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Early in-person voting open for Nov. 3 state election

Registered voters can cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 statewide election starting this week at City Hall. The Wrangell early voting station is one of more than 100 available across Alaska the …
10 hours ago

Alaska Airlines will switch in 2027 to 3 options for earning points

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, Alaska Airlines will switch its Atmos Rewards program so that members will have three options for how they earn points: actual distance traveled, similar to the current setup; …
10 hours ago

Flu cases picking up speed ahead of schedule in Alaska

Alaska Department of Health statistics show the spread of influenza A running ahead of schedule in Southeast and across Alaska this year. The state’s latest Respiratory Virus Snapshot shows …
10 hours ago

Research project will use Southeast trollers to collect data on ocean conditions

The next clue to where salmon are gathering in Southeast Alaska could come from the fishing boats already searching for them. Twenty commercial troll vessels will be recruited for a nearly …
11 hours ago
Alaska news
Ketchikan needs to raise at least $250,000 to cover travel for student activities
Earlier this year, Ketchikan High School athletics and activities programs were told they would receive no school district funding for travel during the 2026-2027 school year. The drop in funding …
10 hours ago
Ketchikan shipyard workers vote 27-7 to unionize
Workers at the Ketchikan Shipyard have voted to unionize after the new operator, JAG Ketchikan, which began managing the yard in September 2025, declined to recognize the crew’s previously existing …
10 hours ago
Five Finger Lighthouse Society volunteers (from left) Lori Dial, Jeff Erickson and Paul Johnson haul the new weather station tower up to the boat deck using the lighthouse’s electric crane.
Federal technicians and volunteers restore weather station at Five Finger lighthouse
The weather station atop Five Finger Lighthouse is operational again after more than two months offline, and it came back this fall instead of next spring thanks to the insistence of volunteers who …
10 hours ago
Trump and Sullivan at political rally say Iran war is worth the cost to Americans
At a rally in Wasilla on Oct. 13, President Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said America’s war with Iran is worth the resulting increased cost of fuel and food for Americans. …
10 hours ago
Administration reinterprets law to allow for unintentional killing of endangered species
The Trump administration has reinterpreted language in the federal Endangered Species Act that would allow for the incidental killing of endangered species and habitat loss. Wildlife attorneys say it …
10 hours ago
State cuts back cruise ship pollution inspections to every other year
As of July, the state will inspect individual cruise ships for pollution violations every other year, rather than every year under a program that began in 2021, according to Alaska Department of …
10 hours ago
New rule limits environmental reviews for some North Slope oil exploration
Seismic surveys, well drilling, ice road construction and other wintertime oil exploration activities on federal lands on the western North Slope will no longer be subject to case-by-case …
10 hours ago
Volunteers and supporters celebrate the public opening of the Eldred Rock Lighthouse in Lynn Canal on May 30. The lighthouse will be available for public rentals again next summer.
Restored lighthouse in Lynn Canal will be open for summer rentals and tours
The telltale sight of the white octagonal structure and red roof of Eldred Rock Lighthouse is a marker for mariners and many Upper Lynn Canal residents sailing north, signaling they are close to …
10 hours ago
Pribilof Islands going to the dogs to keep tight leash on rats
For decades, dogs have been verboten on the Pribilof Islands under a rule imposed by the federal government to protect the world’s largest concentration of northern fur seals. Now, dogs are …
10 hours ago
Wrangell

Scrapped vehicle recycling operation still on hold

The borough continues to accept cars and trucks to be scrapped, but the private company that had hauled the smashed, junked vehicles out of town still has work to do before it resumes its operations. …

Wednesday, October 14

Police add two ‘new-to-us’ used trucks to fleet

The Wrangell Police Department has upgraded its patrol fleet with two refurbished Ford F-150 trucks, replacing aging sport utility vehicles that are being reassigned to other municipal duties. …
Wednesday, October 7

Muskeg Meadows tees up for winter operations

Golf tournaments are done for the year but the facilities at Muskeg Meadows will be open for a few more days. “We’re planning to keep the pro shop and driving range open through Saturday, …
Tuesday, October 6
Newspaper Archives

View Sentinel archives back to 1898 -- a joint project between the Sentinel and the Irene Ingle Public Library.

Thursday, August 14, 2025

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Police report

Police report for Oct. 14, 2026

Monday, Oct. 5 Welfare check. Trespassing. Tuesday, Oct. 6 Bear complaint. Harassment. Assist: Petersburg Police Department. Domestic violence order. …

Wednesday, October 14
About Town
Photos of the week

Putting the site to better use

The Public Works Department on Oct. 9 continued to clear out the dugouts at the old baseball field, much of which has been used as a community garden. It’s part of the borough’s joint work plan with the WCA. Borough Manager Mason Villarma said at the Sept. 22 assembly meeting that WCA has suggested using the property as a fenced-in dog park. “We’re also going to clear all the way out to the water so the views are better, and there’s some area for some additional sheltering and areas to improve the site,” he said at the meeting.

