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  • Assembly adopts $300 fine for illegal tree cutting

    Wrangell Sentinel Staff|Jan 18, 2024

    WRANGELL — The Wrangell Borough Assembly on Jan. 9 unanimously adopted an ordinance to institute a $300 fine for illegally cutting down trees on borough land. No one from the public spoke on the ordinance at the public hearing held before the assembly vote. In addition to the ordinance setting the amount of the fine, the assembly also unanimously approved an ordinance adding trespass to the borough code, which prohibits “cutting down, injury or removal of trees or timber from borough property without written permission.” Borough offic...

  • Wrangell's port commission recommends mandatory insurance for boat owners

    Lary Persily, Wrangell Sentinel writer|Jan 11, 2024

    WRANGELL — The port commission has recommended to the Wrangell Borough Assembly approval of an ordinance that would require owners who moor their vessels at a reserved spot in Wrangell harbors to either provide proof of marine insurance or pay a monthly surcharge on their moorage fee. Officials have been considering since 2022 adding the new requirement to municipal code to help shield the borough from the cost of raising and disposing of boats that sink in the harbors. “The cost of recovering sunken vessels has significantly increased, and...

  • Wrangell search and rescue suspends search for Derek Heller

    Wrangell Sentinel, Staff Writers|Dec 14, 2023

    The Wrangell borough on Dec. 6 announced the suspension of the search for Derek Heller, 12, missing since a Nov. 20 landslide took out his family’s home at 11-Mile Zimovia Highway. “The decision to end the active search comes after 15 days of tireless and exhaustive efforts by the Wrangell Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue teams,” the borough’s announcement said. “The untiring efforts to locate 12-year-old Derek Heller extended to all accessible areas above and into the intertidal zone,” the borough’s statement said. Wrangell Volu...

  • Clearing work continues at slide; fundraising grows to help families

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel Reporter|Dec 7, 2023

    WRANGELL - Response to the deadly landslide continues, with extensive clearing work to remove debris from along the highway to increase safety and with fundraising for families affected by the disaster, particularly the Heller and Florschutz families that lost loved ones. More than $43,000 from 342 donations had been raised in a GoFundMe campaign for the two families as of Monday, Dec. 4. Almost $20,000 had been raised in another account to help families who were displaced or whose lives were...

  • State releases names of landslide dead and missing

    Larry Persily|Nov 30, 2023

    WRANGELL - State officials have released the names of the four people killed and two others still missing from the Nov. 20 landslide that hit just past 11-Mile Zimovia Highway. As of Monday, Nov. 27, searchers had found the bodies of Timothy Heller, 44, his wife, Beth Heller, 36, and their daughters, Mara, 16, and Kara, 11. Mara was a high school junior and Kara was in fifth grade. Searchers found Mara's body the night of the slide, during the initial search operations by first responders able...

  • Florschutz survives after landslide traps her overnight

    Caroleine James|Nov 30, 2023

    WRANGELL - Christina Florschutz, an aide at Evergreen Elementary School, survived the 11-Mile landslide killed at least four people Nov. 20 - even after debris destroyed her home and trapped her overnight. The evening of the slide, Florschutz went upstairs to take a shower. After she got out, she heard "a horrible noise, a very loud noise." Before she could react, the landslide slammed into her house, tossing her "like a piece of weightless popcorn" around the room until she lost consciousness....

  • Eyewitnesses and slide evacuees share their stories

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel Reporter|Nov 30, 2023

    WRANGELL ­ — People living near the landslide’s path had a harrowing night Nov. 20, as homes were evacuated and first responders searched for people who were unaccounted for. Stan Guggenbickler was missing overnight after going for a drive on the evening of Nov. 20. He had baked a cake for his son’s 18th birthday and wanted to let the cake cool before frosting it, so he headed up the road from his house at Panhandle Trailer Court to Middle Ridge cabin in his truck. After turning onto the road to Middle Ridge, debris covered his exit, trapping h...

  • Landslide likely caused by rain, high winds

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel Reporter|Nov 30, 2023

    WRANGELL ­- Heavy rains, high winds and the unique topography of the area likely caused the Nov. 20 landslide at 11-Mile. The type of landslide that hit Wrangell is called a "debris flow" - a "notably destructive" event that is common in the region, said state geologist Barrett Salisbury at a Nov. 21 press conference. They occur when soil becomes so saturated with water that individual pieces of soil are no longer touching each other, and lack the strength to hold themselves in place. Debris...

