Sorted by date Results 1126 - 1150 of 6221
For the seventh year in a row, federal managers have closed the Stikine River chinook subsistence fishery to help preserve weak runs of the returning salmon. The U.S. Forest Service, under authority delegated by the Federal Subsistence Board, last week announced the closure to run May 15 through June 20. “The preseason forecast for the Stikine River is 11,700 large chinook salmon (greater than 28 inches in length), which is below the escapement goal range of 14,000 to 28,000 large chinook,” the Forest Service statement said. Though this yea...
The U.S. Forest Service is seeking suggestions for sustainably managing the Tongass National Forest, with a series of public meetings across Southeast Alaska through May 19. The Wrangell public meeting is planned for 5 to 7 p.m. May 5 at the Nolan Center. “Instead of commenting on a plan we present, we’re asking folks to help develop it,” according to a Forest Service announcement of the meetings. That means looking for input from individuals, groups, government agencies and Alaska Native tribes about ideas such as “wood products, clean w...
Drifting ash from a volcanic eruption in the Russian Far East forced Alaska Airlines to cancel more than 100 flights last week, including its northbound and southbound jets through Wrangell and Petersburg last Thursday and Friday. Flights throughout Alaska had largely returned to normal by Saturday, other than a couple of missed flights to Sitka that day as a portion of the ash cloud hung around the community. Although a “very large area” of gas left over from the ash cloud still hovered over the eastern Gulf of Alaska near Sitka by Sat...
Elias Decker wants to elevate the stature of the pep band drummer - literally. For his high school graduation project, the 18-year-old senior is building a platform to allow the band's drummer to play alongside the saxes, clarinet and cowbell. The idea for the platform came to Decker when he attended basketball regionals in Juneau in March. Two drum platforms were set up at opposite ends of the bleachers in the Thunder Mountain High School gym so that bands from competing schools could take...
Margaret "Missy" Wright, president of the long-term care resident council at Wrangell Medical Center, cuts the ceremonial ribbon last Thursday for the four-room expansion at the facility, bringing it to 18 beds. "We are just so excited to be able to expand and provide additional services for our elders," said Kay Turner, the unit's administrator. "Long-term care is such a need in Southeast." The facility serves local residents and people from throughout the region. The unit includes...
Late last month, the borough discovered an oversight in the construction of Heritage Harbor — its steel pilings and piers do not have corrosion-preventing anodes on them. These pieces of oxidizing metal protect pilings from underwater degradation. Without them, the supports underneath the Heritage floats have begun to corrode. The borough plans to work quickly to install nearly $1 million worth of anodes at the harbor to prevent further wear. Near the end of March, the Port and Harbors Department sent a diver to check the anodes at Heritage H...
In light of the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce’s operating deficit over the past six years, it has sought to cut costs and find added revenues to continue the popular Fourth of July celebration. To that end, the chamber board of directors will be asking the borough’s economic development department to support funding for this year’s event. The borough this fiscal year contributed $27,000 toward the chamber’s general budget — not specifically designated to the Fourth of July. That is a small increase over $23,000 in the previous year. At a work...
Piper Buness might not be big on words but she's big on making and setting goals. The 9-year-old fourth grader participated in the Big Climb in Seattle on March 26 to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and her accomplishment had big results. Chris Buness, Piper's grandmother, has been participating in the firefighter version of the Big Climb in Seattle's Columbia Building off and on since 2011. Firefighters wear their gear to scale the 69 floors two weeks before the Big Climb,...
The Wrangell School District would receive an additional $425,000 in one-year state money under a budget headed toward approval in the Alaska House, falling short of a permanent increase in the education funding formula sought by school districts statewide. Under the House budget, state funding for K-12 public education would increase by about 14% for the 2023-2024 school year. The state’s foundation funding, based on enrollment, covers about 60% of the Wrangell district’s total general fund budget. The Republican-led House majority str...
The state has embarked on a mandatory income eligibility review of about 150,000 households receiving Medicaid benefits — covering as many as 260,000 people, more than one in three Alaskans. Nearly 500 Wrangell households could be in that stack. That represents about half of all the households in the community of just under 2,100 residents. The Alaska Department of Health reported an average monthly caseload of 476 Wrangell households enrolled in Medicaid in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022. The program provides health care coverage f...
Whether he's promoting independent artists or advertising to independent travelers, musician and business-owner Matt Henson uses his marketing know-how to connect buyers with products. In the past, he worked in music marketing, where he got the word out about up-and-coming artists. In his new job as borough marketing and community development coordinator, he'll be promoting Wrangell. "The core concepts of marketing stay the same no matter what you're doing," Henson explained. "For the borough,...
The shelters at Shoemaker Park and City Park were damaged by fire and vandalism last week in two separate incidents. On April 3, the south-end shelter at City Park was used by a group of youths to camp overnight. Food, garbage and human waste were left behind, the Parks and Recreation Department reported. On April 6, more destructive damage occurred at Shoemaker Park as two fires were built inside and outside the shelter. The inside fire, caused by burning a pallet in the fireplace, scorched...
