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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska’s alcohol regulatory board has voted to oust its director, though the law also gives the state’s marijuana regulatory board a say. The boards share Erika McConnell as director. The Marijuana Control Board this summer held a vote of confidence in McConnell, a motion board chairman Mark Springer says he stands by. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on Thursday voted to boot McConnell. Chairman Bob Klein praised her work ethic and administrative skills but said he sees a disconnect between the board’s wishes and how...
The body of a hunter who went missing this morning after his skiff capsized in Duncan Canal has been found, according Amanda Norcross, a spokesperson with the United States Coast Guard. The man was confirmed to be Doug Larson, 50, of Petersburg, according to Tim DeSpain, public information office supervisor with the Alaska State Troopers. The body was found 400 yards east of his last known location by an MH-60 Jayhawk dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka sometime between 11 A.M. and... Full story
Southeast Conference, a regional organization consisting of 185 member organizations and people, was founded in 1958 to help promote the creation of the Alaska Marine Highway. On top of promoting the state ferry system, according to their website, Southeast Conference also advocates for economic development, local business, and healthy communities, among other things. The Southeast Conference held its annual meeting Sept. 18-20 in Sitka. For Assembly Member Mya DeLong, who attended the...
A total of 365 ballots were cast on Wrangell's election day, Oct.1, plus an additional 40 absentee ballots. There were several positions up for election on the borough assembly, school board and port commission. The public also had the opportunity to vote to make a minor amendment to Wrangell's charter, removing the Wrangell Medical Center Board as the hospital is no longer operated by the borough. The following is the preliminary election results (* indicates preliminary winner): Borough...
For many years, Alaskans have enjoyed a special sales tax exemption in the state of Washington. One Petersburg resident explained that when traveling in Washington, Alaska residents could show their driver's license and be exempt from sales tax on their purchases. According to the Washington state Department of Revenue, this exemption was open to nonresidents who were purchasing "tangible personal property, digital goods, and digital codes, for use outside this state [Washington]." The...
This year's moose harvest looks to be above the five- year average with the moose count at 64 just 17 days into the season. Between 2014 and 2018, the average moose count for this time of the season was 58. There was a dip in the moose harvest this time last year, with only 42 being taken. Fish and Game Area Biologist Frank Robbins said the warm weather last fall may have been a factor in the low number of moose being taken. In 2017 and 2016, the moose harvest was 64 about 17 days into the seaso...
In last week’s edition, we reported that Wrangell’s two new generators were purchased from the city of Nome. According to Assembly Member Jim DeBord, the generators were given to the borough. Wrangell only paid for shipping and handling.... Full story
The Southeast Alaska Power Agency Board approved $97,750 to replace the backup battery bank at the Tyee Lake hydro facility at a regular board meeting last Thursday. Early last month, Petersburg and Wrangell were providing their own power for about a week while the Tyee Lake Hydro facility was offline for annual maintenance. During the maintenance period, SEAPA conducted a battery capacity discharge test of the hydro project's nickel-cadmium batteries. Three hours into the test, one of the...
PACE, the statewide homeschool program, held a meet and greet at the Stikine Inn last Wednesday, Sept. 25. Jen Whicker, a contact teacher for PACE, said that the program has been around since 2001 and is one of 15 homeschool providers in the state. Currently, she said they serve about 310 students across Alaska. About 22 of those kids live in Wrangell. There are several reasons a family might consider homeschooling, she said. "Sometimes the schools have overcrowding, or kids feel bullied, or...
The Wrangell Cooperative Association held an award ceremony at Wrangell High School Monday evening, Sept. 30. Tribal Administrator Esther Ashton, along with several members of the WCA board, organized the ceremony to officially give several local organizations a check from the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium's "Healthy Is Here" grant. In total, $10,600 was given to 17 organizations. "The reason we're here today is that we received from SEARHC a Healthy Is Here grant," Ashton said....
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Wrangell Medical Center’s (WMC) Cathy Gross, Registered Health Information Technician and WMC Performance Improvement Manager, has been named the 2019 winner of the Front-line Staff Outstanding Performance Award by the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association (ASHNHA). Gross was honored during the September 26 ASHNHA Annual Conference for her years of dedication to patient safety improvements at WMC. She was notified of the award on the first-ever World Patient Safety Day, S...
While the role of superintendent is always busy, it has been especially so for Debbe Lancaster this past week. Lancaster, superintendent of the Wrangell Public School District, recently attended the Alaska Superintendents Association conference in Fairbanks, from Sept. 25 to 28. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development also recently released a new website, "The Compass," that lets people more easily compare schools across the state. The ASA Conference was an opportunity for...