  • Sitka responded to fatal 2015 landslide with monitoring system

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel Writer|Nov 30, 2023

    A series of landslides hit Sitka more than eight years ago during heavy rain, with the largest striking a new subdivision and killing three workers. It prompted the community, led by the Sitka Sound Science Center, to set up a landslide warning system. The system includes rain gauges and soil-moisture sensors spread around town, with a website that advises people of the risk level of a landslide. It took about four years to develop the system — and a lot of federal grant money. “We started when we had our landslide. We started calling sci...

  • Satellite link in a backpack provides Wi-Fi service for landslide responders

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel Writer|Nov 30, 2023

    WRANGELL — First responders and volunteers working at the site of the deadly landslide have a Wi-Fi signal, thanks to a backpack satellite-link setup the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska sent to Wrangell. The council’s operations center keeps the Starlink setups in Juneau and Sitka for emergencies and community use, said Chris Cropley, director of the Tidal Network at Tlingit and Haida. The council sent two of its Starlink packs to Wrangell on Nov. 22, and the service was up and running at the landslide response sit...

  • Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel reporter|Nov 23, 2023

    WRANGELL - One juvenile female and two adults are confirmed dead after a massive landslide 11 miles from town covered three homes on Monday night. Three people - one adult and two juveniles - were still missing as of late Tuesday evening. Local and state rescue teams are engaged in an ongoing search. First responders arrived at the scene soon after the slide was reported at 8:51 p.m. Monday. Shortly after, they started a "hasty search" for survivors, said Austin McDaniel, communications...  Website

  • Community responds with food, shelter and crisis counseling after landslide tragedy

    Mark C. Robinson|Nov 23, 2023

    WRANGELL - Multiple resources are responding Tuesday to help people affected by the massive landslide at 11-Mile on Monday night that killed at least three, with three others still missing. The growing list includes food, temporary shelter, or just a warm place to spend the day with family and friends. Angela Stires, an evacuee and a nurse at Wrangell Medical Center, said she and her family were provided rooms at the Stikine Inn, which has been offering shelter to people displaced by the...

  • Lecture shares bombardment history, calls for formal reconciliation

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel reporter|Nov 16, 2023

    WRANGELL — In a livestreamed lecture sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute, ethnohistorian Zachary Jones presented on the U.S. military’s 19th century attacks on the Tlingit villages of Kaachxhaan.áak’w, Kéex’ Kwáan and Xutsnoowú Kwáan — present-day Wrangell, Kake and Angoon. Though the attacks occurred over 150 years ago, their effects are still felt by Tlingit communities today, Jones said, and community leaders are still seeking restitution. In 1867, the U.S. government paid Russia $7.2 million — less than two cents per acre — for the t...

  • Advisory committee supports proposal to protect commercial king harvest share

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel reporter|Nov 16, 2023

    WRANGELL — Members of the Wrangell Fish and Game Advisory Committee are concerned about the future of commercial salmon fishing as Alaska’s tourism industry continues to expand, bringing in more non-resident fishers on charter trips. The advisory committee supports amending state regulation to prevent the Southeast sport fishery from exceeding its 20% share of the Pacific Salmon Commission’s annual harvest ceiling for king salmon. The committee voted Nov. 7 to support a proposal calling for tighter state regulation of the charter catch and q...

  • Seal processing workshop teaches traditional knowledge

    Oct 19, 2023

    WRANGELL - A seal-processing workshop hosted by the Wrangell Cooperative Association brought knowledge about traditional subsistence practices to the community. During a series of classes on Oct. 6, 7 and 8, students helped harvest the meat, fat, skin, oil and intestines from two seals and learned how each byproduct could be prepared or stored. Instructor Paul Marks II learned how to harvest and process seals from his family in Kake, particularly his grandmother. "I would bring in fish, crab,...

  • Wrangell has lot of decisions to make on next year's subdivision land sale

    Larry Persily, Wrangell Sentinel Writer|Oct 12, 2023

    WRANGELL — While ground work is underway at the Alder Top Village (Keishangita.’aan) subdivision upland from Shoemaker Bay, borough officials are at work researching options for how the residential lots — as many as 42 — will be sold. The sale is expected by next summer or fall. “People are excited about it,” said Kate Thomas, the borough’s economic development director. The community has never seen so many building lots come up for sale at one time, she said in an interview Friday, Oct. 6. “This is a new opportunity for us.” Borough officials...

