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Students were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the annual academic and scholarship awards ceremony held the afternoon of May 15 at the high school gym. Faculty, staff, community and business leaders gathered to present ninth through 12th graders with certificates, plaques and checks for their accomplishments at the end of the school year. Awards were presented in the areas of general education, shop class, finance, the arts, student government and others. Scholarships presented...
Gov. Mike Dunleavy invited Mayor Patty Gilbert to attend his State of the State speech at the Capitol on Jan. 30, introducing her during his annual address to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature. His remarks follow: "This past fall, just before Thanksgiving, tough times came to Wrangell. On the evening of Nov. 20, a massive 450-foot-wide landslide engulfed homes, blocked the road and cut off power lines. "Despite the wind, the rain, the cold and the dark, the community sprang into action....
When I arrived almost exactly two years ago, Jeff and Kay Jabusch told me people in Wrangell aren’t necessarily wary of newcomers. Rather, they pointed out, they’re hesitant to get attached since they never know who’s going to stay. I fully intended to stay. As you read this, I’m on the Columbia with my three cats, headed for Bellingham, Washington. From there, I’ll disembark and head for my new home in Idaho. A lot changed in two years. When I arrived here, I was married and had four cats and was quite healthy. The marriage ended after bei...
James "Jim" Wellington Abbott passed away at age 83 on Aug. 15 in Wrangell. A celebration of life will be held at the Harbor Light Assembly of God Church at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, with a reception to follow from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to Arnoldine E. and Emmett W. Abbott. He and his parents resided in Greenfield, Iowa, where Jim attended elementary school and graduated from high school. After graduation, Jim attended the University of Oklahoma...
Want to golf for a good cause? The WMC Foundation and SEARHC are offering the women of the community an opportunity to do just that at the Rally for Cancer Care fundraiser at Muskeg Meadows on Aug. 5. The event will feature a luncheon, beverages, prizes, a silent auction and a “fun and frolic” golf tournament — a non-scored, no-skills-necessary take on the game. The tournament is ladies only, but organizer Patty Gilbert said she “wouldn’t mind men attending” the lunch, games and auction. The fundraiser will support the WMC Foundation,...
As the school year wraps up and learning winds down, students were recognized for their outstanding achievements. The annual academic and scholarship award ceremony held on May 16 in the Wrangell High School gym highlighted the hard work put in by eighth through 12th graders. Teachers, administrators, community and business leaders gathered to present the students with certificates, plaques and checks. Awards were given in the areas of general education, shop class, finance, student government...
Did you know that when a child goes to the emergency room at our hospital or their family suffers a house fire or a boating accident, that they can be given a beautiful, comforting teddy bear to snuggle with? These bears are provided by the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and we hope that any family who has a situation where the children could use a comforting friend, that they will ask for one of the teddy bears. The only fundraising event that Beta Sigma Phi holds to raise money for these bears is the Fourth of July pie sale. And it’s a hit every y...
An award and scholarship ceremony held May 13 at Wrangell High School lauded the achievement of many students and presented seniors with scholarships to further their educations. Teachers Lisa Brooks, Jack Carney, Winston Davies, Ann Hilburn, Donna Massin and Tasha Morse all presented various students with certificates and plaques to commemorate their accomplishments for the year. Community members presented a bevy of different scholarships to the seniors, such as Virginia Oliver, who presented...
Wrangell Medical Center has experienced staffing shortages due to the recent jump in COVID-19 cases, but it has not led to delays in procedures or rescheduling, said Carly Allen, hospital administrator. “We have been able to maintain full operations thanks to the hard work of our employees and the … (traveler) nursing staff that are still with us,” Allen said. Wrangell as of Monday was up to 190 COVID-19 infections reported by the borough since Dec. 30, almost three times the community’s highest monthly count of the pandemic and represe...
Wrangell High School seniors have potentially more than $70,000 in higher education scholarships available to them from local organizations. Funds range anywhere from a one-time $100 award to $5,000 per year for four years. Though application deadlines for some are already past, many are still available for seniors looking to pursue a postsecondary education such as college or trade school. “These scholarship opportunities are vital to our students,” said counselor Addy Esco. “The world of postsecondary education and training has changed drast...
SEARHC soon will move into its second year of providing free COVID-19 testing for Wrangell residents and visitors to the community. The testing is covered under a state contract that had been scheduled to stop Dec. 31 but which has been extended to the end of the state budget year June 30, said Carly Allen, hospital administrator for the SEARHC-operated Wrangell Medical Center. The state-funded tests for travelers and community members who are not showing any symptoms of the virus are available from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday at...
Wrangell Medical Center will get an extra month of help from three traveling health care professionals, as the state has extended its contract for the workers. Alaska is adding to its $87 million contract that brought in about 470 out-of-state health care workers to assist hospitals, clinics and schools stressed this fall by the heavy workload of COVID-19 patients and testing, and to provide relief for overwhelmed medical staffs in multiple communities. In September, the state signed up Atlanta-based DLH Solutions to bring the workers to...
An addiction recovery center operator is interested in possibly buying the former hospital to open a residential and outpatient treatment center in Wrangell. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida-based Regard Recovery Centers planned to send a representative, Casey Odell, to the borough assembly’s Tuesday meeting this week to introduce the organization, discuss its interest in the former Wrangell Medical Center property, and to schedule a time in the coming weeks for a follow-up visit to Wrangell, Amber Al-Haddad, capital facilities director, reported to t...
