A Juneau judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Steve Kroschel, the longtime owner of a Mosquito Lake wildlife park, after Kroschel failed to appear at pre-trial hearings in his ongoing animal cruelty case. Kroschel was charged in September with multiple counts of animal cruelty, including three Class C felonies, each carrying a […]
Posted inLocal News
Assembly Briefs: Docks and towers
Letnikof offer increased The offer from American Cruise Lines to pay for a portion of the Letnikof Dock rebuild has grown. Previously, the cruise company had offered the borough $2 million toward the planned $9 million dock project in exchange for at least 20 years of priority docking rights, with options to extend. Last month, […]
Posted inLocal News
Diesel issues halt machines across the borough
Widespread fuel-gelling in the Chilkat Valley’s supply of diesel halted trucks, plows and a highway-project crew in December. Many say the problem — a process where diesel fuel solidifies at low temperatures, clogging fuel lines and filters — could have been avoided with a different fuel mix. The issues began as early December temperatures bottomed […]
Posted inLocal News
Haines’ drinking water violated standards but water manager says there is little danger
The Haines Borough informed residents on Jan. 7 that testing showed it had violated drinking water standards for turbidity between August and November last year. Turbidity, a measurement of how much light passes through a water column, is caused by solid material suspended in the water. Too much of it can interfere with how well […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: births, belly flops, bundles of snow, and much, much more
Tulsi Zahnow and Charlie Lewis Bower IV are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Fraser Robin Bower. She was born at 6:38 p.m Dec. 20 in Juneau. She was 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 18.5 inches long. Grandparents Laurie Mastrella and Charlie Bower III as well as Katrina and Josh Zahnow met with […]
Posted inLocal News
State declares storms a disaster
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a disaster declaration Sunday for the past month of winter storms in the Chilkat Valley. The weeks-long pummeling began in early December when temperatures bottomed out into the single digits and stayed resolutely low through the holidays. Then it started snowing. From Dec. 28 to Jan. 1, Haines Harbor weather […]
Posted inLocal News
Second fishing boat sinks in harbor
The F/V Faithful, a 36-foot wooden troller, sank just before New Year in the Haines Harbor — the second boat that month to sink in the harbor.Borough staff saw the boat listing the morning of Dec. 30 and worked to get pumps onboard. While setting up pumps, with harbormaster Henry Pollan in the hull of […]
Posted inEnvironment & Natural Resources, Local News
Advisory committee wants better consultation on new plan for Haines State forest
Has the state met its legal requirement to consult with local advisory boards while making changes to the Haines State Forest Management plan? That’s a question the Upper Lynn Canal Advisory Committee raised last week and again Monday before sending a letter to the state’s Division of Forestry demanding that staff do more to meet […]
Posted inObituaries
Longtime Haines Resident Dies at 84
Dr. Budd Hebert, 84, passed away peacefully December 25, 2025, in Sparta, Tennessee. Born Aug. 19, 1941, in Detroit, Michigan, Budd lived a life marked by curiosity, service, faith and a deep love for family. A lifelong educator, Budd found his greatest professional joy in the classroom. From 1993 to 2014, he served as professor […]
Posted inBlotter
Police Blotter: Dec. 7 – Jan. 10
Sunday, Dec. 7 A caller reported a power outage on Beach Road. Alaska Power & Telephone was notified. Monday, Dec. 8 A caller left contact info in case their lost keys were turned in. An officer stopped to assist a motorist on Bjornstad Drive. A driver was given a citation for a stop sign violation […]