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Wrangell reports 16th COVID case
City officials reported another COVID-19 case Friday afternoon, bringing to 16 the number of positive cases since last Thursday. Though the city said it had no additional information on the latest case, infections reported Thursday and earlier in... Full story
Wrangell back under face mask ordinance through April 30
Face masks are required in all indoor public spaces until 11:59 p.m. April 30 under an emergency ordinance approved unanimously by the borough assembly Saturday morning as the city responds to the COVID-19 breakout in town. The community tallied 16... Full story
Federal aid provides $700,000 boost to school budget
The latest Wrangell School District draft budget for the next school year includes an estimated $700,000 in additional federal relief aid, but board members expressed concern that the money, while...
City extends declaration to protect any relief funding
To ensure the city qualifies for federal and state disaster relief funding, the borough assembly has voted to extend Wrangell's emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. In the same meeting...
Summer cruise ship traveler numbers continue to slide
After no season last year, Wrangell started 2021 with hopes of as many as 20,000 tourists coming to town this summer aboard cruise ships of varying sizes, with capacity of between 40 and 700...
Graduation preparations underway, maybe at the city dock
After a long and strange pandemic year, Wrangell's graduating seniors are preparing for the end of their high school education in May. Plans for a different, but in-person, graduation ceremony are...
Wrangell reports 9 COVID cases in 6 days
Wrangell tallied nine COVID-19 cases between last Thursday and late Tuesday afternoon, as the community is dealing with a spike in infections. "Health officials have found evidence of community...
Barge ramp due for repairs
Repair work to the city's barge ramp will be necessary in the near future, according to Harbormaster Steve Miller, though a timeline and budget for renovations are still being drawn up. Miller reporte...
Governor wants national marketing campaign for Alaska tourism
Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he wants to use federal pandemic relief dollars for a national advertising campaign to support Alaska's tourism industry, though he provided no details or budget for the...
Assembly adopts changes to liveaboard definition
The borough assembly adopted changes Tuesday night to the harbor's liveaboard fee policy to make it easier for collection. The assembly earlier had backed away from a plan to increase the liveaboard f...
Legislators try again to tax e-cigarettes
Legislators are trying again this year to tax "electronic smoking products"- e-cigarettes and vaping devices - the same as tobacco products. Bills to extend the state's tobacco tax to electronic smoki...
Carly Allen takes over at Wrangell Medical Center
Leatha Merculieff, who has served both as SEARHC vice president and as Wrangell hospital administrator since SEARHC took over the facility in 2019, has been promoted to the consortium's senior vice...
State pauses J&J one-shot vaccinations
JUNEAU (AP) - The state health department said Tuesday upcoming appointments for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Alaska are being canceled or delayed after federal agencies recommended a “pause”to review reports of rare but...
Florida sues to get cruise ships sailing again
MIAMI (AP) - The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, demanding that cruise ships be allowed to start sailing immediately. Gov. Ron DeSantis said April 8 the federal no-sail order is outdated and hurts the state as...
Anchorage mayor lifts limits on outdoor gatherings
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Anchorage will lift all limits on outdoor gatherings in a new coronavirus emergency order that will take effect on Friday night. Outdoor gatherings will no longer have capacity restrictions, though mask and social distancing...
South African COVID variant reported in Alaska
ANCHORAGE (AP) - Health officials have reported a case of a coronavirus variant in Southcentral Alaska first detected in South Africa. The Alaska case was reported as first identified in March in the region that includes Anchorage and the...
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...
It will take time for Alaska economy to recover
The steep drop in visitors to Alaska last year because of pandemic travel restrictions showed up in air, sea and land numbers - and resulting job losses - across the state. Overall, the state lost...
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...
Head Start helps feed kids each week
While they have not been able to meet in person due to the pandemic, the Head Start preschool program is still working to make sure Wrangell's kids get the help they need. Besides hosting their...
City looks to bale out of shipping its trash in open-top containers
The borough assembly will consider the purchase of a trash baler so that it can stop shipping the community's garbage out of town in open-top containers. The purchase, estimated at $600,000, will be...
'Big shift' from oil to investment state, lawmaker says
Back when the North Slope was pumping 2 million barrels of crude a day at its peak in 1988, and even for years after, oil provided upward of 90% of state general fund revenues in good years. But that...
U.S. cruises could resume in July, but Canadian waters still closed
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new operating guidance for cruise lines, with at least one company just three days later submitting its plan to possibly resume sailings in Ju...
Wrangell police warn about scam calls
The Wrangell Police Department is warning the public about phone calls from scammers pretending to be with the Social Security Administration. The callers tell people the government has a warrant for...
Chugach Ranger moved to new home
The Chugach Ranger, the last wooden boat in the U.S. Forest Service fleet, was relocated to its new home beside the Nolan Center on March 31. The city museum and visitor center has been advocating the...