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In today’s world, many feel concern, anxiety and cynicism. Yet there are countless reasons to remain hopeful. A gathering in Anchorage on March 29-30 and open to all, explored how we can unite to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for every member of the human family. Among the 140 attendees with diverse backgrounds were three adults and one youth from Wrangell, all eager to reflect on this question. Through devotional gatherings, large and small group discussions, the arts and shared meals, we explored the teachings of B...
The Wrangell Chamber of Commerce will move into the Nolan Center, pending the expected approval by the borough assembly later this month. Setting up shop in the Nolan Center will put the chamber in a more visible and heavily trafficked location, allowing better access for visitors. Since 2012, the chamber has been in an office in the Stikine Inn, around the corner from the front desk. “We’re essentially becoming roommates,” said Kate Thomas, the borough’s economic development director, describing the new arrangement for sharing office space....
Police on Saturday arrested Ethan Robison, 22, on multiple charges after he allegedly hit one vehicle and ran two others off the road before losing control of his own vehicle and crashing off the highway. Police said they received a report about 5:25 p.m. Saturday, April 5, “of a potentially intoxicated driver” in a pickup truck near Evergreen Trailer Park on the north end of the island. “Shortly after, the same truck hit a vehicle at the intersection of Bennett Street and Zimovia Highway,” according to the Wrangell Police Department stateme...
The math of not having enough revenue to cover what the public wants out of state government isn't a shock to freshman Rep. Jeremy Bynum, who left four years of service on the Ketchikan Gateway Borough assembly to start his new job this year as a member of the Alaska House of Representatives. What surprised him is the size of the gap between available revenue and spending desires, said Bynum, who represents Ketchikan, Wrangell, Metlakatla, Hyder, Meyers Chuck, Whale Pass and Coffman Cove. He...
Kyan Stead talks a lot about practice. If there are two things the high school senior excels at, it's basketball and welding, two talents reliant on tedious repetition. And while that may deter some folks, Stead embraces it. For his senior project, he organized a wood and metal art table at the Nolan Center's holiday community market last December. He sold student projects and other creations students made in shop class. From cutting boards to coat hangers, he sold about $2,000 worth of goods. A...
"The roof is on fire, and I feel like nobody is actually paying attention," teacher Mikki Angerman said at a joint work session between the borough assembly and school board on March 24. Nearly 50 members of the public attended the meeting, and Angerman's impassioned speech to the school board exemplified the widespread frustration with the district's handling of its large budget shortfall. The meeting coincided with the release of the district's third draft of next year's budget. Business...
Without a real plan, Olivia Strano found herself in the right place at the right time. When she walked away from her work as a yacht stewardess and onto a Wrangell dock last summer, she felt she had found her home. "I've been searching for my place for 10 years, and Wrangell is everything I've been looking for," she said. While she was working a variety of jobs to make ends meet, she asked locals what was something that Wrangell needed but didn't have. Music, music venues and more bands were...
It’s even better than a raincoat, it’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and the musical is coming to the stage at the Nolan Center this weekend. “If you’ve never seen a show, this is the one to see,” director Haley Reeves said of the community theater production, the fifth play since volunteers resumed putting on shows in December 2022 after an absence of more than 20 years. “Joseph” retells a Bible story about a large family and one young man’s journey and later reunion with his brothers. “It’s not a boring show,” Reeves sa...
Spring started a month ago, but better to wait until any remaining snow is gone and the temperatures are a little warmer before embarking on Wrangell’s annual community cleanup. The cleanup event is set for 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 19, with crews collecting their gear and heading out from the Evergreen Elementary School parking lot. “People come in and get bags to collect trash at the place of their choice,” said one of the volunteer organizers, Paula Rak, who has been helping with the community cleanup the past 40 years. The organ...
April 2, 1925 J.T. Freeburn, who was in the mining game in Alaska for many years, was a guest of the Wrangell Commercial Club at its weekly luncheon Monday. Mr. Freeburn stated that he believes the mining possibilities of Alaska are far greater than is generally realized. He further stated that lead, manganese and other metals which 10 years ago were down in price are now being quoted on the market at considerably increased prices. Mr. Freeburn said there has never been a time when it was easier to get money for the development of legitimate...
LITTLE LEAGUE VOLUNTEERS needed for umpiring, scorekeeping, concessions, pitching machine runners, field upkeep and more. Volunteer applications can be picked up at the Stikine Inn or online at https://bit.ly/4iP0eGr. NOLAN CENTER THEATER presents the musical production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at 6 p.m. Friday, April 4, and at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, April 5. Doors open 30 minutes before the show. Tickets are $25 and available online at paybee.io/@nolancenter@5 or in person at the Nolan Center. FRIENDS OF THE LIB...
Prompted at a work session with the borough assembly last week to gather more public input into its long-term budget plans, the Wrangell school board is seeking volunteers to serve on a special committee. The school board announced March 28 that it is seeking letters of interest from people willing to serve on an ad hoc committee “to research long-term budgetary considerations,” such as a four-day school week, consolidation of the district’s three schools or other measures to cut expenses. “This is your opportunity to be a part of what could l...
