News
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Borough assembly narrows down candidates for manager
The borough assembly narrowed down the field of seven applicants for the borough manager job; a special meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, March 19, to interview the three finalists. The finalists include current interim borough manager and finance...
Trident strikes deals to sell Ketchikan and Petersburg plants
Trident Seafoods has announced the sale of its Ketchikan processing facilities to Silver Bay Seafoods, and the sale of its Petersburg operation to E.C. Phillips & Son. Trident has not announced buyers for two other Alaska plants it has put on the...
Parks and Rec converts racquetball court to expand weights/exercise area
The weights and exercise areas at the swimming pool and community recreation facility have expanded, with more equipment stationed in the converted racquetball court. Parks and Recreation Director Luc...
Mike Hoyt new IEA director at school district
In addition to his duties as activities director, Mike Hoyt will now also serve as the new Indian Education Act director for the school district after the resignation of DaNika Smalley on Feb. 29. Schools Superintendent Bill Burr confirmed that Hoyt...
High school senior volunteers for fundraisers and shooting range cleanup
High school student Cody Eastaugh has worked part time for almost two years at the Bay Company, known as BayCo, which specializes in marine sales and service at its Front Street location. While...
Police keep a camera eye on illegal trash dumping
Illegal dumping of trash, appliances and whatever else people don’t want to take to the waste transfer station has long been a problem in town. “It’s not just a Wrangell issue,” Police Chief Tom Radke said last week. Radke, who spent almost 26 years...
Governor believes teacher bonuses, charter schools are the answers
South Anchorage high school teacher Logan Pitney said his colleagues are making exit strategies to flee their bad financial prospects in Alaska. He called Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s teacher retention bonus plan a “Band-Aid on an arterial bleed.” Juneau Sup... Full story
Wrangell Little League needs volunteers before season opens April 1
The Wrangell Little League is preparing for a new season on the baseball diamond. But first, they need a few more volunteers. Little League player agent Kaelene Harrison said that while they’ve found almost all their head coaches, there are still a...
Legislature blocks governor's attempt to take over ferry advisory board
Alaska lawmakers on March 12 narrowly overturned an executive order from Gov. Mike Dunleavy that would have given him the sole authority to appoint members to the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board. The final vote was 33-26 to reject the governor...
State files $700 billion claim over EPA blockage of Pebble Mine
The federal government should pay Alaska more than $700 billion in compensation for the 2023 Environmental Protection Agency action that blocked development of the massive and controversial Pebble Mine in Southwest Alaska, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s a... Full story
NOAA Fisheries report points to growth in Alaska mariculture efforts
While Alaska’s mariculture industry is small by global standards, production of farmed shellfish and seaweed in the state has increased substantially in recent years, according to a new status report released Feb. 23 by the National Oceanic and A... Full story
State finally caught up on food stamp applications
The Alaska Division of Public Assistance said March 5 it has caught up on food stamp applications. That means no Alaskan is waiting an unlawful amount of time for food aid for the first time since 2022. But there are people waiting for other... Full story
Higher oil prices add about 2% to estimated state revenues
A new state revenue forecast based on modestly higher oil prices gives the Alaska Legislature some additional breathing room as lawmakers craft a new state budget. The forecast, released March 13 by the Alaska Department of Revenue, updates a fall... Full story
Economic board recommends sale of former hospital property
The borough’s economic development board voted unanimously March 5 to recommend the assembly approve the sale of the former hospital property for $200,000 to Wayne Johnson, a Georgia-based real estate developer. Johnson is planning to demolish the b...
After cancellations, cruise season may not exceed last summer's numbers
With the loss of several cruise ship stops this summer, Wrangell may not exceed last year’s cruise visitor count as had been originally projected. Wrangell recently lost 14 stops from the cruise line American Queen Voyages, which filed for b...
Legislative leaders say state cannot afford governor's dividend proposal
Leading Alaska legislators said there is little appetite for spending from savings to pay a super-sized Permanent Fund dividend this year, likely killing a proposal from Gov. Mike Dunleavy. In December, the governor proposed spending almost $2.3 bill... Full story
Port commission, borough assembly discuss marine insurance requirements
After the borough assembly agreed last month that a port commission proposal to require boat owners to carry marine insurance needed a lot more work, the two elected bodies got together last week to workshop changes. The assembly and port commission...
Houser promoted to Forest Service Wrangell District ranger
After filling the job in the past in a temporary capacity, Tory Houser officially accepted the position as U.S. Forest Service Wrangell District ranger on March 4. "It feels great, and a lot of respon...
Ferries needed elsewhere leave Wrangell with 2-week gap
Wrangell will go without state ferry service for the last week of March and first week of April as the ships are scheduled to meet other needs across coastal communities. There will be no northbound service to Wrangell between March 22 and April 10,...
Borough working on solution to move 'Mount Tires' out of town
There’s a new solution in the works to deal with the large pile of tires at the solid waste transfer station, often referred to as “Mount Tires.” This new solution would include moving the tires to the former 6-Mile sawmill property and then shipp...
Legislators look for answers to help beleaguered seafood industry
Russian fish flooding global markets and other economic forces beyond the state’s border have created dire conditions for Alaska’s seafood industry. Now key state legislators are seeking to establish a task force to come up with responses to the low... Full story
Student's senior project will replace weathered supermarket sign
High school senior Sean McDonald has a lot of history with the Wrangell IGA supermarket. "I've worked at the store since October of 2022," he said. "I'm really closely related with the owners. They...
Trident close to deals for selling Petersburg and Ketchikan plants
Trident Seafoods reported last week it was “entering the final stages of closing deals for three of its Alaska shoreside plants,” including its operations in Ketchikan and Petersburg. The Seattle-based company — the largest seafood harvesting and p...
Parks and Rec moves from one challenge to the next
Just as soon as its indoor Winter Workout Challenge ended, the Parks and Recreation Department moved outdoors - literally. The Outdoor Challenge, which started March 1, is similar to the indoor...
Tongass Toughman offers new summer challenge with 100-mile run
Participants in last year’s Toughman Triathlon in Wrangell will have to step up their game if they want to join the challenge of running a 100-mile ultramarathon at the end of June. Former resident Nicholas Howell posted on the Wrangell Community Gro...