With Wrangell’s Public Health Center effectively unmanned due to statewide budget cuts, steps are being taken to ensure area residents can still receive some level of service.

Citing budget cuts of nearly 25 percent over the past two years, Alaska’s Division of Public Health announced in May its decision not to replace its nursing position in Wrangell, as well as to eliminate the location’s office assistant position.

The division’s regional Public Health Nurse manager, Sarah Hargrave, explained the office itself will remain open, providing services on an itinerant basis. Petersburg PHN Erin Mi...