Articles from the April 12, 2023 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Borough faces costly fix at Heritage Harbor
Late last month, the borough discovered an oversight in the construction of Heritage Harbor — its steel pilings and piers do not have corrosion-preventing anodes on them. These pieces of oxidizing metal protect pilings from underwater degradation....
Chamber will ask borough to help pay for 4th of July
In light of the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce’s operating deficit over the past six years, it has sought to cut costs and find added revenues to continue the popular Fourth of July celebration. To that end, the chamber board of directors will be...
Climbing 1,311 steps, 9-year-old tirelessly raises money for blood cancer research
Piper Buness might not be big on words but she's big on making and setting goals. The 9-year-old fourth grader participated in the Big Climb in Seattle on March 26 to raise funds for the Leukemia and...
House puts together budget with one-time boost in school funding
The Wrangell School District would receive an additional $425,000 in one-year state money under a budget headed toward approval in the Alaska House, falling short of a permanent increase in the education funding formula sought by school districts...
The Way We Were
April 5, 1923 The regular meeting of the executive committee of the Red Cross was held at the town hall last Monday. The principal business transaction was the appointment of Mrs. Stephen D. Grant as public health nurse for Wrangell for a year...
Almost 500 Wrangell households received Medicaid benefits last year
The state has embarked on a mandatory income eligibility review of about 150,000 households receiving Medicaid benefits — covering as many as 260,000 people, more than one in three Alaskans. Nearly 500 Wrangell households could be in that stack....
Henson takes on tourism marketing job with borough
Whether he's promoting independent artists or advertising to independent travelers, musician and business-owner Matt Henson uses his marketing know-how to connect buyers with products. In the past,...
Community shelters vandalized by fire, human waste
The shelters at Shoemaker Park and City Park were damaged by fire and vandalism last week in two separate incidents. On April 3, the south-end shelter at City Park was used by a group of youths to...
State food aid distribution underway, but Wrangell food pantries opt out of help
Tons of free non-perishables and canned goods are headed to Alaska communities through the Food Bank of Alaska, but Wrangell’s food pantries haven’t signed on to the program. The town’s largest food pantry at The Salvation Army says it is well...
Fourth is about freedom, but it's not free
No question about it, Wrangell loves its Fourth of July celebration. Residents, families and visitors all gather downtown to watch and participate in the games and races, enjoy the food and, hopefully, some summer sunshine, though that is the least...
House Republicans need to rethink priorities
There is no wisdom in the state House majority’s decision to put Permanent Fund dividends ahead of the public education budget. Paying for larger PFDs before schools is not the way to build a better state, to keep families from leaving, to entice...
No justice in White House decision to deny land trade
The lack of respect and hypocrisy in the Biden administration’s application of its policy of environmental justice toward Alaska’s Natives was on full display when on March 14 Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland withdrew from the 2019 land...
New director should sequester her party affiliation while running Alaska Division of Elections
Will Carol Beecher, who was appointed to serve as director of the Alaska Division of Elections, comply with Alaska state statutes in the future? The relevant statute clearly states that the elections director must be nonpartisan and may not make...
River's Mouth is inexpensive and has cheerful, helpful staff
There isn’t another business in this town, bar none, that looks out for its citizenry the way River’s Mouth does. That is the most important thing I have to say, so I’ll repeat it, and hold that thought. But first let us take a peek at this...
Legislation would require financial literacy class in Alaska high schools
Pointing to high credit card balances, growing student loan debts and inadequate savings for many U.S. households, Anchorage Sen. Bill Wielechowski believes it is important to teach students “to avoid common financial pitfalls and manage their...
Canoe Lagoon brings its oysters and more to retail store downtown
For Kristy and Brian Herman of Canoe Lagoon Oysters, operating an oyster business has been an exercise in efficiency. Since buying the farm in 2020, the pair has cut labor costs and oyster growing...
New shop offers tire mounting, repair services
If you're having trouble with your tires - or you want to commission a custom blade - John Hurst of John's Junk Removal has expanded his offerings to include tire repair, mounting and balance, plus...
Senior giving back to adoptive culture with historical fix-it project
What started out as merely a way to show support for her best friend ended up being a life-changing experience for high school senior Brodie Gardner. Last June, she was asked by Mia Wiederspohn to go...
School district begins strategic plan update process with survey
As the school year hastens to its May 25 end, the district took its first steps toward updating its strategic plan, a document that lists specific goals and outcomes, how those will be achieved and the deadlines for each. Though discussions about...
Southeast chinook harvest limit cut 23% for all gear groups
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has reduced this year’s non-hatchery chinook catch limit for Southeast commercial trollers by 44,000 fish — about 23% lower than last year’s harvest quota. The catch limit for sportfishing, commercial...
Federal fishery council votes to close California, Oregon coast to chinook catch
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A federal regulatory group voted last Thursday to officially close king salmon fishing season along much of the West Coast after near-record low numbers of the fish returned to California’s rivers last year. The Pacific Fishery...
Dunleavy rejects more state funding for child care; forms task force on issue
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he does not support a request to add millions of dollars to the state budget to help child care providers, instead announcing the formation of a task force to examine the issue and provide policy recommendations by the end of...
Putting tribal lands in trust raises new legal issues in Alaska
A lawsuit over a driveway-sized parcel in Juneau and a sales tax disagreement involving a food truck in Craig both highlight the learning curve facing city, state and tribal officials in Alaska as the federal government slowly accepts tribal lands...
State senator tries third time for tax on e-cigarettes, vape sticks
For the third time in as many legislative sessions, Kodiak Sen. Gary Stevens is leading the push to get a tax on e-cigarettes and vaping products into state law. “Taxes have been proven to reduce youth tobacco use, resulting in fewer kids becoming...
Judge denies opponents' request to halt major North Slope oil project
A federal court judge on April 3 ruled against environmental groups seeking to block preliminary construction of the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope. The decision allows ConocoPhillips, the project developer, to begin digging a gravel... Full story