Ajax Eggleston says he’s canceled a couple of medical trips scheduled in Juneau because of chest pains, as well as a family Christmas celebration with his parents in Sitka. Instead, the holiday feast at his home in Pelican was deer from a hunt earlier this year and his Christmas wish is hoping the town’s month-long […]
Posted inCommentary
Alaska’s governor said he texts Trump. I asked for copies.
A couple of months ago, I was reporting on the typhoon that hit Western Alaska and stopped by a news conference convened by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. I was there to ask him about long-term plans for protecting vulnerable coastal villages. But the governor diverted my focus by talking about Donald Trump and the president’s concern. […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Indigenous nation to get $7,250-per-person payments as a mine advances upstream of Alaska
This story is co-published by the Wrangell Sentinel and Northern Journal. An Indigenous community is locked in a debate about the pros and cons of a major new mine on their traditional lands — and a big cash payment promised by the developer. There is strong support, and fierce opposition. A lot of money to be made, and […]
Posted inNews
Alaska Federation of Natives alarmed by proposed review of state’s system of subsistence hunting and fishing
The U.S. Department of the Interior is considering whether to change Alaska’s unique system of hunting and fishing, which gives rural residents priority on federal land in Alaska. According to a notice published Dec. 15 in the Federal Register, the Interior Department is conducting “a targeted review” of the program mandated by the Alaska National Interest Lands […]
Posted inNews
Military spending bill includes free flights for Alaska soldiers and a push to reopen Adak
The new $900 billion military spending law signed by President Donald Trump last week includes special benefits for soldiers and Coast Guardsmen in Alaska, hundreds of millions in new construction within the state, and a continued push to reactivate the U.S. Navy base at Adak. “It’s safe to say that this is the biggest bill that Congress does every year,” […]
Posted inLocal News
Looking back on our most read stories of 2025
As the Chilkat Valley closes in on the end of 2025, here’s a look at some of the most widely read of the 904 stories the Chilkat Valley News published in print and online this year. January Readers spent the most time on a story titled “Border Patrol launches Juneau operations, with eye on drugs […]
Posted inLocal News
Weather service warns of extended cold snap
The National Weather Service warns of extreme cold through noon Christmas day. The weather service predicts a high of 5 degrees Fahrenheit Monday with windchill as low as 20 degrees below zero dipping down to a low of about minus 4 during the evening. On Tuesday the high is again projected to reach about 5 […]
Posted inEducation, Local News
For third career fair, Haines school seeks to broaden exposure to job types
Do you have a job in the Chilkat Valley? Haines High School counselor Kristen Brumfield wants to hear from you. Brumfield is organizing a mid-January career fair in Haines and aims to showcase the breadth of work available to high school students after they graduate. “Tradesmen and women, I want all of those people,” Brumfield […]
Posted inObituaries
Degen remembered as an intellectual force, powerful orator, artist
Editor’s note: In the weeks before he died, Andrew Degen outlined the obituary he wanted to see written about himself. His partner of 53 years, Sandra Degen, filled in some of the gaps, but the following largely follows his plan for what he thought people should know about him. Andrew “Drew” Degen was born Dec. […]
Posted inLocal News
The Chilkat Valley Index
About 7,456 people walked into the Haines Visitor Center this year, down from more than 10,600 in 2024. Tourism director Rebecca Hylton attributes that drop, in part, to a road closure during Second Avenue reconstruction and the lack of evening cruise-ship dockings. The center is estimating that approximately 67,833 cruise ship visitors came to town […]