  • Pizza run brings slice of reality to residents of Port Protection

    Marc Lutz|Jul 27, 2023

    WRANGELL – When people choose to live in a remote area, they give up certain things like grocery stores, movie theaters and, probably most importantly, pizza deliveries. That's why residents of Port Protection were thrilled when Nic Martin and Brian Schwartz showed up on July 15 with 18 pizzas from Nic's Place pizzeria. Not only was it a chance to expand the reach of Nic's Place and bring some happiness to the community on the north end of Prince of Wales Island about 47 nautical miles west of W...

  • Women's 'fun and frolic' golf to raise money for Cancer Care

    Caroleine James|Jul 27, 2023

    WRANGELL — Want to golf for a good cause? The WMC Foundation and SEARHC are offering the women of the community an opportunity to do just that at the Rally for Cancer Care fundraiser at Muskeg Meadows on Aug. 5. The event will feature a luncheon, beverages, prizes, a silent auction and a “fun and frolic” golf tournament — a non-scored, no-skills-necessary take on the game. The tournament is ladies only, but organizer Patty Gilbert said she “wouldn’t mind men attending” the lunch, games and auction. The fundraiser will support the WMC Foundatio...

  • Wrangell's BearFest comes roaring back starting July 26

    Marc Lutz|Jul 13, 2023

    WRANGELL – From a "beary" pie contest to a cub-o-war, art workshops, live music and a usually sold-out dinner, BearFest is returning for its 14th year. The activities start July 26. The popular educational and cultural event celebrates bears and the surrounding environment. Along with the activities, educational opportunities and symposiums and a bear safety session are planned. One of the more popular features of BearFest is the dinner and fundraising auction held at the Stikine Inn and Restaurant, which will begin at 6 p.m. July 28. T...

  • Wrangell assembly approves real estate contract to sell hospital property

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel reporter|Jun 29, 2023

    WRANGELL – Wrangell’s borough-owned hospital property on Bennett Street has been vacant since March 2021 and on the market for about a year. Though the borough has received one development proposal for the land, it is contracting with a realtor to attract more buyers and expand its options. At its June 13 meeting, the Wrangell assembly approved a contract with Petersburg-based real estate agent Anchor Properties to try selling the 30,000-square-foot building and 1.94 acres of land. Assembly Member Jim DeBord was the only opposing vote. The app...

  • Forest Service reminds public of unguided Anan permits

    Wrangell Sentinel staff|Jun 15, 2023

    WRANGELL — The U.S. Forest Service again this year is making available permits for unguided visits to the Anan Wildlife Observatory, limited to four per day. The permits must be requested in person at the Wrangell Ranger District office, up to one week in advance. Permits, at $10 each, are required for visiting Anan from July 5 through Aug. 25, when the popular bear-viewing site is limited to 60 visitors a day on guided tours. The four unguided visitor permits are in addition to the 60. “These (four) permits are for people arriving with the...

  • Tongass Toughman to test triathletes' tenacity in Wrangell

    Marc Lutz, Wrangell Sentinel Editor|Jun 15, 2023

    WRANGELL - Competitors made of the toughest stuff have less than a month to train for the Tongass Toughman Triathlon in Wrangell. Triathletes put their endurance, strength and fortitude on display in a contest which covers a combined 72.2 miles of water, pavement and earth. The race, which will unofficially kick off the Fourth of July festivities throughout town on July 1, starts with a swim of 1.2 miles to City Dock from a starting point out in Zimovia Strait. Once athletes reach the dock and c...

  • International bird-tracking project alights in Wrangell

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel Writer|May 4, 2023

    Wrangell may not be on the road system, but that doesn’t mean it’s not connected to the rest of the world. Last month, a U.S. Forest Service project put Wrangell on the map — the Motus map. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international collaborative research network that uses radio telemetry technology to study the migratory patterns of birds and other animals. After scientists put a nanotag on a bird, its movements can be tracked by hundreds of Motus antennae all over the world. These tags can weigh less than a gram. The program’s res...

  • Stikine birding festival about to take off for 16-day flight

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel Writer|Apr 20, 2023

    WRANGELL — Every spring when the eulachon spawn, the Stikine River flats are flooded with thousands of migratory shorebirds. And each year, the town responds in-kind with the Stikine River Birding Festival, filling the radio airwaves with bird songs and holding an array of avian-themed events. This season, the festival will run for three weekends between April 21 and May 6. It will feature movies, crafts, workshops and more. “Birding is such a nice welcome to spring,” said Corree Delabrue of the U.S. Forest Service, who helped plan the festi...

  • Wrangell faces costly fix at Heritage Harbor

    Caroleine James, Wrangell Sentinel writer|Apr 13, 2023

    WRANGELL — Late last month, the Wrangell 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 an...

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