Two weeks after the Trump administration announced a U.S. Forest Service “restructuring” that would close regional offices and most of the agency’s research facilities, impacts to Alaska – home to the two largest U.S. national forests – remain unclear. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on March 31 that the Forest Service’s national headquarters will move to Utah and […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Sitkans seeking results from SEARHC session
In the annual public meeting with SEARHC officials on April 6, Sitka residents listed what they see as systemic issues with the Native-owned health care nonprofit that provides medical and hospital services for all of Sitka and serves 25 other Southeast communities. Sitkans expressed concerns and ideas on how the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium could improve its communications, […]
Posted inLocal News, Transportation
Contractor presents Lutak Dock concepts
Representatives from Moffatt & Nichol, the borough’s advisors on the Lutak Dock rebuild, presented elected officials last week with three potential dock design concepts. The concepts represent a mostly new starting point after the borough cut ties with former dock contractor Turnagain Marine. The borough assembly is scheduled to make its top pick of the […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Listen: Assembly to consider severance taxes, accessory dwelling units, and the value of the Freeride World Tour
The Haines Borough Assembly has a packed agenda on Tuesday. Chilkat Valley News editor Rashah McChesney sat down with local government reporter Will Steinfeld to talk more about what’s coming up on Tuesday evening. Rashah McChesney: It looks like several things are stacked up on the Haines Borough assembly’s agenda, what’s coming up this week? […]
Posted inLocal News
A year and a half after it burned down, Quickshop owner prepares to reopen
Inside the shell of Haines’ newest commercial building in early April, above a row of empty coolers, Merrick Bochart is in a scissor lift working on a 30-foot long painted mural. She’s putting highlights in the acrylic fur of a bear that looks out over a panorama of the Upper Lynn Canal. It’s the view […]
Posted inNews, Government & Elections
Alaska Gov. Dunleavy signs nearly $450M supplemental budget to cover state expenses this year
Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed off on a supplemental budget bill that authorizes nearly $450 million in additional state spending this year. The budget bill covers additional costs incurred by the state this fiscal year ending in June, including funds for disaster relief, education, corrections and transportation. The bill was approved by the Alaska State Legislature two weeks […]
Posted inNews, Elections
President Donald Trump calls for repeal of ranked choice voting in Alaska
President Donald Trump on Friday called on Alaska voters to repeal ranked choice voting at the November election. “The Wonderful People of Alaska desperately want to restore Free, Fair, and Honest Elections in their Great State, and get rid of their disastrous, and very fraudulent, “Ranked-Choice Voting,” Trump said on Truth Social. An effort to repeal ranked […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Wildlife
Marsupial on the run gets shot at the good life
If you’ve ever wanted to subsidize a sneaky stowaway’s blended drink habit, you’re in luck. The Alaska Zoo is seeking symbolic adoptive parents for Meatball, a juvenile opossum found and captured in a Juneau machine shop near the airport late last month. “We’ve made him these smoothies he really likes out of his vegetables,” said […]
Posted inLocal News
Budget Nuggets: Manager’s budget proposes spending savings to keep services steady
The borough manager has proposed a budget for the upcoming year that would hold big-ticket spending roughly steady, but would pay for it, at least in part, by spending from savings. In one of few larger spending changes, the manager has proposed a roughly 4% bump in school funding, on top of the increase approved […]
Posted inLocal News, Transportation
Alaska Seaplanes gets approval for new departure, landing paths to reduce flight disruptions
On Thursday morning, Patrick Ford descended through clouds shrouding Juneau in a brand new Cessna 208 Caravan. The plane emerged from whiteout conditions at around 1600 feet above the Mendenhall Wetlands and glided gently onto the runway at Juneau International Airport. Ford is a pilot and the director of operations at Alaska Seaplanes, the largest […]