Articles written by sentinel staff
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At-sea COVID cases drop back down to summer average
After a mid-July surge to 1,021 COVID-19 infections among tourists at sea in a single week, the state Health Department reports the case count the past two weeks fell to an average of 550 per week. The record number of infections among...
Candidacy filing for municipal elections closes Aug. 31
There are three weeks remaining for candidates to file for election to the borough assembly, school board and port commission, and as of Monday no one had submitted their paperwork to run for office, with most incumbents reporting they were still...
Anchorage, Fairbanks school districts short of bus drivers
Students return to school soon, and Alaska’s larger districts are facing a shortage of school bus drivers. The Anchorage School District was short 75 bus drivers less than two weeks before classes begin on Aug. 18. The shortage could lead to some b...
Candidacy filing opens for municipal elections
Candidates have until 4 p.m. Aug. 31 to file their declaration and signature petition at City Hall for a spot on the Oct. 4 municipal election ballot. The offices of mayor, two borough assembly seats, three school board seats and two spots on the por...
Sealaska Corp. endorses Walker and Murkowski
The Sealaska Corp. board of directors last Friday endorsed Bill Walker for governor and Sen. Lisa Murkowski in her reelection bid for U.S. Senate. The board also announced its opposition to the measure on the Nov. 8 statewide election ballot that...
State parks ferry for 1 week due to lack of crew
The state ferry Tustumena was tied up in Homer for several days last week, lacking enough crew to operate. Due to crew shortages, the Tustumena’s sailings were canceled as of July 26, and were scheduled to resume seven days later on Tuesday, a...
BearFest promises full schedule of workshops, food, music and more
From Wednesday through Sunday, the schedule for BearFest is loaded with something for all ages, whether games and art workshops or food and educational symposiums. Since the event is focused on...
Borough signs design contract for port and harbor surveillance cameras
The plan is to have surveillance cameras in operation at City Dock and the harbors sometime next year. The borough assembly last week approved a $90,983 design contract with Juneau-based RESPEC to prepare plans for the cameras, wiring and server...
High COVID case count hits community
An additional 40 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Wrangell July 7-13, more than twice as many as in the previous three weeks, according to the Alaska Department of Health website. That’s almost as many cases as were reported in Ketchikan, 43, d...
Last-minute permits for Anan available through Forest Service office
Independent travelers and residents looking to visit Anan Wildlife Observatory apart from tour groups still have a chance to do so. The Forest Service Wrangell ranger district is making last-minute permits available through its office on a weekly...
Entries due by July 29 in BearFest photo contest
The BearFest photo contest is wide open like an aperture on a starry night. That is, it’s time to click and submit entries focused on bear photos and videos. From now through 11:59 p.m. on July 29, photographers and videographers can post up to f...
Chamber will need to raise money for next year's Fourth
The chamber of commerce will work to raise money over the next nine months or so as it looks ahead to paying for next year’s Fourth of July fireworks and events. The annual royalty raffle is the chamber’s major fundraiser for the summer cel...
Fourth of July is over, but winners keep coming in
The chainsaws are quiet. The laughter and cheers have subsided. The splashing has passed. The Fourth of July celebration and events may be over, but the memories, victories and bragging rights will...
Summer lunch program still has open slots
Families with children in first through sixth grade still have time to sign up for The Salvation Army’s summer lunch program. The program, which began in June, runs through July 29. Ten spots are still available and there is no deadline to sign u...
No bidders on former hospital building
No one bid on the former Wrangell hospital building, which the borough had offered to sell at a minimum asking price of $830,000. The bidding period was open for a month and closed last Thursday. The property is now available for an over-the-counter...
Assembly approves borough budget
The borough assembly approved a budget for the fiscal year that started last Friday similar to past years — no increase in property tax or sales tax rates, and with more than half of the total spending going to the self-supporting operations of s...
Governor signs state budget; Wrangell funding intact
Though he vetoed funding for several projects and public services around Alaska, Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not cross out $4.1 million in state grant funding toward a new $15 million water treatment plant in Wrangell. The borough hopes to finish design...
Heritage Harbor boat ramp will close for 3 weeks
The Heritage Harbor boat launch ramp will close for a few weeks in August under a plan to replace the deteriorated asphalt apron with concrete paving. The 2-inch-thick asphalt is more than 10 years old and in bad shape, Amber Al-Haddad, borough...
Anan toilets likely pumped in time to open observatory
Raincountry Contracting cleared the way for visitors to enjoy the Anan Wildlife Observatory in time for this week’s opening of the bear viewing season. The Petersburg-based company needed to pump out the 750-gallon-capacity public toilets, which a...
Eric Halstead wins 67th king salmon derby
Eric Halstead took the lead in the 67th Wrangell King Salmon derby with a 43.4-pound catch near Blake Island on June 17 and never lost it, bringing him the first-place prize of $3,000 cash. Stanley Johnson took second, with his 41.8-pound king on...
4th of July weekend draws large crowds
Friendly competitions, food tosses, tests of endurance and plenty of fun filled the weekend as hundreds flocked to various Fourth of July events throughout Wrangell. Tourists, visitors, family and...
Borough assembly gives good evaluation to manager
The borough assembly likes the job Jeff Good is doing as manager, reaffirming a raise that was part of the three-year contract he was given when hired for the job in January. The assembly in executive session at its June 28 meeting conducted its...
Former Juneau legislator, Dennis Egan, dies at 75
Former Southeast state senator and Juneau KINY radio host Dennis Egan died June 28. He was 75. Egan passed away at an assisted-living home in Salem, Oregon, his family reported. Egan’s daughter, Leslie, and her family, live in Oregon. Egan’s family s...
Eric Halstead leads salmon derby at 43.4 pounds
Eric Halstead was at the top of the Wrangell King Salmon Derby scoreboard with a 43.4-pound catch as of Sunday evening, five days into the competition. The derby runs through July 3, with $7,900 in cash prizes. As of Sunday evening, 27 salmon had...
Borough will charge credit card fee on tax payments
In a May 31 budget work session to consider borough finances for the fiscal year that starts July 1, Finance Director Mason Villarma advised the assembly that the borough is working toward accepting credit card payments for property and sales taxes...