Tons of free non-perishables and canned goods are headed to Alaska communities through the Food Bank of Alaska, but Wrangell’s food pantries haven’t signed on to the program. The town’s largest food pantry at The Salvation Army says it is well stocked with local donations. After a state agency’s monthslong backlog of processing applications for food stamp benefits left residents throughout Alaska struggling to feed their families, the governor in late February directed $1.7 million to help. The money is intended to stock food pantries, particu...
For Kristy and Brian Herman of Canoe Lagoon Oysters, operating an oyster business has been an exercise in efficiency. Since buying the farm in 2020, the pair has cut labor costs and oyster growing time, streamlined their cleaning and sorting processes and formed lasting relationships with restaurants in the Lower 48. Now, the company is ready for its next big step - a retail location in Wrangell. In the past, Canoe Lagoon Oysters has had a minimal presence in town, since the business's primary...
If you're having trouble with your tires - or you want to commission a custom blade - John Hurst of John's Junk Removal has expanded his offerings to include tire repair, mounting and balance, plus handmade metalworks from his new forge. Hurst bought his tire-mounting machine on a whim last December, after seeing one available for sale. "I needed my tires changed and the one guy who did it here in town was really busy at that time," he explained. "I said, what the heck, I'll buy it for 150...
What started out as merely a way to show support for her best friend ended up being a life-changing experience for high school senior Brodie Gardner. Last June, she was asked by Mia Wiederspohn to go with her to the Sealaska Heritage-organized Celebration in Juneau, which led to Gardner becoming more involved in the Tlingit culture and restoration of the Chief Shakes gravesite on Case Avenue. "I went to Celebration with Virginia (Oliver), and I'm not part of her Tlingit class but my best friend...
As the school year hastens to its May 25 end, the district took its first steps toward updating its strategic plan, a document that lists specific goals and outcomes, how those will be achieved and the deadlines for each. Though discussions about updating the plan were held at the beginning of the school year, the district has recently issued a survey, inviting community members to share what they think the schools should focus on. “This is our initial foray into getting as much information as possible,” said Schools Superintendent Bill Bur...
After hearing from concerned residents and weighing the borough’s financial needs, the assembly voted unanimously to adopt rate increases for its water, electrical, sewer, harbor and trash pickup services. On average, the new rates will be 10% higher and will go into effect at the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1. At the March 28 assembly meeting, Finance Director Mason Villarma explained the reasoning behind the proposed rate increases. The water, power, sewer, harbor and trash disposal funds are all “enterprise funds,” meani...
To the untrained eye, the Wrangell landscape looks serene and still, with its craggy, tree-covered hills, gray pebble beaches and sweeping ocean views. But to federal geologist Peter Haeussler, the land is full of hidden forces, operating on a timetable much vaster than our own. The color of a rock or the shape of a valley offer clues that can unlock the secrets of an area's past - and point to its future. Haeussler will share his expertise on Southeast geology at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the...
The state now plans to spend an estimated $8 million to replace wasted steel on the ferry Matanuska. If the repairs can be completed in time, the ship could be available by late summer or early fall if it is needed to fill in on Southeast routes. The work at the Vigor shipyard in Ketchikan had not started as of March 28, although the Alaska Marine Highway System’s timeline presented to legislators that day showed the Matanuska work was to have started in March. A much larger, $37.5 million project of safety and environmental upgrades to the 6...
Since the dawn of humankind, people have dropped stuff. And since that time, we've tried to figure out how to keep dropped stuff from breaking. Just look at cell phone cases. On March 27, students in the migrant education program continued the tradition by holding an egg drop. One by one, school district facilities and maintenance manager Josh Blatchley dropped 11 eggs from the Evergreen Elementary cafeteria roof. Fortunately, each fragile breakfast staple was encased in some form of protective...
From sponsorships to rental fees for Fourth of July event booths, the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce is doing what it can to make sure the organization no longer operates at a deficit. In a work session on March 24, chamber leadership looked at various ways to raise funds and cut costs where possible. “Basically, we’re trying to break even,” said chamber board of directors president Bill Burr. “The chamber has been running in the red for quite some time. We can’t. We’re at a point where breaking even is fine, but we can’t go backward.” Th...
The opportunity for free recycling of old cars and trucks, metal roofing and shelving, major appliances and anything else made of metal will end Sunday. Juneau-based Channel Construction, which is operating under a short-term lease at the borough-owned former sawmill property at 6.3-Mile Zimovia Highway, will stop accepting scrap metal as it gets ready to pile up its barge with the last pieces of scrap metal and ship the load for recycling out of state. The company will continue to accept cars, trucks and other metal at no charge 8 a.m. to 5 p....
Kindergartener Kysa Harrison shows off her new pinwheel at Evergreen Elementary last Friday. April is child abuse prevention month, with the pinwheel its national symbol. Community organization BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) distributed pinwheels to elementary students to raise awareness. "The cyclical nature of the pinwheel depicts positive cycles of love and support we want to help families create," BRAVE wrote. The organization is partnering with the Alaska Children's Trust to...
Thanks to federal pandemic relief money, the borough will be able to improve the reliability of the community’s water supply. At its March 28 meeting, the borough assembly allocated the final round of these funds — nearly $1.5 million total — to the reservoir bypass project. Right now, the borough has a direct connection from the lower reservoir to the water treatment plant, but not from the upper reservoir to the plant. This setup forces the Public Works Department to siphon water from the upper to the lower reservoir. The bypass proje...