Ever since Nancy Murkowski’s friend had a cancer scare in the early 1970s, Murkowski has made it a mission to raise funds to help fight the disease. On Aug. 20, the Waterfall Foundation, a nonprofit organization Murkowski founded more than 20 years ago, presented the WMC Foundation with a check for $10,000. In turn, the Wrangell foundation helps cancer patients and their families with travel and lodging expenses related to cancer care. Murkowski’s friend had to travel from Fairbanks to Seattle all those years ago in order to find a clinic with...
After the number of people taking COVID-19 tests in Wrangell slowed down earlier in the summer, the volume doubled in August as the community reacted to the surge of new infections in town. The borough reported 48 cases of COVID-19 in Wrangell in August, the highest monthly total since the pandemic count started in March 2020 and more than one-third of all cases in the community since the coronavirus tally began. The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, which provides tests at the airport and the Wrangell Medical Center, administered 75...
As the COVID-19 pandemic winds through its second year, many aspects of normal life are returning, including the annual Rally for Cancer Care golf tournament this weekend in Wrangell. The rally is a big fundraising event put on by the WMC Foundation, established in 2006 to support the Wrangell Medical Center. Although the borough hospital has changed hands and SEARHC has its own charitable organizations, WMC Foundation President Patty Gilbert said the group continues to serve Wrangell and other small Southeast communities. The golf tournament...
Friday, July 2 3-on-3 Basketball: Start at 10 a.m. At the covered play area behind Evergreen Elementary School. Chairperson: Christie Good Art Clark Scrap Fish Derby: 11 a.m. City Dock Summer Float Two age categories: 6-9 and 10-13 Rules: No parents allowed on floats unless they are one of the volunteers. All children must wear a life jacket at all times. Hand lines only; no rods or reels. One hook per line; one line per person. Contestants must bait their own hook. Any kind of bait can be... 
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The new Wrangell Medical Center is nearing the end of construction and will start a staggered opening on Saturday, with the long-term care unit first on the list and the rehabilitation unit scheduled for a Feb. 3 opening. "Departments are currently undergoing a phased relocation as finished punch lists are allowing for staggered staff move-ins," according to a press release Monday from SEARHC. "Patients scheduled for rehabilitation, imaging, laboratory or outpatient services will be contacted...
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium will host a training program for certified nursing assistants in Wrangell, starting next week. While the program has existed in Wrangell in the past, it is still a relatively new program under SEARHC leadership. This will be the third CNA training program offered by the Wrangell Medical Center. Issabella Crowley was one of six people who completed the first SEARHC CNA program in Wrangell in 2019. She has worked as a CNA with the hospital for a...
Construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center, ongoing since a groundbreaking ceremony in May of 2019, is nearing completion. According to a Dec. 22 press release from the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium, the project has reached 95 percent completion. "WMC staff are excited to begin caring for patients in the new facility," said SEARHC Vice President and WMC Hospital Administrator Leatha Merculieff in the press release. "Select staff have already relocated to completed...
Construction of the new Wrangell Medical Center is nearly done, according to a press release from the SouthEast Alaska Health Consortium. They are about 85 percent complete with the project, the release reads, and the entire project remains on budget and slightly ahead of schedule. The hospital, according to previous reports, is aiming to be ready for use by early-2021. Drywall work is nearly complete, according to the press release. Siding on the hospital's exterior is finished everywhere...
The new Wrangell Medical Center is nearing completion, according to a press release from SEARHC. Several crews are on-site working on siding, concrete, drywall, and other aspects of the construction project. According to the press release, the facility is 80 percent complete. Installation of exterior siding is nearly complete, with only the courtyard walls and south-facing side of the facility left. The majority of plumbing has been completed, as well. Electric crews are currently installing...
Progress has been made on the new Wrangell Medical Center, according to a press release from SEARHC. Thanks to increases in crew sizes, and new trades coming onto the project, the project has gained momentum. "WMC staff and SEARHC leadership are excited to hear that the project is currently ahead of schedule," said SEARHC Vice President and WMC Hospital Administrator Leatha Merculieff in the press release. "Dawson Construction has worked hard to mitigate any delays due to the implementation of C...
June 1 Sex offender registration Civil issue Four subpoenas served Agency assist: Harbor Summons service Traffic complaint June 2 Noise complaint Cat euthanized Agency assist: Vet Subpoena service Agency assist: Parole Search Agency assist: Hoonah Police Department Agency assist: DOT Property check June 3 Traffic stop Abandoned vehicle Agency assist: WMC Violate Conditions of Release June 4 Agency assist: Hoonah P.D. Traffic Traffic stop Harassment Summons service Criminal mischief June 5 Subpoena service Summons service Arrested Taler Byrd:...
On Wednesday, May 27, members of the Wrangell Unified Command met via videoconference to consolidate pandemic information and response from respective local organizations. Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) leadership commented on expansion of testing for select community organizations, while the City and Borough of Wrangell (CBW) Manager announced new cleaning supply stock and the potential purchase of an ambulance with CARES Act funding. Representatives from Emergency Medical Services (EMS),...
