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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, seeking to assert calm concerning the new coronavirus threat, said Monday he sees the fall in oil prices as a ``momentary issue’’ that with the stock market will work itself out. The virus has affected global energy prices, with North Slope oil prices around $45 a barrel at the end of last week. The state, which has struggled with a long-running deficit, relies on oil revenue and earnings from its oil-wealth fund, the Alaska Permanent Fund, to help pay for government. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp....
The Alaska School Activities Association announced on Wednesday that Alaska's state high school basketball and cheer championships have been postponed until further notice due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus, according to a statement from ASAA. The decision on whether or not to cancel the basketball and cheer championships will be made sometime in the future, according to the statement. The State of Alaska has also issued an advisory to those planning on attending ASAA regional basketball...
Alaska Crossings, the behavioral health program, is gearing up for another season of helping kids in need. The program is geared towards teenagers who have struggles in their home life, or at school or in their wider communities. These kids go out on outdoor expeditions with Crossings guides, all over the Tongass National Forest, where they can learn important life skills like teamwork, self confidence, and stress management, among others. "Alaska Crossings believes in helping youth make...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met Tuesday, Feb. 25, to have a follow-up work session on staffing issues at the Irene Ingle Public Library and the Nolan Center. As covered in a Feb. 13 article of the Sentinel, the assembly has been considering how best to resolve staffing questions at both facilities while also keeping everything as affordable as possible. During their last workshop, the assembly considered a number of options for an empty assistant position at the library. The Nolan Center has...
Feb. 18: Theodosia James was arraigned on a probation/parole violation. A calendar call was scheduled for April 21. Michael Maleski was arraigned on charges of driving with a cancelled/suspended license and driving without insurance. For the lack of insurance, he was ordered to pay a fine of $500 and a $20 police training surcharge. For driving with a cancelled/suspended license, he was ordered to pay a fine of $150 and a $20 police training surcharge. The fine will be reduced to $50 if proof of license is filed by June 30. Scott Hall was...
PETERSBURG - Christopher Manske was arrested on Feb. 26, and is now being held in federal custody in Juneau facing charges of burglary of a post office and mail theft. According to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, paperwork regarding his indictment has not been submitted as of Tuesday afternoon. Sometime between the late evening of Feb. 21 and the following morning, an individual broke into the Petersburg Post Office and stole about 16 parcels, according to the compla...
The Tlingit and Haida Regional Housing Authority held a workshop at the Nolan Center last week, to cover a variety of topics. The group brought together members of Wrangell's native community, and the wider public, to share information about the census, financial planning, and preventative home maintenance. Esther Ashton, tribal administrator for the Wrangell Cooperative Association, led the discussion on the census. It is very important for the native community to respond to the census this...
The Wrangell School Board held a work session Monday night to discuss next year's budget. The district is currently undergoing its budget season, looking at the financial year for 2021. The current draft of the FY 2021 budget has the school district operating at a loss. Total revenues are estimated at a little less than $5.7 million, while expenses are around $6.5 million. The largest costs for the district include $2.7 million for "instruction,'' about $831,000 for "operations and maintenance...
While Alaska has yet to see any confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is closely monitoring information being provided by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (ADHSS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other state, federal and global health organizations as they work to monitor, contain, and mitigate the impact of the virus. "SEARHC's top priority is the safety of our patients and...
PETERSBURG – Sen. Bert Stedman told the community while attending the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce banquet on Saturday that the future of the Alaska Marine Highway System depends on how negotiations go with Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Stedman said that legislators will discuss the AMHS and present possible scenarios to the governor when Dunleavy releases his operating budget; however, without enough votes to override the governor's anticipated vetoes, negotiations won't be too aggressive. "If you don'...
The shutdown of ferry service in Southeast Alaska has impacted many aspects of day-to-day life in communities across the region. In previous reporting by the Wrangell Sentinel and Petersburg Pilot, peoples' travel plans have been disrupted, businesses have been impacted, and cultural events like Celebration 2020 could potentially see decreased turnout. Another aspect of Southeast communities that is facing disruption from the lack of ferries are school districts. The schools of Wrangell and...
The Alaska House Finance Committee received public testimony from people across the state on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22. The state is currently in its budget season again, and the finance committee held the meeting to hear what the public felt was important. Several members from Wrangell called in from the local Legislative Information Office to give their perspective on the community's needs moving forward. Among the items Wrangellites voiced support for were the need for ferry...
The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial project is moving along at a good pace, according to Brennon Eagle. The memorial has been a long-running project for the community, beginning back in the early 2000s. According to the memorial committee's website, Wrangell High School seniors worked to identify a suitable location and design for the memorial, meant to recognize Wrangellites who lose their lives at sea. The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial Committee achieved tax-exempt status as a nonprofit in 2017....