Wednesday, October 14
Photo gallery

Tugboat fire contained

A fire started in the front of the Samson III, a 77-foot steel tug owned by Samson Tug and Barge, on Oct. 8, while the vessel was parked for work at the Marine Service Center. The fire was reported by someone at the yard, and the harbor crew put the first hose in place before the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department arrived on the scene, said Harbormaster Steve Miller. No injuries were reported and there was no damage to the yard or other boats, he said. The Samson III has been at the service center since Oct. 1. Samson Tug and Barge did not respond to a Sentinel call for more information.

Tuesday, October 13
History column

The Way We Were for Oct. 14, 2026

Oct. 14, 1926 The Pioneers have arranged to celebrate Alaska Day on Oct. 18. The organization has offered prizes to the high school pupils who write the best essays on a subject of their own …

Wednesday, October 14
Opinion
Editorials

Thank you to DeRuyter and Mach, and welcome Howell and Privett

With the conclusion of the municipal election, it’s a good time to thank those who have served in elected office in Wrangell — and provide some advice for the newcomers taking their seats. …

Wednesday, October 14

Wrangell excels at community fundraising

Wrangell bickers a fair amount, as does any small town. It’s not especially mean-spirited or nasty and is sometimes amusing, but often it’s unproductive. It’s recreational bickering, …

Wednesday, October 7

Vaccination decision should be about community health

It’s fall, which means winter is coming next. But before then, people have to get through a couple of autumn decisions. One is to cast their votes in the Oct. 6 municipal election and the Nov. …

Wednesday, September 30
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Reporter's column

The best camera makes you want to work

There is an old, reliable maxim in photography that often gets lost beneath marketing copy: The best camera isn’t the one with the highest price tag or the most advanced technology — it’s the …

Wednesday, September 30
Publisher's column

I hope I’m not like him when I am 80 years old

It was hard as a kid to accept life when I didn’t get what I wanted, when my parents did not think my behavior was worthy of high praise and honors, when I did not receive the rewards that I …

Wednesday, October 14
Letters to the editor
The League of Women Voters of Alaska is a nonpartisan, grassroots, statewide volunteer organization. Our mission is: Empowering Voters, Defending Democracy. We never support or oppose political …
Wednesday, October 14
When it comes to politics, what a campaign says is rarely as important as what it’s avoiding. And the writers of Ballot Measure 2 are hoping you don’t notice what’s on 33 pages of the 35-page …
Wednesday, October 7
Obituaries
Phillip “Phil” Wayne
Longtime teacher Phil Wayne, who helped start wrestling program, dies at 89
Phillip “Phil” Wayne passed away peacefully at his home in Sitka on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, at the age of 89. Phil’s arrival on Feb. 7, 1937, was featured in the Corbin Times as the first …
Wednesday, October 14
Jerimiah ‘Jerry’ Lee Meyers
Surrounded by family and music, Jerimiah ‘Jerry’ Lee Myers passes at age 77
Jerimiah “Jerry” Lee Myers passed away on Aug. 25, 2026, in Absarokee, Montana, at the age of 77. Jerry was born Sept. 26, 1948, in Medford, Oregon.  He was raised all along Southeast …
Wednesday, September 23
Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Brown (Gross)
Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Brown (Gross) dies at 79
Jacqueline “Jackie” Brown (Gross) passed away on Aug. 14, 2026, in Glendale, Arizona, at the age of 79. Jackie was born on May 17, 1947, in Wrangell and carried with her throughout her life …
Wednesday, August 26
Patricia Eileen (Lewis) Mork
Lifetime resident Patricia Eileen (Lewis) Mork dies at 92
Patricia Eileen (Lewis) Mork, loving wife, mom, grandmother, great- and great-great-grandmother and friend to many, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 26, 2026. Patricia “Pat” was born …
Wednesday, August 19
Aurore Marie (Grant) Fickeisen and her husband, Larry, loved driving around the Pacific Northwest in their antique cars. This photo is from 1984.
Aurore Marie (Grant) Fickeisen dies at 83
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Aurore Marie Fickeisen, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, who died on June 25, 2026, at her home …
Wednesday, August 12
Sports

Wrangell Wolves put on strong wrestling show at Klawock and Craig

The Wrangell Wolves wrestling team opened the season with overwhelming performances in Klawock on Friday, Oct. 16, and Craig on Saturday, Oct. 17, racking up 106 wins, 38 losses and 94 pins across …
10 hours ago

Lady Wolves beat Skagway, lose to Petersburg on volleyball court

The high school volleyball team played its only home games of the regular season, winning two matches on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9-10, both against Skagway. Wrangell and Petersburg went neck and …
Tuesday, October 13
Community Calendar
Calendar of events