Articles from the January 24, 2024 edition
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Schools face next year without any more federal pandemic aid
The Wrangell school district will have to do without federal pandemic-era grants for the next school year, creating a sizable gap in revenues and requiring spending cuts and/or pulling money out of savings to balance the budget. At a work session Jan...
Departing wildlife trooper receives detachment's highest awards
After two and a half years in Wrangell, Alaska Wildlife Trooper Chadd Yoder is preparing to transfer to Ketchikan. But before leaving, he received an unforgettable send-off from his fellow troopers....
Borough plans information fair for potential subdivision bidders
To ensure that potential buyers know as much as possible before putting in their bids for any of the 20 lots at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision, the borough is putting together an information fair for people to talk with builders...
Alaska trollers will gear up to fight endangered listing for king salmon
Southeast salmon fishermen say they weren’t surprised by the news that the nonprofit Wild Fish Conservancy has launched a fresh effort that could shut down Alaska’s king salmon fisheries. Last year, Southeast Alaska king salmon troll fisheries were t...
The Way We Were
Jan. 24, 1924 A new device that is a wonderful improvement in the power trolling gurdy and which will be a boon to fishermen has been invented by Steven A. Shepherd of Wrangell. With the aid of this new line-hauling device, the fishing lines are...
Parks and Recreation challenges people to winter exercise
At this time of year, when it's dark for nearly 16 hours a day and temperatures are often below freezing, it's difficult for many to get outside and exercise. Wrangell Parks and Recreation is trying...
State permit required this year for Petroglyph Beach tour operators
Commercial tour operators who take customers to the Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site this summer need to get a state permit and pay a fee. In addition to buying an annual permit in advance, commercial operators are required to pay the state $6...
Entire community should pay attention to school budget
Pick your cliché: Push comes to shove; between a rock and a hard place; money is tight; living within your means; don’t spend more than you can afford. Children need a quality education to succeed in life. Just because the cliches flow easily, don’t...
It's smart to try on different work shoes
This column has little to do with actual footwear — dress shoes if you have an office job, work boots if you’re a contractor, comfortable shoes if you’re on your feet all day or rubber boots if you work on a fishing boat. It’s about walking in thei...
Nature Trail upkeep much appreciated by so many in town
For those of us who choose to walk the Volunteer Park (ballpark) Nature Trail on an almost daily basis, I would like to express our gratitude for the work that our city crew and volunteers have done to keep this accessible to us. The plowing of the...
Every day can be a good day to create a better world for all
One of my daughters sent me an article about World Religion Day that appeared on her company intranet on Jan. 12. It occurred to me that this was a topic worth exploring, and I decided to investigate it further online. The event was first celebrated...
Governor wants to take over appointment of entire ferry system advisory board
Unless the Legislature decides otherwise by mid-March, Gov. Mike Dunleavy will take over appointment of the entire nine-member Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board. State law reserves four of the seats for appointment by legislative leaders, but...
Summer ferry schedule starts with no service first 2 weeks of May
The state ferry schedule is available for bookings for the summer season, May 1 through Sept. 30, though it opens with no stops in Wrangell until May 12 due to crew changeover between vessels. The overall schedule is the same as recent years: A...
Mural painting provides student another way to explore Tlingit culture
Throughout her high school years, senior Mia Wiederspohn has been very invested in "everything Tlingit," learning Indigenous studies and its history in Wrangell. She worked with mentor and teacher...
Irene Ingle library building turns 50 this year
Wrangell’s public library has two birthdays: It celebrated its 100th birthday with an open house in 2021, and this year the current building will turn 50 years old. Originally opened in October 1921 by the Wrangell Civic Improvement Club in their c...
Legislature fails to restore vetoed school funding
The Alaska Legislature failed on Jan. 18 to override Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s veto of $87 million in one-time additional state funding for the 2024-2025 school year. The vote was 33-26 and did not fall along party or political caucus lines. Forty-five v... Full story
Legislators look for answers to continued working-age population loss
As the Alaska Legislature gets back to work in Juneau, the state population is on the minds of lawmakers. For the 11th consecutive year, more people moved out of Alaska than moved into it, according to new estimates published last week by the Alaska... Full story
Longtime Wrangell resident Doreen 'Stretch' Gale Keso dies at 84
Longtime Wrangell resident Doreen "Stretch" Gale Keso (Ellingson), 84, passed away on Jan. 7, 2024, in Anchorage, where she had resided since February 2021. Stretch was an Alaska pioneer, living in... Full story
Former resident Peter Engwall dies in Michigan
Peter Engwall, a former Wrangell resident and a member of the Big Rapids High School Class of 1969 in Big Rapids, Michigan, died Feb. 17, 2023, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. After graduation, Peter eventually made his home in Wrangell, where among... Full story
SEARHC conducts survey to assess Southeast health needs
The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium is offering people the chance to win Alaska Airlines miles for responding to a community health needs assessment survey. The survey is aimed at gathering information about the overall well-being of...
Basketball teams suffer multiple defeats at Metlakatla
The Wrangell boys and girls varsity basketball teams had a tough weekend Jan. 19-20 at Metlakatla, both enduring two losses. The Wolves were soundly defeated by the Chiefs on Friday, 83-53, while...
First baby of year born to Jason and Michelle Clark
Zoey Grace Clark has the honor of being the first baby born this year to a Wrangell couple. She was born Jan. 7 at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces...
Police report
Monday, Jan. 15 Threats. Agency assist: Ambulance. Criminal trespass. Disabled vehicle. Suspicious circumstance. Tuesday, Jan. 16 Agency assist: Removal of vehicles from swimming pool parking lot for snow removal. Traffic stop. Hazardous play:...
Hoonah petitions to form a borough that would include Glacier Bay
Hoonah has submitted a petition to the Alaska Local Boundary Commission to create the state’s 20th organized borough, which would include the city and some lightly populated outlying communities. The Xunaa Borough would include Hoonah, as well as G... Full story
Juneau schools could take out a loan to cover budget deficit
The Juneau school board has approved a series of immediate cost-cutting measures including a hiring freeze, plus exploring the longer-term option of a loan to help deal with an unexpected $9.5 million budget deficit. Members at the Jan. 16 meeting...