A software problem with the borough’s transition to cloud-based servers resulted in missed auto payments for some Wrangell utility customers in March. Instead of the autopays going through as normal they went nowhere, and the April 1 account statements will show a delinquency for March, explained Jackson Pool, the borough’s finance director. “Please be assured that all late fees related to this issue will be waived,” Pool reported in a March 26 announcement of the problem. Wrangell has about 1,150 residential and commercial utility accounts cov...
North Slope oil production has been in steady decline since 1988. The trans-Alaska oil pipeline is more than three-quarters empty. It’s no one’s fault, that’s just how oil reservoirs behave. They are not some kind of eternal spring that replenishes itself. Even as companies work hard to find new oil fields and increase production from the older reservoirs, it’s not enough to permanently reverse the inevitable. And with that decline, so goes state revenues. Even today, in its diminished capacity, oil remains the single largest source of tax rev...
DaNika Smalley and Amber Wade traveled to Juneau last month to go back in time. The pair conducted research at Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Tlingit & Haida Central Council archives and at the Alaska State Museum. Their four-day trip was covered by grant funding through Museums Alaska with additional support from the national nonprofit Henry Luce Foundation and the CIRI Foundation, established by the Native corporation for the Cook Inlet region. Smalley oversees collections for the Wrangell M...
Sealaska, the regional for-profit Native corporation for Southeast Alaska, has scheduled a meeting for its shareholders from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 9, at the Nolan Center. The corporation is holding shareholder meetings across Southeast this spring, leading up to its annual meeting scheduled for June 21 in Kake. The Sealaska board of directors will be at the Wrangell meeting, said Christian Gomez, communications lead for the Juneau-based corporation. Tables will be set up in the civic center for shareholders to collect information and...
The beach between City Park and Heritage Harbor reopened to the public last week after a closure of more than six months to repair damage to the community’s sewage outfall line. The borough last month collected and tested samples from the beach to ensure the area is safe for the public. “Results of those tests have come back within regulatory compliance and historical averages,” according to a March 28 announcement from City Hall. A boat owner last September pulled anchor in front of the beach area, damaging the deepwater outfall line from...
A couple of Wrangell kids scored victories in the state Elks Hoop Shoot competition. Jude Johnson placed second in the state among boys 10 and 11 years old, with his score of sinking 15 of 25 free throws at the Wrangell event. Connor Blake placed third in the state among boys 12 and 13 years old, with his score of making 18 of 25 shots. They were among the half-dozen kids who placed first in Wrangell’s annual Hoop Shoot in November. Their scores were sent to the state director, who ranked their record against first-place finishers from the 1...
Alejandro Calvillo, 24, was being held in the Wrangell jail last week on extortion and coercion charges for allegedly threatening a victim in an attempt to collect $1,000, Wrangell police said. Bond on the initial charges was set at $10,000, and the suspect was held pending his next court date on April 1, Police Chief Gene Meek said March 27. Police arrested Calvillo on March 23 — a day after the alleged crime — after stopping him just past where Front Street changes into Shakes Street. The victim reported to police on March 22 that Cal...
Harold Bailey passed away at the age of 89 on March 22, 2025, in Wrangell. He was born in Port Townsend, Washington, on Jan. 21, 1936. After finishing high school, he joined the Army and was stationed in Germany. After his discharge from the service, he married Patricia (Pat) in 1958. In 1968 Harold and Pat, along with their three children, Jim, Bill and Kristi, moved from Washington to Wrangell. Harold worked at the Wrangell Lumber sawmill on the log boom and the tug Chester. In a few years he...
It was always going to be tough for City Hall to follow up a fiscal year that brought in over $50 million in federal and state funding, but 2025 hasn't exactly gotten off to a rip-roaring financial start. Congress' failure to reauthorize funding for the Secure Rural Schools program means that the borough is beginning to build next year's budget in a $800,000 hole after losing the federal aid; the pending launch of Sitka's new haul-out boatyard could take business away from Wrangell's economy; an...
Alaskans have until 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 31, to file for this year’s Permanent Fund dividend, whether they file online or mail a paper application to the PFD office. But if they mail the application, it absolutely positively must be postmarked by March 31. Anything dropped in the mail after that date will be rejected. Last year’s dividend was $1,702, though this year’s amount — which will be set by legislators during the budget-writing process this spring — likely will be at least several hundred dollars less. The state is facing a combine...
Starting next week, SEARHC patients will be able to schedule appointments, message their medical team, renew prescriptions, check lab results and more, all through a new online portal. The online service is optional, and there is no charge. “We’re really excited about the MySEARHC portal,” said Dr. Cate Buley, SEARHC’s chief medical officer. “It’s really a step up.” It will be available to patients in every Southeast community served by SEARHC. Outreach to publicize the new service will start Saturday, March 29, Buley said. Everyone who has a c...