Talia Dixie Hauser has been learning how to manage a whole new set of small-business-owner headaches as she works to open her ice cream shop, Dixie Queen, for the summer. The 16-year-old high school student runs the operation out of Talia’s Treasures. Hauser has been busy working out the details of getting her ice cream machine up and running, while also holding down a second job at Olerud’s.  Hauser got a more powerful machine, a 20 amp. But the shop was only open for slushies during a trial run on May 30 because she was still figuring out how it works. By last Friday, it was up and running and churning out big cups of ice cream, but kept flipping a breaker.  She solved the problem and will soon offer chocolate, vanilla and swirl for the soft serve enthusiast. She said that the popular blue raspberry and cherry flavored slushies will be on the menu again this year, as well as the Royal Slushie, a combination of slushie and ice cream in layers. 

The Haines Visitor’s Center 2026 photo contest is in its third week. The contest involves a weekly drawing for the best photos of Haines, submitted to the Visitor’s Center. This week included a photo titled “Slipping Through my Fingers” by former Haines resident Shelby Woods. Woods will be passing her $50 Rusty Compass gift card to her friend Maggie Martin. Roger and Jacky Gautschi also won this week with the photo “Bear out Lutak.” These two were visiting from Switzerland and plan to be back in August. They opted for the Alaska Sport Shop gift card. Kiara Hylton at the Visitor’s Center said that the 12-week contest will come to an end with all of the photo submissions being entered in the drawing for the grand prize. This year’s theme is Haines in Motion. 

Haines High alumna and Montana State University undergraduate Emma Dohrn has salmon stickers available at the Haines Packing store. She also created this year’s posters for the Kluane to Chilkat International Bike Relay and fisherman’s community barbecue. 

Haines Friends of Recycling spokesman Melissa Aronson reports a strong volunteer force helped with the annual electronic recycling event last weekend. The event brought 126 people with electronics from cell phones and laptops, to microwaves and TVs.  She said on Friday 16 volunteers accepted and sorted electronics waste for four hours and Saturday 14 volunteers sorted for four hours, bringing the total for this weekend’s haul up to 10,380 pounds of electronic waste diverted from the landfill. Aronson said that over the last 20 years, Haines Friends of Recycling has collected 261,389 pounds of electronics. Aronson credits the hard work of the volunteers. 

Doug Olerud and his right-hand man, Gabe Long, announced the weekly winners for the third week of the Dolly Days fishing derby. This is the third week of the event, which runs until June 15. Anglers can submit pictures of their catches to win weekly prizes and a grand prize at the end of the derby. Liam Dewitt and Lyndsey Hura each won a fishing rod. Olerud and Long reported that two sockeye made it through the weir at Chilkoot by Tuesday, meaning Dewitt and Hura could be using their new rods and reels to bring in some salmon next.