we express our opinions....
Wrangell’s Unified Command announced a new case of COVID-19 the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 3. This is Wrangell’s twenty-first total case, and at the time of writing the only active one. According to the press release, this case was confirmed in a non-resident, who has been notified and is in isolation. Of the 21 total cases Wrangell has seen, 13 have been locals and eight have been non-locals. Four cases were identified through airport testing. The others were identified by a routine testing plan or other testing platform. The city’s press relea...
Moose season came to a close on Oct. 15. Final harvest numbers came in on Oct. 20, according to Hilary Wood with the ADF&G Petersburg office. The communities of Wrangell and Petersburg are located within Hunt RM038. This is an area that stretches from Coronation Island in the west, to the mainland in the east, and from Meyers Chuck in the south up to Point Hobart in the north. This season saw 115 moose harvested in total. There were two bagged on Wrangell Island, and nine on Mitkof Island. Only...
Disruptions to ferry service have become a relatively common occurrence in recent history. The Alaska Marine Highway System has faced tight budgets, a strike, and an aging fleet in need of upgrades. With winter drawing near Wrangell will not see any ferry service for about two months if the winter schedule remains the same. According to the sailing calendar, found at www.dot.alaska.gov, the last ferry Wrangell will see in 2020 will be on Nov. 2. The M/V Kennicott will arrive from Ketchikan in the afternoon of that day, and depart for...
The Prysunka family, Dr. Lynn and Mayor Steve, met with KSTK and Wrangell Sentinel reporters on the afternoon of Oct. 20 to talk about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Wrangell has seen a total of 20 cases of the virus since the pandemic began. The most recent case was announced on Sept. 14. All of these cases have recovered, though, and Wrangell has not seen an active case in about a month. However, across the state and the country, cases continue to rise. The Alaska Department of Health and...
Kate Thomas, Wrangell's parks and recreation director, recently earned an award from the Alaska Recreation and Parks Association. ARPA held their annual conference in early October, virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the people and organizations recognized during the ceremony was Thomas, who received the Professional Award. "The Professional Award is the highest recognition that ARPA can bestow upon a deserving candidate," an Oct. 16 press release read. "Kate is passionate...
Having won in the primary election in September, Leslie Becker is now competing against incumbent Dan Ortiz to represent House District 36 in this November's general election. District 36 covers several Southeast Alaskan communities, including Ketchikan, Metlakatla, and Wrangell. Becker spoke with the Wrangell Sentinel about the campaign so far, and her priorities if she is elected. "It's a great learning experience," she said about the campaign trail. "You stretch your mind, you learn a lot ......
Representative Dan Ortiz visited Wrangell last week, going door-knocking and speaking with constituents as part of his re-election campaign. He is running again for House District 36, against Leslie Becker. District 36 covers several Southeast Alaskan communities, including Ketchikan, Metlakatla, and Wrangell. This campaign has been a good competition, he said, mentioning that Becker was ahead of him on fundraising. An Oct. 17 article in the Ketchikan Daily News reported that Becker was ahead...
WRANGELL, Alaska – The walkway and ramp of Roosevelt Harbor Dock on Zarembo Island is closed to public use as of Oct. 16, 2020 to ensure public health and safety. The closure order is effective until necessary repairs are completed. The float remains open to use for mooring. This closure is because of structural deficiencies found during a routine inspection by a licensed engineering firm contracted by the USDA Forest Service. The pin and hanger assemblies are severely deteriorated from normal use (wear and tear). For more information about t...
Wrangell's school board met Monday evening, Oct. 12. Among other business they discussed during the meeting, they accepted a letter of resignation from Superintendent Debbe Lancaster. "There are several reasons for my resignation with one being that I would like to pursue a position in education in another district to be with my spouse," Lancaster wrote in her letter, dated Oct. 1. "I will work until the end of my contract and help the Wrangell Public School Board and staff transition another...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly held a special meeting last Thursday, Oct. 8, to certify the final election results from Oct. 6. Following a Canvass board meeting to review preliminary election results, it was found that a total of 483 ballots were cast and counted this election cycle, 419 on election day and 64 absentee. Steve Prysunka was re-elected to mayor for another two-year term. Anne Morrison and Ryan Howe were re-elected to the assembly for three-year terms. Terry Courson was elected to...
