Articles from the April 19, 2023 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
The trash is free for the picking, as are the gloves and lunch for the pickers
Wrangell’s annual community cleanup is planned for April 29, with free lunch, free trash bags, free disposable gloves, and cash prizes for volunteer picker-uppers. And while organizers hope the incentives will get people to turn out, the real...
PFD, school funding separate House and Senate in final budget weeks
With four weeks left before the May 17 adjournment deadline, legislators are focusing on the state budget and how to resolve big differences between the House and Senate over school funding and the amount of this year’s Permanent Fund dividend....
Stikine birding festival about to take off for 16-day flight
Every spring when the eulachon spawn, the Stikine River flats are flooded with thousands of migratory shorebirds. And each year, the town responds in-kind with the Stikine River Birding Festival, filling the radio airwaves with bird songs and...
Lodge to continue operations under original name, new owners
For nearly 40 years, the Sourdough Lodge has served the needs of Wrangell whether through tourist visits, assisted living or pandemic housing. During that time, it was owned by the Harding family,...
The Way We Were
April 19, 1923 The home of John Bradley, which was badly damaged by fire recently, is being repaired this week through funds raised by a subscription list circulated last week by Mayor Grant. The Sisters and Brothers Society also made a donation of...
Borough starts rezoning for Alder Top residential subdivision
As the Alder Top Village development moves through its design process, borough officials, the planning and zoning commission and members of the public will have the opportunity to shape what these new neighborhoods will look like. At its April 11...
Planning and zoning approves permit for animal shelter
The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved the next step in making a physical location for the St. Frances Animal Rescue facility a reality. Last Thursday, the commission voted to grant a...
Assembly approves funding for $400,000 pool residing project
The siding on the exterior of the swimming pool building is deteriorating and borough officials are working to ensure that the facility stays safe and looks its best for years to come. At its April 11 meeting, the borough assembly unanimously...
People need a reason to move to Alaska
A wise economist made the point last week that while it’s true more people have left Alaska each of the past 10 years than have moved here, the problem isn’t so much the departures as it is the drop in arrivals. Alaska has long had a high...
Social media amplifies the bad examples
When I was a kid, I suppose my role models were mostly professional athletes. Sports was everything (no offense to school or my parents or Boy Scouts leader). Though I never was very good at any of them, particularly sports or school or being an...
Wrangell's self-reliance shines in graduating class
Another school year is almost done and, once again, I’m truly impressed by the caliber of young people Wrangell produces. For the past two years, I’ve interviewed the students of the senior class for their graduation projects. Each story...
Southeast at risk of losing Alaska Marine Highway service to Prince Rupert, permanently
Ketchikan, her close community neighbors and all of Southeast Alaska are in danger. We are at risk of losing our Alaska Marine Highway System ferry run to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, permanently. Ferry service to Prince Rupert is vital. It is...
House version of state budget falls short of long-term help for more school district funding
The Alaska House has debated the state budget and, as the representative for southern Southeast, helping to create the budget is one of my main duties. There were some amendments in the House Finance Committee that are encouraging: We increased fundi...
Triumphant youth Bible Bowl team prepares for upcoming tournament
Do you know who the first Christian martyr was? Or who replaces Judas Iscariot as the 12th apostle? Or how to escape imprisonment by Herod Agrippa? Wrangell’s youth Bible Bowl team knows. For the first time in 15 years, the town has a competitive B...
Sweet Tides reopening delayed while waiting for state permit
Like waiting for yeast to rise, customers of Sweet Tides Bakery will have to wait a little longer for the business to reopen. The bakery had planned to open this Wednesday, however a permitting...
Grief educator to lead conversation on how to help
Twentieth-century U.K. novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch once wrote that “the bereaved cannot communicate with the unbereaved.” Grief can have intense physical and emotional effects on people, from nausea and increased blood pressure to...
Stikine closed for 7th year in a row to subsistence king fishing
For the seventh year in a row, federal managers have closed the Stikine River chinook subsistence fishery to help preserve weak runs of the returning salmon. The U.S. Forest Service, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, last...
Forest Service seeks public comments on sustainable strategy for Tongass
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking suggestions for sustainably managing the Tongass National Forest, with a series of public meetings across Southeast Alaska through May 19. The Wrangell public meeting is planned for 5 to 7 p.m. May 5 at the Nolan...
Drifting volcanic ash shut down air travel
Drifting ash from a volcanic eruption in the Russian Far East forced Alaska Airlines to cancel more than 100 flights last week, including its northbound and southbound jets through Wrangell and Petersburg last Thursday and Friday. Flights throughout...
Native corporation venture delays Klawock cruise ship dock to 2024
Klawock’s debut as a cruise destination has been pushed back to 2024, according to an announcement from Klawock Heenya Corp. and its partner Na-Dena, the joint-venture tourism development company formed between Native corporations Hoonah-based...
Decker drums up idea for pep band platform in senior project
Elias Decker wants to elevate the stature of the pep band drummer - literally. For his high school graduation project, the 18-year-old senior is building a platform to allow the band's drummer to...
Longtime resident Betty Keegan dies at 90
Former Wrangell resident Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Twitchell Keegan, 90, passed away on March 31 in Moses Lake, Washington, following complications of a stroke. She was born April 19, 1932. As a child,... Full story
Bank sues Yakutat Native corporation over unpaid loans for logging business
A Washington state-based bank has sued the Alaska Native corporation based in Yakutat over what the bank says is $13.3 million in unpaid loans — sparking fears in the community about the loss of Indigenous lands. Yak-Tat Kwaan received some 36... Full story
Police report
Monday, April 10 Fraudulent check. Parking complaint. Assault. Welfare check. Tuesday, April 11 Nothing to report. Wednesday, April 12 Agency assist: Search and Rescue. Agency assist: Petersburg Police Department. Thursday, April 13 Welfare check....
State approves 292-acre timber sale at Whale Pass
The Alaska Department of Natural Resource has approved the 292-acre Whale Pass Timber Sale. The sale, in the community of Whale Pass, population about 60, requires a 100-foot buffer between the harvest area and residential property. A request for...