15 years ago: Borough officials lobby in D.C. The Haines Borough recently spent $7,500 sending three leaders on a lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. The money was well spent, according to assemblyman Jerry Lapp and facilities manager Brad Maynard, who made the four-day trip. The group met with U.S. senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Assembly Briefs: 5G, sales tax, muzzling the Mayor, assembly pay, and a complication for the new police chief
Cell Towers There’s no immediate end in sight for 5G cell-tower discussion, though the topic will start getting its own dedicated meeting time. The planning commission has scheduled a special meeting for July 10 to discuss two conditional use permit applications for new towers in the borough. One tower has been proposed for Main Street, […]
Posted inLocal News
Assembly email exchange posted as public meeting
An email thread between assembly members was posted to the public last week to stay in compliance with state transparency laws. The emails, proposing a borough contract for local nonprofit Becky’s Place, contained content that had largely been publicly discussed at prior assembly meetings. Even so, clerk Mike Denker immediately posted the emails to the […]
Posted inLocal News, Haines Borough
Budget Nuggets: Assembly approves final budget
The assembly approved a budget on Tuesday that had been mostly balanced before unexpected losses of outside funding opened a significant deficit. Assembly members attempted to close the gap, but in the end only passed one cost-cutting amendment. Since last year’s budgeting, the borough has lost significant outside funding, first with the planned expiration of […]
Posted inLocal News
Weekend ferry cancellation complicates travel for bike relay, solstice
A ferry cancellation will affect travel plans for some participants of the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay. The annual bike relay sees hundreds of people biking either solo or relay-style from Haines Junction, Yukon, to Haines, Alaska, on summer solstice. Alaska Marine Highway System staff were working to rebook passengers after the cancellation of the […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: Celebrating a hut, biking for bluegrass, Rabab the goat, and textile taxidermy
First Friday in Haines was a busy one, with plenty of new faces in town. The Bookstore celebrated its change of ownership with balloons and huge pieces of chocolate cake for everyone to enjoy. Former owner Amy Kane handed over the bookstore to the new owners, Beau Bradley and Zane Bradley, with plenty of congratulations […]
Posted inLocal News
KHNS would be ‘really impacted’ by public broadcasting cuts, general manager says
A large portion of KHNS’s budget is hanging in the balance as Congress considers a Trump Administration request to take back over $1.1 billion of already approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or CPB. The loss of those funds would be a “dagger in the heart” for the station, said general manager Kyle […]
Posted inSoutheast News
Juneau Empire’s managing editor departs, with plans to launch online news nonprofit
The editor of Juneau Empire is leaving the paper. Mark Sabbatini has edited the paper since 2023 and announced his departure in a Facebook post. Sabbatini said he submitted his resignation letter three weeks ago over disagreements with the publisher, Carpenter Media Group, which bought the paper last year. His last day with the Empire was […]
Posted inNews, Energy
New Alaska Bitcoin mine would use as much power as the state’s largest coal plant produces
A startup company is proposing to build a large Bitcoin mining operation on Alaska’s North Slope later this year that’s expected to be powered by the region’s abundant natural gas — a test of an operation that it wants to grow into the largest in the nation. The project from Wasilla-based Stax Capital Partners would […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted: A bear hunt, a new VPSO, the Firewood Ministry, bear proof trashcans, a hike with the library
John and Barb Nettelton went for a drive out the road and came home with a black bear. They spotted the bear around 17 Mile Haines highway. John took the shot and the bear ran about 100 feet before it fell, but not in the direction of the truck. They were fortunate to have a […]