"Lisa Von Bargen"

Wrangell mandates testing for unvaccinated people arriving in the community, but there is no COVID testing at the airport.

Unvaccinated visitors and residents returning to Wrangell need to be tested for COVID-19, Wrangell’s assembly decided Tuesday evening. 

Both Gov. Dunleavy and Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson are declining to use the types of mandates, restrictions and testing requirements the city and state used to try to minimize the spread of the virus the last time case counts were this high.

Wrangell Borough Manager Lisa Von Bargen says sinking docks have been a problem in Meyers Chuck for years, but Wrangell’s government has failed to meet its obligation to maintain them.

Projects for named communities in Southeast — Ketchikan, Craig, Sitka, Hyder and Klawock — make up about 7% of the state’s bond.

Both Wrangell and Petersburg officials say the shared fish tax doesn’t represent a massive piece of the budget, but it’s an indicator of plummeting fish revenue at a time when communities are hurting. 

This winter, the state plans to repeatedly sail ferries within 20 miles of Wrangell — but only stop there twice.

Wrangell City Manager Lisa Von Bargen is skeptical that even smaller cruise ships could operate under the current statewide mandate requiring out-of-state arrivals to quarantine for 14 days before mixing in a community.

Believe it or not, one of the worst droughts in the nation right now is in Southeast Alaska. Meanwhile, cities like Wrangell are struggling to keep up with summer water demand.

The Wrangell Assembly voted to remove the standing procedure for an opening invocation after an Alaska Superior Court judge ruled that the Kenai Assembly’s prayer policy was unconstitutional.