The Wrangell Municipal Light & Power Department spent most of their day last Thursday, Sept. 19, moving one of their new generators into the power plant. Wrangell recently purchased two generators from the city of Nome to reinforce the department's power generation capabilities. Rod Rhoades, director, said that all of the city's generators are basically the "plan B" for emergency power. Wrangell's power needs sit between 8-9 megawatts, he said. The borough typically draws its power from Tyee...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly held a work session on top of their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 24. The work session was to discuss the Alaska Municipal Sales Tax Authority, a statewide entity that the Alaska Municipal League is currently working to organize. The tax authority is meant to act as the "clearinghouse" for tax collection from remote retailers, according to the agenda packet. For towns like Wrangell, only large online retailers like Amazon meet certain thresholds to collect and...
Sabina Schlotzhauer, at one month old, is one of Wrangell's newest residents. Born to Kassee and Curtis Schlotzhauer, Sabina is facing some medical issues. Kassee said in a Facebook message that Sabina suffers from HIE, or Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy. According to the HIE Help Center, it is a form of brain damage that can occur in newborns when there is a shortage of oxygen in the bloodstream and a shortage of blood flow to the brain. There are a wide range of causes for HIE, according to...
The City and Borough Assembly: Three Year Tearm Julie Decker is seeking re-election to the Wrangell Borough Assembly for a three-year term. There are several reasons she wants to sit for another term on the assembly. The current borough assembly has been making some good decisions on behalf of the city, she said, and she would like to see that continue. As a member of the assembly, she said that she has tried to stay informed and lead in a way that benefits the city as a whole. She added that...
Aug. 22: Aaron Young appeared at a felony first hearing, charged with driving under the influence and refusing a chemical test. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 30. He was released on a $5,000 appearance bond, $5,000 performance bond, and is not allowed to possess or consume alcohol. Aug. 30: Dylan Franks was arraigned on charges of violating conditions of release. He was released on a $1,000 cash performance bond and is not allowed to leave Wrangell. A calendar call was scheduled for Sept. 17. Sept. 3: Theodosia James was...
The Wrangell School Board met early Monday evening, Sept. 23, to hold a work session on the results of the recent PEAKS tests. The Performance Evaluation for Alaska's Schools is an annual test that, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, is designed to measure a student's understanding of the English language and mathematics. Students are given the PEAKS test from the third to ninth grade. The tests were administered this spring, and according to Superintendent...
Harbor House, the assisted living facility, closed its doors on Sept. 1. The facility opened in April of 2017 as a place for Wrangell's senior citizens to live, and also became a popular spot for haunted houses around Halloween. Before then, the building was known as the Sourdough Lodge. According to a 2017 article in the Wrangell Sentinel, Harbor House offered five assisted living rooms and an additional 11 rooms for senior housing. According to a letter sent to employees of Harbor House, the...
Wrangell's planning and zoning commission met last Thursday, Sept. 12. One of the big discussion items on the agenda was the potential rezoning of the old Institute property, by Shoemaker Harbor. The property was once the location of the Wrangell Institute, a boarding school for natives that opened its doors in 1932. During World War II, the Institute was used to relocate Aleut people, as well. The Institute closed in 1975, and was briefly used by the Young Adult Conservation Corps until 1980....
The Nolan Center, Wrangell's museum, convention center, and theater has announced a new monthly program for moviegoers young and old to enjoy. Starting Thursday, Sept. 19 at 6:30, the public is invited to "Throw Back Thursday" movie night. The monthly program will provide people with dinner and a nostalgic movie from days gone by. "It's something that Cyni [Crary] thought up when she first took over her director position last year, and once I came on as the manager here we were able to...
Members of the Parks and Recreation Department, the Wrangell Rod and Gun Club, The Stikine Sportsmen Association, and the Forest Service held a meeting last Wednesday, Sept. 11. The purpose of the meeting was to review some recent renovations to the outdoor gun range on Spur Road, and to discuss priorities for future improvements. Renovations to the gun range began back in May, thanks to a $14,500 grant from the NRA Foundation. According to a document passed out by Parks and Rec Director Kate...
SouthEast Alaska Regional Healthcare Consortium's (SEARHC) Sitka Long-Term Care (SLTC) and Wrangell Medical Center Long-Term Care (WMC LTC) will be presented with a trio of quality awards this month from Mountain Pacific Quality Health's (MPQH). SEARHC will be awarded "Gold Pans" during the Alaska State Hospital and Nursing Home Association annual conference on Sept. 26 in Girdwood, Alaska, with STLC tabbed as a recipient for the Quality Achievement Award and WMC LTC receiving both the Quality...
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -Most boats from a southeast Alaska tour company that were inspected this week in Juneau and Sitka have been taken out of service for corrective action. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended seven of 10 boats operated by Allen Marine Tours, Alaska's Energy Desk reported. The company provides scenic and wildlife-viewing tours in and around Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. The company's fleet of more than 50 vessels includes 37 stationed in Juneau or Sitka during the time of the inspectio...
After a recent shake-up that saw the loss of the Wrangell Senior Center's site manager, cook, and driver, the facility is working to get back to its normal routine under the new leadership of Tom Jenkins, the new site manager. The center is still looking for additional staff and volunteers, but there are some big things being planned for the future. Jenkins is originally from Tennessee, he said, and has a background in industrial building. He worked for the senior center in Haines for three...