Articles from the November 28, 2019 edition


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  • Mayor Prysunka goes to Washington last week

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Mayor Steve Prysunka travelled to Washington D.C. last week to speak before the Senate Committee on Energy and National Resources. He was invited to speak on behalf of the National Association of Counties, an organization that works to advocate county priorities in federal policymaking. Prysunka spoke last Thursday, Nov. 21, on the importance of the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funds. "We're somewhat unique because we're actually the third largest city...

  • Over 13 pounds of cigarette butts collected ahead of Great American Smokeout

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Earlier this month, on Nov. 5, several Wrangell High School cheerleaders helped SEARHC employee Tammi Meissner pick up cigarette butts on Front Street. In an email to the Sentinel, Meissner said that they managed to clean up 13.4 pounds of cigarette butts from the street and sidewalks. This was done ahead of the Great American Smokeout, which is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of November. The GASO is hosted by the American Cancer Society to promote the risks of smoking and ways to...

  • Plans to subdivide old mill property

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Plans are in motion to subdivide the old mill property around 6.5 mile Zimovia Highway, according to Terri Wenger with Anchor Properties. The property, currently owned by Betty Buhler, has been on the market for quite some time. On the Anchor Properties website the almost 39-acre lot is listed at $2.7 million. Wenger said that the plan is to subdivide the land into 11 lots, ranging in size from one to three acres. "I could be wrong, but I think that it could be possibly the biggest private land...

  • The Way We Were In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago.

    Nov 28, 2019

    November 27 , 1919 The Town of Wrangell is now prepared to furnish free vaccination against smallpox. The importance of vaccination is urged. Those who have not been vaccinated in the past two years are requested to call at the office of Dr S. C. Shurick, Health officer. November 24, 1944 Pre-Holiday turkey shoppers will find the retail ceiling prices on turkeys have been revised over those in effect last year, according to a statement made today by Donald O’Conner, Territorial price executive, for the Office of Price Administration. Dressed y...

  • New Table for the Forest Service

    Nov 28, 2019

  • Police report

    Nov 28, 2019

    November 18 Traffic stop verbal warning for license plate and DL out of state past 90 days. November 19 License violation. Missing medication. Agency Assist: Traffic verbal warning for no headlights and crossing the center line. November 20 Civil Dispute. Civil Dispute. Suspicious vehicle. Citizen Assist. Disturbance/Civil Stand-by. November 21 DUI-Unfounded. Suspicious Vehicle. Traffic Stop. November 22 Agency Assist: Alarm. Civil Standby. Traffic Compliant. Disorderly Conduct warning. Traffic stop verbal warning for faulty equipment....

  • Former Wrangellite goes into business with "instant hatchery"

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Some Wrangell residents may remember Tod Jones. He was a Wrangell resident for about 20 years, from the '70s to the '90s. He first moved to the area to help start a fish hatchery in the Burnett Inlet with the Alaska Aquaculture Company. Wrangell resident Brian Ashton was his former operations manager, Jones mentioned. When the hatchery closed down around 1995, Jones moved away. After leaving Wrangell, Jones said he spent four years in Israel, then came back to the United States and settled down...

  • Editorial: Lift the Roadless Rule on Tongass

    Ron Loesch Publisher|Nov 28, 2019

    Southeast Alaskans have been given the opportunity to lift the onerous roadless designation from the Tongass National Forest, and yet many have testified to leave it in place. We're astonished. That's not the Alaskan way. Why do we want the federal government to maintain continued control of the Tongass? The roadless designation was put in place as yet another padlock on national forests that were already protected and commercial activity was eliminated or severely stymied. Half of the Tongass...

  • Hospital construction still on track for 2021 opening

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center remains on schedule and on budget, according to SEARHC Vice President and Hospital Administrator Leatha Merculieff. The future hospital will be about 44,500 square feet, attached to the AICS Clinic off of Wood Street, and cost about $30 million. Construction began in the spring of this year. Merculieff said that there have been some minor delays with getting trusses shipped to Wrangell, but now all major structural materials are on the island....

  • Library to digitize archive of Wrangell publications

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Past microfilms of the Stikine River Journal, the Fort Wrangell News and the Wrangell Sentinel will be digitally archived using a $8,250 grant that Wrangell Cooperative Association applied for and received from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. About 18,500 images are set to be digitized by APEX Covantage and will meet the same standards as the Alaska State Library's historical newspaper documentation program, according to Tribal Administrator Esther Ashton. Issues from the Stikine...

