A man from Georgia pulls out of Wrangell housing deal, citing newspaper headline as reason.

The former Wrangell Medical Center site has lost its potential buyer due to a headline in the local newspaper. Georgia resident Wayne Johnson planned to purchase the building for $200,000, below its appraised value of $800,000, and develop housing units on the property. However, he withdrew his plans after the headline implied he wanted borough lots for free, which he disputed. The City and Borough of Wrangell had offered Johnson the lots for free if he demolished the asbestos-filled medical center by 2026, but he claimed the demolition costs were too high. Wrangell Sentinel's publisher, Larry Persily, defended the headline, while Johnson decided to focus on his U.S. Congress campaign in Georgia.