Articles from the April 4, 2019 edition


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  • WMC to receive new administrator as Robert Rang steps down

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    Robert Rang came on as the Wrangell Medical Center's administrator in October of 2015. The hospital was only the latest step in a three-decade career. Rang said he started his career as a CNA, and he kept on slowly rising up in the business. He was working in Kodiak when he first heard about this job being available in Wrangell, he said. "The opportunity opened up, it was something I was very interested in. Small town life is what my wife and I enjoy, along with all the other activities that...

  • Mariners' Memorial holds second annual auction

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial Board held its second annual auction at the Stikine Inn last Saturday evening. The auction, to raise money for a planned memorial to honor Wrangell seafarers, had over a dozen items in both a live and silent auction. Many people from across town came out to support the memorial and to bid. This was the second year in a row for the board to hold an auction. Board Member Brennon Eagle gave the public a short update on the memorial and the organization before the...

  • The Way We Were

    Apr 4, 2019

    April 4, 1919 St. Philip’s Guild will enter into the magazine business temporarily, having made arrangements with the Priscilla Publishing Company to secure 50 subscribers before April 10. A committee representing the Guild will visit Wrangell homes and will have some tempting club offers to present with the Priscilla. With the end of war activities in sight, a longing for the needlework, which was laid aside during the busy months, will make itself felt once more, and a good fancy work magazine will be a household necessity. April 7, 1944 The...

  • Police Report

    Apr 4, 2019

    March 25, 2019 Agency Assist: MVA Report of fraud Citation issued: Maxfield Dalton, 49. Speeding. Found property. Hazardous play. Traffic. Alarms. March 26, 2019 Civil matter. Disturbance. Civil issue. March 27, 2019 Subpoena service. 86’d letter: Issued to shoplifter. Dangerous play: Parent notified of children writing with chalk on the roadway. 86’d letter: Person banned from City Market and Sentry for assaulting an employee. Citation issued: Amy Price, 43. Dog at large. Citizen assist. March 28, 2019 Agency assist: Sprinkler alarm. Har...

  • Adult prom

    Apr 4, 2019

    Wrangell had its second annual "adult prom" at the Elks Lodge last Saturday night. Everyone over the age of 21 was invited to come out, dance, and raise money for the high school class of 2021. According to Lucy Robinson, one of the event's organizers, the prom raised $2,000. "To all of the dancers, who danced their tails off, thanks so much for supporting the class of 2021," she said. Pictured here is Esther Ashton, dancing at the prom....

  • Health fair to offer blood tests, community support

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    A health fair will be hosted at the Nolan Center next Sat., April 6, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Alaska Health Fair is a statewide nonprofit, which has been working since its founding in 1980 to provide Alaskans with affordable blood tests, screenings, and health education. They conduct almost 100 community events a year across the state, according to their website. Health Educator Haleena Vanveem, health director with SEARHC, is helping to organize the Wrangell Health Fair. She has helped to put...

  • Dan's Dispatch

    Dan Ortiz|Apr 4, 2019

    This past weekend, I had the opportunity to host three Community Meetings in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan to hear input on the governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to attend, especially those who had the courage to speak. In Ketchikan, almost 130 people attended, and 51 people spoke during the 2.5 hours allowed for public comment. In Sitka, over 200 people attended and 61 people spoke. I'd like to share some...

  • Herd of Orphans

    Apr 4, 2019

    Petersburg filmmaker Kelly Bakos came to Wrangell to present her documentary, "A Herd of Orphans." The film covers an elephant orphanage in Zambia that cares for young elephants that have lost their family to poachers. Pictured here is Bakos next to a poster for her documentary. According to a Facebook post by Bakos, the film screening raised over $300, which will be going to support the orphanage....

  • BRAVE attends summit on violence prevention

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    Members of BRAVE, the Wrangell organization that works to build healthy relationships in the community, recently attended a summit in Anchorage last month to discuss topics like domestic and sexual violence, and prevention programs that can be put in place at the local level. The 2019 Alaska Primary Prevention Summit was organized by the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, which is a part of the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Kay Larson, Loretto Jones, and Joan Sargent...

  • The Wrangell Cooperative Association elects new tribal council

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    The Wrangell Cooperative Association, the local organization dedicated to supporting Alaska Natives, held an election for new tribal council members last Monday, March 25. The WCA oversees cultural events, supports subsistence lifestyles, assists with transportation, and does much more for Wrangell's native community. Board members are elected by tribal members of the WCA. Five people have been chosen for the council this year, according to results released on the WCA's Facebook page: Christie...

  • City and school board hold budget workshop

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    The Wrangell Borough Assembly and the Wrangell School Board held a joint work session last Thursday to discuss the school district's proposed budget for the 2020 school year. Earlier this year, Governor Mike Dunleavy proposed a 23 percent cut to the Base Student Allocation, which helps determine the amount of funding a school district receives from the state based on the number of students within the district. Since then, funding for the Wrangell School District has been a topic of much concern...

  • Spring book fair

    Apr 4, 2019

    Evergreen Elementary School is holding a Spring Book Fair this first week of spring, from April 1 to 5. Pictured here is Michelle Jenkins (left) and Everett Meissner (right) purchasing some books....

  • Women Pioneers of Alaska helping the elderly, preserving history

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    The Pioneers of Alaska is one of the older social organizations in the state. According to the organization's website, the first group of pioneers, or "Igloos," was founded in Nome in 1907. The purpose of the Pioneers of Alaska is twofold, to preserve community history and to serve as a social outlet for members. At first it was a men-only club, but women were allowed in around 1912, according to the Pioneer website. From the first Igloo in Nome, the group spread across the state. The Wrangell...

  • Alaska community hits temperature milestone

    Apr 4, 2019

    JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A small southeast Alaska community reached 70 degrees last week, which weather data suggests is the earliest point that temperature has been reached in the state. National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Bezenek says Klawock hit the mark March 19. He says the earliest that records indicate a community in Alaska hit 60 was Jan. 14, 2018, when the temperature at Annette Island, also in southeast Alaska, reached 66. The U.S. Drought Monitor, which weekly tracks drought conditions, shows much of southeast Alaska with a...

  • Over 20 mayors testify against tax grab by Gov. Dunleavy of fish taxes at CRA

    Laine Welch|Apr 4, 2019

    None of the members of the Senate Community and Regional Affairs committee (CRA) lives near the sea, but at a hearing last week they were not impressed by Governor Dunleavy’s plan to pull millions of dollars in fish taxes from remote coastal towns. Bills submitted to the legislature by the governor would remove the ability of towns to keep their share of local fisheries business and landing taxes. For decades, the taxes have been split 50/50 with the state. Dunleavy wants to take all of the funds for state coffers, meaning a combined loss of $...

  • Third annual "Helping Our Parks" Project coming mid-April

    Caleb Vierkant|Apr 4, 2019

    The Helping Our Parks Project, or "HOP" Project, is an annual community service event organized by the Wrangell Parks and Recreation Department. Parks and Recreation Director Kate Thomas said that this is the third year it will be held and it's coming up on April 20. The HOP Project began in 2017, she said, when the department and local volunteers came out to Volunteer Park to clean up and repair the place. In 2018 it took place at City Park. This year, they are coming back to Volunteer Park,...