  • Wolves take third at Sitka tournament

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    The Wrangell Wolves wrestling team travelled to Sitka this past weekend for a tournament at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. With 150 accumulated points, the team walked away with a third place win, behind Ketchikan in first and Mt. Edgecumbe in second. In the varsity 103 bracket, Devlyn Campbell took fifth place and Jacen Hay took third. In the varsity 130 bracket Ryan Rooney took first place. In the varsity 135 bracket Ethan Blatchley took third place. In the varsity 152 bracket Hunter Wiederspohn took first place. In the varsity 171 bracket Rowen...

  • Basketball season just around the corner

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Basketball season opens Dec. 4 for Wrangell's boys and girls basketball teams. While the teams are yet to meet for practice, both head coaches are optimistic about the coming season. A common theme between the coaches is the emphasis on promoting teamwork amongst their players. The Lady Wolves had an exceptional season last year. After going 11-3 in their regular season, they took their first regional championship in 25 years. They then went to State, where their season came to an end after two...

  • Lady Wolves end season at Regionals

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    The Lady Wolves' volleyball season came to a close last week. Wrangell was host to the regional tournament this year, seeing players from all over Southeast Alaska compete. While the team fell in Regionals, and will not go to State this year, Coach Alyssa Allen said she was proud of her team's performance. The Lady Wolves went up against the Haines Glacier Bears for their first game at Regionals. They won three games in a row, with scores of 25-9, 25-15 and 25-16. After Haines came a game agains...

  • Alaska salmon permit values ticked upwards in regions with good fisheries this year while others tanked 

    Laine Welch|Nov 28, 2019

    The value of Alaska salmon permits has ticked upwards in regions that experienced a good fishery this year while others have tanked. Not surprisingly, the record sockeye fishery at Bristol Bay has boosted sales of driftnet permits to nearly $200,000, up from the mid-$170,000 range prior to the 2019 season. Another strong run forecast of 48.9 million sockeyes for 2020 with a projected harvest of 36.9 million could increase the value even more, said Doug Bowen of Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer. What’s really raising eyebrows, Bowen said, is v...

  • Correction

    Nov 28, 2019

    In last week’s edition of the Sentinel we reported that SEARHC’s CNA training program was the first at the Wrangell Medical Center. The program is new under SEARHC, but the program has existed in Wrangell before.... Full story

  • Wrangell by the numbers: Visitor industry continues to show growth

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Rain Coast Data, on behalf of the Wrangell Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently released a document examining the economic impacts of the tourism industry on the community. "Wrangell Visitor Industry By The Numbers 2019" looks at everything from changes to the visitor industry, jobs supported by the industry, how many people visit and by what means of travel, and much more. "Wrangell is a distinct and attractive visitor destination that is growing in popularity as a small cruise ship destina...

  • Shoemaker renovations extended to boarding float, parking lot

    Caleb Vierkant|Nov 28, 2019

    Shoemaker Bay Harbor has been undergoing renovations since the summer of 2018. First built in 1977, according to Harbor Master Greg Meissner in a previous interview with the Sentinel, it has grown well past its life expectancy. The work has seen the installation of a new gangway and floats. The harbor was also dredged to make it a little deeper. Meissner, in an interview in August 2018, said that the plan was to rebuild Shoemaker to make it more easily accessible to wider, deeper boats. During...

  • Tracked package leads to controlled substance arrest

    Brian Varela|Nov 28, 2019

    PETERSBURG – A Grand Jury indicted Eric Jennings, 39, on three of the five counts set before them on Nov. 14. Jennings was indicted on misconduct involving a controlled substance in the fourth degree, tampering with physical evidence and criminal mischief in the third degree. The two other counts, misconduct involving a controlled substance in the second degree and misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree, were withdrawn. On Nov. 7, Kevin Home, a United States postal i...

  • Tyee Lake set to power Wrangell through winter

    Brian Varela|Nov 28, 2019

    PETERSBURG – The water level at Tyee Lake was at 1,380.6 feet as of Nov. 18, which will allow the hydro plant to produce power for over seven months should all inflows to the lake stop. As part of the Southeast Alaska Power Agency, Tyee Lake dedicates its power to Petersburg and Wrangell, while Swan Lake produces power for Ketchikan. The 1,380.6 foot water level is about even with normal water levels for this time of the year, and is above the approximately 1,300 foot water level in November 2...