A national support line for Native survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault has begun work to launch an Alaska-specific service. Strong Hearts Native Helpline is a Native-led nonprofit that offers 24-hour, seven-day-a-week support for anonymous and confidential calls from people who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assault. The line is staffed by Native […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Lone caretaker at Point Retreat Lighthouse found dead in apparent suicide
A Big Lake man working as the operator and groundskeeper of the Point Retreat Lighthouse was found dead on Saturday due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the Alaska State Troopers reported Tuesday. Joseph Alaniz, 42, was the only person at the lighthouse about eight miles west of Juneau on the northern tip of Admiralty Island, […]
Posted inNews
White House floats military action to take Greenland
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is considering options to acquire Greenland, including possible military operations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday, renewing a push for the Danish territory that follows the stunning U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional approval over the weekend. Trump and his top officials have professed a […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Jirdes Winther Baxter, last survivor of 1925 Nome serum run, dies in Juneau at 101
Jirdes Winther Baxter, the last living survivor of the 1925 serum run credited with inspiring the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, died Monday at Bartlett Regional Hospital at the age of 101. “This is kind of an end of an era for that period of time,” Fred Baxter, one of her sons, said in an interview […]
Posted inPhotos of the Week, Local News
In photos: Plunging into 2026
On Sunday, with the temperature hovering around six degrees, seven people ran into Portage Cove for the annual Polar Bear Dip in Haines.
Posted inSoutheast News
Negative job growth forecast for Southeast Alaska in 2026
Southeast Alaska gained no jobs in 2025 and is expected to see a drop in 2026, due to President Donald Trump’s downsizing of the federal government as well as a long-term population decline that has resulted in mostly flat job numbers for many years, according to a new state report. Strong growth in cruise tourism […]
Posted inCommentary
2025’s words of the year reflect a year of digital disillusionment
Which terms best represent 2025? Every year, editors for publications ranging from the Oxford English Dictionary to the Macquarie Dictionary of Australian English select a “word of the year.” Sometimes these terms are thematically related, particularly in the wake of world-altering events. “Pandemic,” “lockdown” and “coronavirus,” for example, were among the words chosen in 2020. At […]
Posted inLocal News, Photos of the Week
The Chilkat Valley News’ top photos of 2025
The Chilkat Valley News’ annual year in photos is a look back at the images that inspired us, surprised us and made us laugh. We focused on the moments and images that gave us a more intimate view of the daily lives of Chilkat Valley residents. Coupled with our reader’s favorites of the more than […]
Posted inNews, Energy
Pipeline deal and disasters were highlight and low point of 2025, Alaska governor says
Framed by the fireplace in Alaska’s governor’s mansion earlier this month, Gov. Mike Dunleavy shook hands and posed for pictures in the final holiday open house of his two terms as Alaska’s top elected official. Dunleavy is prohibited from running for another term, and 14 candidates have already signed up to run for his office […]
Posted inNews, Health
Alaska could see up to $1.36 billion for rural health over the next 5 years
Alaska was awarded more federal money than any state besides Texas for a federal rural health initiative, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Monday. The money will come from the Rural Health Transformation Fund, a $50 billion program set up as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and intended to counteract the effects […]