Wrangell's Baha'i community will be hosting a party at Evergreen Elementary school this Friday at 6 p.m., to celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha and is open to the Wrangell community. The Baha'i faith operates with a calendar of 19 months, made up of 19 days each. This means the Baha'i calendar has a total of 361 days in it. To keep their calendar aligned with the Gregorian calendar, Baha'is celebrate several "intercalary days." This year, being a leap year, has five intercalary days for the Baha'i...
The Wrangell School Board adopted some revisions to the FY 2020 budget at their Monday night meeting. The district's budget, originally, set revenues at a little less than $5.5 million, and expenditures at around $6.1 million. With the revisions however, revenues have been bumped up to around $5.7 million. The first revision to the budget adds the Wrangell borough's contribution. The revised budget takes into account a contribution of $610,329 from the City and Borough of Wrangell....
The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner last Saturday evening. Community members from all over town came to the dinner, including several out-of-town guests such as Representative Dan Ortiz and Senator Bert Stedman. Like last year, the dinner served as an opportunity for the community to come together for a good meal and to participate in a number of auctions and raffles. The dinner also served as an opportunity to recognize people and organizations that really stood out over...
Randall Ferdinand, 53, of Wrangell, passed away at sea last Sunday. A dispatch from the Alaska State Troopers reports that they received a report of an overturned vessel about 12 miles southwest of Wrangell the afternoon of Feb. 16. Wrangell Search and Rescue and the Coast Guard went to investigate and the vessel in question was located around 3 p.m. The 32-foot vessel had struck some rocks in shallow water. Wrangell Search and Rescue and Wildlife Troopers from Ketchikan remained on scene...
Jan. 27: A change of plea hearing was held for James Howe, charged with unlawful contact, violating conditions of release, being a felon in possession of a weapon, having a weapon in the house of a felon, and harassment. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for June 22. A change of plea hearing was held for Valerie Nakamura, charged with driving with a cancelled/revoked/suspended license. Another charge of driving in violation of license limitation was dismissed by prosecution. She pled guilty to the first charge, and the second charge was...
The Wrangell Borough Assembly met last Tuesday evening, Feb. 11, for a work session on the borough's future goals. The discussion was meant to ensure that all city employees understood what Wrangell's priorities are, and what they are all working towards. According to the meeting's agenda packet, the borough had a wide variety of goals to consider. Some of the goals laid out in the agenda packet included development of the old Institute and Byford junkyard properties, and cleaning up abandoned...
Derek Peterson visited Wrangell on Monday and Tuesday to host a series of workshops to talk about Integrative Youth Development and how it could help the community's children. According to a flyer announcing his visit to Wrangell, Peterson is an international child and youth advocate. He is the Founder of the Institute for Community and Adolescent Resiliency - Unifying Solutions, as well as Integrative Youth Development. Integrative Youth Development, according to the ICAR-US website, is a...
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day took place this past Sunday, Feb. 16. Peratrovich was one of Alaska's better-known civil rights activists. Born in Petersburg in 1911 and coming from the Tlingit nation, she fought for the rights of native Alaskans. In 1945 she was instrumental in the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act by the territorial legislature. Fourth and fifth graders at Evergreen Elementary put together an art display in recognition of Peratrovich and her work, which is currently on display...
PETERSBURG – The Petersburg Indian Association, Petersburg Arts Council and Petersburg ANB/ANS hosted the first annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Day celebration on Sunday to honor the woman who spearheaded Alaska's Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. The ceremony began with a march down Nordic Dr. that began at the Trading Union and ended at the John Hanson Sr. Hall where the celebration continued. Master of Ceremonies Nathan Lopez acknowledged the work that Peratrovich and her husband Roy did for civ...
The Wrangell Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional use permit for a proposed business. Sara Gadd has plans to establish a drive-through coffee shop in the industrial park, at the corner of Bennett Street and Howell Avenue. This topic was brought up in the commission's previous meeting in January, but was tabled as Gadd was not present to answer questions, nor did the commission have a written agreement from the owner of the lot next to this potential business allowing driveway...
Hailing from the village of Unalakleet, Nick Hanson is probably best known as the "Eskimo Ninja," a regular contestant on American Ninja Warrior. He has competed on the TV show, running through a series of obstacle courses and physical challenges, since its seventh season in 2015. His most recent participation in the show last year, season 11, saw him make it to the first stage of the finals in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his four years on the show, going on five, Hanson has represented his family,...
Today, Alaska’s ferries are one step closer to receiving badly needed funds. Members of the budget subcommittee working on the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ budget voted to add $18.7 million into the AMHS budget. Rep. Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak) is a member of the DOT budget subcommittee, chair of the House Transportation Committee, and serves on the Alaska Marine Highway Reshaping Work Group. Representative Stutes said, “Shelves in grocery stores are empty. Alaskans are missing medical appointments. Mothers are turni...