Articles from the August 9, 2023 edition
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Survey shows community wants industrial development at mill property, not tourism
More than 110 people completed the borough’s online survey to gauge public opinion on preferred uses for the former 6-Mile sawmill property, and an overwhelming majority said they want to see resource or industrial use at the site — not tourism dev...
Forest Service to reconstruct Anan Bay cabin next summer
The Forest Service’s Anan Bay cabin, which was destroyed by a fallen tree in February, will be one of the first seven cabins built — or in this case, rebuilt — as part of the federally funded Alaska cabins project. Reconstruction on the cabin is sc...
Garden tour produces bumper crop of information
Just like the gardens they visited, the number of people in attendance grew as last Sunday's garden tour progressed. About 15 people showed up at first, but that number had sprung up to 22 by the...
Pool reopens for community use after 9-month closure
The swimming pool reopened Monday after being closed since last November for repairs. The almost nine-month closure originally was due to a crack in the concrete near the center of the pool, causing it to leak about 3,000 gallons a day. Finding a...
The Way We Were
Aug. 9, 1923 Richard Suratt, Wrangell’s well-known cinematographer, recently returned from a trip into the Cassiar where he secured 450 feet of remarkable film for the Pathe News. On the road between Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake, Mr. Suratt s...
New principal looks forward to helping students, staff achieve their best
Jackie Hanson has been an educator for 19 years. For all that time, she has operated under the philosophy of helping people reach their aspirations, regardless of how different they might be. The new...
Library closes the book on summer reading program with pizza party
Young readers flocked to the old gym last Saturday to celebrate their summer achievements with pizza, prizes and a majestic bouncy castle. The event was the culmination of the Irene Ingle Public...
Rebuild will keep Roosevelt Harbor dock out of service until next year
The dock at Roosevelt Harbor on Zarembo Island, about 15 miles southwest of Wrangell, was severely damaged in a storm last winter and will be out of service until next year. Initially, the U.S. Forest Service said it hoped to have the dock fixed by...
Too many similarities to Alaska for comfort
One of three major credit-rating agencies downgraded the U.S. government’s creditworthiness by a notch last week. Fitch said it made the move mostly because of the government’s rising debt and ongoing political difficulties of addressing spending and...
I'll change, just don't rush me
Most changes are forced upon us as the world evolves, and there is little anyone can do about it. Though I want to be the exception to the rule, I grudgingly acknowledge I am not. I resist as much as I can and hold on to small victories, but I am...
Federal subsidy at risk that helps with internet for low-income households
Alaska is a vast and beautiful state but also one of the most isolated and underserved in terms of broadband access. According to the Federal Communications Commission, only 65% of Alaskans have access to broadband speeds of at least 25 Mbps,...
Flooding takes out homes and damages others along Juneau's Mendenhall River
Amanda Arra saw about 50 feet of her Juneau backyard consumed by the Mendenhall River in just a few hours as the waters rose to a record flood level Saturday afternoon, Aug. 5. By evening, as a...
Residents react to next year's GCI email shutdown
GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications company, will end its email service in mid-2024. At that point, customers will no longer be able to access their accounts and will have to transition to new providers. Reaction among Wrangell users is v...
Tlingit & Haida Head Start plans to cut 80 classroom spots
The Head Start program operated in 10 Southeast communities by the Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska wants to reduce its authorized enrollment by 80 children as the nonprofit adjusts to a tightening budget situation and...
Southeast seiners could double pre-season pink harvest estimate
Southeast Alaska commercial seine fishermen are blazing past pink salmon catch estimates that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game predicted for the summer season. Fish and Game in May forecast that seine fishermen would harvest about 19 million...
Trollers get 24-hour chinook opening on Friday
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced a second opportunity for commercial trollers to catch chinook salmon in Southeast after a smaller-than-average troll fleet took about 85,000 chinook during an initial opener July 1-12. Troll...
BearFest celebration fosters friendly competition
BearFest attendees brought their culinary and athletic skills to bear at the celebration's games, tournaments and contests. The festival, which ran from July 26 to July 30, featured a golf...
E-bikes gain in popularity, but the rules are not entirely clear
It's hard to miss: Groups of people whizzing down the streets of Wrangell on what looks like a cross between a bicycle and an old-school moped, sometimes down the middle of the street or dangerously...
Former teacher Ron Castle dies at 89 in Idaho
Ron Castle, 89, passed away at home on June 30 in Lewiston, Idaho, after battling cancer. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on June 18, 1934, and was the eldest of four siblings (Marcia, Connie... Full story
Sitka assembly approves plan for new boat haul-out facility
The Sitka city assembly has given the go-ahead to a plan for building a boat haul-out and shipyard at the Gary Paxton Industrial Park by late 2024. The option calls for a 150-ton boat lift, haul-out piers, washdown pad and an EPA-certified...
Anchorage surpasses record for homeless deaths; 29 already this year
A record number of people believed to be homeless have died on Anchorage streets in the past seven months, and the count could increase before the year is out, according to police data. The death count stood at 29 on July 28, surpassing the previous...
State payments to settle lawsuits against Dunleavy near $1 million
The state has paid $350,000 to settle a four-year-old lawsuit that found Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his former chief of staff personally liable for illegally firing a state attorney. The settlement with Elizabeth Bakalar, of Juneau, ends a series of... Full story
Rural Alaska Natives have nation's highest death rates for suicide, domestic violence
Alaska Natives in certain rural areas of the state have the nation’s highest death rates from suicide and domestic violence and some of the highest rates of accidental deaths, while Asians and Latinos in the state have some of the nation’s low... Full story
State continues lawsuit against putting tribal land in federal trust
The state has formally asked a federal judge to decide whether the Bureau of Indian Affairs may create the legal equivalent of reservation land in Alaska on behalf of Native tribes. On Aug. 1, the state filed for summary judgment in its ongoing... Full story
Police report
Monday, July 31 Agency assist: Ambulance. Paper service. Agency assist: Municipal line crew. Tuesday, Aug. 1 Accidental death. Agency assist: Ambulance. Agency assist: Ambulance. Domestic: Verbal. Wednesday, Aug. 2 Gunshots: All was quiet in the...
