President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail voting would shatter decades of U.S. Postal Service independence intended to shield it from partisan politics, postal experts and attorneys say. Postal experts said Trump ordering the postmaster general to take any action — let alone on a matter as sensitive as elections — violates guardrails in federal […]
Posted inNews, Salmon
Biologists forecast a reduced Alaska commercial salmon harvest
Alaska’s statewide commercial salmon harvest this year is expected to total 125.5 million fish, less than two thirds of the total landed by commercial harvesters in 2025, according to the annual forecast released last week by state biologists. The anticipated 2026 total, detailed in Alaska Department of Fish and Game 2026 forecast and 2025 review, is lower […]
Posted inThank You Letters
Thank you for lending your talents and time
A big thank you to all who supported this past weekend’s Haines Music, Art, and Dance Camp at the Chilkat Center. Nineteen volunteer teachers offered classes ranging from watercolor art, to guitar, piano, dance, and even Etch A Sketch. The camp rounded off a winter series of arts workshops supported by the Haines Arts Council. […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Candy-hater disrespects excellent community event
I wait each week to read the Letters to the Editor in the Chilkat Valley News and most of the time I can find someone or something I disagree with. I think about writing a rebuttal, but I don’t because I don’t know how to debate like a pro — and I work six days […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: The Boston Marathon, a visit to an old friend, a muddy hike and the Rainbow Toot Toots
Chip Lende retired from the family business at Lutak Lumber in March. And, by April 20, he had finished his 17th Boston Marathon. Lende and his daughter JJ Hinderberger finished the race in 3:59. This was Hinderberger’s 12th marathon and her third Boston Marathon. She qualified with a time of 2:58. But she didn’t want […]
Posted inHaines Borough, Local News
Budget Nuggets: A budget primer on different funds and creeping costs
“Here we go,” is what borough manager Alekka Fullerton told assembly members at a meeting Tuesday, marking the start of budget deliberations. The manager’s budget released at the start of this month, proposes holding the borough’s spending plan roughly in line with last year, with a decrease to property tax rates largely made-up for by […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Local News
Haines to host Region V art fest this weekend
The Haines School will host the Region V Art Festival this weekend, welcoming in roughly 70 students from across Southeast. Students will attend two instructional workshops a day from Friday through Monday. The sessions will be taught by art teachers from the visiting Region V schools, as well as local artists Tassja Letchworth, Kelleen Adams, […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Amalga mine seeks to lower cost, impact by shipping gold from Cascade Point elsewhere for processing
A proposed new gold mine north of Juneau expects to create 277 jobs and a pre-tax net present value of nearly $1 billion during an initial seven-year production cycle, a representative of the company developing the project told Juneau business leaders Thursday. The New Amalga Gold Project, located near Herbert Glacier about 20 miles north […]
Posted inState of Alaska, Local News
Meet the new Upper Lynn Canal sport fish area management biologist
After more than a year Haines and Skagway have a sport fishing area management biologist again. John Whitinger, is a biologist and Alaskan who says he is most drawn to looking at the entire ecosystem when considering the health of individual fish stocks. He was born in Kodiak but described a childhood commercial fishing throughout […]
Posted inGarden Edition
A whole-garden approach for the Victory Garden
A Southeast Alaska garden does its best work when it is designed as a set of connected systems rather than a single plot of vegetables. Our climate — cool, wet, and long on daylight — is generous in some ways and challenging in others. A healthy garden here tends to be one that works with […]