Wrangell Sentinel -

The Wrangell Institute was a big part of history — for the Native students who went to school there, for the community and the state. The Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school, which operated at the site above Shoemaker Bay from 1932 to 1975,...

Sometimes, connecting the dots is the best way to learn. The first set of dots cost $87 million in federal pandemic aid money. That’s the price of the contract the state signed with an Atlanta-based for-profit health care staffing firm to provide...

We just wanted to thank everyone who helped out with Lester Schultz’s memorial on Nov. 14. A big thank you to Jake Harris for letting us use the Stikine Inn for the services last minute, Spenser Stavee with Breakaway Adventures for taking us to...

There is an inescapable irony to the fact that Alaska joined with a dozen other states in suing the federal government over their right to cut taxes. This from a state that has no property tax on homes or businesses, only on the oil industry. No...

I am not an economist, though I like learning and thinking about economic problems. Nor am I a statistician, human resources manager or director of hiring at a business. But I do think a lot about why so many employers in Wrangell, around the state...

Congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the Irene Ingle Public Library. Bringing the joy of reading and love of learning to the people of Wrangell for a century is certainly worthy of celebration. The Wrangell library holds a special place in my...

Regarding the opinion column “From The Publisher” in the Nov. 10 Sentinel, “Accuracy and fairness count in headlines, too,” the author, Larry Persily, only presents us with one side of how headlines can be biased. Yes, the headline, “CDC...

As commercial fishermen traveling to and from the fishing grounds, we saw an increase in air and water pollution by the cruise industry — the summer of 2019 was very concerning. The mixing zone between Chatham Strait and Frederick Sound where it...

On Saturday, Baha’is and their friends in Wrangell will commemorate with millions in communities across the world, the 100th anniversary of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, prophet-founder...

The holiday season is generally a time of gathering and happiness. It can also be a time of great sadness, mourning those who are no longer present to celebrate. Since 2003, Hospice of Wrangell has offered the Dove Tree and Dove Tree ceremony as a wa...

Gov. Mike Dunleavy is in reelection campaign mode, which is sort of like pie á la mode — political apple pie with a big scoop of partisanship on top. The governor earlier this month issued an administrative order that he said was necessary to prot...

I don’t celebrate my own birthday — gave that up when I grew up and mom stopped giving me money to take all my friends bowling at Dom DeVito’s Lanes, where the bar was off-limits but it still felt cool to put our pop bottles in the same...

The Alaska Constitution requires that every 10 years voters consider whether it’s time to elect and convene a group of several dozen Alaskans to rewrite all, some or none of the state’s guiding principles, the laws that govern all other laws....

About 40 years ago, the Sentinel published a news story about how the U.S. Forest Service was going to start moving against illegal squatter cabins on the Stikine River. Seemed reasonable that the agency would enforce the law and evict people who...

By Frank Murkowski There has been a concentrated effort the past few years to develop a long-term solution to the many problems of our ferry system. The effort has been led by the Alaska Department of Transportation. The department has hired several...

The Wrangell borough assembly recently passed a resolution calling for a pause in mine development in the British Columbia/Alaska transboundary region until a binding international agreement on watershed protections is developed that would ensure...

As the state’s largest city, Anchorage should be a leader, a role model for the rest of Alaska. The city of almost 290,000 people, about 40% of the state’s population, should be a wise, steadying influence — much like a big brother or big...

It’s OK with me if there are few cars to buy. My VW Beetle is more than 15 years old, but only has 72,000 miles on it, so I’m in no hurry. Besides, I like the stick shift and the CD player. And I am particularly fond of the “check engine...

The internet is first and foremost a business platform. Content (books, videos, articles) is now created only AFTER it can be verified that people are searching for it. “Monetization” drives a person or business to create content, making it...

The family of Al and Lovey Brock would like to thank the community of Wrangell for all of the support we have received since Al has been sick. We were showered with many delicious meals, air mattresses, a vehicle to use, thoughts, prayers and love....

Kudos to the Wrangell Mariners’ Memorial Committee. Your years of meetings, emails, fundraisers and hiring “smart hands” have resulted in a stunning project. I hope you realize the impact, and recognize that your time has been well-invested....

Wrangell’s public library is 100 years old this week and ready to turn the page for its next century. The library’s history includes several chapters, starting with 802 books on the shelves on opening night Oct. 31, 1921, about equal to the 821...

The nation responded to the harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption and instituted Prohibition in 1920. The idea was that people could not police themselves, the police could not protect people from the corruption and crime associated with...

A steady stream of families came through the door at the BRAVE Resilience Fair on Oct. 16 at the Nolan Center. At least 125 people attended, with many informative conversations about scores of resources available to assist a wide range of needs and...

Alaskans have been talking about the need to diversity our economy for decades, but it is diversified. In the years after oil began flowing in 1977, the vast majority of Alaska’s economy remained tied to oil. But in the past 20 years, the gross dom...