Supporters of a campaign seeking to turn back the clock on Alaska’s voting system laws are appealing more than $90,000 in fines levied by the Alaska Public Offices Commission. On Friday, Alaskans for Honest Elections, the Ranked Choice Education Association, Wellspring Ministries and Arthur Matthias filed a formal appeal in Anchorage Superior Court. The appeal alleges that […]
Posted inNews, Courts
Alaska’s courts are mired in cases, with gradual progress on backlog
Alaska’s courts have had a backlog of cases since courts shut down for months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The backlog has persisted, in part because of attorney shortages. The court typically carries many pending cases, but the number of pending cases is currently 27% higher for felonies and about 13% higher for misdemeanors than it […]
Posted inWildlife, News, Local News
Fish & Game Advisory Committee organizes, weighs in on Gov’s plan to axe eagle preserve council
The Upper Lynn Canal Fish and Game Advisory Committee met recently to fill six open seats, in Haines, Skagway, and Klukwan as well as two undesignated ones. The advisory committee is a group of community members who meet a few times a year on fish and game management issues. After elections, the committee spent much […]
Posted inNews, Education
Stagnant funding results in Alaska pre-K school closure, instability for vulnerable children
Meadow Lakes Head Start, a preschool in Wasilla that has 45 students, will close down at the end of the year. Half of the students will move on to kindergarten and the rest will have to find another preschool. The board of the nonprofit CCS Early Learning, which operates the Meadow Lakes program, made the […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: Bachelor party, future silver carver, and lost mitten found!
Rachel Saitzyk was reunited with her 90% wool liner glove that had been missing since November, leaving her with only one through several cold snaps. The glove was found on Feb. 2, frozen to her driveway, having apparently been run over by a vehicle. “Whoa!” said Saitzyk, according to her own account. “I thought I’d […]
Posted inEducation, Local News, Klukwan, Tlingit Language, News
Outdoor and cultural-center programming fuels Klukwan school enrollment jump
Enrollment in the school has shot from about 15 to 25 since the beginning of the year, just years after low enrollment put the school at the verge of closing.
Posted inNews, Local News, Alaska Legislature, State of Alaska
State tax assessment bill follows Haines residents’ push
An advocacy push by Haines residents frustrated over the property tax assessment process has led a state senator to announce a pending bill to codify some of their requests in state law. Sen. Jesse Kiehl made an announcement in his Feb. 3 newsletter “Real Deal with Jesse Kiehl.” He said his bill would include provisions […]
Posted inNews, Local News
Relationship with community, tribe emerges as top priority at assembly session
A four-hour assembly session with a discussion facilitator on Saturday whittled down some of the sprawling goals members had put forward, but left more work to be done before putting forward concrete proposals. At the top of the priorities was the yet-nebulous topic of improving relations between the borough assembly, administration, local tribes and the […]
Posted inNews, Local News, Wildlife
Lawmakers hear public outcry over Dunleavy’s plan to cut eagle council
Lawmakers heard testimony from nearly a dozen Haines residents, and got 50 written comments during a hearing on Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s plan to eliminate the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council. Just one commenter supported the elimination of the council, which was established in 1982 to provide local knowledge and weigh in on management […]