The State of Alaska has begun distributing disaster relief payments, totaling over $217,000 as of Friday, to residents of western Alaska impacted by storm damage from ex-Typhoon Halong. The state has received more than 940 applications for state individual assistance, according to a statement from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Applications are open on […]
Posted inLocal News
Letnikof float replacement moves forward, but remains unfunded
The Letnikof Dock rebuild passed a major design checkpoint this month, but there is not yet funding for the construction. The dock float has been out of operation since it broke almost a year ago. The float had been at the end of its projected lifespan, and was recommended for closure in 2023 by then-harbormaster […]
Posted inLocal News
Reams to fill vacant Planning Commission seat
Members of the Haines Borough Planning Commission on Thursday appointed Nathanael Reams to fill a vacant seat on the commission. The seat was vacated by Eben Sargent, who resigned from the planning commission after being elected to the borough assembly in this month’s municipal election. Sargent had two years remaining in his planning commission term, […]
Posted inLocal News
Alaskans won’t get food stamps in November unless federal funding is provided
Chilkat Valley residents are among the more than 66,000 Alaskans who could lose their federal food assistance benefits in November due to the ongoing federal shutdown. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has directed states to stop the issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the month of November […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: Silver derby, seals, scalloped potatoes and more
Doug Olerud shared the results of the ongoing Haines Silver Salmon Fishing Derby. Going into the final week of the derby, Chris Hill is in the lead with a 12.85-pound silver that she caught on a fly rod! Olerud says that Hill is very excited to be in the lead as she has been participating […]
Posted inLocal News
Federal agency advises MARAD to reconsider its consultation with Chilkat Indian Village
After more than 2.5 years of government-to-government conversations, the federal agency overseeing millions in grant funding earmarked for the Lutak Dock replacement project is at impasse with the Chilkat Indian Village. Documents from the Maritime Administration, MARAD, show that the agency determined that the Lutak Dock repair and replacement project would have no adverse effect, […]
Posted inLocal News
After nearly two months, Haines DMV office reopens
The Haines branch of the Division of Motor Vehicles reopened on Monday. The Main Street office has been closed since Aug. 1 when longtime staff member Teresa Albecker retired. New employee Natalie Williams deferred questions about her new role and the reopening of the office to a Department of Administration spokesperson, Forrest Wolfe. Wolfe wrote […]
Posted inLocal News
Haines sales tax dispute with Tlingit & Haida heads to court
Mayor Tom Morphet will meet with Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska president Chalyee Éesh Richard Peterson this week about a dispute that has the borough and tribe headed to a hearing in Alaska Small Claims Court. The stakes, at least in court, are relatively small: roughly $7,500 in sales tax […]
Posted inHaines Herring
Haines Herring: State To Assess Feasibility of Building Space Port On Eldred Rock
The Alaska Department of Transportation is conducting environmental reviews and soliciting comments for a controversial project that would build a space port on the small island of Eldred Rock in the Lynn Canal, 55 miles north of Juneau. “This exciting project will facilitate economic projections with monetary facilities and lots of rocket fuel manufacturing,” said […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor: Community should heed CIV on dock
We have failed to listen. Will the current borough manager and the entire assembly finally take Chilkat Indian Village’s opinion seriously and immediately collaborate to agree on a dock design (as requested two years ago)? We can’t continue to ignore chilkatforever.org. Assemblymembers can shout from the rooftops that this isn’t about a mine, however it’s […]