Articles from the August 19, 2021 edition
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Schools will review mask requirement after first two weeks
The school board has decided to continue with its COVID-19 mitigation plan that requires students, staff and visitors to wear face masks in the buildings, though the policy will be reviewed again two weeks after classes begin. The plan approved at...
Luck of the draw
Brittani Robbins, chamber of commerce executive director, spun the drum and announced the winners Monday of the business group's back-to-school shopping event. Ben Howe won the children's drawing,...
Census shows 10% drop in Wrangell population
The U.S. Census Bureau says Wrangell lost 242 residents between 2010 and 2020 — about 10% of the community’s population. The borough doesn’t believe it. “We’re very concerned that the numbers are inaccurate,” Carol Rushmore, Wrangell’s...
Governor says Alaskans need cash; OK to take it from the Permanent Fund
As legislators meet in special session this week, Gov. Mike Dunleavy continues to push his plan for much larger Permanent Fund dividends, saying “cash is the ultimate program” to help Alaskans. “Cash in the form of the Permanent Fund dividend...
COVID outbreak hits Wrangell, rest of Southeast
Statewide COVID-19 case counts continued climbing early this week, with Southeast communities some of the hardest hit — including Wrangell, with 11 new cases reported Monday and Tuesday. Because of the high case counts, state public health...
The Way We Were In the Sentinel
Aug. 25, 1921 The Wrangell Pulp and Paper Co., composed of local people with eastern connections, is busy with plans for the establishment of a pulp and paper mill in the Wrangell District. This company has made application to the Federal Power...
Mask policies differ among Alaska school districts
Petersburg schools will open Aug. 31 with face masks required for at least the first two weeks of the semester, reviewing the policy at the next school board meeting on Sept. 14. Based on the high count of active COVID-19 cases in Ketchikan, schools...
Ferry sailing canceled last week due to crew shortage
The Alaska Marine Highway System has been advertising statewide since June in a concerted effort to recruit new crewmembers for the vessels, though help did not arrive in time when the LeConte had to cancel its northbound sailing out of Juneau on Aug...
From the publisher
Just over 20 years ago, half of the Alaska House of Representatives banded together - Democrats and Republicans, urban and rural - in a concerted push to balance the budget, raise new revenues and...
Editorial
For years, critics of state finances have said government should run more like a business. OK, let's see how that works. When companies are short of revenue, they first look at how to boost sales. Mak...
Borough approves cell tower lease at landfill
After a two-week delay due to an incomplete property appraisal, the borough assembly has approved the lease for a new cell tower. The first tenant of the new tower near the city landfill will be Verizon Wireless, though additional carriers could be...
Shoemaker will get new net repair float
The borough has awarded contracts for a new 75-foot-long net repair float at Shoemaker Bay, which will be 99% covered by federal and state funds. The float used by fishermen at the harbor has been in terrible shape for some time, Mayor Steve Prysunka...
Jade Balansag encourages students to look for opportunities
Wrangell High School graduate Jade Balansag is getting her opportunity to start classes Aug. 30 at George Washington University in the nation's capital. And she is doing it with yet another honor, nam...
Assembly takes first step to add deputy manager
Acknowledging that it’s not easy to run the borough as more projects are added to the borough manager’s work list, the assembly has decided it may be time to add a deputy manager at city hall. The assembly at a workshop Aug. 11 directed Manager...
State resumes rural power subsidy after judge rules against governor
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has decided not to appeal after a judge ruled against his interpretation of state law that would have stopped assistance payments toward utility bills in almost 200 small communities across Alaska. A state court judge on Aug. 11...
Cross-country team gets ready for season
Most of last year's runners are back for the high school cross-country team, with some freshmen joining the squad too, the coach said. Practice is underway and the first meet will be sometime in...
Planning underway for Family Resilience Fair Sept. 11
The community group BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) is making plans for its fourth annual Family Resilience Fair, scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Nolan Center. The intent of the event “is to make people aware of the resou...
Lucille Merrill, 'always the explorer,' dies at 85
Lucille Margaret Merrill, age 85, passed away at Providence Hospital in Anchorage on July 21. Lucille was born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1935. It wasn't long before her adventurous family took on a pr... Full story
Alaska Fish Factor
Bycatch gives Alaska’s otherwise stellar fisheries management its biggest black eye. The term refers to unwanted sea creatures taken in trawls, pots, lines and nets when boats are going after other targeted catches. Bycatch is the bane of...
Laughs and lunches
Michael Cook (from left), Alexis Easterly, Jenna Eastaugh, Hailey Cook and Gavin Hunt enjoy Monday afternoon, relishing the sun as they catch up during their last days of summer break before classes...
Crews retrieve plane crash wreckage
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Improved weather conditions Aug. 11 allowed crews to access the site where a sightseeing plane crashed last week near Ketchikan, killing six people. Clint Johnson, head of the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska...
Police report
Monday, Aug. 9 Disorderly conduct. Suspicious circumstance. Disorderly conduct. Tuesday, Aug. 10 Disturbance: Unfounded. Dog at large: Citation issued. Vehicle unlock. Welfare check. Wednesday, Aug. 11 Domestic disturbance: Unfounded. Found...
Former governor Walker wants the job back
JUNEAU (AP) - Former governor Bill Walker announced plans Tuesday to run for the job again in 2022 and said his former labor commissioner, Heidi Drygas, would be his running mate. Walker dropped his 2018 reelection bid just weeks before the November...
Canada will require vaccinations of all air travelers
TORONTO (AP) — The Canadian government will soon require all air travelers and passengers on interprovincial trains to be vaccinated against COVID-19. That includes all commercial air travelers, passengers on trains between provinces and cruise...
Teen breaks 43-year-old record for largest chinook in Michigan
LUDINGTON, Mich. (AP) - Louis Martinez will never have to embellish the proverbial fish story after confirmation that he set a new state record for the largest chinook salmon ever caught in...
