Articles from the July 6, 2022 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
No bidders on former hospital building
No one bid on the former Wrangell hospital building, which the borough had offered to sell at a minimum asking price of $830,000. The bidding period was open for a month and closed last Thursday. The property is now available for an over-the-counter...
Assembly approves borough budget
The borough assembly approved a budget for the fiscal year that started last Friday similar to past years — no increase in property tax or sales tax rates, and with more than half of the total spending going to the self-supporting operations of...
Forest Service gathering public input on possible new cabin sites
The U.S. Forest Service is looking to build a few new public-use recreational cabins in the Wrangell and Petersburg area, hoping to use federal infrastructure funding to pay for the work and considering sites that would be easier for people to reach....
Sealaska Heritage brings Southeast Native history online
Sealaska Heritage Institute has made available online for the public recordings of two important treasures in the preservation of traditional Southeast Native culture, knowledge and history: Radio interviews with Native leaders that go back almost...
The Way We Were
July 9, 1922 The Fourth of July has come and gone and one of the most successful Independence Day celebrations that Wrangell has ever known has passed into history. Much of the success of a celebration of this kind depends on the weather, and this ye...
Governor signs state budget; Wrangell funding intact
Though he vetoed funding for several projects and public services around Alaska, Gov. Mike Dunleavy did not cross out $4.1 million in state grant funding toward a new $15 million water treatment plant in Wrangell. The borough hopes to finish design...
School and assembly members meet to discuss campus security
School district staff, a school board member, borough assembly members and law enforcement met on June 28 in a work session to discuss school safety measures in the case of an intruder. Ideas such as single points of entry on campuses, student...
Old hospital's best use is as land for housing
No surprise, but the borough received no bids for the former hospital property. No one was willing to pay the $830,000 minimum price for the building, much of which is 55 years old. It’s not like there’s a lot of value to the building, unless a...
Riverboat tours are Wrangell's economic future
Riverboats have operated on the Stikine since the gold rush days of the 1860s and 1870s. The commerce was a big part of Wrangell’s economy in those days, with a long history of family-owned businesses moving people and freight up and down the...
Alaska Marine Highway return to Prince Rupert good for Southeast
The Alaska Department of Transportation last month reinstated state ferry service to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The relationship between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan is an important one, as they are sister cities. The ferry route brings strong...
Borough reaches deal with state on any past contamination at mill site
The borough last week closed on its $2.5 million purchase of the former sawmill property at 6 Mile Zimovia Highway and separately signed an agreement with the state that would hold Wrangell harmless if any past contamination is discovered at the...
Heritage Harbor boat ramp will close for 3 weeks
The Heritage Harbor boat launch ramp will close for a few weeks in August under a plan to replace the deteriorated asphalt apron with concrete paving. The 2-inch-thick asphalt is more than 10 years old and in bad shape, Amber Al-Haddad, borough...
Anan toilets likely pumped in time to open observatory
Raincountry Contracting cleared the way for visitors to enjoy the Anan Wildlife Observatory in time for this week’s opening of the bear viewing season. The Petersburg-based company needed to pump out the 750-gallon-capacity public toilets, which...
Former reporter-turned author recounts process of writing four books
Bonnie Demerjian used to report for the Wrangell Sentinel in the early 2000s. One of the last stories she wrote for the newspaper in 2004 was about aviation author Greg Liefer. Though she enjoyed...
Mount Dewey trail extension slips to next year
The million-dollar project to extend the Mount Dewey trail, add a parking lot off Bennett Street for the new portion of the trail and connect the Volunteer Park Trail to Ishiyama Drive has been pushed back to next year. In addition to resolving a...
Eric Halstead wins 67th king salmon derby
Eric Halstead took the lead in the 67th Wrangell King Salmon derby with a 43.4-pound catch near Blake Island on June 17 and never lost it, bringing him the first-place prize of $3,000 cash. Stanley Johnson took second, with his 41.8-pound king on...
Bars reopen with limited hours on two state ferries
Beer and wine have been available at the bars on board the state ferries Matanuska and Kennicott since late May after the amenities were closed seven years ago, reportedly to save money. The ferry system “has collected feedback on the bar reopening...
4th of July weekend draws large crowds
Friendly competitions, food tosses, tests of endurance and plenty of fun filled the weekend as hundreds flocked to various Fourth of July events throughout Wrangell. Tourists, visitors, family and...
End to pandemic orders will cut food stamp aid to 56,000 Alaska households
Tens of thousands of Alaskans will lose access to expanded food stamp benefits in September after the state ends its public health emergency in July. The end of additional benefits under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program comes as...
Trump scheduled at campaign rally in Alaska on Saturday
Former President Donald Trump plans to attend a campaign rally in Anchorage this week for candidates he has endorsed in the state, including former governor Sarah Palin who is running for U.S. House. The five-hour event is scheduled for Saturday at...
Report finds increase in whale entanglements in fishing gear
Alaska was the only U.S. coastal region to have an increase in the confirmed cases of large whales entangled in fishing gear in 2020, a contrast to a national trend of declining cases over the past six to eight years, according to a report issued...
Breaching salmon dams would cost billions to replace lost power, irrigation
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The benefits provided by four giant hydroelectric dams on the lower Snake River in Washington state can be replaced if the dams are breached to save endangered salmon runs, according to a report released this month. But it...
Borough assembly gives good evaluation to manager
The borough assembly likes the job Jeff Good is doing as manager, reaffirming a raise that was part of the three-year contract he was given when hired for the job in January. The assembly in executive session at its June 28 meeting conducted its...
Researchers learn more about Alaska's deep-sea corals
Scientists are on the water this summer, gathering information about a once-mysterious habitat - the large and varied gardens of colorful corals that cover parts of the Alaska seafloor. What they lear...
Former Juneau legislator, Dennis Egan, dies at 75
Former Southeast state senator and Juneau KINY radio host Dennis Egan died June 28. He was 75. Egan passed away at an assisted-living home in Salem, Oregon, his family reported. Egan’s daughter, Leslie, and her family, live in Oregon. Egan’s fami...