Articles written by larry persily
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Alaskans heading south, which is not good
Wrangell Sentinel Publisher For the 10th year in a row, more Alaskans moved out last year than new residents moved in. That’s a draining fact, with...
Alaska needs to accept that the world is changing
The world will continue to need liquid fuels refined from crude oil for decades. But it likely will need less in the decades ahead as it transitions...
School districts hope for more state funding next year
School districts statewide, including Haines, will be looking to the Legislature next year for an increase in state funding, but any boost in the...
Alaska needs to do more to attract new residents
More people moved out of Alaska than moved in every year between 2015 and 2021. If not for a healthy birth rate, the state population would have...
Legislature and governor need to boost funding for school districts
The Haines School District could face a financial squeeze in the next several years, forcing hard decisions over which programs get cut, what classes...
They love their phones far too much
I promise, this will be the first and only column I write that makes fun of how people behave in Washington, D.C. Well, maybe I’ll write another...
Alaska mariculture effort wins $49 million federal grant
A statewide coalition of fisheries and economic development organizations, led by the Southeast Conference, has won a $49 million federal grant to...
State ferry traffic into Haines down significantly from a decade ago
More than 31,000 passengers a year boarded a state ferry in Haines 2010 through 2015, and more than 31,000 a year walked or drove off the ships...
Senior tax exemption covers 17% of Haines' residential property
As Haines’ population continues to age, an increasing number of homes in town qualify for the state-mandated exemption from property taxes. About...
State ferry system still comes up short on hiring
The Alaska Marine Highway System has enough crew to operate its summer schedule, though it still lacks a sufficient cushion to handle worker...
Bars reopen on two state ferries
Beer and wine have been available at the bars on board the state ferries Matanuska and Kennicott since late May after the amenities were closed seven...
Suspending taxes on gasoline doesn't deserve any mileage
Legislators, the governor, members of the public — and most certainly candidates in this year’s state elections — should be paying attention to...
Wrangell borough buys former sawmill property for $2.5 million
After finding a solution to a contractor lien against the property owner, the Wrangell Borough this week completed a $2.5 million purchase to take...
Losing money a lesson to remember
Legislators, the governor, members of the public — and most certainly candidates in this year’s state elections — should be paying attention to...
Haines may need to add disinfection to sewage treatment
Haines is one of nine Alaska communities operating under old federal permit waivers from secondary treatment for its sewage water discharge, and...
Malaspina will have new life as museum, employee housing and classroom
After 56 years of service in the Alaska Marine Highway System fleet and almost three years tied up at a Ketchikan dock, unused and in need of costly...
Election to fill Young's seat first chance to try new voting system
This is the first year for ranked-choice voting in Alaska, and the changeover will start next week. Voting in the primary election to choose from...
Senate Finance co-chair says state needs more in savings
If oil prices stay above $100 a barrel for the next 12 months, the state could end the fiscal year in June 2023 with about $2.3 billion in its...
Columbia's return nowhere on the horizon
The largest of the state ferries, the 499-passenger Columbia, was still listed as inactive on the Transportation Department website as of Monday,...
Legislature moves closer to suspending motor fuel tax for one year
The state House has passed legislation that would suspend Alaska’s 8-cents-a-gallon motor fuel tax for a year to help consumers pinched by high pric...
Senate committee proposes full school debt repayment
The Haines Borough could receive about $2.1 million under a Senate Finance Committee plan to pay back municipalities across Alaska for years of...
It all adds up to the same $2,600
With just a few weeks left in the legislative session, House and Senate budget writers appear to agree that $2,600 is a good number to put into the...
Alaska Seaplanes will start Sitka-Wrangell service next month
Juneau-based Alaska Seaplanes will add Wrangell to its route map starting May 26. The company, which operates a fleet of 14 single-engine aircraft,...
Extra ferry sailing will pick up waitlist travelers in Bellingham
With more than 260 would-be ferry passengers stuck on a waitlist for travel out of Bellingham, Washington, and sailings full until late July, the...
Mortgage relief program draws 35 applications
A federally funded mortgage relief program to help homeowners hurt financially by the pandemic drew 10,737 applications in Alaska, with 35 from...