Winners are denoted by an asterisk (*). Mayor, one two-year term: *Steve Prysunka, 359 Write-ins, 58 Borough Assembly, two three-year terms: *Ryan Howe, 274 Jennifer Jackson, 217 *Anne Morrison, 332 Write-ins, 5 Borough Assembly, one one-year term: *Terry Courson, 276 Bob Dalrymple, 185 School board, one three-year term: *Laura Ballou, 314 Constance Harris, 131 Write-ins, 6 Port Commission, one three-year term: *Gary Morrison, 422 Write-ins, 10 Port Commission, one two-year term: Write-ins, 51 Proposition No. 1: *Yes, 280 No,...
A lawsuit brought against the city by a Wrangell resident has come to a close, after Judge Kevin Miller dismissed the case. Kipha Valvoda brought a lawsuit against several former and current members of Wrangell's government in March of 2019. An amended complaint was filed by the plaintiff in April 2019, but the lawsuit originally began in March of that year. Valvoda claimed the borough used unfair hiring practices that kept him from finding employment with the city. He also claimed, in his...
The Wrangell Planning and Zoning Commission met last Thursday evening, Oct. 8. During their meeting, they held a public hearing on a proposed zone change on city property. "The City and Borough of Wrangell, in an effort to release lots for residential construction has proposed a subdivision for Lot 1, Block 35, USS 1119, creating 3 lots approximately 19,000 square feet each," reads the meeting's agenda packet. The lot in question is currently zoned multi-family residential, but the city is looki...
The Wrangell School Board held their first meeting since last week's election on Monday, Oct. 12. This was the first meeting for Laura Ballou, recently elected to the school board. The first order of business was to nominate new officers for the board. Other appointments were also made. School Board President Aaron Angerman was nominated back to his position as president. This was unanimously approved by the board. Patty Gilbert was named school board vice-president, and David Wilson was named...
Wrangell’s Tent City Days Festival kicks off this week. The festival, celebrating the city’s history from the Alaska gold rush, has been a long-running tradition in the community. However, it has seen a decline in public interest in recent years. Jillian Privett, one of the organizers behind the event this year, said she hopes to help revitalize the festival. “Tent City Days has been going on for over 30 years, since I was a little kid,” she said. Privett said that Tent City Days usually...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday evening, Oct. 13. During this meeting, they voted to extend a resolution allowing them to forgo in-person meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This resolution was approved back in March when COVID-19 was beginning to impact Alaska. The resolution allowed for the suspension of in-person assembly meetings until Oct. 17, unless extended. According to the meeting's agenda packet, the city is working on plans to return to in-person meetings, but for the...
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and challenger Al Gross met in a debate focused on fisheries policy that ended up focusing on other issues including federal COVID-19 relief funding and Pebble Mine. The candidates for Sullivan’s seat in the U.S. Senate squared off Saturday in the 90-minute debate on Zoom, The Anchorage Daily News reported. Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, repeatedly characterized Gross as a threat who could hand Democrats control of the Senate. The debate was hosted by ComFish Alaska and the Kodiak Cha...
Applications for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets are now open, according to Lt. Jon Tollerud of the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army and the Wrangell Ministerial Association are partnering to provide the baskets for Wrangell families in need of assistance during the holiday season, he said. The application process is simple. There is only one form to fill out, he said. "If all they want is Thanksgiving, or all they want is Christmas, they just circle one," Tollerud said. "Or they circle...
Tuesday, Oct. 6, was election day for Wrangell. Polls closed at 8 p.m., with the preliminary count showing a total of 419 voters participating on election day. Wrangell voters chose the community's leadership in a variety of positions this year, as well as whether or not Wrangell should leave the Inter-Island Ferry Authority. Below are the preliminary election results. Preliminary winners are marked with an asterisk (*). Borough Mayor, one two-year term *Steve Prysunka, 304 Write-ins, 54...
About two weeks ago, the Wrangell Sentinel received an email regarding a weather transmitter at Cape Fanshaw that was not operating. The email claimed that the transmitter has not been in operation for over a year, and is supposed to provide weather and navigation information for Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage. The email went on to say that it was the responsibility of the Coast Guard to repair the transmitter, which they have not done. Cape Fanshaw is located north of Petersburg, along a...
The Wrangell School Board was going to hold a workshop last Monday evening, Oct. 5, for budget training. However, it was rescheduled on short notice. There were three main items on the workshop’s agenda: Where to find the district’s Chart of Accounts, how to read the Chart of Accounts, and examples using the district’s financial reports. These items were to be followed up with a Q&A session, and suggestions for future training. The meeting was originally set to begin at 7 p.m. on Oct. 5. The W...
