David Young Nanney, Jr., owner of the Chilkat Eagle B&B and long time Haines resident, died on May 13, 2026. A full obituary will follow.
Jeff Evans was back in Haines for a magic show at the library kick-off for the children’s summer reading program. Participants earn prizes for reading through the summer. The window at the library has been filled with donations for the treasure chest that readers can claim on Wednesday at 1:30p.m. They include a karaoke machine, a working Big Ben clock tower and a shark-tooth necklace. Following the show Holly Davis led a parade through town that ended with a pizza party at the library. Davis said her dream team of teen helpers included Aurora Mason, Meg Davis, Brinley Ganey, Scarlett Thorgesen, Gabby Long, Hattie Larson, Zara Wetzel, Gwendolyn Kosinski, Valarie Sutcliffe, and Maddigan and Tessa Tersteeg. Davis also credits the 12 parents that made pizzas. This year included a gluten-free option made by former pizza maker Jeff Stratman.
Haines High grad Brooklyn DeWitt graduated on May 16, 2026 from the Alaska Bible College with a degree in biblical studies. She plans to go to Salem, Oregon and attend Youth With a Mission in September. She intends to go on a mission trip to Japan for 2+ months in November and go back to college to become a counselor.
Julie Korsmeyer has been contributing paintings to the Alaska Art Confluence windows at IGA for the last two years. So she was surprised to see the window empty when she passed by recently. Korsmeyer inquired with staff at the confluence and discovered that the painting was safely tucked away in Kevin Shove’s office. Korsmeyer said she was told that a customer had complained that the painting was too dark and it upset them. Korsmeyer describes the painting as “intense and compelling” and said she is happy that it made the person feel something, although unhappy to have the art removed. She hoped to put a different painting in the place of the one that was removed.. The one she is working on now has skulls, so it won’t fit the bill. She has an abstract painting with birds and another with a hidden face. Keep an eye on the IGA window.
The Chilkat Challenge Triathlon had more participants than ever this year, according to race marshal Gershon Cohen. More than 80 racers paddled, biked or ran in and near the event’s namesake river. The triathlon is intended to build awareness and protection for the Chilkat River. The awards ceremony was held at the Chilkat Inlet Retreat complete with a taco bar and auction. Awards were handed out for a wide variety of titles. John Berryman, affectionately known as Yukon John, was the fastest in the men’s individual category. There were runners with faster times, but race organizers count only those who do the race as solo competitors. Berryman competed in all three events with a finishing time of 3:18:25. Veronica Porter was the fastest in the women’s individual category with a time of 3:37:40. The second place winner in the women’s individual category was Iliana Stehelin. Fun fact about Stehelin, she ran her first Chilkat Challenge Triathlon when she was just 14-years-old. David Ozahowski was the fastest men’s runner at 44:00. The youngest participant was 19-year-old Ari’el Godinez Long.
The Haines Glacier Bears seventh-grade class completed firearms and hunter safety with the help of Cheryl Stickler and Jacques Turcotte. They instructed over a dozen students on gun safety as it pertains to hunting. Turcotte said students completed the indoor classroom portion before practicing live-fire scenarios. The certification they leave with will allow them to participate in the youth-only goat hunt here in Haines.
Tina and Darrel Jerue were selling fry bread for a good cause over the weekend. Darrel Jerue’s father, Valentino Burattin, has an aging Jeep he’s been driving for years. There are a lot of things wrong with it, including that exhaust leaks into the car. The Jerues found a replacement car and set to work with the plan. They picked the week of The Great Alaska Craft Beer Festival and Chilkat Challenge Triathlon to sell fry bread. The Jerues said they’ve had great success raising funds, with their target audience prior to last weekend being rafters and construction crews. They plan to also sell pelmenis, Indian tacos, cinnamon rolls and other treats until Burattin is driving a new-to-him, 2003 Kia Sedona. He says he plans to take his reliable ride on a trip to Whitehorse in the near future.
Former Haines resident Becky Hill met up with Erika Merklin in Seattle. Hill picked Merklin up and went directly to Olympia, Washington for some delicious Assyrian food. The two visited Portland for the weekend and enjoyed a Saturday market that has been in operation more than 50 years.