When Mike Hoyt was a young boy, he was fascinated by tales of the generations of his family that preceded him. As a child he listened with rapt attention as he was told stories about the status of his great-great-grandfather Thomas Ukas – a master carver – and how one of his carvings is standing […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Salmon
State closes Southeast king salmon fishing to nonresidents
Nonresident anglers fishing in state and federal waters cannot retain any king salmon that they catch in Southeast Alaska now through the end of the season on Sept. 30. The restriction went into effect on Monday, July 7. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said it expected the sportfishing sector, including residents and nonresidents, would have […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Economy
Layoffs begin for Ketchikan shipyard workers
Vigor Alaska laid off about 40 union-represented Ketchikan Shipyard workers on Monday and Tuesday, according to representatives of Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 23. About 18 people remain employed as Vigor winds down its operation of the state-owned shipyard. Thirteen or 14 of the remaining workers are represented by the union. The Daily News was […]
Posted inNews, Health, Economy
Health care takes big toll on cost of living in Alaska’s cities, report shows
Alaska’s three biggest cities have the highest health care costs among the nation’s urban areas, with costs that are about 50% higher than the U.S. urban average, a state analysis shows. The findings, part of a broader analysis of Alaska’s cost of living that was released by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, […]
Posted inEconomy, News
As Coast Guard receives billions in new Arctic funding, Alaska region gets new commander and name
Last week, President Donald Trump signed a budget bill with almost $25 billion for new Coast Guard construction, including almost $9 billion for new icebreakers and $300 million for new Coast Guard facilities in Juneau. On Friday, Rear Adm. Bob Little, the new commander of the Coast Guard in Alaska, said it remains to be seen how those new […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Environment & Natural Resources
Green crab discoveries in Ketchikan show the invasive threat is spreading in Alaska
On a sandy beach in a state park in Ketchikan, a group of local beachcombers encountered something ominous: shells of two invasive European green crabs, shed as part of the creatures’ growth process. That discovery, made during a June 6 beach survey that was part of a class held by the University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan […]
Posted inNews
Under bankruptcy settlement, Alaskans can request 23andMe immediately delete their DNA data
Alaskans can request that their DNA and personal genetic information be deleted immediately by bankrupt genetic testing company 23andMe, under the terms of a recent legal settlement. State Attorney General Treg Taylor announced the option in a news release on the settlement on June 30. “I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t […]
Posted inSoutheast News, Wildlife, Environment
National Park Service asks for tips after boat injures whale in Glacier Bay National Park
Officials with the National Park Service are asking for the public’s help as they try to figure out how a humpback whale was injured by a boat in June. Pictures published by the park on July 1 show a humpback whale with a large gash behind its dorsal fin. The whale was photographed uninjured on […]
Posted inObituaries
June Haas remembered as schoolteacher, adventurer, longtime Haines resident
A memorial service and dessert reception for June Haas will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 13, at Haines Presbyterian Church. A longtime schoolteacher and adventurer who climbed mountains and earned her pilot’s license here in the 1950s, June died Jan. 30, 2025, in Savage, Minnesota, at the age of 90. Her 58 years in […]
Posted inHaines Herring
Ayatollah Khamenei steps down as Iranian Supreme Leader to run for Haines Borough Assembly
As the Ayatollah’s grip on power has further waned after Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iranian military and other government sites like a state-run media broadcaster, rival factions are vying for power. And as unrest has stirred from a population that has become increasingly emboldened to publicly resist his oppressive regime, Khamenei told the Haines […]