Articles from the July 20, 2022 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
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State will start issuing dividends Sept. 20
JUNEAU (AP) — The state plans to begin distributing this year’s oil-wealth dividend and a special energy relief payment to residents on Sept. 20. The timeline was announced last Friday by Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state Department of Revenue....
Sculptor hopes to evoke joy with BearFest statue
What's the recipe for sculpting a bear? Add one part encouragement, one part planning, two parts materials, one part inspiration, ruminate for two years, then take three months to cut away everything...
Borough signs design contract for port and harbor surveillance cameras
The plan is to have surveillance cameras in operation at City Dock and the harbors sometime next year. The borough assembly last week approved a $90,983 design contract with Juneau-based RESPEC to prepare plans for the cameras, wiring and server...
Gardeners slug it out with pesky mollusks
Whether brown, yellow, black or spotted like a leopard, slugs all have one thing in common: They can devastate a garden. Growers in Wrangell have many suggestions on what works to control the slimy...
The Way We Were
July 20, 1922 Tuesday was a red-letter day in the lives of the children of Wrangell. The arrival of the “Kandy Kings” on the Spokane was like a midsummer visit from Santa Claus. The visitors were distributing samples of high-class confectionery...
Family fiddle has legacy of Nordic music in eight strings
Larraine Jenson-Kagee has a physical connection to her family's origins in Snarum, Norway, that sat in a box gathering dust for the past 20 years. Last month, Jenson-Kagee's sister, Darlene, sent the...
High COVID case count hits community
An additional 40 COVID-19 cases were recorded in Wrangell July 7-13, more than twice as many as in the previous three weeks, according to the Alaska Department of Health website. That’s almost as many cases as were reported in Ketchikan, 43,...
Sharing Our Knowledge conference coming to Wrangell
For the first time in its almost 30-year history, Sharing Our Knowledge, a regional conference of Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes and clans will be held in Wrangell. The conference is scheduled for Sept. 7-11 at the Nolan Center, with activities...
Property assessments worth a full review
Probably no one enjoys paying property taxes. It’s a big check, rather than a few dimes or dollars in sales taxes each time at the register. But it’s an essential part of the municipal budget, second only to sales taxes in bringing in revenue to...
Congress should extend health insurance subsidies
Some argue that the federal government paid out far too much money to too many people under the headline of “pandemic relief aid.” The list includes up to $3,200 per person in cash, expanded and extended unemployment and food stamp benefits, chil...
Last-minute permits for Anan available through Forest Service office
Independent travelers and residents looking to visit Anan Wildlife Observatory apart from tour groups still have a chance to do so. The Forest Service Wrangell ranger district is making last-minute permits available through its office on a weekly...
Wrangell seeks 50% state funding for $2.3 million Meyers Chuck float replacement
The borough is applying for a $1.166 million state grant to go toward replacing the harbor float at Meyers Chuck. The 400-foot-long float is 57 years old, supported by steel pilings almost 40 years old, according to information presented at the July...
Early voting opens Aug. 1 for special and primary elections
Early voting will open Aug. 1 for the Aug. 16 special election to fill the unexpired term of the late U.S. Rep. Don Young and the primary election, also Aug. 16, for governor, Legislature, U.S. Senate, and to select the top candidates for a full...
Borough wants to undertake comprehensive review of property assessments
Looking to ensure that all property is taxed fairly and equitably, the borough is considering a reassessment of all residential and commercial properties for next year’s tax bills. The goal is for assessments to be consistent and “fair and...
Entries due by July 29 in BearFest photo contest
The BearFest photo contest is wide open like an aperture on a starry night. That is, it’s time to click and submit entries focused on bear photos and videos. From now through 11:59 p.m. on July 29, photographers and videographers can post up to...
Peak budworm infestation eats its way through Southeast forest
Look around Southeast and you will see a lot of evergreen trees that aren't so green. Southeast Alaska's hemlock and spruce trees are fending off an assault by a number of pests and diseases, most...
Wrangell businesses less optimistic about economy than Southeast neighbors
Nearly two-thirds of the 440 Southeast Alaska business leaders who responded to a spring survey said the region’s overall business climate is good, the highest positive rating since 2017. It’s a strong turnaround from last year’s survey when...
Southeast towns look for answers to limited public restrooms
Most every town in Southeast faces a similar summer problem: Boatloads of visitors and not enough public toilets. Some communities have built additional restrooms, and Sitka this summer is paying downtown businesses willing to open their facilities...
PFD donations don't change much with higher payout
This year, deposits of about $3,200 each will begin appearing in Alaskans’ bank accounts on Sept. 20, but so far the promise of a record-high combined Permanent Fund dividend and energy relief payment hasn’t translated to more charitable giving....
New 988 mental health crisis line starts up in Alaska
Alaskans who find themselves in a mental health crisis can now call or text 988 to access a trained crisis counselor. Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to individuals of all ages. The three-digit number for suicide prevention...
Legislature works on new policy governing use of social media
With two of its members facing lawsuits for their social media practices, the Alaska Legislature is contemplating new advice and policies to cover its 60 members. The joint House-Senate Legislative Council unveiled its first draft of a new policy...
Policy review says mining impacts on Pacific Northwest salmon underestimated
A science and policy review concludes that mining risks to salmon habitat have been underestimated across the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska and British Columbia. The report discusses the limitations on governance of mining operations and calls...
Coast Guard heads out on annual North Pacific fisheries patrol
Multiple vessels were targeted with fines as a result of enforcement by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf during an annual fisheries patrol last year. The announcement comes as the Coast Guard’s annual fisheries patrol, North Pacific Guard, is a...
Humpback whale carcass washes up in Sitka Sound
A dead humpback whale that had been seen floating in northeastern Sitka Sound is probably the same one that washed ashore a few miles away in May, a marine mammal expert said July 12. Lauren Wild, applied fisheries assistant professor at the...
NOAA will study habitat protections for North Pacific right whales
The U.S. government on July 11 agreed to a request from environmental groups to study increasing critical habitat designations in Alaska waters for North Pacific right whales, one of the rarest whale species in the world. The National Oceanic and Atm...
