Articles written by brian o connor
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 322
Board of Adjustment overturns planning and zoning vote on height variance
The Wrangell board of adjustment voted 4-0 to overturn a denied three-foot housing variance Monday. James Brenner, who intends to build a house near the intersection of Zimovia Highway and Pine Street on property owned by Bert and Tammy McCay, was...
College freshman will take home top derby prize
Kelley Krumm was in Wrangell for only the second time when the downrigger on his great uncle's boat began to dance. About 4 p.m. Saturday, Krumm, of Anaconda, Montana, along with great-uncle Dave...
Research shows Twin Lakes frog populations steady
Girl Scouts, chaperones and an amphibian researcher braved mosquitos and rain to record amphibian populations in the Twin Lakes area this weekend. Scouts and Josh Ream - Alaska Fish and Game employee,...
Stikine tributary Tahltan landslide effects uncertain
A May 23 landslide on a Stikine River tributary in British Columbia will likely not affect salmon runs on the river there, officials with a nearby First Nations band said. The landslide sent large rocks tumbling into the Tahltan River and could have...
Forest service presents logging alternatives
Representatives from the US Forest Service presented publicly for the first time potential large-scale logging alternatives for Wrangell Island. The five alternatives presented at the borough’s economic development committee meeting Thursday... Full story
Fourth of July Queen competition officially launches
Officials kicked off the annual fourth of July festivities with food and speeches Saturday evening. Queen candidates introduced their teams and delivered an opening address. Food booths, a mainstay... Full story
Wrangell Prosperity candidates showcase sustainability
At least two prospective local business owners have submitted entries to this year’s Paths to Prosperity sustainable business competition. Last year’s competition saw Wrangell guitar maker Steve Helgesen and soon-to-be Wrangellite Kevin Skeek... Full story
Lemonade Day to sweeten the weekend
Young Wrangellites will take to the sidewalks for a borough-wide annual entrepreneurial experiment Saturday. Wrangell will celebrate Lemonade Day a week ahead of other towns, which will celebrate it on June 14, to accommodate families who might be...
Title I, kindergarten shifts part of early engagement strategy
A pair of motions passed during the May 21 school board meeting might seem unrelated. One vote moved Evergreen Elementary school to school-wide Title I funding from the schools previous status as a targeted Title I school. The other move extended...
Nurses trained as part of ongoing Level IV certification
Eight Wrangell nurses recently completed a course aimed at certifying them to better assist local trauma victims. The training is part of the ongoing hospital push to seek a level IV trauma...
New boat lift begins regular operation
Sentinel writer The first boat to come out of the water was named for the patron saint of lost causes. The new $1.3-million giant red boat lift pulled the Ketchikan-ported fishing tender St. Jude out... Full story
Schools honor six retiring personnel
Teachers and school board members gathered at the Elks Lodge May 22 to honor four retiring teachers, an administrator, and a middle school secretary. While the retirement banquet punctuates the end... Full story
Hospital fundraiser takes in almost $50,000
The perennial Brian Gilbert Memorial Golf Tournament and accompanying auction took in $49,000 over the weekend. The tournament and awards banquet held Friday and Saturday, is the Wrangell Medical Cent... Full story
Woman charged, pleads not guilty in hit-and-run
Authorities charged Chloe “Coco” Massin in connection with a February vehicle-pedestrian collision that landed a Wrangell man in the hospital, according to court documents. Massin, 55, of Wrangell, faces one count of assault in the first degree,...
Wrangell Kiks.áadi hat sells for $365,000
According to news reports, a Tlingit hat sold for $365,000 on the auction block at Sotheby’s of New York May 21. The hat’s sale had been opposed by local Alaskan Natives and board members of the SEALAKSA corporation on the grounds that as a...
Land selection offers contrast in styles
How much land does a borough need? The answer may be a surprisingly large number. Wrangell is in the process of selecting 849 additional acres of land from a bevvy of local sites on Wrangell island, other nearby islands, and the mainland to complete...
Worker supply slows plans for cemetery cleanup
A shortage of workers willing to take on part time jobs has temporarily slowed plans for a spring cemetery cleanup. Officials had planned the cleanup in response to public criticism about the condition and size of graves, as well as standing borough...
Wrangell movie to shoot this summer
If you've ever looked in the mirror and idly thought you could be a star, this summer will give you an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Haley Reed, studying screenwriting at the Univ...
Hospital officials plan new information push
In the coming months, members of the hospital board’s building committee will start a push to update city officials and the public in detail about plans for a new hospital. The medical center’s nine-person building committee has spent the last...
Wrangell High School graduates 17
The 17 graduates of the 2014 class of Wrangell High School will be headed as far away as Florida. In the coming years, they will study mathematics, combination welding, physics, art, and film. They... Full story
Nolan cuts, electric rate hikes possible in 2015 budget
Preliminary budget figures show a looming $64,000 reduction in funding for the Nolan Center. The draft budget, released publicly for the first time May 13, and discussed in a budget workshop before the regular borough assembly meeting, also shows a p... Full story
Wrangell High seniors receive almost $500,000 in scholarships, awards
The class of 2014 will have more than a little financial assistance as they head off to college. Wrangell High School officials formally acknowledged the numerous scholarships and financial awards... Full story
Coalition seeks funds for Stikine monitoring
It may not be among the sexiest causes in the world, but it might be crucial to anyone who makes their living near the Stikine River. The Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition went before the US Forest Service’s Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) see...
Parent asks for bullying policy change
A concerned mother and teacher asked the school board to consider amending the bullying policy Monday. Mikki Kauppila presented school board members with a photocopy of a hurtful text message she said was circulated about her daughter on private...
Summer reading expands to include high school readers
If past years are any indication, more than 100 students will complete the public library’s summer reading program this year. For the first time this year officials at the Irene Ingle Memorial library have opened the reading program to include...