Articles from the April 5, 2023 edition
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
Assembly adopts rate increases on all utilities
After hearing from concerned residents and weighing the borough’s financial needs, the assembly voted unanimously to adopt rate increases for its water, electrical, sewer, harbor and trash pickup services. On average, the new rates will be 10% h...
Geologist will tell moving story of rocks, glaciers and fault lines
To the untrained eye, the Wrangell landscape looks serene and still, with its craggy, tree-covered hills, gray pebble beaches and sweeping ocean views. But to federal geologist Peter Haeussler, the...
State plans to spend $8 million to replace steel on Matanuska
The state now plans to spend an estimated $8 million to replace wasted steel on the ferry Matanuska. If the repairs can be completed in time, the ship could be available by late summer or early fall if it is needed to fill in on Southeast routes....
Students scramble to not break a few eggs in fun science project
Since the dawn of humankind, people have dropped stuff. And since that time, we've tried to figure out how to keep dropped stuff from breaking. Just look at cell phone cases. On March 27, students in...
The Way We Were
April 5, 1923 A letter from U.S. Attorney General Harry Daugherty reports that the Department of Justice has taken up with the commandant of the Coast Guard Service the matter of protecting Alaska fox farmers against poachers. Assurances have been...
Chamber will start charging for 4th booths, parade entries
From sponsorships to rental fees for Fourth of July event booths, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce is doing what it can to make sure the organization no longer operates at a deficit. In a work session on March 24, chamber leadership looked at...
Free recycling of junked cars, scrap metal ends Sunday
The opportunity for free recycling of old cars and trucks, metal roofing and shelving, major appliances and anything else made of metal will end Sunday. Juneau-based Channel Construction, which is operating under a short-term lease at the borough-own...
Thousands of Alaskans at risk of losing Medicaid coverage
A federal rule that prevented states from removing people from Medicaid rolls during the pandemic ended last week and some may lose health coverage if they no longer meet low-income guidelines, an official at SEARHC offices in Sitka said. However,...
Borough takes right steps to keep utility funds healthy
Borough officials and elected assembly members are right: Wrangell’s municipally owned-and-operated utilities and services need to pay their own way. Not happy news for residents — but it’s honest news. For far too long, Wrangell has been overly depe...
Clean up after your dog
Some people let their dogs run loose, while others walk their dogs but don’t bother to pick up the piles. Regardless of which one was the culprit, the recent dog poop deposit at the museum totem is a new low for a highly visible problem. The d...
This is not the fiscal plan Alaska needs
Three-term Nikiski Rep. Ben Carpenter is right, the state needs a sustainable, long-term fiscal plan. Give him credit for raising the issue. Talk of a balanced fiscal plan has lingered since 1990 — before several of today’s legislators were even born...
The month's message is healthy families
Kindergartener Kysa Harrison shows off her new pinwheel at Evergreen Elementary last Friday. April is child abuse prevention month, with the pinwheel its national symbol. Community organization BRAVE...
Borough to spend last of federal pandemic money on reservoir pipe
Thanks to federal pandemic relief money, the borough will be able to improve the reliability of the community’s water supply. At its March 28 meeting, the borough assembly allocated the final round of these funds — nearly $1.5 million total — to th...
Let the sun shine inside
Artist Jaynee Fritzinger paints a mural using acrylic paints on an interior wall in Breakaway Adventures new location on Lynch Street downtown. The design is based on similar artwork found on the...
Villarma won't return as activities director; school district hires new principal and also new IT director
As the school year nears the end, so too do the one-year contracts of some staff members. While Mason Villarma, who took the job of activities director at the beginning of the school year, has opted not to renew his contract, a new principal and IT d...
Taylor hits the brakes on electric school bus, says it's not economically feasible
After weighing the options of buying an electric school bus through a federal grant, Taylor Transportation, the company that provides the Wrangell School District with busing, has decided to pull the plug on the purchase. Citing the “unknowns” about...
State says it will be June before backlog of food stamp applications is cleared
The governor last Friday signed an emergency funding bill to help resolve the crisis-level backlog of food stamp applications from needy Alaskans. The Legislature had approved the measure days earlier. The budget bill includes $3.1 million for...
Student ensures the band plays on as she preps for graduation
As she prepares to enter the adult world, Paige Baggen is leaving behind a noted legacy at Wrangell High School. The 17-year-old is working with fifth-grade band students, specifically the clarinet...
Fellowship Hall rededication seeks to preserve Wrangell history
Martha Jager was a pillar of the Wrangell Salvation Army community around the 1970s and '80s, swelling the church's numbers and supporting its cause when the floors were covered in shag carpet and the...
Damage shuts down Zarembo dock until at least mid-summer
The Roosevelt Harbor parking lot on Zarembo Island has undergone major upgrades since last year, from drainage improvements to a new program that deters users from abandoning their vehicles. But after a major windstorm last December, the harbor dock...
Legislation could help boost legal services for low-income Alaskans
A state senator wants to direct a larger share of filing fees paid to the court system toward a nonprofit legal aid organization that helps several thousand Alaskans a year with their domestic violence, family law, housing, elder advocacy and other...
State Senate not interested in blocking legislative pay raise
The Alaska House of Representatives could vote this week or next on a bill that would block a 67% pay raise for state legislators and a 20% raise for the governor and top members of the executive branch. Passage of the bill is anticipated — m... Full story
Legislator proposes state sales tax and cutting corporate taxes
Cutting taxes for businesses while also imposing a 2% sales tax on Alaskans got side-by-side consideration last week as part of one legislator’s concept of a fiscal plan. Legislators have been discussing various forms of a long-term fiscal plan f...
Public testimony strongly against governor's transgender legislation
More than 100 Alaskans spoke out against a “parental rights” bill proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in a wave of opposition to the legislation that many said would harm already vulnerable transgender youths. Of the 119 Alaskans who spoke during the...
Police report
Monday, March 27 Nothing to report. Tuesday, March 28 Lost wallet. Domestic violence order: Violation. Property dispute. Parking complaint. Citizen assist. Wednesday, March 29 Citizen assist: Vehicle inspection. Fraud. Thursday, March 30 Agency...