(284) stories found containing 'Dan Ortiz'
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Borough again offers to help fund OCS office
It didn’t work a year ago, but the borough and Wrangell’s state House member are trying again to restore the Alaska Office of Children’s Services caseworker position in the community. Same as last year, the borough is offering to cover half the e...
House budget restores two offices in Wrangell
The Alaska House passed a version of the state operating budget Monday that would bring back the Department Fish and Game and Office of Children's Services to Wrangell, but the spending plan still...
Letters to the Editor
Federal bailout does not build an economy The news story on Page 3 of the April 22 Wrangell Sentinel, “Federal aid helps Southeast second time in 25 years,” compares apples to oranges (comparing federal aid for the timber industry 25 years ago wit...
Fish and Game budget would restore Wrangell office
The state Commercial Fisheries Division budget is facing no cuts for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1, assuming the current numbers make it through the Legislature and any gubernatorial vetoes. The budget approved by the state House on...
Governor, lawmakers agree to use federal aid to boost ferry system
Nearly $77 million in federal pandemic relief funds would be used to cover the state contribution to the Alaska Marine Highway System operating budget through Dec. 31, 2022, bringing more certainty...
House approves early school funding; Senate action uncertain
The Alaska House of Representatives has passed a bill intended to prevent teacher layoffs the next two years with early appropriation of state funding to local school operating budgets. Though helpful in its intent to provide funding certainty to...
Federal aid helps Southeast second time in 25 years
A quarter-century ago, Congress appropriated $110 million explicitly to help Southeast communities get through the loss of the timber industry, the region's big economic driver. This year, federal...
Letters to the Editor
College student looks at ethics of gene editing Is it morally right to gene edit? There are people with various ideas on both ends of the spectrum; some believe by having the power to gene edit you... Full story
House tries again to bring back two Wrangell state jobs
State department operating budgets before the House Finance Committee this week for the fiscal year that starts July 1 include funding to restore the commercial fisheries position in Wrangell and...
Legislature waits on federal rules for pandemic funds
While Alaska legislators await federal rules for how the state can spend the almost $1.2 billion in federal pandemic relief funds headed this way, communities are waiting to see their allocations...
Letters to the Editor
House working to add Wrangell fisheries and children's services jobs The Alaska Legislature is more than halfway through session, and I am happy to report a few successes in the legislative budget...
Legislators, governor differ on ferry system advisory board
Gov. Mike Dunleavy wants to create a new state ferry system advisory board with one state official and 10 public members to replace an existing advisory panel, similar to a separate proposal from...
Letters to the Editor
Survey respondents favor higher oil taxes, not income or sales tax Thank you to everyone who has taken the Commonwealth North budget survey. I decided to use their comprehensive budget survey in lieu...
Letters to the Editor
Legislature trying to help tourism economy I am working hard to encourage and protect our visitor industry and the economic potential of the upcoming tourism season despite the hurdles we have faced d...
Letters to the Editor
Schools ready to help students in need Due to COVID-19, the level of depression and anxiety our teens are experiencing has skyrocketed. Hospitals across the country - including Juneau - are seeing...
Loss of cruise travelers 'another year of hardship'
A month ago, the draft cruise ship schedule for Wrangell showed 50 stops in town, with the two largest vessels able to accommodate 1,100 and 1,300 passengers and crew. But now, there's not much the...
Governor wants summer advisory vote on PFD
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is asking legislators for $2 million in state funds to hold a special election this summer, to ask voters their opinion of a Permanent Fund dividend that would average $2,400 a...
Enrollment drop will cost Wrangell schools
Wrangell schools could receive at least a couple hundred thousand dollars less in state funding for the next school year, due to declining enrollment. The community has seen a sharp decline in enrollm...
Letters to the Editor
Ortiz asks constituents to take budget survey To the editor: This week, the Legislature convenes for session. One of the main obligations of the Legislature is to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal...
Governor makes dividends key element of legislative session
The Legislature is set to convene next week in Juneau, with the Permanent Fund dividend perhaps the biggest issue lawmakers will confront. Gov. Mike Dunleavy wants the state to pay individual Alaskans...
Another year of state ferry budget stress
Between state budget cuts, a mainline vessel engine breakdown, a halt to port calls in Prince Rupert, B.C., and COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Alaska Marine Highway System has struggled the past...
State's commercial fisheries set to get breather from fund swapping rather than lawmakers' largess
As Alaska faces its toughest budget squeeze ever, the state’s commercial fisheries are set to get a bit of a breather. But it is due more to fund swapping than lawmakers’ largess. For the commercial fisheries division, the largest within the Alaska D...
Dan's Dispatch
Last Friday, Governor Dunleavy released his proposed budget for the 2022 Fiscal Year (FY22). The budget, which includes all departments and services but not the PFD, totals $3.81 billion in Unrestricted General Funds. It is slightly less than this...
Rep. Ortiz gives legislative update
State Representative Dan Ortiz called into Wrangell's assembly meeting last week, Dec. 8. Recently re-elected to office, Ortiz called in to provide the assembly with a brief look at what the upcoming...
COVID-19 daily update:
December 17 Jamie Roberts, with the Wrangell EOC, reported that there are currently no active cases of COVID-19 in the community. Statewide, Alaska’s case count is 41,859 as of yesterday. This is a... Full story
