Articles from the February 16, 2017 edition


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  • AICS-SEARHC merger delayed until April

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    A planned-for merger between two regional healthcare providers has been put on hold for two months. Alaska Island Community Services was to merge with larger organization SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) on February 1, but the consolidation will have to wait until April 1. The merger was formally announced last October, and heads of both organizations subsequently met with Wrangell officials in November and in January to explain the transition. AICS executive Mark Walker has said the move was needed due to growth in the orga...

  • Road paved for two new B&Bs, P&Z Okays hotel bid

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    Wrangell’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved a pair of conditional use applications for prospective bed and breakfast establishments at last Thursday’s evening meeting. For one of these, Linda Nore and Steve Thomassen want to operate “Mount Dewey Extended Stay,” a two-bedroom rental operated out of their home on Mt. Dewey Lane. They put in an application with the city on January 19 that would allow for the limited use, specifying no additional construction would be needed to make the transition. The request drew a number of neighbo...

  • Meet the future class of 2034-35

    Feb 16, 2017

  • The Way We Were

    Feb 16, 2017

    February 15, 1917: Last Saturday and Sunday the town of Wrangell was host to a goodly delegation from Petersburg. The attraction at Wrangell was the basketball game between the teams of Wrangell and Petersburg. However, neither the Wrangell nor the Petersburg people regarded the game as more than an incident to the visit. The game was called at 8:30, George Northrope acting as referee. Both teams exhibited plenty of “pep” and some swift passes were made on both sides. The visiting team was defeated, their defeat being chiefly poor basket sho...

  • Chamber of Commerce dinner recognizes community contributions

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    At its 27th Annual Fundraiser Dinner on Saturday, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce announced its honors list for 2017. There were five nominees for this year’s Wrangell Citizen of the Year: school board member and Wells Fargo Bank employee Aleisha Mollen; Sourdough Lodge proprietor Bruce Harding; Alaska Vistas operator Sylvia Ettefagh; Dr. Lynn Prysunka at Alaska Island Community Services; and Evergreen Elementary School secretary Renate Davies. Of the candidates, Prysunka was awarded this year’s honor, having served the community as a fam...

  • Police reports

    Feb 16, 2017

    Monday, February 6 Agency Assist. Tuesday, February 7 Agency Assist: AICS Ex parte order. Animal Complaint. Agency Assist: Evergreen Elementary School. Citizen Assist: Unlocked Vehicle. Traffic Stop: Verbal warning given for driving habits. Learning how to drive. Wednesday, February 8 Agency Assist: Wellness check and all was fine. Thursday, February 9 Agency Assist: Fire Alarm. Disturbance: Person left the area. Agency Assist: WMC. Friday, February 10 MVA: Everyone was fine and very little damage done to vehicle. Saturday, February 11 Agency...

  • Legislative call-in at LIO office

    Feb 16, 2017

    Everyone is welcome to an Open House at the Legislative Information Office Thursday, February 23rd, from 4 – 6 pm. Come see what the office has to offer and enjoy light refreshments. Also available will be an informal teleconference with Representative Dan Ortiz from 5 – 6 pm. This is your opportunity to let him know your opinions on the State budget, the Permanent Fund Dividend or any other concerns you may have. The LIO is located at the top of the stairs in the Kadin Building. Call 874-3013 for more information....

  • Library setup to make archiving a snap

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    A new archiving station has been acquired by the local library, allowing the public access to digital scanning services free of charge. Irene Ingle Public Library was able to purchase its Knowledge Imaging Center largely through use of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Librarian Margaret Villarma explained the versatile system makes digital archiving very simple, and is easy on original materials. Documents are placed open, facing upward, and a digital scanner overhead...

  • To the Editor

    Feb 16, 2017

    To the Editor: Hospice of Wrangell awards Kim Covalt, Tammy Davidson, David McQueen, Nancy McQueen, Ron “Butch” Merritt, and Cori Robinson “Hospice Hearts” for their wonderful help with our 2016 activities. Wrangell First Presbyterian Church, Alaska Island Community Services, and Wrangell Medical Center for are part of our support network. We look forward to continuing the Community Loan Closet, Dove Tree Ceremony, Christmas Tree Lane, and direct services in the year ahead. Alice Rooney, Hospice of Wrangell...

  • Obituary: Russell T. Patrick, 85

    Feb 16, 2017

    Born May 20, 1931 in Madras, Oregon, Russell T. Patrick, 85, passed away February 5, 2017. Russ graduated from Madras High School in 1951. He married Barbara Lee Sharnbroich on November 3, 1956 at the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Russ spent many years working in lumber mills in both Oregon and Alaska. After moving to Washington State in 1979 he worked 18 years both on the road and in the shop doing tire repair. After "retiring" from Les Schwab he spent 12 years working in the deli...

  • Birding festival wins award for mindfulness

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    Wrangell's springtime birding festival was acknowledged for its mindfulness and dedication to conservation. The Stikine River Birding Festival received the 2017 Mindful Birding Award from the Mindful Birding Project, which promotes ethical birding and conservation efforts nationwide. The award comes with a $500 grant, which was applied for by the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We wrote in and explained how we met their criteria," said Carol Rushmore, Wrangell's economic director....

  • Close games in Craig losses

    Feb 16, 2017

    After a pair of hard-fought home games against Metlakatla over the weekend and a Monday 28-35 loss at Craig on February 6 (reported in last week’s Sentinel), the Wrangell Lady Wolves finished their stay on Prince of Wales Island with another close game. Tied at the half, the Lady Panthers were able to regroup, bounding ahead enough in the third period for a 29-23 win over Wrangell. The girls host their final home game of the season this weekend against Haines, before heading to Petersburg March 3 and 4....

  • Fish Factor

    Laine Welch|Feb 16, 2017

    Shellfish, sea cucumbers, geoduck clams, seaweeds and biofuels are crops envisioned by a group of Alaskans who are crafting a framework for a statewide mariculture industry expansion. An 11-member task force created last February by Governor Walker has wasted no time advancing its mission to put a comprehensive report on Walker’s desk by next March. The group, which has been meeting regularly, also has attracted wide interest from Alaskans who want to serve on advisory committees as the plan takes shape. The advisory committees include r...

  • A real pane to weather

    Feb 16, 2017

    Contractors measure a window needing replacement at a Lynch Street storefront, after high winds dislodged a hanging sign between Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service out of Juneau reported gusts neared but had not topped 60 miles per hour during the wind storm, which was accompanied by a fair amount of rain. The low pressure system hit the Panhandle's islands over the weekend, and temperatures actually warmed Wrangell thermometers through Monday evening, hitting...

  • Political winds could be plus for SEAPA

    Dan Rudy|Feb 16, 2017

    In its first meeting of the new year, the governing board for Southeast Alaska Power Agency looked ahead to political reshufflings at the state and federal levels. Meeting in Petersburg February 8, members of the board learned from SEAPA executive officer Trey Acteson a change in administrations at the federal level could be useful to the agency’s future operations. For example, only two commissioners sitting on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – which licenses hydropower projects – remain in place since the swearing in of Presi...

  • Lawmaker proposes hiking $5 studded-tire tax to $75

    Feb 16, 2017

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A state lawmaker wants to spike Alaska's studded-tire tax from $5 to $75. Sen. Cathy Giessel's bill is aimed at raising money to repair rutted roads damaged by studded tires, reported KTVA-TV. Giessel called the tax hike a “public safety user fee.” “There are states in northern climates that do ban studded tires, but this is not a ban,” she said. “It is a user fee to help to restore the damage that's caused from the studded tires.” The higher tax would add $300 to the cost of four studded tires compared with the curr...