News / Wrangell
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SEARHC closes Crossings in Wrangell, expands operation in Sitka
Posted Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 12 Alaska Crossings, a program that helps at-risk teens and takes them on guided wilderness expeditions throughout Southeast, is closing its Wrangell base of operations and moving to Sitka. Crossings has been based... Full story
Wrangell now at 103 reported COVID infections since the holidays
Posted Sunday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2022 With seven more cases reported Friday evening and one more on Sunday, Wrangell has now recorded 103 COVID-19 infections since Dec. 30. The surge in cases represents almost one-third of all the infections... Full story
First baby of new year born to Crowleys
Issabella and Tawney Crowley welcomed their first child - and the first baby born to a Wrangell family in 2022 - last week. Ryleigh Rowan Crowley was born at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 4 at the PeaceHealth...
Siekawitch becomes U.S. citizen after 18 years in Wrangell
It took nearly two decades, but Larissa Siekawitch is now an American citizen. On Jan. 4, Siekawitch took a test in Anchorage that lasted an hour and included an interview, reading, writing and answer...
Assembly raises electricity rates; first in eight years
The borough assembly voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an electricity rate hike that will increase the kilowatt-hour charge by 7.5% to 9% for most residential and business customers in Wrangell. The rate increase comes after the Southeast Alaska...
Wrangell nears record with surge in COVID-19 cases
COVID-19 cases in Wrangell are surging at their fastest rate of the nearly 2-year-old pandemic, with 67 new infections since Christmas weekend, as of Tuesday evening’s borough report. Of those, 37 cases were recorded between Friday and Tuesday....
Warmer, wetter weather creates its own set of problems
With this week's warmer weather, the snow shovels may get set aside but the higher temperatures and rain can create their own set of winter problems. Last week's single-digit temperatures gave way to...
Assembly could make borough manager decision this week
The assembly could decide this week on a new borough manager. The three finalists were scheduled for interviews at a special assembly meeting Wednesday afternoon, and assembly members could take action in public after talking with the candidates in p...
Alaska Airlines says reductions will not affect Wrangell flights
Alaska Airlines said last week it would trim its flight schedule by about 10% for the rest of January as it deals with “unprecedented” numbers of employees calling in sick during the COVID-19 surge. Service to Wrangell — Flight 65 northbound in...
School district hires new business manager to work remotely
After about 10 candidates applied for the position of business manager with Wrangell Public Schools, a hiring committee chose Tammy Stromberg, of Anchorage, to fill the job. Citing the scarcity of...
Wrangell works to obtain state aid for windstorm expenses
The governor has issued a disaster declaration for Wrangell after a windstorm took down power poles and disrupted services on Nov. 30, though it appears most of what the borough has requested is not eligible for state aid. The borough estimated its...
Art program seeks to raise confidence, bolster curriculum through creativity
A schoolwide art program at Evergreen Elementary began at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year by drawing out confidence in the student body. Developed over the summer by Tawney Crowley, the soc...
Wrangell now has enough money for Mt. Dewey trail extension
A second federal grant of $450,000 has given the borough enough money to start work and complete the long-planned extension of the popular Mt. Dewey Trail. Construction likely will begin this year, according to Parks and Recreation Director Kate Thom...
Ed Rasmuson's banking career took him through Wrangell
Ed Rasmuson, a banker and philanthropist who led Alaska's largest philanthropic organization, died Jan. 4 at age 81. He managed the Wrangell branch of the National Bank of Alaska in the late 1960s.... Full story
Garbage baler could take time to show savings
In order to stay compliant with shipping requirements, Wrangell Public Works began using a trash baler last October. The machine also could save money for the borough. Because open-top trash containers with lose garbage are being phased out by...
Magnolia raises the bar on Wrangell's beauty needs
Darian Burley's Magnolia Beauty Bar serves comfort and grooming care with a lush pedicure massage chair, salon chair and mirror, a nail care table, and hair care items for sale. Burley offers...
Annual icy dip draws brave crowd to Shoemaker Harbor
For about 20 years on New Year's Day, some of the bravest in the community gather to prove their mettle by wading into the frigid water of Shoemaker Harbor for the aptly named Polar Plunge. This year...
Assembly will consider increase in electricity rates
Ratepayers will have a chance to weigh in next Tuesday on the borough’s proposed increase in electricity rates for residential and commercial customers. If approved, the rate hike would increase the kilowatt-hour charge by 7.5% to 9% for most resid...
State advertises for fill-in private ferry service; gives bidders 7 days to respond
With the Matanuska out of service longer than expected for more repair work, and the state uncertain whether it can bring an idled ferry out of a cost-saving lay-up, the Alaska Marine Highway System is seeking bids from private vessel operators to...
Tlingit & Haida will start wireless internet pilot project in Wrangell
Wrangell has been selected for the initial start-up of Tidal Network, a newly formed enterprise of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska that will bring wireless broadband internet service to underserved areas. The new se...
State will stop paying for walk-up COVID testing at end of month
The state has decided to stop offering walk-up COVID-19 testing at Alaska’s larger airports, and to stop paying for similar free testing operations in communities statewide, including Wrangell, effective Jan. 31. The SouthEast Alaska Regional Healt...
Matanuska delayed again; no ferry service to Wrangell for 23 days
The 58-year-old state ferry Matanuska needs additional time in a Ketchikan shipyard for steel decking replacement and other repairs, forcing cancellation of more sailings to Southeast communities and leaving Wrangell without any service between Jan....
GCI internet service spotty since Nov. 30 windstorm
Internet service provided by GCI was knocked out when Wrangell was pummeled by a gusty storm on Nov. 30, and three weeks later residents were still reporting outages. Technicians were able to restore service to customers by Dec. 3, but there were...
A look back at 2021's top news stories in Wrangell
There were about 1,000 stories in the Wrangell Sentinel last year, covering state and local budgets, the ailing state ferry system, ongoing pandemic and more — including a new owner for the Sentinel. On Jan. 1, Larry Persily bought the newspaper...
Borough will apply for rec center improvements grant
The borough assembly has selected an almost quarter-million-dollar recreation center project for Wrangell’s application to a competitive, federally funded COVID-19 aid grant program, while it has also adopted its projects wish list for...
